Favorite Fictional Characters

I was watching one of my favorite war movies the other day -- We Were Soldiers -- which is based on a true story.  No matter how many times I see that movie, I'm riveted by the actual story.  Having read Hal Moore's book, We Were Soldiers Once...and Young, I know how faithful the movie is to the actual events.

But it also got me thinking -- forgive the illogical detour here.  There are characters in books and films that captivate me.  People who would be cool to know were they real.  I'm not talking about a James Bond-like character who's so surreal as to defy credulity.  I mean people who, for whatever reason, would make me want to be their friend.  So I thought I'd put a list of them together, with the actor who portrayed them if it was a film or a television series.

Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) -- Homeland was interesting the first year, less so the second year and with an uncertain future going forward.  Regardless, Saul Berenson as played by Mandy Patinkin is just fascinting. He's cerebral, thoughtful in a sensitive way, clever, reticent and thoroughly human at the same time.  Most of all, he's loyal and patriotic.

Gus McRae (Robert Duvall) -- One of my favorite novels is Lonesome Dove, and the mini-series of the same name is equally fantastic.  McRae is at once puckish, childish, brave, determined, playful, loyal and sentimental.  He's a good man with a devil-may-care attitude.  Not that this would be a determining factor, but I'd much rather have him on my side than against me.  Mr. Duvall portrayed the character brilliantly; in the hands of another actor, I might not feel as I do.

Basil Plumlee (Sam Elliott) -- I know I'm cheating here, since Plumlee was a real person, but Mr. Elliott was utterly great in his depiction of Mr. Plumlee.  If the latter is as the former portrayed him, I'd want him as a friend, too.

Hal Moore (Mel Gibson) -- Likewise, Mr. Gibson did Mr. Moore proud.  Mr. Moore was a thinker, a strategic genius who was also very well read.  He was also very caring, very concerned about the men whom he led into battle.  He was forthright, no-nonsense and a devoted family man.

Major John Reisman (Lee Marvin) -- For once, a movie that was better than a book on which it was seemingly based, Mr. Marvin is excellent as the no-nonsense maverick who is given a chance to lead a suicide mission with a bunch of misfits.  I wish I had Reisman's coolness.

Edmond Dantes -- From my favorite book of all time, The Count of Monte Cristo, Dantes shows how revenge doesn't have to be served cold to be done well.  And how he walks away from the woman who had no faith in him is absolutely chilling and correct at the same time.

Professor John Kingsfield (John Houseman) -- I saw this long before I even went to college, and the image of Professor Kingsfield terrifying students using the Socratic method still fixes me in my place.  He was probably an excellent chess player.

George Smiley (Alec Guinness) -- This will be the only Brit on the roster.  Smiley is the thinking man's spy, a master of investigation and interrogation.  I remember how in one interrogation he terrified the suspect with his pregnant and very silent pauses.  I wish I had more of a poker face like Smiley.  And Mr. Guinness was the excellent choice to play the role.

The Naked Prey (Cornel Wilde) -- The title character doesn't have a name, so we'll go with the Naked Prey Guy.  Mr. Wilde did a phenomenal job with this largely silent role.  He's nimble both of foot and mind. The extended scene where he protects a child orphaned by slavers is touching, especially considering Naked Prey Guy himself is being hunted down.

Damien O'Donovan (Cillian Murphy) -- From the movie The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Mr. Murphy portrays an Irishman who must navigate the often-confusing and nettlesome Ireland of the pre- and post-partition era.  He is a fighter and a protector and a loyal Irishman who tries to do the best for his country and his family.

Nate (Jon Voight) -- There were a couple of different characters from Heat that I could go with, but Mr. Voight's portrayal of the enigmatic Nate is superlative.  It was an understated performance that worked to move the story along at critical junctures.

Capt. James Miller (Tom Hanks) -- From one of the best war movies ever, Saving Private Ryan, Mr. Hanks was robbed of an Oscar by that Italian buffoon.  The salient scene for me is when Capt. Miller is discussing with Private Ryan his wife back in the States, and Ryan asks him a question, to which Capt. Miller replies, No, not that one. I keep that one for myself.  It was a magnificent and complex portrayal.

Sean Thornton (John Wayne) -- Based on a short story by Maurice Walsh of the same title, despite himself, Mr. Wayne does a credible job as The Quiet Man.  His worst scene was probably the fault of the director John Ford, who probably prompted him to refer to a Church of Ireland minister as padre, harkening back to Mr. Wayne's roles in sundry Ford Westerns.  The only problem with that is that Mr. Wayne's character grew up working beside the slag heaps outside of Pittsburgh which, last time I checked, wasn't anywhere near the West.  The only reason this character makes the list is because he ends up with Mary Kate Danaher, played by Maureen O'Hara.



As if there could be any other reason for his inclusion.

(c) 2014 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles