In movies, like literature, characters are an essential element to a good story. Many books and movies portray characters that do not change, that are static. Other movies develop their characters in ways that are real and meaningful. Most people change, to some degree or another, in life; dynamic characters. This is what stories, narratives, are made of, people experiencing life. When we care about characters, we tend to "buy into" the movie, we want to keep watching, or reading, to see what happens to them. We tend not to care as much about characters who do not seem real, or who do not have real problems. To have a good movie, or any piece of fiction we are creating, we need to put our characters in conflict with something, thus putting them in a situation wherein they will grow and change. Some of the most memorable movies are ones with interesting characters.
Think about some of the most memorable movies you have seen. What role do the characters play in the movie? Are they static or dynamic? What conflicts do they come up against? How does the scriptwriter develop his characters? How can you apply this to your own writing?
You should provide specific examples from different movies. Responses should be well developed thoughts and 200 words minimum.
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Wednesday, April 4, 2007 Response
In the movie October sky, Homer Hickum is the main character. He lives in a small coal mining community and wants something more in life. When Homer witnesses Sputnik flying through the sky in orbit around earth, he is inspired and changed. Homer becomes obsessed with rocketry and decides to build his own rockets.
With the help of his three friends Homer finally launches a successful rocket. Throughout the movie Homer is constantly being put down by his father and community members. They don’t believe Homer will be successful in his rocketry.
As the movie progresses on, the boys get blamed for starting a forest fire with their rockets, Homer’s dad gets severely injured in a mining accident, and his favorite teacher becomes ill. Things are really looking gloomy for the Rocket Boys. Homer takes his father’s place and works in the mine, continuing to support the family.
Although so many negative things happened to Homer, he continued to strive toward his goal. He was strong, and determined. And it seemed the more obstacles that got in his way, the harder he pushed on with his rocketry. Homer’s role in the movie was heroic. Despite all odds, he pulled through.
Homer was a very developed, dynamic character. At the beginning, Homer is no different than any other person in that community. But, once he became inspired by Sputnik, things took off.
Applying this type of character in my own movie will only make the film better. Using Homer as an example, I can start off with my character being no different or special than anyone else, but, after he becomes inspired, this character will begin to unfold. As the going gets tough, the tough gets going with this character. And the conflicts he faces make him stronger, and more determined to reach his goal.
reponse 2
Kyle Mclauchlin
Hey I really liked your response KC. I remeber this movie that you talked about it was a really good movie. I think you used alot of good words and I think that others would like you comments as well. I really think that you have some good ideas for this class. I really think that you should become a author and write your own stories. I like the way you wrote this story I think other people will like it and they will be inspired by it.
first response
sara averbeck
In my Fishtrap class we had an assignment where we had to make a response to questions similar to those that are asked now. In the format of a worksheet, we answered these questions (static or dynamic, significant or insignificant)about the film Trainspotting.
Trainspotting, a story of drug abuse and complete disfunction, is based on a character named Renton. Renton, like most of his friends, is a heroine addict. As much as he would like to overcome his addiction, he seems incapable. The movie actually begins with him preparing for the withdrawels he would experience as he attempted to quit the drug. The part that doesn't make sense, and yet is understandable: as he is locking himself away from society and drugs, he takes with him one more hit of heroine. Of course this first attempt at sobriety is unsuccessful, if it weren't there would be no story.
Through out the film Renton quits and hits. He gets high, hits the clubs, stumbles into an affair with a teenage girl, and loses control of his life. Not that he ever had it from the beginning.
The turning point: a child dies. The mother, strung out, neglectful, and in hysteria. The father as well. The father of the child, a good friend of Renton's, asks Renton to say something. He has nothing to say. Instead, he boils some heroine, and they all set down to get high. The baby still lies dead in the crib. Although this event did not procur Renton's sobriety, it lead up to it. One more time he shot up, and he nearly died. In this time of vulnerability, Renton's parents locked him up in his bedroom and he was forced to cope through the pain, hallucination, and fright.
Renton stops seeing his friends. He becomes sober, and really in control. This is where viewers are able to define Renton. He becomes a dynamic character, capable of change. His friends, still heroine addicts, are not only still heroine addicts, but getting worse. Very static, very much the same.
Tommy, one of the two people in Renton's life who was clean, decides he is curious and finds himself with a needle in his arm. Tommy dies from a "cat" disease. His funeral brings everyone back together, brings Renton in contact with his old life.
I will not tell you the end, but I will tell you the end defines Renton. It presents him with such actions that as a viewer you are left with both a sense of impression as well as hope.
