"Crazy" people in film/lit whose craziness also serves as a vector of truth?
July 17, 2012 7:50 AM Subscribe
Treasured "crazy" people in film or literature who give crazy a good name? eg McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest? Others? Jesters, oracles, conspiracy theorists who happen to be right?
Mad Margaret in Gilbert and Sullivan's "Ruddigore". Often considered the "strongest woman" in the G&S cannon.
posted by Melismata at 8:01 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Melismata at 8:01 AM on July 17, 2012
Response by poster: Ah! Oddball makes me think of Yossarian. This should be an interesting list...
posted by Hobbacocka at 8:01 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Hobbacocka at 8:01 AM on July 17, 2012
Speaking of Yossarian, I think Orr would be a good (or better!) candidate from Catch-22.
Bart from that episode of the Simpsons where he was on Focusyn and was convinced that Major League Baseball was spying on everyone.
posted by entropone at 8:05 AM on July 17, 2012
Bart from that episode of the Simpsons where he was on Focusyn and was convinced that Major League Baseball was spying on everyone.
posted by entropone at 8:05 AM on July 17, 2012
Jerry Fletcher (Mel Gibson) in "Conspiracy Theory".
You might also look through Mel Gibson's filmography. From "Mad Max" to the Lethal Weapon series, he has played a fair number of not-quite-right-in-the-head characters.
posted by Michele in California at 8:09 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
You might also look through Mel Gibson's filmography. From "Mad Max" to the Lethal Weapon series, he has played a fair number of not-quite-right-in-the-head characters.
posted by Michele in California at 8:09 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
I think Kirsten Dunst's character in Melancholia ought to count.
posted by hermitosis at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by hermitosis at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Doc Brown from Back To The Future is a positive representation of a mad scientist.
posted by XMLicious at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [3 favorites]
Delirium in Sandman, if you'll take comics as literature.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 8:10 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
A little weak, but "Howlin' Mad" Murdock of the A-Team.
The same actor, Dwight Schultz, went on to play the shy and very neurotic (and eventually brilliant) Lt. Reginald Barkley (aka "Broccoli") on the Star Trek franchise, appearing in TNG and Voyager, at least.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:13 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
The same actor, Dwight Schultz, went on to play the shy and very neurotic (and eventually brilliant) Lt. Reginald Barkley (aka "Broccoli") on the Star Trek franchise, appearing in TNG and Voyager, at least.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:13 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
The character played by Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly Last Summer.
posted by BibiRose at 8:14 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by BibiRose at 8:14 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Monk.
posted by bessel functions seem unnecessarily complicated at 8:16 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by bessel functions seem unnecessarily complicated at 8:16 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
There's a (pretty terrible) movie called Crazy People where [spoiler] an ad executive has a breakdown and makes a bunch of "truthful" ads that get him fired and institutionalized. When the ads are accidentally printed and become a huge success he and his fellow inmates are asked to make more, and silliness ensues.
posted by Wretch729 at 8:17 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Wretch729 at 8:17 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
The brand-new show "Perception" is about a neuroscience professor Dr. Daniel Pierce (Eric McCormack, best known as Will from "Will and Grace") who helps the FBI solve unusual crimes where his science is applicable. He's also a high-functioning, apparently untreated schizophrenic who discusses the cases with his hallucinations.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:23 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Sunburnt at 8:23 AM on July 17, 2012
Mary Mcgarry Morris's "A Dangerous Woman." Book and movie (book is unsurprisingly bleaker but I'd recommend it over the movie).
posted by Currer Belfry at 8:24 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Currer Belfry at 8:24 AM on July 17, 2012
Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.
posted by anaelith at 8:27 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by anaelith at 8:27 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet is essentially the classic example of this. Also Pistol in the Henry IV plays, Henry V and Merry Wives.
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:28 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:28 AM on July 17, 2012
Oh, and you could definitely make a case for Hamlet.
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:29 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Pallas Athena at 8:29 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
The stoner character in The Cabin in the Woods. He's the only one who has any insight about their predicament.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:30 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 8:30 AM on July 17, 2012
Jack Sparrow from the various Pirates of the Caribbean films might qualify.
posted by Rallon at 8:39 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Rallon at 8:39 AM on July 17, 2012
Johnny Depp in Don Juan DeMarco: A psychiatrist (Marlon Brando) must cure a young patient (Johnny Depp) that presents himself as Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world.
posted by Room 641-A at 8:41 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Room 641-A at 8:41 AM on July 17, 2012
Possibly James Cole in 12 Monkeys -- sane but perceived as crazy.
posted by salvia at 8:50 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by salvia at 8:50 AM on July 17, 2012
Isn't Don Quixote the classic model for them all?
posted by Marauding Ennui at 8:55 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Marauding Ennui at 8:55 AM on July 17, 2012
Elwood P. Dowd
posted by Leon at 8:56 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Leon at 8:56 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Isn't Don Quixote the classic model for them all?
