Author's Note: The following post contains some slight spoilers for "Inception," "Saving Private Ryan" and "Spiderman."
"Inception" is a brilliant movie. It was worth going at midnight and is worth seeing again — which is a good thing because apparently sometime next week I'm taking my little sister and her friend to go see it. You can read my review of it here. This morning at 2 a.m., I was excited about the intricate plot and the mysteries Christopher Nolan left unsolved. Today, however, when I considered my favorite parts of the movie I realized I loved the character development of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy) — the man Dom Cobb, Leonardo DiCaprio's character, is hired to target.
Most of the film rightfully focused on Cobb and his family history and why he became a fugitive. However, I was more interested in Fischer and his broken relationship with his father. Murphy's performance was captivating, and it was emotional to watch the young man come to terms with how his father viewed him and how he could become his own man. The final scene Fischer had before he woke up from his dream was the most gratifying part of the movie for me as an audience member — it brought his character full circle and almost moved me to tears. But not quite.
Supporting characters stealing the show is nothing new — I remember watching "Saving Private Ryan" for the first time. While I cared about John Miller (Tom Hanks) and came to admire Private Ryan (Matt Damon), the one character I connected with was Upham (Jeremy Davies).
His struggle to deal with being thrown into the harsh reality of war and combat was affecting and real. Though many people I have discussed the movie with have called Upham a coward, I never saw him as one. I simply saw the consequences a gritty, hopeless reality can have on one's soul. Upham was a scholar, a philosopher who was never built for war. His compassion for Steamboat Willie in the middle of the movie showed someone struggling to be different and break away from the endless killing cycle. And, finally, when Upham reached his turning point in the climax, it's easy to see turmoil and a rush of emotions cross his face. Through his performance, Davies helped make "Saving Private Ryan" one of the most emotional, if not the most emotional, war movies of all time.
Even in straightforward superhero movies sympathetic supporting stars strengthen the overall plot. Throughout the entire Sam Raimi "Spiderman" franchise, James Franco's Harry Osborne was the character whose story arc was the most unpredictable and compelling. As Harry struggled with who to trust and what to do, the audience empathized — even when he knowingly turned on Peter momentarily. Though some (like my friend April, for example) were only upset at the end of the third movie when they realized they could no longer stare at James Franco were a sequel to be made, I cried for the loss of a great character.
I don't think I'm alone — I mean, how many people's favorite character from "Harry Potter" is Harry? Or Bella from "Twilight?" While main characters usually make or break a movie, book or television show, it's the supporting roles that give some of the best surprises and depth.
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