Through out the entire film, the characters are showered with conflicts, products of a drug lead life. Each conflict is used as a tool for characterization. How each person presents themself in a situation helps the viewer to develop their own impression, which most likely is the impression the script writer had hoped to create. Every conflict, action, dialogue, and travesty is created for a purpose: to convey the characters in the story.
Question 1 Response
I’m not too big on deep, intellectual discussions of movies, I pretty much watch them and enjoy them, then forget about them. With this attitude, I am going to draw on the one movie I have watched enough to nearly know by heart, Star Wars, more specifically the original trilogy. There are two key characters that change in the movie, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Luke Skywalker would have to be the easiest one to see a change in over the course of the movie; he starts as a young and immature farm kid, no clue about the real world, or in this case galaxy. As he progresses through his adventures and quest to save the rebellion, he begins to grow as a leader and a friend. By the end, he is a dynamic leader and warrior, and he becomes a better actor too, he was quite inexperienced in Episode IV, by VI he wasn’t too bad. Han Solo was another character that changed greatly, but mostly just in Episode IV he started as a self centered smuggler who was only looking out for himself and Chewy. By the end of the movie he had become a team player and was even leading the rebellion with Luke.
Well K.C. I have never heard of this movie but it sounds very interesting movie! Another fabulous movie at least I think is the move Tombstone. Tombstone has to do with Wyatte Earp and Doc Holiday. In the movie it has a lot of cool scenes. The things that happen in this has to do with a lot of killing, stealing, and gambling but it all so has the moral of a love story. As Doc Holiday has a disease call tuberculoses, and Wyatte Earp falls in love with a performer as well as having a girlfriend named Maddi. That is not why I like the movie but anyways. Also in this movie Wyattes brother Morgan and Vergil. Vergil being the oldest, Wyatte being the second. Morgan ends up dying by getting shot well playing poll and Vergil gets shoot in the arm making it were he can not use it anymore. Vergil moves out of Arizona with his wife and Wyatte stays there until death.
Movie that really stands out in my mind a dynamic character would have to be Ford in Lord of the Rings. In the beginning he is frightened he knew what he must do. But he was small and there were greater people to destroy the ring. The Ring starts to take a hold of him he knows he must destroy the evil in the ring. He finally realizes it is his destiny if he did not destroy the Ring, the Ring would fall back into the wrong hands, who else would destroy the Ring, and it might destroy him. So he faces challenges, all the way to the point of the ring being destroyed in the volcano. His buddy Sam is right next to him the hole way. Ford is like all of us inside. All of us have a ring of evil taking a hold of us. Its are chose to fight are ring or let the ring take a hold of us. Will you have a friend to help you out on your journey just like Ford had he could not do the journey alone.
My first response to other responses:
Oh man! Sara, great blog! I word counted it to find 498 words! Great description and attention to detail. I haven’t seen that particular movie but I get the main idea from your response. I am really concerned with my incorporation of a dynamic character into our film. I’m not quite sure how to change the character throughout the movie, because I don’t really know where to start him. However, I think I might have a spark in this thing called brains, thanks to your response. Keep up the awesome writing!
Hey, Mikey! I Love Star Wars! Although it isn’t everyone’s favorite movie, it does have some significant character changes. Both Luke and Han start off as week, selfish, fools. But, as the movie wears on and they go through some close calls, they change for the better. Both become stronger and willing to lend a hand. It sounds cheesy, but Luke and Han are perfect examples of dynamic characters!
student response (1)
sara averbeck
kc, first of all: great movie. second of all: jake gyllenhaal is gorgeous.
i agree with you fully on the depth of Homer as a character. there is one thing, however, that you only barely touched on. it is quite significant to the story, so i will discuss it. "it" that is being the paradox between Homer and his community. you breifly mentioned the pressure that Homer experiences from his father and the community. the place where Homer lives is a total redneck, love it or leave it kind of place. no need for change, no need for discussion or controversy. so when Homer develops this interest and even passion for rocketry, the entire town is turned off. "what are these kids doing, thinking they have a future? they belong here in the mines, just like the rest of us. they're no better then we are." that is how i would describe the town's mindset. they feel threatened by change. Homer, however, delves into it. this is the difference between him his community. how does this help in the construction of homer's character? he defies his family, his community, and the life he always thought was his. the town plays a huge part in the characterization of Homer.
student response (2)
sara averbeck
i'm sorry jessica, but i have to say I disagree with you to the fullest. Ford is an extremely static character. so static, infact, that he does not even exist. :)
Frodo on the other hand, is a completely different story. He starts as a young lad, a naive hairy-footed hobbit who's never left the Shire. Throughout the trilogy, series (whatever!) he grows. He matures. He endures. Frodo transforms from a child into a man, and suffers so much for a reason that he does not even truly understand. That right there shares a lot about his character.
