Cox is shown during the course of the film drinking a fair amount to be sure, and it is likely it did not start after the film did. But the scene where he is informed he is being demoted is notable since it did not contain any reference to him failing to do his job. There was a reference to his drinking, followed by Cox's imo witty rejoinder that the agent who said that is a Mormon, and officially Mormons think anyone who drinks anything drinks too much (ftr I am not attacking Mormons, only saying what is in the film).
The relevance is not so much to how to square his drinking with an assessment of his character as it is to make clear that the reasons for Cox's demotion are in fact rather murky. The implication I think is there that it is really about some intraoffice politics, personalities etc... In short feeding into his perception of being persecuted.
Meanwhile even if he does not know his wife is cheating, he can sense that she is not close or sympathetic to him.
But to me his being on the losing end roughly from the point we understand he lost his job and his wife is cheating on him is not what makes him an attractive character, at least for me. Nor does it really excuse his later killing Ted or flying off the handle in general.
It does make him understandable, however, including even his complaints about being surrounded by morons. In short he may not be admirable or likeable, and he certainly does not seem to be the kind of person you would like to have in a friend, or even neighbor!
But then compared to the other characters in the film, he is hardly the one I would label as the OP did. I would say he is the last character in fact to come in mind.
Having said that, what about Ted?
I come down on the side of NOT being sympathetic to Ted. Ted many might say was trying to help Linda, and his death was out of proportion to whatever negative one might want to ascribe to him. But beyond that I did not find him sympathetic. He was clearly after Linda and probably wanted to have sex with her. Again that is fine, but it does tend to take away whatever unselfish virtue one might otherwise which to see in his efforts regarding Linda.
What really makes him unsympathetic, though, is at some point I get tired of characters who over suffer from unrequited love, and Ted had EVERY reason to think his interest in Linda was not reciprocated. In fact given that he was her boss it was kind of creepy.
Even the apparent generosity of his going to Cox's house was ambiguous, since he I think wanted to appear the hero by doing so.
So Ted may have gotten something alot more than what was coming to him. But I do not find him a sympathetic character.
reply
share
pwilken
10 years ago
You've really changed my view on Ted's character. I think you are right.
reply
share