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Posted by mahatma chani on 2008-05-01 11:55:56 +0000

Top 5 greatest fictional movie characters

When asked if she was pumped for the new Indiana Jones movie last night, The Gecko said that she coulda cared less about it. Yeah, I have a bad feeling it's gonna suck, but I knew the last three "Star Wars" were gonna be terrible and that didn't stop me from seeing them all their opening weekends. Anyway, it got me thinking: what are the best movie-first characters of all time? Hamlet doesn't count because that was adapted for the stage first. Neither does Tyler Durden because he came from a book.

Just off the top of my head I got: Indiana Jones, Darth Vader, The Terminator, Charles Foster Kane, and HAL-9000. My list is flawed because it's a little too sci-fi, and honestly, I really didn't give it that much thought.

So, I'll throw the question out to the list making crew.

Posted by jbcardinale on 2008-05-01 13:00:51 +0000

John Blutarsky

Posted by TheFullCleveland on 2008-05-01 13:04:35 +0000

Ha! That's the first one that came to my mind, too, but it took me too long to think of another, so I gave up.

Posted by respectless on 2008-05-01 13:12:39 +0000

Walter Sobchack

Posted by respectless on 2008-05-01 13:12:53 +0000

Jeff Spicoli

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 13:18:13 +0000

Also, throwing 5 out there:
<ul>
<li>John McClane</li>
<li>Verbal Kint</li>
<li>Jeffrey Lebowski</li>
<li>The Man with no Name</li>
<li>Jack Sparrow</li>
</ul>

Posted by virtue on 2008-05-01 14:30:11 +0000

Chris Knight

Posted by jbcardinale on 2008-05-01 14:54:55 +0000

Frank Booth

Posted by dyedon8 on 2008-05-01 15:37:30 +0000

Travis Bickle

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-05-01 17:48:07 +0000

Leonard Shelby sort of doesn't count.

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-05-01 17:55:52 +0000

good one

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-05-01 18:00:06 +0000

Butch Cassidy
Tony Montana

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 18:10:14 +0000

Especially since Joe Pantoliano's character (Teddy) is a better character, I think.

Nevertheless, I tried to shy away from supporting characters, but maybe I shouldn't have.

How about this: Which _actors_ have embodied the most memorable movie-first characters? Clearly, Harrison Ford on or near top for Indy and Han. What about Kevin Spacey: The Usual Suspects, Se7en, American Beauty...

Also Joe Pantoliano has a ton of memorable supporting characters, Risky Business, The Matrix, Mememento...

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 18:11:09 +0000

Butch Cassidy isn't a fictional character, even though his portrayal is almost entirely fictionalized.

Posted by Miriam on 2008-05-01 18:18:06 +0000

Thelma
Louise
Princess Leah

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 18:35:32 +0000

Chicks.

Posted by respectless on 2008-05-01 19:33:46 +0000

Ummmmmmm. Darth Vader?

Posted by Miriam on 2008-05-01 20:18:13 +0000

Kind of thought they were missing from the rest of the posts.

Posted by Miriam on 2008-05-01 20:19:32 +0000

Julia Roberts' character in Pretty Woman.

Mollie Ringwald's characters from:
Pretty in Pink
Sixteen Candles
Breakfast Club

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-01 20:47:44 +0000

LLOYD DOBLER

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-05-01 21:35:00 +0000

Juno

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 23:10:56 +0000

That was the first name I put down, then I took it off for some reason. Also, John Cusack in Better Off Dead. Also, John Cusack in anything.

Posted by tendiamonds on 2008-05-01 23:12:11 +0000

You mean, "Molly Ringwald's character from:"

Posted by ConorClockwise on 2008-05-01 23:32:49 +0000

Bueller!

Posted by tgl on 2008-05-01 23:59:53 +0000

Nice use of the unordered list.

Posted by tgl on 2008-05-02 00:02:25 +0000

Harvey Milk

Posted by tommy on 2008-05-02 15:21:44 +0000

The Hanson Brothers

Posted by respectless on 2008-05-02 17:11:49 +0000

Charles Foster Kane

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-02 17:32:33 +0000

I had to think pretty hard to think of female movie characters who were substantial enough (and - very subjectively here - personally affecting enough) for me to call them "the greatest". I came up with:

Katherine Hepburn in Philadelphia Story (Tracy Lord, not to be confused with Traci Lords)

Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits (Roslyn Taber)

So, IMHO, it's been more than 45 years since we've had a truly great female movie character.

Posted by TheFullCleveland on 2008-05-02 17:52:32 +0000

Alex Forrest [Glenn Close] in Fatal Attraction
Ripley [Sigourney Weaver] in the Alien series

Posted by TheFullCleveland on 2008-05-02 17:54:52 +0000

Diana Christensen [Faye Dunawaye] in Network

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-02 17:57:13 +0000

Oh shit, TFC, you just proved me thrice wrong.

You're 100% correct on all counts, and I bite my tongue.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-02 18:00:41 +0000

"Also, John Cusack in anything."

...continuing to bite my tongue...

Posted by MF DU on 2008-05-03 17:53:36 +0000

Jake Gittes
Ratso Rizzo
Joe Buck
Gordon Gecko
Mookie
The Dude / Lebowski
Michael Corleone
Rick Deckard
"Tequila" Yeuen
Sam Spade
Phillip Marlowe
Jules Winnfield aka "Bad Motherfucker"

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-03 17:56:19 +0000

The Dude! How could I have forgotten him?!

Ooooh, I heart the Dude.

Posted by MF DU on 2008-05-03 17:56:34 +0000

oops - Rizzo, JBuck, Spade, Marlow, Deckard are all books first. Fuck. I didn't follow directions.

Posted by virtue on 2008-05-05 09:51:56 +0000

I thought real people were out.

Posted by MF DU on 2008-05-05 15:16:28 +0000

Coreleone was a book too - although it is arguable that Coppola's cinematic prowess that turned Corelone into a memorable character in our culture's lexicon and not necessarily Puzo'e entertaining dimestore novel.

Posted by Miriam on 2008-05-05 15:53:27 +0000

PeeWee(Herman)
Sarah Connors
Bill & Ted

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-05 18:42:39 +0000

It's the tight grey suit that really does it for me.

That and the red bow-tie.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-05 18:45:58 +0000

L: I jest.

Actually, it's the public masturbation.

Posted by dyedon8 on 2008-05-05 18:51:26 +0000

Posted by tgl on 2008-05-06 02:11:43 +0000

Pacino's character in Dog Day Afternoon... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_Day_Afternoon#Historical_event">oops</a>. No idea his wife became a post-op transmale.

Posted by pamsterdam on 2008-05-06 02:27:50 +0000

Separated at birth?
<img src="http://991.com/newGallery/Marc-Almond-Absinthe---The-Fr-347850.jpg"></src>

Posted by Miriam on 2008-05-06 17:05:08 +0000

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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Top 5 greatest fictional movie characters