I would consider Sam both a static and dynamic character. He is static in the sense that he is consistent. He is to be counted on, always by Frodo's side, good ol' dependable Sam. But he really grows a lot through out the story, just like Frodo. At first he is quite the coward, and not exactly street smart. But he matures. Sam and Frodo are not alone however, do not forget Pippen and Marian! To be honest, the Lord of the Rings is a the ultimate dynamic character trilogy (series whatever..lol).
first response
Theresa Stangel
In regards to movies that have good characters, Troy stuck out in my mind. Along with it’s fabulous set, the movie would have been nothing with out the characters.
The beginning of the movie starts out with a battle scene, which out come depends on the two best fighters of each opposing side. Achilles (the main character) was chosen and was apparently nowhere to be found. A young boy finds Achilles back in his “tent”. With in this scene of the movie you find that Achilles is nothing but a pompous man that is looking for nothing more in the war than glory and a famous name to be remembered long after he was gone.
As most people know, a war begins over the matter of Helen leaving her husband to live with the prince of Troy (Paris). Achilles seeing his chance to be remembered he goes to the shores of Troy to write his name in the pages of history. Before he goes there is a scene in the movie where he is talking to his mother. His mother tells him, that if he were to stay he would have a family that loved him and sons and daughters, but his name would eventually be lost to time. She also told him that if he went to Troy, his name would be remembered for eternity. As this is the thing Achilles desires he travels to Troy along with his men.
On the first day of battle Achilles finds a girl that he eventually falls in love with. This love helps Achilles realize that life is more important than his previous view. As Achilles realizes this he is willing to go home and leave the war behind. Until his cousin is killed by Hector, so Achilles has to have revenge.
After Achilles had killed Hector, Priam, Hector’s father, comes to Achilles and asks him for Hector’s body. Priam also asks why Achilles killed Hector. Achilles answered that Hector had killed his cousin. And Priam asked Achilles how many cousins, brothers and husband he had killed. And that question seemed to change Achilles perspective also. It took his sight away from himself and focused it on others feelings and lives.
At the end of the movie when the Greeks got into the city by using the giant horse, Achilles was worried about the girl that he had fallen in love with, not himself or the glory of his name. Throughout this movie Achilles experiences true life and what he thought mattered the most did not even really matter at all in the end to him.
First of all, great posts so far. I like the discussion going on. A few questions for thought:
1) How is October Sky similar to Enterprise? Do any of you identify with Homer?
2) Frodo failed to destroy the ring in the end. He wasn't really the hero of the story. Sam was good, but he didn't destroy the ring either. Gollum destroys the ring, but only by accident, after trying to kill Frodo. So, which character is the hero of the story, or is the whole story about failed people?
3) Who is the most changed, dynamic, character in Star Wars?
Just some food for thought. Keep up the good work.
This is Cody, and I am blogging. The words static and dynamic is what I want to discuss right now. Us as human beings have narrowed down the infinite possiblities of character development into two simple catagories, static and dynamic. Static and dynamic have their realms, I think that one dominates the other. In my opinion for the art of film, static characters are stronger in movies. And dynamic charcters are stronger in series or continued shows. I'm not saying the characters in movies shouldn't learn anything, and maybe change a little. I'm saying in brief motion pictures I enjoy predictable characters doing unpredictable things. They are static, yet solid, and you can remember them, and not get mixed up with personality changes in a brief motion picture. Like the movie BE Cool. Chile Palmer is always cool, smart, and his thought processes never change. And Syn LaSalle is just a black brother who wants his money, and make the world a better place for his daughter. And occasionally that involves killing people in the music business. Now to the dynamic characters. They belong in video series that have history, and a lot of showtime. Shows you can say, " Remember 8 seasons ago when this guy was a pushover sweeping sidewalks, now he is a stud selling shoes." Like Joss Whedons, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Every character changes thier role and outlook of themselves. Thier attitudes are kinda the same though. Like Spike, he went from being a disposable villian, to the big bad, to a nudered vampire, to an annoying houseguest, to buffy's stalker, to buffy's lover, to a vailent man/monster, to the champion who sealed the hellmouth. Through all that change though he still enjoyed the kill. Thats dynamic. The big problem with static motion pictures. Is that films are paralleling books now. Mostly with dynamic characters. same story but far, a different experience.
