Not the performance. The actual character.
I've mentioned several times on the podcast and website who I think my favorite movie character is. Now I want to hear yours.
Bonus points if he or she comes from Varsity Blues.
Seth Brundle: because a sense of humor can help you make the most out of your Gregor Samsa-like transformation into a giant human fly, even though in the end knowing the animal will take over and he can't be trusted gives your whole outlook on life a bittersweet sadness. I also have to throw in Brundle's girlfriend, Veronica Quaife. Any chick that hugs her boyfriend after he's vomited acid to melt his food and picks his ear off in front of her is a special kind of gal.
'The Woody Allen character' that Woody Allen has created, whether for himself (much better) or somebody else (varies wildly in tone, consistency and effectiveness) in his movies, that is such a pitch-perfect visualization of what we perceive him as and what he wants us to perceive him for that most people have to come to buy the cartoon as the real thing.
Marion Ravenwood. Indy may be the man, but only Marion has stood toe-to-toe with him and given as good as he's given back. Rarely has an movie hero been so perfectly and evenly-matched with a complementary lady, which makes her absence from the first two sequels all the more puzzling and sad.
Max Fischer. He's not the brightest or the one with the highest grades, but damn if Max doesn't try and always gives 100% of what he's got in everything he does, whether it's impressing a teacher, befriending a business mogul, making the best HS theater play, being there for his posse of followers or joining as many after-school clubs as he can. I guess what I'm asking is, 17 years after the movie came, when are we going to get the "Rushmore" TV series that further expands our character's tidy movie world?
Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Neither rain, slow or the fact he's a bumbling moron and walking disaster area will stop Insp. Clouseau from cracking the case and bring the bad guys to justice, 'in the name of the leew.' Gotta throw in there Clouseau's nemesis Chief Inspector Dreyfus, whose temper tantrums and desperation at having to deal with Clouseau made the perfect 'yin' to the latter's 'yan' and one of the best comedy foils in movie history.
The Tramp. Whether it's making bread rolls dance or shed a well-timed tear when giving a pretty girl a flower or keeping his balance while a house tips to both sides, The Tramp is always trying to make the most of life and keep on going. But it's just that little bit of sadness and humanity visible underneath the clown, the repressed emotion below the howl of laughter, that makes The Tramp special.
There's too many to mention, but any couple that falls in love and sustain that through most or all of the length of the movie and touch you in personal ways. Like Elaine and Ted Striker from "Airplane!," Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund from "Casablanca," Adèle and Emma from "Blue Is The Warmest Color," Jack and Rose in "Titanic," Alvie Singer and Annie Hall from "Annie Hall," Cop 663 and Faye in "Chungking Express," etc.
This discussion is tooooo good to pass up. So many choices.
The Good Guys Special Agent Dale Cooper - logic, spirituality, dreams... there is a connection in there somewhere Hrundi V. Bakshi - party animal Snake Plissken - because he REALLY doesn't give a fuck. Maya Randall - because she knows how to appreciate a complex grape David Dunn - because sometimes you have to wait a long time to find your purpose in life The Dude - is this to obvious?
The Bad Boys Peter Stegman - Nietzsche and Beethoven rolled into a single punk kid? Miles Raymond and Jack Cole - baaaad, baaaad boys El Guapo - because he improved my vocabulary Tom Reagan - because when he's raised hell, you'll know it. John Bender - because he put me off Barry Manilow fashion for life (but he'd lose in a fight with Peter Stegman!)
The Couples Sailor and Lula Max Cherry and Jackie Brown Mick Dundee and Sue Charlton
The Man with no Name (Clint Eastwood)-The Dollars Trilogy Max Fischer (Jason Schwartzman)- Rushmore Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly)- Magnolia Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem)- No Country for Old Men
The Coen Brothers really do create some of the best film characters ever.
This is a tough question to answer, since the character and the performance are so closely linked. I suppose, then, I’ve got to go back a step to the script stage and ask, who’s a great character, as written? For example:
1) Dennis from CHRISTINE (1983). He might appear to be the stereotypical jock that’s in so many high school movies, but he’s fiercely loyal to his best buddy, the school nerd. He even goes to great extremes to save his nerdy friend’s life (and, perhaps, soul) during the finale. Unlike other movie high school jocks, he shows great moral integrity and is a real stereotype shatterer (if you choose to believe it’s more than just friendship, then he’s a huge stereotype-shatterer).
