(Spoiler Alert if you have not seen, or plan to see The Road, The Matrix, Book of Eli, Waterworld, I Am Legend, or V for Vendetta)

 

Recently I was flipping through Showtime looking for a great movie to watch while writing a chapter for my novel.  A movie I heard about from friends and family (but never watched) was playing so I decided to give it a try, because of course, it was a Saturday and none of my regular favorites were on.  Needless to say, I wish I never saw the movie.  I was so consumed in the story and trapped by its underdog theme that I could not tear my eyes away from the screen.  Big mistake.


I am very particular about the types of movies I watch.  I am usually drawn to action/adventures, horror, select dramas, and movies that center around the paranormal (ghosts, vamps, werewolves, demons, angels, etc).  When I started watching this movie I thought it was going to be a life changing journey for a father and his son that would end with them both living happily ever after in some new undiscovered safe location.  Wrong.  There was no happy ending (that I saw) for either of them.  Yeah the boy gets to live with a new family, but the father dies and the son is left at a young age with a skewed view of life.  How depressing is that?

I realize that Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian themes are nothing new in the movie world; the same can be said for books as well.  However, my problem is I can’t find a story with a true happy ending for the main character.  Maybe the main characters are not supposed to live because they have somehow ushered in a new beginning for the secondary characters or an entire society?  I get it and that’s cool, but at the same time I would really like to see a movie where the MC can live happily ever after too!  Is that even possible to accomplish?  Would the Matrix have been shown just as much love by its followers if Neo lived?  Would you have liked it if Neo lived?  Well now that I’ve given you something to ponder, let me know how you feel.  Can a book/movie be just as powerful and dramatic if the MC lives?  Will the message be accepted if there is a happy ending?

 

Here are a few of the movies I like where the MC does not get a happily ever after:

 

 

The Road – I love the theme of this movie and how the world is portrayed throughout the film.  But after their struggles, a boy and his father could not live happily ever after? Really??

 

 

 

 

The Book of Eli – One of the most well written and compelling movies I have ever watched.  The fact that he was blind, which I figured out mid-way through, made the story.  I wish he could have lived to see the good that he brought into the world.

 

 

The Matrix – One of my favorite sci-fi movies of all time.  I was very disappointed when Neo died; I think he deserved to live.  Doesn’t being “The One” give you the right to live throughout the entire series?

 

 

I am Legend – The title alone should have let me know there was no happy ending for the MC.  Dr. Neville was very depressing to watch and killing his dog was just the icing on the cake.  Sad, but a fascinating story.

 

 

Waterworld – I know the MC did not die in this movie, but still he chose not to say on dry land and live with everyone else.  It makes me wonder, what was the point??

 

 

 

V for Vendetta – A victim turned vigilante with a powerful message who still dies. Gurrrr.

 

 

 

© 2011, Diayll – MotherGamerWriter. All rights reserved.

Diayll – MotherGamerWriter

Names Diayll, I am a 30 year old country girl, living and enjoying life. I run a blog, mothergamerwriter.com and I am working on completing my first novel. You can find me representing the Xbox and anything else game related on Twitter at MomGamerWriter. But don’t take my word for it, check me out!



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  • http://botchweed.com Gamer Chat

    Totally agreed, nice post.

  • http://www.connotea.org/article/20d3721214a156e548a1089f85b94536 Cira Garon

    Valuable info. Lucky me I found your site by accident, I bookmarked it.

  • MotherGamerWriter

    Oh I like the concept! How did I miss this??

    • Steve

      A lot of people did. I have yet to actually run into anybody else that played it lol.

  • MotherGamerWriter

    Well, while I have not seen this MMO, you have peaked my interests. Even if Neo is not dead, the fact remains that he did not get his happily ever after. His girlfriend died and he’s stuck with the machines. I mean couldn’t he catch a break?

    Oh and I do not want to hear about my favorite character dying…not cool

    • Steve

      The game could have been great. It had what they called a Live Event Team which was the developers taking control of the main characters in the game and actually speaking to the players and acting out the story.

      I think they shut it down a few years ago. even though the graphics are dated watch the trailer. Shows what it was like.

  • Steve

    Just read your blog about movies. You have some of my favorites on there. One thing though. Neo is NOT dead. The Wachowski Brothers wrote the script for the shortly lived MMO The Matrix Online. What I remember about the story was that Morpheus and the others were trying to get his body back from the machines which the machines refused to do. Which led to the uncertainty that Neo was dead. The game didn’t last long enough to get the answers I wanted but I do remember Morpheus being killed. :-(