I agree with K.C. That October Sky is a great movie to look for the character development. You do feel a lot of emotions for Homer. You can sympathize and empathize with him through out all his ordeals. With the scene of the science fair I was able to really feel like he did. Having a lot of hopes and dreams on one little thing, you turn your back for a moment and it has been swooped away. That’s why I agree with K.C. in the that sense. Another character that also changes a lot is Homers father, he seems at the begging a cold heart father, but through out the story you do see that he is just trying to look after him and accepts his son for what he is good at.
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Now to proceed into my characters blog post with out double posting. Cause double posting is bad.
My movie of choice for character development is ARMAGEDDON. Now for a quick run through of the movie for those that haven’t seen it. Armageddon is about a giant asteroid heading for earth. And the only way to destroy it is to send a group of guys to the asteroid and blow it up. The main character that I will focus on is Bruce Willis’s Character, Harry Stamper. At the begging we do see the Very over protective father. Chasing after his daughters boyfriend with a gun.
He was a very stubborn character that seemed like he wouldn’t do anything for anyone. Then as the movie progresses and they get recruited to work at NASA, you do see that he cares for other people, you see that he does treat his oil crew as family, very protective.
He gets them all great deals, and takes them up there, with courage and faith that they will all return. After many many problems, and at the very end you do see that Harry will do any thing to make family happy, anything. I won’t give the ending away, but it was a very emotional movie I’ll give it that also.
Student Response 1
Each of the Lord of the Rings movies was a great movie, unless you’ve read the books, in which case it is a huge disappointment. The movies don’t do justice to Tolkien’s creation. In spite of all that, they are great movies as movies go. Frodo and Sam were both dynamic, they changed greatly over the course of their journey, but so did Merriadoc, Pippin, Aragorn, Gimli, and even Legless…I mean Legolas (Bloom is a fruitcake). They all had changes; like Sara said, it’s a wealth of dynamic characters. As far as what the movie was about, it’s not a movie of failures, it’s about triumph in spite of a powerful evil that has a physical grasp on the world. The movies show a power above that of mere mortals, which has set a plan for good that can’t be defeated.
Hello. My name is Arielle. This is my first time reponding to this. One of my favorite movies, "The Wizard of oz" is a veery good movie. Judy Garland plays a girl by the name of Dortoy is stranded in Oz after wishing she weren't living there. She wishes that she were "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" her wish comes true after a terible tornado takes pver her hometown of Kanzas. Dorhty, who is visiting a migician shows Dorothy a terrible image of her Auntie Em in pain with "her had over her heart" and she is terrified and runs home while the storm is going on. Her Aunt and her Uncle Henry, Zeke, Hunk And Hickory go into a safe place. She runs around the house frantically triying to find them. She Shouts "Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" She urns into her room and shouts it again. Then out of nowhere, the glass of her window comes and flies right at her and hits her right in the head. She falls on her bed, falls asleep for a minute. She wakes up and realizes that her house is litterally in mid air. She spots a few friends, who are in a boat paddeling to get home. She sees Mrs. Gulch, the evil woman who tried to take her dog from her. Then she falls abrupty into the wonderful land of Oz. The wicked witch of the west's sister, died while the house landed right on top of her. The Ruby red slippers form her feet dissappear and the shoes are on her feet. When they go into the Emerald city, the witch places an evil spell on them and they fall asleep. Another problem she encounters is when She and The wicked with are at the castle, but The Tin Man, The Scarecrow and the cowardly lion are there to save the day. Dorothy chages throughout the movie and realzies that "There is no place like home!" Earlier in the movie, Dorothy wanted to be "Somewhere over the rainbow" I can apply this to my own writing to have major conflicts like this.
Sara Morello Response 1
In the movie Mean Girls, Cady Heron is pretty much a social zombie. She was raised in Africa. Her parents move her to Chicago Illinois of her junior year because of her mother’s new teaching job. On the first day, she is completely unaware of what to do being home schooled she has no social experience. She soon becomes friends with the Plastics, the “Hot” chicks in school. She goes from being totally unknown to one of the “it “girls. By the end she is just an average chick she’s made it so there is no more Plastics she kind of help the school get ride of all the cliques. The script writer develops Cady by showing how she is sucked into the superficial world of high school and then on her own she pulls herself out and all the people around her. For example the first set of friends the “art” geeks wanted her to become friends with the Plastics so she could spy on them and show everyone how awful they really are. She ends up making a rumor about one of her teachers selling drugs. At the end of the movie when everyone learns it was Cady who made up the rumor and everyone ends up hating her. She decides that it’s not ok to talk about people behind there backs.