2) Dr. Morbius from FORBIDDEN PLANET. Morbius is an evil guy who does a lot of evil things, but he’s also broken and sort of tragic. Here’s a guy who’s seen a lifetime of isolation and death, which informs his deceitful actions, plus the fact that, despite his genius, the final crisis arises from his own subconscious, something he cannot control. Dude has layers, is what I’m saying.
The more I think about it, the more I gotta say Master Yoda from Empire Strikes Back. Not only is he very funny in his first meeting but also extremely wise. He gets unfortunately CGI'D in the prequels (Now this is pod racing!). Size matters not indeed.
I thought for an entire day, and came up with a top 10:
1. Cameron Frye - Ferris Bueller's Day Off 2. Juni Cortez - Spy Kids 3. Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean series 4. Tevye the Dairyman - Fiddler on the Roof 5. Inspector Chan Ka-kui - Police Story series 6. Hermione Granger - Harry Potter series 7. Frodo Baggins - The Lord of the Rings 8. Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones series (duh) 9. Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars 10. The President of the United States of America - various
Dr. Ian Malcom Steve Zissou Marla Singer Clare Quilty Joe Oramas and of course: http://www.fthismovie.net/2013/10/great-horror-performances-adam-riske-on.html?spref=tw
Commissioner Gordon, Ellen Ripley, Martin Blank, Susanna Kaysen, Princess Leia (specifically ESB), and since we all like Peter Sellers in everything..Clousteau and President Merkin Muffley!
My immediate reaction was Dr. Ian Malcolm. But then again, I don't like him in The Lost World. I'm going to also have to disqualify John McClane on similar grounds, the last 2 movies have been such a departure.
So I'm going to have to go with Lt. Frank Drebin. I wanted to go with a good villain or anti-hero, like Anton Chigurh or Killer Joe Cooper, but Frank is just the best.
1. Jackie Brown 2. Clarice Starling 3. Hermione and Snape 4. Marge Gunderson 5. The Wicked Witch and The Lion - The Wizard of Oz 6. Jiji, Kiki and Tombo - Kiki's Delivery Service 7. Paikea - Whale Rider 8. Susan and David - Bringing up baby 9. Harmonica and Frank - Once upon a time in the west 10. Ninotchka Honourable mentions: Sugarpuss O'Shea - Ball of Fire, O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill Vol 1), The monster (Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein), Auntie Mame, Yentl, Scarlet O'Hara, Marty McFly, Nancy Thompson, Belle - Beauty and the Beast and Margo Channing.
If I were answering 15 years ago, Luke Skywalker would have been my choice. I have no defense, except that I like magic! (Yoda and Obi-wan are too old, Vader and Palpatine are evil)
These days, narrowing it down is nigh impossible, but I adore the arc Roger Brown (Headhunters) goes through over the course of the film. The performance is great too, but I think many other actors could have pulled off something interesting with the same part.
I've said before and I'll say it again. I wish the Coen Brothers had removed Tommy Lee Jones from No Country for Old Men and replaced him with Marge Gunderson. :)
Ash Williams from the Evil Dead trilogy.
ReplyDeleteTechnically he's originally a book character, but I'm going to go with Atticus Finch. I love everything that character stands for.
ReplyDeleteHonorable mentions:
Vito Corleone
Hannibal Lector
Norman Bates
Marty McFly
The Joker (Ledger)
Tyler Durden
*Lecter
DeleteJames Bond
ReplyDeleteSgt. Danny Butterman from Hot Fuzz
ReplyDeleteIndiana Jones
ReplyDeleteDitto.
DeleteSeth Brundle: because a sense of humor can help you make the most out of your Gregor Samsa-like transformation into a giant human fly, even though in the end knowing the animal will take over and he can't be trusted gives your whole outlook on life a bittersweet sadness. I also have to throw in Brundle's girlfriend, Veronica Quaife. Any chick that hugs her boyfriend after he's vomited acid to melt his food and picks his ear off in front of her is a special kind of gal.
ReplyDelete'The Woody Allen character' that Woody Allen has created, whether for himself (much better) or somebody else (varies wildly in tone, consistency and effectiveness) in his movies, that is such a pitch-perfect visualization of what we perceive him as and what he wants us to perceive him for that most people have to come to buy the cartoon as the real thing.
Marion Ravenwood. Indy may be the man, but only Marion has stood toe-to-toe with him and given as good as he's given back. Rarely has an movie hero been so perfectly and evenly-matched with a complementary lady, which makes her absence from the first two sequels all the more puzzling and sad.
