MovieChat Forums > Burn After Reading (2008) Discussion > Is there any redeemable/likeable charact...

Is there any redeemable/likeable character?

posted 14 years ago by zing-89
18 replies | jump to latest

I find it hard to find any, Norman is a psychotic ass hole, Linda is a deplorable vain human being, Harry is paranoid beyond belief and sleeps with everyone, Katie is an utter bitch.

The only characters that come close to being decent are Ted, who is a nice guy, but also believes that Linda is a decent human being, which she isn't. And Chad, who is basically just too stupid and naive, which makes him kinda likeable, also he's the only upbeat character because of this, in a cast of pretty depressing sad people.

What are your thoughts?

[–] acefilm1 14 years ago

Yes I'd say Ted is the only truly likeable character.

[–] jstreeter3163 14 years ago

I kinda like Osbourne. But yeah otherwise, I just liked Ted.

Everyone in this movie were *beep* especially Osbourne's wife.

[–] jrmellem 13 years ago

And, lets not forget Harry's wife. What has she ever done other than being a good wife who trusts her loser husband. Naive, overly trusting, yes but not a scumbag by any stretch.

[–] dumpfile1313 12 years ago

She was cheating on Harry too. She was not naive or trusting. She was having him followed and was planning to divorce him and take everything. Not likeable at all.

Looking back is funny both women called the other a frigid bitch.

[–] the_la_baker 10 years ago

She was cheating on Harry too. She was not naive or trusting. She was having him followed and was planning to divorce him and take everything. Not likeable at all.

Looking back is funny both women called the other a frigid bitch.

Yup. Also looking back, the frigidness they were seeing in each other probably had to do with their mutual awareness that they were banging the same guy.

[–] Kenne_W 14 years ago

I agree with the descriptions given by the OP

I'm watching this right now, Chad (Pitt) is the only one I identify with. It's a shame that he was the one who got shot,
instead of any of the other characters. (especially Osbourne Cox (Malkovich).
Linda (McDormand) is easily one of the most annoying characters ever in any movie. Does she not realize how stupid she sounds or looks half the time when she starts telling unfunny jokes.

[–] dyahrmarkt 14 years ago

Osbourne was a scream. Sure, almost all of these characters are unlikeable as hell, but leave it to the Coens to still pull off an entertaining film ~ !

Please nest your IMDB page, so you respond to the correct person.

[–] garbage_day1987 14 years ago

no, just hilarious ones.

[–] trickg1 13 years ago

I think that part of the point of the movie is that none of the characters were likeable - they were all mired in some kind of dysfunction that made them more or less dispicable.

Linda - vain, shallow and oblivious to Ted
Ted - what a wuss bag. The very fact that he was pining for Linda makes him dispicable
Harry - unfaithful and opportunistic. Just a real tool who is morally bankrupt
Katie - self-centered opportunistic bitch
Osbourne - major *beep* who has no clue how unimportant he really is
Chad - idiot - anyone who would listen and take Linda seriously has to have some issues

That's my take anyway.

"My name is Gladiator"

[–] el-9984 13 years ago

"I think that part of the point of the movie is that none of the characters were likeable…"

Exactly. The only two obviously likeable characters came from the unctuous couple at the cocktail party - you know, the "on the legislative side" guy and his wife with the nieces and nephews who love children's books. As filmviewers do we really want to spend more time with these nice folks?

[–] GreenGoblinsOckVenom86 13 years ago

The only character I liked was J.K Simmons character. He was the only funny one. I didn't find this movie that funny. I find it astonishing it was nominated for best comedy motion picture and best actress in a comedy at the Golden Globes.

"Time to die! Like a man!" Venom Spider-Man Web of Shadows

[–] jrmellem 13 years ago

Norman may be a psychotic a-hole but he isn't in this movie. Check your facts next time and don't waste everyone's time. There is no Norman listed on the credits of this movie anywhere.

[–] kenny-164 13 years ago

It was intentional that the characters were all at least somewhat sketchy. Osborne Cox at least was smart and acerbically funny, but too clueless about the situation to be redeemable. He was at least real, though, while pretty much all the others were fakes of one degree or another. Including Ted, who had that morose kind of sincerity that is based on what, exactly? He wants to sleep with Linda.

The CIA manager was kind of funny and was just trying to move on. I suppose you could say he was redeemable to some extent.

Nobody else, though, and that means nobody.

[–] andyd-1 11 years ago

I quite liked the Russian bloke. No only kidding, no one was likable, the CIA bosses were funny though.

[–] madpogue 11 years ago

Manolo.

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 11 years ago

But Manolo claims he just found it there, he had to have taken it out of the bag, so he stole it. So he wasn't a likable character either. I actually liked Osbourne & Ted, out of all the characters, I really felt bad for these two. Osbourne's wife cheating on him & he gets fired, he makes a memoir on his work in the C.I.A. and Chad & Linda try to blackmail him for it. I thought it was kinda ironic at the end that it comes down to him & Ted, Osbourne ends up in a coma because he was beating up Ted. Crazy film though, poor Ted, he was in love with Linda but she was way too vain to see it, it was all about appearences to her, blackmailing a guy so she could pay for her cosmetic surgeries.

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.

[–] madpogue 11 years ago

But Manolo claims he just found it there, he had to have taken it out of the bag, so he stole it.

It fell out of the secretary's bag. As Manolo said, "It was just lying there."