Lucas Stangel
response 1
Tuesday, April 10. 2007
In the movie John Q the father John is very dynamic. In the beginning of the movie John is a good father and has done nothing bad. All he cares about is giving his son a good life and supporting his family. While John was watching his son Michael play baseball one day Michael suddenly collapses on the field. The cause of the collapse was heart failure. Michael is rushed to the hospital were John finds out that the only chance for Michaels survival is a heart transplant. John’s insurance informs him that they can’t pay for the transplant. Out of options John holds the emergency room patients and staff under hostage until they agree to do the transplant. Because of the horrible things John has went through, caused him to change into a person that would harm people and hold a hospital under hostage. Although John becomes a criminal in the story he also becomes the hero, he gives up his own life to save his sons. I think that a character like this adds a lot to the story because he does anything in his own power to save his son which really shows what a real father would do in this situation.
Sorry everyone a miss type my bad on the static and dynamic. Sara I know Fordo matures, he is really static. But I was trying to look into the depth of the book. The book has so many characters in the book. Each character represents something. From my point of view each character represents all of us. That’s why I wrote on Lord of the Rings. The story goes beyond a good book and movie. It stands for good and evil, the great fight of there time. What was Tolken trying to get at? The movie and book makes you think beyond it boundaries. Mr. Rowely why I chose Fordo not Sam, Sam is the hero! But Fordo has to take the weight of Evil. Could Sam have taken the weight of evil? The ring tempts him; he wants to hold the ring for Fordo at one time. It makes me wonder if each character in the movie could have switch places. Could the characters handle their situation they are placed in? That’s the joy of movies and books it makes you think beyond your thinking capacity.
Lucas
response 2
I am going to have to agree with Theresa, during the movie Troy Achilles changes from a man that just wants to be famous to a man that wants to have a family and not just fight to get his name remembered. In Star Wars, Luke and Han also change a lot, they go from being no one to becoming heroes.
Nick Jannuzzi
1st response
The first thinkg that comes to my mind win the idea of characterization in a favorite movie of mine is riggs from leathal weapon. His character through the whole beginning of the movie is a crazy lonely widdiow that wants to die. He thinks of ways every hour of how to die. Then roger comes into his life and fills a void with his family and makes riggs feel welcome riggs is not cocky he just knows his strengths he knows he ‘s a great shot and is still modest like the time he said he “did a guy in louse once 1000 yards out high wind maby 2 or 3 guys could make that shot”. but at the same time he wants to show that crazy edge he has.Through the movie his job and roger are his net of staying alive. He atemts his suicide with roger and roger knows hes not a fake. Riggs just whants to chatch the “badguys”. Riggs makes a change he still wants to die cause his wife dieing hurts so bad but he is distracted and thinks that the bad guys are here if he dies chatching them its just saving his bullet.
K.c. is right
October sky homer hickum is a great developed character and dose gow throught the story . Homer shows his juvenile side of just building a rocket for fun to build it as a passion to quiting his passion to support his family in the mine risking his life like his father did for his family and still keeping his brother for colledge that sacrifice and quitting school. That is his responsibility. Then his dad comes back from recovery and homer can go fufill hius dream.
A really strong character in a good movie is Neio form the Matrix. He in the end is the one and saves the entire raise of man and makes a better life for all the people that have gotten out of the Matrix. That lives the real life. He is an example of a very strong dynamic character. At the start as some as he comes out of the Matrix he cant do any thing and is just like a normal person but bye the end he is flying all over the place stopping bullets and defining all things that you would think are possible. He faces the conflict of not thinking he was the one and that he could not do what they expected him to do but in the end he defeated it all and he could not even see. The scriptwriter make him just become a more confident person and makes him know that he can whoop up on any one that confronts him. A good way that you could apply this to a movie is to make sure that the person is not just plain and does not seem real make sure that they change and every one seems to like them in the end. Through out a story a person in bound to change even thought you might not know it but they will. They might just change a little but and they even may change to a complete different person. If you are ever able to watch these movies it would be a good idea because they might just give you a good idea or even entertain you. There are always people that don’t like these types of movies but this movie has a great look on how a person can change over all.
I really agree with you in this Kunkle I really think that a person that starts off normal and is not different then any one else. This is a very good way to make him liked and when his is starting to stand out and strive to get to his goal people really start to like them. This is a great movie and it has very Dynamic characters in it. It is a very good example of a good movie and a very well made movie. I think that this movie is one of the simplest themes but it gets the point right out there and makes you really like it. Good choice Kunkle.
