It's an accepted truth that as far as movie characters go, the pixieish young woman who changes the leading man's life is way overused. But if your movie must contain such a creature, Zooey Deschanel is absolutely your best choice. With her beautiful (but not unattainable!) looks and carefree (but not airheaded!) persona, Ms. Deschanel is perfect for these roles, often giving them more depth and nuance than they deserve. And hey, sometimes she plays other types, too. Herewith, the best and worst of Zooey Deschanel.

TOP 5

1. 500 Days of Summer
No fair using one that hasn't come out yet, but trust me, once you see it -- it opens in limited release this week and expands after that -- you'll agree. If you've ever harbored a secret love for Zooey Deschanel, here's a chance for her to break your heart all over again. But first she'll fill it with whimsy and delight! (And then comes the breaking.)

2. Elf
This new holiday favorite is mostly a Will Ferrell vehicle, but Deschanel's role as a department-store clerk who doesn't believe he's really one of Santa's helpers is crucial. The scene where they sing "Baby, It's Cold Outside" together? Adorable.

3. All the Real Girls
One of Deschanel's first big roles was in this small, overlooked gem from director David Gordon Green. She plays a small-town girl who's been at boarding school for a few years and sparks up a relationship with a local boy (Paul Schneider) when she comes home. The bulk of the film is nothing more than dialogue between the two -- and that's plenty. It's the rare film that makes you feel like you're actually spending time with the characters.

4. Failure to Launch
No, this is not a particularly good film. (Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker are the leads.) But Deschanel is hilarious as the leading lady's boozy roommate, who has an ongoing problem with a mockingbird outside her window and likes to drink all day. If someone would put together a montage just of Deschanel's scenes, I would watch it regularly.

5. Big Trouble
This daffy ensemble comedy is mostly a footnote in history for being the first film to be delayed because of 9/11. It was supposed to come out that very week, but a scene where someone sneaks a bomb onto an airplane made studio execs nervous, so it was pushed back several months. Deschanel and Ben Foster play teenagers who remain calm while all around them is madness; if nothing else, it's one of the few times in her career that Deschanel was young enough to play a high school student convincingly.

BOTTOM 5

1. Gigantic
And this is the dark side of the pixieish young woman who changes the leading man's life. When an uninspired filmmaker has seen too many movies like that, he produces something generic and trite like this. Deschanel's first scene has her visiting a mattress store -- and then taking a nap on one of the beds! Aw, cute!! Blegh.

2. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Deschanel plays an Earthling among aliens in this sci-fi comedy, but that's not the only reason she seems out of place. It turns out her girl-next-door charm doesn't really translate when she's put on a spaceship and surrounded by E.T.'s.

3. The Go-Getter
Another generic indie comedy with dramatic undertones. (See also: Gigantic.) I love you, Zooey, but just because a script calls for "a Zooey Deschanel type" doesn't mean you're obligated to do it.

4. Yes Man
It's not just the unaddressed 18-year age difference between Deschanel and Jim Carrey. It's the fact that the movie is so committed to being a "romantic comedy" that it forces Deschanel to get mad at Carrey for something stupid -- because, after all, that's what happens in romantic comedies. A woeful misuse of Deschanel.

5. The Happening
M. Night Shyamalan's stupid dialogue and bafflingly stilted direction are the culprits here. At least Deschanel manages to make it sound cute.

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