Why does the introverted geek always get the hot crazy chick? - The Last Word (2010) Discussion

[–] Stepper_on_flowers 15 years ago

1. He's not a geek. He's a somewhat accomplished poet, and does not actually care for technology or other usual "geek" stuff.

2. He does not get the girl. Period.

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[–] sparkletight 14 years ago

Sorry, but "geek" he is. There are more than one definition for "geek."

And, he certainly did get the girl. She practically fell into his lap.

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[–] Lala_RK 14 years ago

I agree with Stepper_on_flowers, Evan was not a geek, but yes he was an introvert, but not a geek. He had issues. He read alot of literature, and liked to keep to himself, maybe not a social butterfly, but that doesn't mean he was a geek. I actually thought he was deep and had a cool intense aura about him, that can be very attractive.

*spoiler alert*

--- I actually think this film is NOT cliche, like Stepper on flowers said, in the end he does not end up with the girl, but instead his friendship with Abel has the happy ending.

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[–] hotpontus 14 years ago

"Let me guess, the writer is an introverted geek?"

I'm the writer/director of the Last Word. I suppose I have a few geek-like qualities but I'm not introverted and most people when they meet me would not call me a geek. I wasn't a geek in college and have lots of friends that are definitely not geeks. Ive never been to ComicCon or a Star Trek convention. I'm not into video games, but I do fly a remote control helicopter - the one you see flown in "The Last Word." My day job is as a camera operator for movies and TV shows - which I guess could be considered nerdy :-)

I'm sorry you didn't like my movie - I suppose it IS a bit of a cliche. I'll try to do better on the next one. But thank you for watching it. I always wanted to come to Los Angeles and make films that were going to be seen by people I didn't know in places I had never heard of. It's a cool feeling. I promise the next film I make won't be as cliched.

thanks,
Geoff

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[–] sparkletight 14 years ago

I never said I didn't like the movie. I thought it was very well written (especially the dialog) and directed and I enjoyed Wes's work. In fact, I gave it a 9/10.

It IS however a major film cliche going back many years that the least likely guy out of the crowd, usually a mild-mannered type, gets the slightly off kilter hot babe.

I suppose having to function in the Hollywood system means having to write more cliche type stuff since that's what they seem to produce IN Hollywood.

Either way, I'll be looking for whatever you do next. I've told several people about the film and I'll probably even buy it at some point.

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[–] kingcarcas 14 years ago

So what! In real life we won't get Winona Ryder!

If you don't believe in Jesus Christ and are 100% proud of it, put this in your sig.

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[–] sparkletight 14 years ago

Right. In real life Winona Ryder would only like us if she wanted something from us. THAT, would make her character more tolerable in this film.

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[–] PhreeByrd 14 years ago

This is a joke, right? Wes Bentley and Winona Ryder are both beautiful people. Beautiful people usually end up together. If that's a cliche, it's because it is true.

Would you propose casting two unattractive actors for these parts to make it more realistic? I can't imagine who they would be. Suggestions?

The character Evan is not an introverted geek. He is sullen, morose, internalized, and alone. Although 'geekdom' can take many forms, I consider Evan neither introverted nor geeky.

If you think the Charlotte character is crazy, you need to get out and meet more women.

Your assertion that the writer is an introverted geek is asinine.

I loved almost everything about this film, including the brilliant casting.

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[–] sparkletight 14 years ago

This has nothing to do with looks. I never mentioned anything about looks.

Wes's character is a geek, whether you like that characterization or not. He's into classical music. He's into reading. He doesn't go out. He's introverted.

In real life, I'm sorry, a guy like that just would not have some hot chick chasing after him. Is a movie real life? No, and it doesn't have to be. But the truth is, whether you want to stick your head in the sand or not, is that the "type" played by Ryder almost never crosses paths with the "type" played by Bentley, and if they did - nothing would happen unless the Charlotte character wanted something from the Evan character.

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[–] PhreeByrd 14 years ago

"This has nothing to do with looks. I never mentioned anything about looks."