Mikey the Star Wars movies are pretty good movies but they are mainly movies for people that like that kind of stuff. No matter if you like them or not they are very well made for the time and the money that they had to make them. I really in joy these movies mainly the trilogy to but they really need to try and remake them I think so that it is all the new stuff made in to the old movie but that would be very hard to do cause you would have to change the characters because that was a long time ago but no matter how old they are they are still very good movies nice picking Mikey.
Marcus Anderson
1st Responce
In the movie Talladega Nights the main character Ricky Bobby is a very dynamic character. In the beginning of the movie Ricky is a part of the pit crew for a racing team, when the driver quits in the middle of the race Ricky steps into action. He ends up being a great driver and finished third in the race. Ricky quickly rises to the top driver in NASCAR and achieved fame and fortune. He gets signed to be the driver for Dennit Racing driving the wonder bread car. Rickey is also able to get his best friend Cal to drive the old spice car. While racing Cal and Rickey think of a slingshot move called the “Shake N Bake”. Ricky is winning every race until Jean Girard from formula 1 racing shows up to beat him. Girard breaks Rickey’s arm in a dispute about crapes. He can no longer race because of his broken arm and has to take a job as a pizza delivery driver to support his wife and two kids, Walker and Texas Ranger. After Ricky gets his driving confidence back he is in the final race of the season. Ricky was out to a great start in the race but on the final lap he and Girard wreck then it’s a foot race to the finish. Ricky and Girard both dive and Ricky wins by and outstretched hand. I think that this character adds a lot to the story because he realizes winning isn’t every thing in life.
student response (3)
sara averbeck
jess i am really sorry. i did not mean to confuse you! frodo is a dynamic character, you were very much correct.
and derek...SOOOO sorry. i will never double post again. that is horrible.
finally, mikeR. i don't think that the Lord of the Rings is about a failed people. it is about people, in general. it is about human imperfection. frodo, sam, even gandolf. none of them are perfect, but why should that mean that they aren't heroes?
The movie that comes to mind when I think of dynamic characters is ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ In this movie Will Smith the father invested his whole lives savings on a revolutionary product that gave a slightly denser picture that an x-ray but for twice the money. Hospitals believed that these machines where a luxury and unnecessary. In this movie will smith goes from having a hard life just making it by to having his wife leave him getting two BDS’s (Bone Density Scanners) stolen, while having to take care of his 9 year old son AND trying out to get an internship. His life went from hard to even harder when his lost his house, got kicked out his motel and had to fight for position to get into a homeless shelter.
The mother trys to take away the son so they can have money and be “Happy” but Will teaches his son that you don’t have to have money to be happy but all you need is each other.
Hey this is Bevy, the movie that came to mind when I was looking at this was the bridg to terabithia. He was one of those children that grew up not having that many friends and grew up in his own little world. Until one day when the new girl came to school she was someone that stood out with her unique clothing. She had an attitude that said she could do anything and no one could stop her. Her name was Leslie. She decided to race against the guys during recess the first day she arrived. Everybody thought she was crazy because she was a girl and there was no way that she could win. But in surprise she beat all the guys and made them so very mad. The guys couldn't understand and they all made excuses. Jess was a poor kid so he never had very good running shoes so he would fix them with tape and thought that would help him but not with the new girl in town. And to his surprise that day when he rode the bus home Leslie got off at the same bus stop and he looked at her with surprise like she was following her but the thing was she was the neighbor. He was kind of scared by her and didn't want to get to know her at first, until he noticed that she lived in her own world by the way she writes. He does drawings and she writes to go along with each others theme was something exciting for both of them. They kept getting to know each other until one day Leslie decided to take Jess across the creek and show him her own world. Where there are all these creatures that they have to beat to save their kingdom. Trees would come alive as trolls and squirrels would turn into these treacherous animals that they had to fight off. They were the only people that knew about this and knew that they had to keep it secret. But one day Jess decides to go to a museum with his teacher and then Leslie decided to go by herself but she never made it there. When Jess found out he couldn't believe it the first person that ever undeerstood him wasn't there for him anymore and why was because he wasn't there. He decided that it was his fault but no one else believed that. Everyone knew that it was an accident. Everyone was sad in the story but he was so depressed that he didn't go back to their kingdom until later on and that's when he took his sister and she was assigned queen of terabthia.
The roles that the characters play are the poor kid that never had any friends. And then the new kid girl that could beat all the guys in a race no matter the distance. I see them both as dynamic because Jess never believed in shown his imagination besides in just drawing and never stood up for what he believed in until at the end of the movie. And when Leslie came back in spirit and tried to help Jess see that she doesn't need to be there for him to believe she changed that way. The conflicts that they come up against is the school bully and in their mythical land there was the creatures that they had to fight against and save their kingdom so it compared terabithia to real life. The writer develops his characters by showing his own imagination through his characters eyes and showing us what he sees the world as. Showing that the most opposite people can become the best of friends. I can apply this to my own writing because I like to show my own crations in my writing and show my point of view of the world to the readers. Kind of like the writer did here I believe that there are people can compare to this movie like I can because they can see the world good and can see it as bad and show both ways of the world throught their writing.
