95 of the top 100 greatest movie characters

Oh the fight is on. It seems that British magazine Empire made a list of the top 100 movie characters ever. This of course could not go without dispute. and thus Yahoo had to throw in their 2 pennies with a list of the top 25.

And I think that both lists have some merit but forget quite a bit. And the order of the characters is just plain dumb. Empire has Tyler Durden (Fight Club) as Number 1, Yahoo goes with The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin's films). While the Tramp is a good choice I think it isn't the best.

So here is my entry into the foray. Without question I will be told I am wrong to varying degrees. But that is the nature of a top list.

1.Harvey (Harvey)- The number 1 spot has to go to the only character that is never seen or heard from, is spoken about in virtually every 3rd line, is the center of attention, and is loveable.
2.Darth Vader (Star Wars series) - this is what bad guys are
3.HAL-9000 (2001) the definition of paranoia and what happens without the 3 laws
4.Morpheus (Matrix) the heart of the entire series
5.Mad Max (Mad Max series) defining the loner
6.Ellen Ripley (Alien quadrology) The most powerful woman character on several levels
7.Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) The power of a mind twisted
8.Willie Wonka (original version Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) The joy of childhood in an adult
9.Malcolm X (Malcolm X) The example of what a life can become
10.Captain (Das Boot) The ultimate in determination
11.Popeye Doyle (French Connection) Perserverance personafied
12.T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) Ambition and a dream made real via willpower and planning
13. Lee (Enter the Dragon) The fusion of mind and spirit
14.John McClane (Die Hard series) The worst of being in the wrong place wrong time
15.Han Solo (Star Wars trilogy) Swashbuckling in space
16.Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) The perfect in the right place and right time
17.Keyser Soze (Usual Suspects) The least is the greatest among us
18.James Bond (007 series)
19.The Terminator (The Terminator series)
20.Ghengis Noonian Khan (Star Trek: Wrath of Khan)
21.Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore (Apocalypse Now)
22.Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones series)
23.The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin's films)
24.Mr Blonde (Reservoir Dogs)
25.Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)
26.Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)
27.Dr. Strangelove (Dr. Strangelove)
28.Ash (Evil Dead)
29.Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane)
30.Blondie (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)
31.C3PO and R2D2 (Star Wars)
32.Inigo Montoya (Princess Bride)
33.Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)
34.Mr. Virgil Tibbs (In the Heat of the Night)
35.Roy Batty (Blade Runner)
36.Will Kane (High Noon)
37.Norma Desmond (Sunset Blvd.)
38.Arthur Chipping (Goodbye Mr. Chips)
39.V (V for Vendetta)
40.Zatoichi (Zatoichi series of films)
41.The Major (Ghost in the Shell)
42.Inspector Clouseau (original Pink Panther series)
43.Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)
44.Michael Meyers (Halloween series)
45.Roy Dillon - (The Grifters)
46.Lilly Dillon (The Grifters)
47.Chris (The Magnificent 7)
48.Max Bialystock (The Producers),
49.Yojimbo (Yojimbo, Sanjuro)
50.Jason Bourne (Bourne series)
51.Capt. Hilts "The Cooler King" (The Great Escape)
52.Hans Beckert (M)
53.Rooster Cogburn (True Grit)
54.Ray Charles (Ray)
55.Princess Leia Organa (Star Wars)
56.Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
57.Saul (Soylent Green)
58.Chance the gardener (Being There)
59.Fred C. Dobbs (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
60.Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
61.Dracula
62.Frank White (King of New York)
63.Agent Smith (Matrix series)
64.E.T. (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)
65.Jack Torrance (The Shining)
66.The Car (Christine)
67.Snake Plissken (Escape From New York)
68.Lt. Frank Drebin (The Naked Gun)
69.Luke (Cool Hand Luke)
70.George Bailey (It's A Wonderful Life)
71.Mathilda (The Professional)
72.G. Joubert (3 Days of the Condor)
73.Robin Earl of Locksley (Adventures of Robin Hood)
74.Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
75.Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator)
76.the kids (Village of the Damned)
77.Mystery Woman (Blues Brothers)
78.Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
79.Ensign Frank Thurlowe Pulver (original Mr. Roberts)
80.Ken Pile (A Fish Called Wanda)
81.Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)
82.Marv (Sin City)
83.Norman Bates (Psycho original)
84.Dil (Crying Game)
85.Damien (Omen original)
86.Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg (The Caine Mutiny original)
87.Zed (Killing Zoe)
88.Lawrence Garfield (Other People's Money)
89.Mary Kate Danaher (The Quiet Man)
90.John "Bluto" Blutarsky (Animal House)
91.Alice (Resident Evil series)
92.John Robie (To Catch a Thief)
93.Chief Bromden (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
94.Old Yeller (Old Yeller)
95.Cujo (Cujo)

Each of the characters in the above films stands out, and their loss is one that makes a vacuum. Though the roles are not always the biggest they are powerful.

Some might dispute the inanimate or anime characters. But that does not prevent the characters from being as real or influential as any other. Some may wonder about why there are so few women. The honest answer is that until relatively recently there just haven't been many roles written where women are prominent or have a truly standout role. Some might discount the characters that reflect real people. But these movies are not the actual person's life and still their characters are larger than life.

And why does my list stop where it does? Well how might you round out this list? What might you change?

Harvey: Oh so pleasant

After watching the Euro 2008 match I was sitting in my new home and decided to check what else was on. Much to my joy and surprise was the fact that Harvey would be on at 8pm. All my other plans were rescheduled and at 8pm I watched this classic film.

Now some of my younger readers might think I’m speaking about this Harvey


[If you never saw Farscape and you have never seen Harvey then the video will lose you I’m sure. Farscape fans will laugh though.]

But in fact I am speaking of the 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart and a 6 foot 3 1/2” tall invisible rabbit. Well not completely invisible nor a rabbit. He is actually a Pooka that generally can only be seen by rumpots and crackpots. Thus the audience never actually sees him, though some characters (notably Stewart) do.

In essence the film is about an eccentric well-off drunk, whose main companion is Harvey. The existence of this rabbit is the bane of the sister of Elwood Dowd (Stewart) and she seeks to institutionalize her brother to help him get back to reality. In the end she, and the audience, realize that perhaps having an invisible rabbit is the least horrible thing in life if you are a good person otherwise.

Harvey is a story about being a good person. While he (Dowd) is odd and a drinker he is also very good-hearted. He constantly helps the people around him, pairing up 2 couples and providing therapy for a psychiatrist all while they are trying to incarcerate him. He has only kind words for everyone he meets, even if they ridicule him. And he is non-judgmental of even convicts and those that seem to dislike him.

Perhaps the whole movie can be summed up in one quote. When asked why Elwood is not angry or flustered when he is told he is to be committed he replies

“Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" - she always called me Elwood - "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.”

I have, and you should too. If you haven’t seen this film yet, or even if you have, watch it and feel just a bit better about things.