It's YOUR thread, sparkletight. If "hot crazy chick" doesn't refer to looks, then what the heck do you mean by "hot"?

"Wes's character is a geek, whether you like that characterization or not. He's into classical music. He's into reading. He doesn't go out. He's introverted."

Did we see the same film? I agree, he appears to spend a fair amount of time by himself, but he never appeared the least bit awkward or uncomfortable around others, and never appeared to be avoiding contact with others. I would not make the assumption that he is introverted by anything I saw in this film. As far as being a geek, well, that's your definition, and you obviously must be correct, since this is your thread.

"In real life, I'm sorry, a guy like that just would not have some hot chick chasing after him."

Again with the hot chick. It's not about looks, though. You never mentioned looks. In real life it happens all the time. He's a nice looking guy, she's a nice looking woman. It's rarely about anything but looks at first. Everything else comes later.

"But the truth is, whether you want to stick your head in the sand or not, is that the "type" played by Ryder almost never crosses paths with the "type" played by Bentley, and if they did - nothing would happen unless the Charlotte character wanted something from the Evan character."

And clearly she did want something from him. A relationship, with a guy she was first physically attracted to, and then found him emotionally and intellectually attractive. Regardless of whatever you consider their "types" to be, their paths DID cross, and something DID happen. I found nothing incredible or unbelievable in how things played out in the story. In fact, I found it completely believeable, especially considering that Charlotte was a bit unusual.

For what it's worth, I agree completely that films are very frequently guilty of the situation your original post complained about. I just don't think THIS film fits your complaint at all.

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[–] sparkletight 14 years ago

Oops. My bad. I did mention her looks but not his.

Annnyyyywaaayyyy...

Sorry to say, but it's completely unrealistic (but great material for a film story) that an introverted geek gets the hot crazy chick.

Sorry about that.

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[–] rooprect 14 years ago

Sorry to say, but it's completely unrealistic (but great material for a film story) that an introverted geek gets the hot crazy chick.

Please don't interpret this as an insult. But were you a 'geek' and you never got any 'hot chicks'? I'd just like to know why you think it's so unrealistic. Are you speaking from personal experience, or are you just making assumptions?

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[–] Stepper_on_flowers 13 years ago

8 months had passed since your first post and you just repeated yourself...

Well, now 15 months have passed since my first post, and since I've happened to be here...

1. He's not a geek. Enjoying reading and not enjoying crowdy company does not make someone a geek. If, for you, anyone who reads books is a geek, I can only say that it's a very pitiful outlook on life. It also probably means that you don't read books (your level of debate certainly suggests, let's put it this way, a certain lack of sophistication), which means you're likely to be shallow and uninteresting :-) I'm being blunt because you're so ready to dispense with derogatory pigeonholing yourself.

2. The fact that you called Ryder's character "crazy" might give you a hint at why her attraction to the main character is reasonable, and help explain the situation in words befitting your level of development (she's crazy, you figure out the rest).

3. The main character does not "get" the girl. Unless by "getting" you mean having sex with a few times. For an emotionally and intellectually developed adult, the situation which unfolds in the movie cannot be defined as "guy gets girl". It's more in the area of "girl uses guy to help forget about her own mental troubles and insecurities, then throws him away like a used paper towel, which causes guy to spiral down in an emotional breakdown, forfeit his life's work as an accomplished writer and poet, and become a professional appliance destroyer at the employ of insane ill-adjusted people who would rather flog the ocean than learn to swim".

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[–] ReasonlsOutToLunch 13 years ago

I thought the trend was the other way around actually. Crazy dude, chases weird geeky girl she rebuffs him, cause he is too immature or something, but in the end she sees the light and finds out it's ok to have fun.

If you love Cheezits and are 100% proud of it make this your signature!

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[–] war_eagle27 12 years ago

because it happens in real life. This is from personal experience. There seems to be a mutual attraction between the 2 personality types.

i'm an introverted geek and my last girlfriend was a hot "crazy" chick

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