April 10th, 2007 12:20 p.m.
Hey everyone, I've never bogged before but here it goes. I haven’t watched many movies lately which is ironic since I work in a video store, but I have seen one movie that I believe had a good all around story line. I don’t know how many of you have seen the movie the Illusionist but in the movie the main character is Eduard Abramovich aka "Eisenheim" who is fascinated with magic at a young age when he meets a magician on the side of the road. As a child he falls in love with Sophie von Teschen, a duchess well above his social standing, and the daughter of the parents that have hired Eisenheim father as a cabinetmaker. Although the two are forbidden to see each other, they meet in a secret hideout in the woods, where Eisenheim tells of his plans to go to China to learn more magic and Sophie promises to go with him. On the day that they are going to leave, however, the police come looking for Sophie. The two hide in the secret room and Sophie begs Eisenheim to make them both disappear. He is unable to fulfill this request, however, and the two are separated.
It isn’t until years after that they re-unite. Eisenheim is a well accomplished magician and he is performing for the Crown Prince of Vienna, when he discovers that his childhood love Sophie is to marry the prince.
As the movie goes on Sophie and Eisenheim discover they still have feelings for one another and they plan to elope, Sophie tells Eisenheim of Leopold (crown prince)'s plan to take control of Hungary and over throw his father the emperor. The next night the crown prince kills Sophie in a drunken rage and Eisenheim starts a new kind of show where he brings Sophie back from the dead so she can tell everyone that her fiancé killed her.
To shorten things up in the end of the movie the crown prince kills himself after he goes crazy from the events that are going on around him. His chief of police then discovers that Sophie’s death was an illusion that was put together by Eisenheim so he could get Sophie out of the country, he then goes and meets her out on the country side where she is waiting for him so they can begin their new life.
Through out the story Eisenheim stays a static character because he never really changes he goes through stages where he acts different toward different people but he does not under go any certain changes through out the movie.
I personally would like to have dynamic characters in my movies for the fact that I want them to change over the course of the movie I want their attitudes and actions to change I would like them to be almost like new people at the end of the story.
Student Response 1
Theresa Stangel
I agree with Sara M about the character developement in the movie Mean Girls. This movie isnt the type of movie that people would expect very developed characters, but it is. The main character starts out as a innocent girl, turns into a horrible person then learns hard lessons and becomes a better person because of it. This movie changes the character first not in a good way to get the point of the movie across, which i think made the movie stick out. After the moral or point of the movie was made the characters changed back or into better people than when the movie started out.
Laura Britton Student Responce 1
Hey Bevy! I love Bridge to Terabitihia I dont know how to spell it but yeah. I do think that it is majorally sad that the one little girl died it was a girl right? I havent seen it in a while but I do remember reading the book. I cried so many times since I read it like 20 times.. anyway good summary..
(Student response)
K.C. I really liked your blog on October Sky, funny you should use this movie for your blog, I haven’t seen it in a while and now after reading over your response i would really like to watch the movie.
I really agree on what you had to say... I believe that you were right is claiming that Homer is a hero, a hero in the fact that he didn’t let the bad things in his life get him down and he continued to reach for his goals.
In the end I think that Homer is a very good example of a dynamic character, he is a more optimistic person in the end of the movie. He more of an outgoing person, he realizes his goals and reaches for them. I believe that the movie wouldn’t have been as well done if Homer decided that his life was to upsetting and he didn’t want to pursue his dreams. He went from an everyday country boy, to an inspired dreamer.
I’m really glad that you used this movie, October Sky for your blog, because now that I have read your response it gives me great ideas for my own characters that I will be making for my groups film, plus I can’t wait to see the movie again!!!