Yup.
posted by Hobbacocka at 8:58 AM on July 17, 2012
Yup.
posted by Hobbacocka at 8:58 AM on July 17, 2012
Forrest Gump is a good example of the "wise fool" archetype.
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:02 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by cosmicbandito at 9:02 AM on July 17, 2012
The History Monks, whom the other inhabitants of Terry Pratchett's Discworld often dismiss as 'that lot of chanting and dancing crazy robed guys'. "Thief of Time" is a particularly good novel on the secret machinations of history and the group of men who make sure that what happens stays happened.
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:05 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by MonkeyToes at 9:05 AM on July 17, 2012
Ever see the movie "They Might Be Giants"? I think the character played by George C. Scott fits your bill.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:23 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:23 AM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
The old man patient in "The Andromeda Strain", and the Drunk Patient in "THEM!". Both seemed the fool, but both knew, or had the clues that led to the truth.
posted by Gungho at 9:33 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Gungho at 9:33 AM on July 17, 2012
Robin Williams in "The Fisher King."
posted by thebrokedown at 9:49 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by thebrokedown at 9:49 AM on July 17, 2012
Walter Bishop in Fringe.
posted by Chenko at 9:51 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Chenko at 9:51 AM on July 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser might be interesting to you. Herzog movie based on the true case of a "feral child"--raised in a basement with virtually no outside contact until the age of 17.
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:13 AM on July 17, 2012
posted by Kafkaesque at 10:13 AM on July 17, 2012
I'd say that both Mame Dennis from Auntie Mame and Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's fall under this label. Though most would call them "eccentric" rather than "crazy", today they'd classify as some kind of mental.
Also both Sam and Joon from Benny and Joon are portrayed as adorable and crazy.
As mentioned above - Murdock from the A-team, but he's more lovable in the new movie than he was in the 80's series IMO.
posted by patheral at 10:16 AM on July 17, 2012
Also both Sam and Joon from Benny and Joon are portrayed as adorable and crazy.
As mentioned above - Murdock from the A-team, but he's more lovable in the new movie than he was in the 80's series IMO.
posted by patheral at 10:16 AM on July 17, 2012
TVTropes: Cloudcuckoolander (for some varieties of "crazy")
Also, Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:12 AM on July 17, 2012
Also, Elwood P. Dowd in Harvey.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 11:12 AM on July 17, 2012
Nuts Claudia Draper.
or in a documentary:
Dr. Bronner.
posted by CodeMonkey at 11:40 AM on July 17, 2012
or in a documentary:
Dr. Bronner.
posted by CodeMonkey at 11:40 AM on July 17, 2012
Had you asked for real-life examples, I might have mentioned Joshua Norton — the first and only Emperor of the United States — but since you asked about film and literature, I will only note that a somewhat fictionalized version of Norton's story appears in an issue of Sandman. The aforementioned Delirium says of Norton, "He should belong to me, but he doesn't. His madness... his madness keeps him sane."
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:01 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:01 PM on July 17, 2012
I'd like to point out that McMurphy isn't insane or crazy or anything like that in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He's faking to get out of hard labor in jail.
It's only after challenging Nurse Ratched and bad things happen do they give him shock treatment and then a lobotomy.
So...not crazy.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:12 PM on July 17, 2012
It's only after challenging Nurse Ratched and bad things happen do they give him shock treatment and then a lobotomy.
So...not crazy.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:12 PM on July 17, 2012
Parry (played by Robin Williams) in The Fisher King counts.
posted by suetanvil at 1:22 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by suetanvil at 1:22 PM on July 17, 2012
Detective Goren of Law & Order CI.
Sherlock Holmes.
posted by thirdletter at 5:37 PM on July 17, 2012
Sherlock Holmes.
posted by thirdletter at 5:37 PM on July 17, 2012
Maybe you'll find some good candidates among this list of Cassandra Truth-tellers?
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:42 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:42 PM on July 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Most of the characters in It's Kind of a Funny Story fit your description. They aren't all "crazy" - some are just struggling with life.
posted by kbar1 at 8:04 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by kbar1 at 8:04 PM on July 17, 2012
Miller (played by Tracey Walter) in Repo Man
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:56 PM on July 17, 2012
posted by a humble nudibranch at 10:56 PM on July 17, 2012
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posted by vacapinta at 7:55 AM on July 17, 2012