MovieChat Forums > The Soloist (2009) Discussion > Lopez, the character

Lopez, the character

posted 11 years ago by Chapaev36
2 replies | jump to latest

I can't comment on the real Steve Lopez and haven't read the book.

The character I really didn't like and I'm wondering if anyone else felt the same way.

He is an extremely self-centered man, who seems to spend his life pursuing exclusively his self-interest. It is not surprising then that a person like this went out and made a career on this story. Again, I can only base this on the character from the movie; I am sure that some facts and events were left out.

Lopez does not seem like a good friend. He is distant and often treats Ayers like a child. He is often dismissive of the things Ayers says, as if he is mumbling mere nonsense.

Maybe it is not fair to judge Lopez and I do admire the fact that he wrote the story. But I can't get over the sort of "empirical distance" with which he treats Ayers. He seldom expresses a genuine emotion. Late in the film Lopez shakes Ayers' hand and calls him his friend, but it is entirely unconvincing. It's as if he never had a friend in his life and is just doing what he believes to be socially appropriate.

Do we even know what friendship means anymore? It shouldn't be about your story or your movie, or how much money you make. Why not love a person with your every fibre and show it?

[–] spookyrat1 10 years ago

He is an extremely self-centered man, who seems to spend his life pursuing exclusively his self-interest.

Wow! Have to admit I'm quite staggered by your post. I didn't get that impression at all. Bear in mind he is a feature columnist for a big city newspaper. He obviously has to write about things on which he is focused. This film shows us among other things that he cared about the city's homeless and by focusing on the ongoing story of Ayers, he was also able to direct attention to the plights of the 90000 homeless people in Los Angeles.

Lopez does not seem like a good friend.

Yet he keeps going back to him, even though Ayers is a schizophrenic and clearly not an easy person with whom to deal.

...empirical distance...

I'm sorry I don't understand what this is.

Late in the film Lopez shakes Ayers' hand and calls him his friend, but it is entirely unconvincing.

You've got it the wrong way around. The issue was with Ayers. Don't you remember at the start of the picture when Lopez introduced himself, tried to shake Ayer's hand who refused mumbling an excuse.

Do we even know what friendship means anymore?

I didn't think it was a great picture, but among other things it did serve to highlight the friendship that grew and still exists between 2 rather unlike individuals.

[–] gcarras 7 years ago

And read the Los Angeles Times and you'll find that he is still alive, well, and writing!

"And that's SHOWBIZ--kid."-Roxie Hart.
PROFILE PIC:Courtney Thorne-Smith.
MAGIC=Sarah Silverman.