April 16, 2007 Response
A movie that comes to my mind is "kingpin" with Woody Harrelson. He plays Roy, a bitter retired bowler who was injured at a young age due to an attack. Roy starts a professional bowling tour at a young age and meets Ernie McCracken, an older bowler. He beets Ernie in a competition so he gets mad. Ernie invited Roy to tour with him; they go to a ghetto bowling alley where they bet on a game. Roy pretends to be drunk and also pretends to suck at bowling, until the last pin where he picks up an almost undoable spare. He wins the game and they run out to the car. Then, the ghetto bowlers come out and bust the windows out and tell them to get out of the car. Ernie tricks Roy into getting out of the car as he speeds away. They take Roy into the bowling alley and hold him down as they shoved his hand in the ball return which takes his hand off. I think that Roy is a dynamic character because he changed through out the movie. He met Ishmael an innocent Amish man 17 years after his accident and he learns that Ishmael is an exceptional bowler. Roy plays the role of the dad kind of type to Ishmael teaching him things that he never knew. Ishmael plays the innocent child type that learns many things as he matures. I think Roy is dynamic because he becomes different through the movie because Ishmael also taught him to try to have a better life and not do things like drink and gamble. The conflicts that they come up against on their journey to a bowling tour in Reno are meeting a few people who try to hurt them but they come out of the conflict in a humorous way. The scriptwriter develops his character by making them mature. Ishmael learns more about the world around him because he is so isolated, and Roy learns more about morals and things that are right. I can apply this to my own writing because I have written stores where my characters mature for the better and sometimes for the worse.
Student Response 2
The Illusionist was a phenomenal movie, the whole story never really changed, because everything was just an illusion. Eisenheim never changed except during the beginning between his childhood and adulthood. He also went through a brief change when he met Sophie again as an adult, but he stayed fairly static. The character that changed was the chief detective; he was the Prince’s right hand man until the end when Eisenheim showed him that the Prince really was an evil man and the detective finally confronted him. The detective actually stepped out of the shadow of the Prince and took a stand, even though it was based on false information. Everything worked out in the end though aside from the Prince who committed suicide.
K.C. I've never seen the movie October Sky but the way you talk about it, wow it sounds good. I think I'll have to watch it. I believe that the way you described it, the story line was really good and it would take a while to think up something like that. You couldn't just put that together with in the matter of just a few weeks or even just a couple of months. It sounds like Homer was a person who was determined and kept on going for what he wants. That is so cool that he pulled through to be so strong and powerful and came he pulled through everything that was so hard for him, but this must have been something so important for him that he just kept going.
This sounds like some people I know and it seems like the harder that you do strive the more likely you are to achieve. that's what makes this so very interresting to me I can't believe how someone can fight so hard and come out on top no matter what's holding them back.
amanda spang
response 1
this is going to be a little rough, so stick with me. i haven't watched a good movie in, well, forever. in the last month i've watched a whole whoppin' 4 movies: uncle buck, kingpin, talladega nights and 40 year old virgin... not much for characters. one movie that is great though is radio, written by wallowa county's own mike rich, who also wrote miracle, finding forester and the rookie.
in the movie, there’s radio, played by cuba gooding jr. in the beginning he is quiet and keeps to himself, and the only thing he packs around with him is a radio. throughout the movie radio finds himself in the supervision of the high school’s football coach. he helps out the team, though it may not be evident at first, by being supportive no matter what, never letting them down, and being just truly inspirational. during the movie, radio’s mom dies suddenly, and even though he is crushed, radio goes on in life after graduating from high school to sticking around with the team, acting almost as a mascot.
another important character would have to be coach jones, played by ed harris. he starts out as just your run of the mill coach, wrapped up in his job. when he finds some of the team members harassing radio one day during practice, he sort of takes him under his wing. all through the movie he helps radio through good times and bad, especially when his mom died and when he accidentally got thrown in jail.
i would definitely say that both characters were dynamic in the movie, but it was mostly by a completion of each other. i think that without the other, there would have been no significant changes in radio or coach jones.
radio’s major challenge in the movie is the death of his mother. she was the only family member that he had, and when she died, it was like his whole life had fallen apart. coach jones’ challenge was when he had to choose between looking out for radio or to let his star player play, even though he was always trying to get radio into trouble. thankfully coach jones choose to make sure radio was taken care of.
the scriptwriter develops his characters through actions and interactions with other characters. i think that this is the best way to develop characters because it gives more of a feeling of completion rather than telling what the characters are like.
amanda spang
student responses
theresa:
i've never seen troy, but after reading your blog and hearing you talk about it in class, it sounds really interesting. not only that, but the era of filming is very interesting. you have a great way of describing things, and i probably wouldn't even have to watch the movie to be able to tell someone what it's about. great job!
sara m:
i have to admit it, i love watching mean girls... i don't know what it is, but it is a very interesting movie. maybe it's the fact that it's a movie based on high school life, and although enterprise high school isn't completely like that, i can see some similarities. i would have to say that the characters are well thought out and played very well. even though it's probably not on my top ten best movies ever, it was very good with a good plot and theme.
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