*SPOILERS BELOW*
Howard is kind of a dick. Even though he seems nice and passive, he is really manipulative and evil. He wants the world to work his way, on his terms, and can't accept it when it doesn't. He's also much more violent and dangerous than Chad. He physically assaulted Christine, as well as his ex-girlfriend (at the Jewelry store, he mentions how he had to pry the ring off her finger as they wrestled on the floor of her apartment). He is unaware of his own strengths and could end up killing someone. Chad, at least, understands social dynamics and how to work with people. Even until the end, he is not cruel to Howard, who still does not suspect that his friend screwed him over for a better job. He knows that if Howard turned his rage toward him, he could be in danger, so he directs it inward-- "How does it feel to hurt someone?" Reminding Howard that he was complicit in this cruel act. Howard was unsure at first about going along with it, and perhaps fooled himself that this game wouldn't ultimately hurt anyone. Meanwhile, Chad knew exactly what he was doing at all times. Howard made the mistake of trusting Chad when the very act that Chad proposed was so heinous and evil that he should have suspected the reasons behind its suggestion. It should have put him on guard, but his need for approval and love was greater than his desire for self-preservation. For those who feel sympathy for Howard-- watch how he treated his mother and the people around him when he was doing personal business at work. He had no regard for them-- telling a woman to follow the instructions on the cover for a report, and getting back to planning his big trip with Christine. But when Christine comes in he drops everything for her. He only cared about himself. At least Chad kept up the appearance of caring for others, even though he thought everyone was a dick. In the conference room, he berates just about everyone in the company directory as well as the guy who comes in for a few moments and leaves, but he's friendly to those in the room. He knows that he can't be a success without others working their best for him, so there is give and take in his relationships. Even when he humiliates the intern in his office by asking to see his balls-- he promises a promotion to the management program. He is establishing dominance so that the new breed of managers are subservient to him. Chad also doesn't couch his intentions behind noble posturing. In a way, he is more honest. He constantly tells Howard to watch his back, and tells him exactly what he wants to do to their chosen prey, even deciding to choose someone who is handicapped. Meanwhile, Howard tells the truth with no regard for Christine's feelings. He tells her out of anger and frustration, out of powerlessness. He doesn't understand people at all. Chad uses this weakness to his advantage by befriending Howard the same way he befriended Christine, and then breaking the trust, without Howard even knowing. The cruelest thing is at the end, when Chad says he was just talking to himself.
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Grooblle
15 years ago
Good waste of time writing that crap Yves, lol.
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I like goats.
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heartofadog
15 years ago
Exactly. There are many men like Howard who come across as decent people (and consider themselves to be "nice guys") but are actually self-serving and hateful.
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transmentalist
15 years ago
Just chiming in with the OP, Yves and heartofadog.
The world is full of losers like Howard who view themselves as "the nice guys" when they're actually just clueless and, yes, self-serving. Matt Malloy's commentary track makes it clear he was going for that exact note with Howard.
I also think the OP's 100% correct that LaBute purposely foils our expectations. The notion that Christine, with her pluck and honestly, melts Chad's cruel heart probably does appeal to some primal romantic-comedy instinct, and I have to agree that it's most likely LaBute's conscious intention to turn that expectation on its head.
So he foils our expectations with an ending that rings much more true to life, and IMHO is all the more more powerful for it.
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ChadismyHero
15 years ago
Only a retard would honestly think Chad ever gave a *beep* about Christine.
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15 years ago
[deleted]
ChadismyHero
15 years ago
"Howard is weak and easily manipulated, the type who were 'following orders' under the Nazis."
That is a bit unfair. Most qualified experts would agree that the vast majority of people would have followed the Nazi orders just like the Germans at the time. Howard is a bigger push over than most, but don't underestimate how pansy-ish most of society is.
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torpedoboy4
15 years ago
Howard is schmuck and a pushover
Chad is a psychopath and a nihilist.
I'm not sure which one is ultimately more dangerous.
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Sanctuary20
15 years ago
I didn't feel sympathy for Howard. He is a grown ass man who shouldn't have even gotten himself into such a nasty, vindictive situation. I really like what Yves and others have said regarding Howard as the 'real villian'. However, I also disagree with that assessment. Yes, he is clearly a flawed person and easily manipulated and possibly mentally ill, but like my man said before me, he actually showed genuine compassion and remorse for going along with the plan to humiliate Christine.
In my book this makes him a little bit of a better person than Chad, who showed no remorse whatsoever for his actions. He took delight in it and continued to take delight in it when he tells the truth about the inception of the plan where his wife didn't even leave him. *beep* creep! You could just seem the glint in his eye when he finally reveals all to Howard. It's actually quite frightening how somebody can be that ruthless.
Yves, you made interesting points about why Howard was worse than Chad. But it's like you yourself said, he told Christine about the plan out of ANGER and FRUSTRATION not out of spite. The man clearly has problems, but even though he obviously did, I honestly don't think he meant to hurt her in that scene. Chad by contrast was dying to see her reaction and told her in the most clear and nasty manner. Sick stuff but interesting and skillful stuff by Labute.
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Darkfalz1979
9 years ago
Chad is merely weak willed and easily led. He certainly isn't evil. He's just weak and flawed and has been trashed by women his whole life.
Chad isn't really evil either. He just has zero respect for women because he understands the basic truth that women who are attracted to a guy like him don't deserve respect.
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Elfinart
15 years ago
A simplified way of looking at it is that Howard was the worse of the two. Chad was bad because he was; Howard was bad because he chose to be. A lot of people fail to realize that this is not a story about Chad and Howard hurting Christine; it is a story about Chad hurting Howard. It's about what happens when one makes a deal with the Devil. Howard got just what he deserved.
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