An excerpt from my script review for Elysium which will be available 05/19/25:
3.) Quality of Characters
Wow…I was really surprised that this script wasn’t reviewed before…
Going back through the thread for it, there’s some original Amazon Studios members in there which is nostalgic to see…particularly the Capn’s earlier posts, before we knew just how delightfully deviant his mind could be.
After thinking about it, I believe this was one Roy reviewed early on before his departure.
Why he departed depends on who you ask, and perhaps one day it will be revealed in a “tell all” best seller that later gets optioned into a live action film.
Last I heard he had novelized some of his scripts, sold a Christmas script and had it produced.
Congrats to him for making it, and unfortunately that leaves the rest of you stuck with me…
But everyone is the hero in their own narrative.
And that brings me to the notion of Max…
In his mind he was able to justify the things he was doing.
Stealing from Frey to buy a ticket to Elysium and save himself, at the cost of her dying daughter.
Not using the stolen information in his mind to save everyone on Earth.
Once convinced enough to save the dying daughter, he weighs backing out when he knows it’ll cost him his life.
Things like that.
He was primarily concerned with saving himself, which may have troubled him, but not enough to change his mind.
This was odd because Frey seemed to be his “dream” girl, and you’d think given the chance to help her and prove he’s not an asshole he would…instead he robs her and leaves her sick child alone at home.
(While covert military operatives and hunting him down, mind you.)
He’s the definition of a reluctant hero, so much so that it takes ninety percent of the script for him to overcome that reluctance.
The only person he truly seemed to care for was Julio, his childhood friend.
That’s nice and all, but doesn’t negate some of the shitty things he does the rest of the film.
The point?
Having a reluctant hero is good.
If we’re writing properly we should be throwing our characters into unchartered territory that frightens them.
Yet when the time comes for them to make these tough decisions, like stealing cash from the single mother of a sick child, we need to leave them with have no other option.
(Bonus points if the other characters don’t realize the hero’s back’s against the wall.)
We can’t just have them make choices out of selfishness.
Want EARLY access to our videos, uploads, and movie/script reviews? Members get them FIRST! Follow this link to our Discussion Forum.
