Sometimes the hero will begin by doing something cool or admirable, but it can also work well to have a character pursuing something active that makes him look bad. Amiable goof Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything wants to be a kickboxing champion until he unexpectedly gets a date with the girl of his dreams and changes all of his goals. Even though his kickboxing spiel sounds very loserish, it’s actually far more appealing than if he simply said, “Eh, I don’t know what I want to do yet.” We like him because he wants something, even if we think what he wants is dumb.
You might assume the audience will more easily root for a smart hero who can see all the angles and who would therefore rather do nothing than act rashly, but they actually hate heroes like that. Nobody wants to watch somebody do nothing. The audience wants to be reassured right away that heroes aren’t passive sticks-in-the-mud. Many weak heroes never take the initiative. Nothing is ever their idea, good or bad.
In a lot of stories, and especially in comedies, you have heroes who are plunged into over-the-top situations where everybody wants them to do something wild and stupid. Stupid isn’t sympathetic, right? So you show how smart your hero is by having him tell everybody else that they should be sensible, right? Nope.
For instance, Ted Mosby is the titular hero of How I Met Your Mother, but he’s by far the least likable character because he’s a scold, and audiences get irritated with scolds. We like heroes who dive in enthusiastically and then make plans on the fly.
Defiance is usually good, but one problem with Ted is that he says no to his friends’ schemes even though he has nothing more interesting to propose. He doesn’t want to play laser tag with Barney, but he wants to sit around his apartment? Playing laser tag certainly is a dumb way for grown men to spend an evening, but it’s better than nothing, so we’re always going to be on Barney’s side. The writers failed to give Ted his own alternate set of enthusiasms.
The 40 Year Old Virgin | Sort of: He bicycles to work. |
Alien | YES. She’s trying to figure out where they are. |
An Education | YES. she’s studying hard, lugging her cello around, etc. |
The Babadook | YES. She’s trying to sleep. |
Blazing Saddles | YES. He’s laying track. |
Blue Velvet | NO. He’s aimless. |
The Bourne Identity | YES. Follow the information on the implant to find out who he is. |
Bridesmaids | YES. having sex, then working out in the park. |
Casablanca | NO. He seems half-awake. Of course, we gradually realize that he doing a tense and skillful juggling act any time his club is open. |
Chinatown | YES. He’s in a meeting with a client |
Donnie Brasco | YES. he’s trying to get in good with Lefty. |
Do the Right Thing | YES. He’s counting his money. |
The Farewell | YES. Sort of, she’s walking through the streets talking on the cell phone with her grandma. |
The Fighter | YES. He’s paving and sparring. |
Frozen | YES. She’s waking up her sister and then playing in the snow. We know Anna is the hero because it’s her waking Elsa up and not vice versa. |
The Fugitive | NO. He’s very passive for as long as possible. He refuses to engage |
Get Out | YES. Sort of: He’s shaving. |
Groundhog Day | Somewhat. He’s on his feet doing the weather report. |
How to Train Your Dragon | YES. he’s running around trying to join a dragon fight. |
In a Lonely Place | YES. he’s on his way to meeting about a job. |
Iron Man | YES. Yeah, he gives a great presentation. |
Lady Bird | YES. She jumps out of a car. |
Raising Arizona | YES. he’s pursuing Ed as much as he can during their brief encounters. |
Rushmore | YES. He’s head of a dozen clubs. He producing his play. |
Selma | YES. Just slightly active: He’s trying to tie an ascot. |
The Shining | YES. Jack: yes, trying to get the job. Danny: no. |
Sideways | NO. He shows up late. He’s a lazy guy. |
The Silence of the Lambs | YES. She’s literally running, jumping and climbing trees! |
Star Wars | YES. He’s always angling to get off the planet. Even getting and fixing the droids is part of his plan to replace himself so he can leave. |
Sunset Boulevard | YES. he’s trying to keep his car. |
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