MovieChat Forums > The New Guy (2002) Discussion > Dizzy's behaviour/personality traits

Dizzy's behaviour/personality traits

posted 14 years ago by Ernest_Hero
2 replies | jump to latest

I really liked the movie, as there were quite a few funny moments and it has an uplifting message.

One thing confuses me - Dizzy is portrayed as a geek, but I get the impression that even before his transformation he was not really the shy and studious type - e.g. he was a member of a musical ensemble, was quite gregarious, didn't seem too scared to break the rules and stand up to teachers, was willing to ask out a "queen bee" (without even knowing her well). Yes, his behaviour was definitely weird in a number of respects, but he did seem like a fun guy to hang out with and given his size (he was rather tall and could seem slightly intimidating), as well as his willingness to contradict the teachers/pull on a show/be disruptive in class, it's a bit surprising that he was treated like an outcast and picked on by the jocks. What I am saying is that Dizzy exhibited some semblances of jock-like behaviour even before his stint in a prison cell, so I found it odd that he wasn't appreciated by the "tough guys".

Btw, while Danielle was beautiful and very sympathetic to him, Dizzy could have gone out with Nora as well, she was nice, good-looking and really seemed to care about him (though I guess that there is not always a natural continuity from best friends to lovers).

[–] IMDB_Vits 11 years ago

It seemed to me that he had always had that attitude but was too shy to show it. The movie starts with the 1st day of senior year. He had developed enough confidence, but by then, everyone already thought of him as a nerd.

He and NORA didn't have feelings for each other; they were just friends. They teased us with that almost at the end because the script writers knew we would expect that. You know, because in a lot of teen movies the lead realizes he/she has been in loved with a friend all along.

[–] Ernest_Hero 10 years ago

Thank you for the comments, very good points raised! I have to agree - Dizzy may have simply been pigeonholed as a geek and there was no way he could convince his peers that there was another side to him (and to make matters worse - he didn't seem particularly skilled or enthusiastic when it came to major sports like football). Also, I have to admit that a certain social awkwardness on his part did show through on occasions (even after his transformation). Sometimes it also works the other way - I know people who have established a reputation as jocks or goons (however, they are actually pretty nice on most occasions).

I wasn't too attentive when it came to Dizzy and Nora's relationship, but what you mentioned certainly makes sense. I now think that it's a good decision that the script writers decided to add an element of unpredictability with regard to the main romance in the movie.

Be aware of your own inner ideology!