MovieChat Forums > Trainspotting (1996) Discussion > Would you want Begbie to be your friend?

Would you want Begbie to be your friend?


I don't know how to judge Begbie. When he's in "normal mode" he seems to be a cool guy - a little bit harsh, but most likely a very loyal friend. Unfortunately, whenever he switches to his "crazy mode" which happens too often and too easily he's getting too unpredictable. Funny as it is, Renton, Spud and Sick Boy seem to admire the guy and be afraid of him at the same time. If you had a choice, would you add Begbie to your friends list?

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I've known a few Begbies. They're too much of a liability to keep around, so no, I wouldn't want a friend like that.

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[deleted]

yeah, he's a psycho, but he's MY psycho

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[deleted]

It was Spuds mother.

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You almost certainly wouldn't add someone like Begbie to your circle of friends. But I've had friends like him over the years - and none of them started out like that. They all started out much more reasonable - like Begbie without his "crazy mode" and over time they develop their "crazy mode".

The "crazy mode" creeps in very gradually too. The first time it happens you let it pass as a one off event. And the second time you find another excuse for it - 'cos he's a mate afterall. And so on.

And eventually you find yourself sat in a pub next to someone thinking "do I want to be friends with this guy?", "is it worth the hassle?" or "is it worth the worry or the risk that he's suddenly going to turn on me for no reason?".

It actually takes a bit of character to turn your back on someone who used to be a good friend - particularly when you know they'll react badly to it. So it's generally easier to just carry on being friends with them.



"Internet quotations aren't always accurate" - Abraham Lincoln

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[deleted]

Hell,naw. As much as I liked this movie (saw it at least twice when it first came out, and the soundtrack is pretty good,too) the fact is, Begbie was a selfish, violent drunk bastard---which is why he later got his comeuppance near the end--he deserved it too. Even the actor who played Robert Carlyle (a fave of mine) said in an interview back then that he couldn't see how anybody could be attracted to a character like Begbie,period. I mean, come one, the dude gets mad and slashes his friend's arm just because he's pissed off. Who the hell would even want to be around a friend like that? Sure it may seem cool hanging with someone that crazy at first, but then when that person start doing really crazy s***, it's not even funny or cute anymore--that s*** is dangerous. So, no, I sure as hell wouldn't have anyone like that for a friend.

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[deleted]

He was a douche. It was awesome when Mark ripped him off.

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In the book you find out that they have all been friends from school and that Begbie's behaviour has worsened over the years. You actually see a nicer side to him in the book. Also, in the book, Mark feels that to an extent they are all responsible for Begbie's behaviour, they were happy for him to beat up people as long as it wasn't them. Being friends with a psycho has it's advantages, people don't tend to mess you about. However, you never know when they will turn on you.

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He was a psycho for sure.. I would hope I'd have a choice whether or not I would choose him as my friend as the obvious choice would be no.. But I believe they had say in the matter.. Still having him as a friend provides some benefits, presuming you are always on his good side..

http://youtu.be/2-_unC-g_rY

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"You actually see a nicer side to him in the book"

You must mean that chapter where he beats his pregnant girlfriend, June?

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Who wouldn't wanna be friends with Rumplestiltskin?

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