Max Fischer. He's not the brightest or the one with the highest grades, but damn if Max doesn't try and always gives 100% of what he's got in everything he does, whether it's impressing a teacher, befriending a business mogul, making the best HS theater play, being there for his posse of followers or joining as many after-school clubs as he can. I guess what I'm asking is, 17 years after the movie came, when are we going to get the "Rushmore" TV series that further expands our character's tidy movie world?
Inspector Jacques Clouseau. Neither rain, slow or the fact he's a bumbling moron and walking disaster area will stop Insp. Clouseau from cracking the case and bring the bad guys to justice, 'in the name of the leew.' Gotta throw in there Clouseau's nemesis Chief Inspector Dreyfus, whose temper tantrums and desperation at having to deal with Clouseau made the perfect 'yin' to the latter's 'yan' and one of the best comedy foils in movie history.
The Tramp. Whether it's making bread rolls dance or shed a well-timed tear when giving a pretty girl a flower or keeping his balance while a house tips to both sides, The Tramp is always trying to make the most of life and keep on going. But it's just that little bit of sadness and humanity visible underneath the clown, the repressed emotion below the howl of laughter, that makes The Tramp special.
There's too many to mention, but any couple that falls in love and sustain that through most or all of the length of the movie and touch you in personal ways. Like Elaine and Ted Striker from "Airplane!," Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund from "Casablanca," Adèle and Emma from "Blue Is The Warmest Color," Jack and Rose in "Titanic," Alvie Singer and Annie Hall from "Annie Hall," Cop 663 and Faye in "Chungking Express," etc.
There are many more but I'm drawing a blank.
Great choices!
DeleteMarion does not get menitoned nearly enough. I am kinda partial to Willie too, but Marion....
And Seth and Ronnie are one of the great couples.
This discussion is tooooo good to pass up. So many choices.
ReplyDeleteThe Good Guys
Special Agent Dale Cooper - logic, spirituality, dreams... there is a connection in there somewhere
Hrundi V. Bakshi - party animal
Snake Plissken - because he REALLY doesn't give a fuck.
Maya Randall - because she knows how to appreciate a complex grape
David Dunn - because sometimes you have to wait a long time to find your purpose in life
The Dude - is this to obvious?
The Bad Boys
Peter Stegman - Nietzsche and Beethoven rolled into a single punk kid?
Miles Raymond and Jack Cole - baaaad, baaaad boys
El Guapo - because he improved my vocabulary
Tom Reagan - because when he's raised hell, you'll know it.
John Bender - because he put me off Barry Manilow fashion for life (but he'd lose in a fight with Peter Stegman!)
The Couples
Sailor and Lula
Max Cherry and Jackie Brown
Mick Dundee and Sue Charlton
I think Snake Plissken is my runner up.
DeleteEllen Ripley - The Alien franchise
ReplyDeleteDr. Alan Grant - Jurassic Park
Frank Booth - Blue Velvet
Clarice Starling - The Silence of the Lambs
Indy. Snake Plissken. Westley. Jules Winfield. Ferris Bueller. Jack Burton. Hans Landa.
ReplyDeleteAnd Darryl Fucking Zero.
The Man with no Name (Clint Eastwood)-The Dollars Trilogy
ReplyDeleteMax Fischer (Jason Schwartzman)- Rushmore
Jim Kurring (John C. Reilly)- Magnolia
Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem)- No Country for Old Men
The Coen Brothers really do create some of the best film characters ever.
Billy Brown. Buffalo 66.
ReplyDeleteI have a ton, but since you asked for one - John McClane hands down.
ReplyDeleteLloyd Dobler.
ReplyDeleteEither The Dude or Black Dynamite
ReplyDeletebut i feel like I'm forgetting someone
Dr Peter Venkman
ReplyDeleteDr. Strangelove and Gandalf
ReplyDeleteThis is a tough question to answer, since the character and the performance are so closely linked. I suppose, then, I’ve got to go back a step to the script stage and ask, who’s a great character, as written? For example:
ReplyDelete1) Dennis from CHRISTINE (1983). He might appear to be the stereotypical jock that’s in so many high school movies, but he’s fiercely loyal to his best buddy, the school nerd. He even goes to great extremes to save his nerdy friend’s life (and, perhaps, soul) during the finale. Unlike other movie high school jocks, he shows great moral integrity and is a real stereotype shatterer (if you choose to believe it’s more than just friendship, then he’s a huge stereotype-shatterer).
