Hermione is big screen role model

Harry Potter’s wholesome sidekick Hermione Granger has been voted the best big screen role model in a poll of young film fans.

Films can have a powerful influence on the way children behave and interact with people around them

The smart student, played in the films by Emma Watson, picked up almost a fifth of the votes (19 per cent) in the survey.

Next up was Charlie Bucket – the poor boy who wins a golden ticket to get a glimpse inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory – who picked up 16 per cent of the vote, followed by another Roald Dahl creation, Matilda Wormwood, who was played in the 1996 film by Mara Wilson and was picked by 15 per cent of the 1,000 schoolchildren who voted.

The survey, carried out by streaming and British DVD rental service Lovefilm with children’s charity Filmclub, put Home Alone’s Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, in fourth place with 13 per cent followed by the hero of The Karate Kid remake Dre Parker.

Filmclub’s Sam Wainstein said: “Films can have a powerful influence on the way children behave and interact with people around them. Characters that young people identify with tend to stay with them the longest and positive behaviours can be learnt by watching the way that fictional characters handle certain situations on-screen.

“We wanted to work with our philanthropic partner Lovefilm to compile a list which recognises and celebrates the positive influence these on-screen role models can have. We hope our list will also help parents and guardians when it comes to choosing films for their children to enjoy.”

The top 10 favourites

1. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter (19 per cent)
2. Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (16 per cent)
3. Matilda from Matilda (15 per cent)
4. Kevin from Home Alone (13 per cent)
5. Dre Parker from The Karate Kid (12 per cent)
6. Woody from Toy Story (11 per cent)
7. Lucy from The Chronicles of Narnia (five per cent)
8. Chihiro Ogino from Spirited Away (four per cent)
9. Arthur from The Sword in the Stone (three per cent)
10. James from James and Giant Peach (two per cent)