Watch out, AFI

Let's get one thing straight: there was a reason that I wrote "(ducking)" after my proclamation that Natalie Portman is the finest actress of her generation. I wholeheartedly expected some disagreement there. And so, after spending far too many work hours preparing it, I've compiled a list of actresses who could be considered good, all of whom fall in what some might call Portman's "generation." Now, that's not easy, because the definition of "generation" isn't exactly finite. It isn't like one generation ends on one date and the next generation begins the day after. It's in flux. But, I think that for the purposes of this list, the years 1974-1987 work out fine. I thought about starting at 1975, but to do so would exclude two very talented actresses. So, here's the objective version of my list (year of birth in parentheses):
Hilary Swank (74)
Scarlett Johansson (84)
Natalie Portman (81)
Maggie Gyllenhaal (77)
Chloe Sevigny (74)
Sarah Polley (79)
Milla Jovovich (75)
Zooey Deschanel (80)
Rosario Dawson (79)
Michelle Rodriguez (78)
Shannyn Sossamon (79)
Reese Witherspoon (76)
Jessica Alba (81)
Evan Rachel Wood (87)
Keira Knightley (85)
Emmy Rossum (86)
Mena Suvari (79)
Katie Holmes (78)

If I'm voting with my heart, I still put Portman atop the list, in a horse race with Johansson and The Next Karate Kid. But I'll cede to the ribbing I've been taking over the last 48 hours and allow young Natalie to fall to No. 3. Still, watch out, because Free Zone could be decent, and V is for Vendetta could be fantastic. (The latter is the film for which NP shaved her head.)