2) Dr. Morbius from FORBIDDEN PLANET. Morbius is an evil guy who does a lot of evil things, but he’s also broken and sort of tragic. Here’s a guy who’s seen a lifetime of isolation and death, which informs his deceitful actions, plus the fact that, despite his genius, the final crisis arises from his own subconscious, something he cannot control. Dude has layers, is what I’m saying.
3) And MegaWeapon, of course.
The more I think about it, the more I gotta say Master Yoda from Empire Strikes Back. Not only is he very funny in his first meeting but also extremely wise. He gets unfortunately CGI'D in the prequels (Now this is pod racing!). Size matters not indeed.
ReplyDeleteLucas Jackson aka "Cool Hand Luke". He's always been a personal hero of mine.
ReplyDeleteI thought for an entire day, and came up with a top 10:
ReplyDelete1. Cameron Frye - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
2. Juni Cortez - Spy Kids
3. Captain Jack Sparrow - Pirates of the Caribbean series
4. Tevye the Dairyman - Fiddler on the Roof
5. Inspector Chan Ka-kui - Police Story series
6. Hermione Granger - Harry Potter series
7. Frodo Baggins - The Lord of the Rings
8. Indiana Jones - Indiana Jones series (duh)
9. Obi Wan Kenobi - Star Wars
10. The President of the United States of America - various
Indiana Jones, James Bond, Vito Corleone and George Kuffs.
ReplyDeleteDr. Ian Malcom
ReplyDeleteSteve Zissou
Marla Singer
Clare Quilty
Joe Oramas
and of course: http://www.fthismovie.net/2013/10/great-horror-performances-adam-riske-on.html?spref=tw
Commissioner Gordon, Ellen Ripley, Martin Blank, Susanna Kaysen, Princess Leia (specifically ESB), and since we all like Peter Sellers in everything..Clousteau and President Merkin Muffley!
ReplyDeleteEither Darth Vader or the Bride, but the movie characters I tend to think of or quote the most are Jeff Lebowski and Mike Wazowski.
ReplyDeleteAlso WOAH I'VE BEEN READING THIS BLOG FOR ALMOST A YEAR AND ONLY JUST NOW COMMENTED
ReplyDeleteSweet! We're so happy to have you with us. And great call on The Bride.
DeleteMy immediate reaction was Dr. Ian Malcolm. But then again, I don't like him in The Lost World. I'm going to also have to disqualify John McClane on similar grounds, the last 2 movies have been such a departure.
ReplyDeleteSo I'm going to have to go with Lt. Frank Drebin. I wanted to go with a good villain or anti-hero, like Anton Chigurh or Killer Joe Cooper, but Frank is just the best.
Tony Manero, Babe and Max Cherry (3 way tie)
ReplyDelete1. Jackie Brown
ReplyDelete2. Clarice Starling
3. Hermione and Snape
4. Marge Gunderson
5. The Wicked Witch and The Lion - The Wizard of Oz
6. Jiji, Kiki and Tombo - Kiki's Delivery Service
7. Paikea - Whale Rider
8. Susan and David - Bringing up baby
9. Harmonica and Frank - Once upon a time in the west
10. Ninotchka
Honourable mentions: Sugarpuss O'Shea - Ball of Fire, O-Ren Ishii (Kill Bill Vol 1), The monster (Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein), Auntie Mame, Yentl, Scarlet O'Hara, Marty McFly, Nancy Thompson, Belle - Beauty and the Beast and Margo Channing.
If I were answering 15 years ago, Luke Skywalker would have been my choice. I have no defense, except that I like magic! (Yoda and Obi-wan are too old, Vader and Palpatine are evil)
ReplyDeleteThese days, narrowing it down is nigh impossible, but I adore the arc Roger Brown (Headhunters) goes through over the course of the film. The performance is great too, but I think many other actors could have pulled off something interesting with the same part.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA little late to the party (typical) but here goes (and not in any order other than what comes to my head):
ReplyDelete1) Jack Vincennes - best character in a movie full of them
2) Noah Cross -- one of the best villainy:screen time ratio characters ever
3) Henry Gondorff - for the hook scene on the train
4) Any of the main characters in Fargo...they're all that good.
5) The Dude - for lots of reasons, but my favorite might be when he pays for a carton of milk by check
I've said before and I'll say it again. I wish the Coen Brothers had removed Tommy Lee Jones from No Country for Old Men and replaced him with Marge Gunderson. :)
ReplyDelete