Why she's so miserable: Selma scrimps and saves every penny she can and tries desperately to hide the fact that, due to a degenerative condition, she is going blind. Her kindly landlord, desperate for money, steals the stash she's saved to pay for her young son's treatment for the same condition, and plots to have her evicted from the caravan on his property. When she confronts him, he asks her to kill him rather than let his wife find out - which she does, resulting in her trial and conviction for murder. She is sentenced to death by an uncaring judge and prejudiced court.

Why she's inspiring: Everything Selma does is for the love of her son, and by dint of stealing her money back and getting it to her son's school before the police capture her, she manages to save his sight. She also deals with her awful life by escaping into daydreams of Hollywood musicals, which might not ultimately help but at least make her life more bearable.