Need help finding a film with a specific kind of character

In the last year of Norwegian class, everyone has to write a fairly long essay or do a presentation on something, usually something related to the Norwegian subject or literature in general. I've chosen to write about two Norwegian books that both center around a character who is an outsider. They're both quite awkward around people and try to stay away from humans as much as humanly possible.

But I wanted to talk about a film as well, since I'll be doing a presentation instead of writing an essay. The presentations last around half an hour and I thought it would make it more fun and interesting if I could talk about and show some clips from a film.

So my question is: Do you guys have any films where the main character is an "outsider"? Someone who has trouble integrating into normal society because of his social capabilities. I'm having a little trouble finding these kinds of films, since Google always comes up with Coppola's The Outsiders.

Let the right one in

Great movie, fits your criteria.

Maybe Dahlmer I haven't seen it but I read a bit of a book about him and the guy had an extremely f'd up loner life even before he did what he did, if they hit on that in the movie it may fit into your thing.

Mr. Bean, lol.

Jason Reitmans Young Adult has a pretty interesting take on this concept.

@Kidavenger: Great suggestions, but I don't think they'd go so well with the two books that I've chosen. They seem a bit too dark, if you know what I mean. I'd also prefer films without any kind of supernatural stuff like vampires.

May.

Can you do documentaries?

EDIT:

American Movie

The Graduate

Adaptation.

Blade Runner (Deckard anyways)

The Devil and Daniel Johnston

Harold and Maude

Punch Drunk Love

There Will Be Blood

The Master

Half Nelson

Lars and the Real Girl

Into the Wild (loner by choice)

The Station Agent

Lost in Translation

Man with No Name trilogy (more subtext than text, though)

Ghost World

The Man Who Wasn't There (lots of Coen movies play with this, too)

Rushmore (or almost any Wes Anderson film. He loves this type.)

Umberto D.

Ikiru (maybe? certain melancholy and trying to find peace with one's place)

Memento (well, he has a condition...)

@Mushir said:

So my question is: Do you guys have any films where the main character is an "outsider"? Someone who has trouble integrating into normal society because of his social capabilities. I'm having a little trouble finding these kinds of films, since Google always comes up with Coppola's The Outsiders.

Rebel without a cause.

Rambo First Blood
Taxi Driver

I haven't personally seen it, but there's a movie on Netflix instant I remember reading the description for called Ben X and it sounds like it could possibly fit your description. Not sure though. There's also Boy Wonder which I thought was a pretty good film and the dude is an outsider but I guess not really because of social capabilities. Maybe that Grizzly Man documentary? That dude is outsider-ish as outsiders get, but probably not what you're looking for.

Lots of high school movies have protagonists who are social outsiders. Brick is a fun one, because it's Joseph Gordon Levitt in a noir plotline that takes place in a high school. He's real mean, hates just about everybody, and he's whip-crack smart. There's a mystery! It's a cool movie, inspired by the old noir films of yonder days.

Micmacs is a fantastical French movie centered around a group of misfits with special abilities who live in a trash heap. They all band together to take revenge on two weapons manufacturing companies for the indirect tragedies that they've inflicted. The main character gets shot in the head at the beginning of the movie, loses his job, and becomes homeless. He's pretty off-key. The whole movie is pretty off-key, actually, but it's pretty funny. I dunno how applicable it might be, though, it's real out there.

Oldboy is a Korean movie about a drunk father who gets mysteriously abducted and is kept captive for 15 years in a single room before being released, and he's given a chance to take revenge. He's practically completely insane (and very dangerous) by the end and has trouble functioning like a human being since he hasn't seen one in 15 years (and there's a few scenes that demonstrate this very clearly). It's real fucked up.

These are some of the first ones that popped into my head. I'm trying to think of more popular ones but I'm having trouble. Ah well. Maybe you can put together a sizzle reel. Hope this helps.

The Terminator, both Kyle Reese and the Terminator are outsiders interacting with the world

Terri

Napoleon Dynamite

Cyrus

This one is probably the best one Good Dick

Joe Dirt

A Clockwork Orange

The Other Guys

Eight Crazy Nights

Planet of the Apes

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Your welcome. :)

Edit: Also the Hulk. Cartoons, movies, comics, they're all good visuals you could use.

@Sploder said:

Rambo First Blood Taxi Driver

Oh man, Taxi Driver is great! Could go for that one.

@TheFreeMan said:

Lots of high school movies have protagonists who are social outsiders. Brick is a fun one, because it's Joseph Gordon Levitt in a noir plotline that takes place in a high school. He's real mean, hates just about everybody, and he's whip-crack smart. There's a mystery! It's a cool movie, inspired by the old noir films of yonder days.

I've always wanted to see Brick. Heard a lot of positive things about it! I'll check it out!

@Kidavenger said:

Terri

Napoleon Dynamite

Cyrus

Haha, Napoleon Dynamite could be a fun choice. I'm gonna have to think about it.

RAINMAN, BROOO!

Is one of your books Hunger? There's a great movie from the 60s based on it.

You might want to look into some Asian cinema. Most anime follows exactly that premise, so I'm sure there are some movies that do too.

Elling is the only one I can think of. Turns out it's a Norwegian film too.

@TheHumanDove said:

RAINMAN, BROOO!

Another great one. Gonna need to rewatch that one.

@oraknabo said:

Is one of your books Hunger? There's a great movie from the 60s based on it.

That's one of the books I was thinking about writing about. I chose not to cause I've heard that a lot of people write about it. I've read the book though and it's really good.

@IzzyGraze said:

You might want to look into some Asian cinema. Most anime follows exactly that premise, so I'm sure there are some movies that do too.

Elling is the only one I can think of. Turns out it's a Norwegian film too.

I think I should limit it to Scandinavian and American cinema. I'm already bending the rules a bit by choosing to talk about a English film. My teacher said it's alright aslong as I talk some Norwegian literature as well.

I'm actually talking about the book that Elling is based on! Nice to hear that someone on here has seen the film!

Some suggestions that might possibly fit what you're looking for, that I can think of... Drive is underlined and bold. Because yeah. Drive.

• Drive?
• Shame?
• The Machinist?
• Trollhunter?
• Martha Marcy May Marlene?
• Surely some David Lynch movie of some sort would have a character that fits. Mulholland Drive, or Eraserhead or something else possibly?

Are any of these even close to what you're looking for? I could probably find others.

@pyromagnestir: Drive fits quite well. I'm curious about The Trollhunter though. I haven't seen it, but does it have any socially awkward or especially introvert characters? If so, then I'll consider it, since it's Norwegian as well which is a nice bonus.

@pyromagnestir: While Lynch's films deal with the subject a lot, he seems to be more interested in how they exist in relation to societal expectations rather then their own social skills (Henry in Eraserhead is distraught over being a father, Betty & Rita are sociable people destroyed by Hollywood). With his stuff, it seems less that a single individual is an outsider, and more that everyone is an outsider taking part in the insanity of "society" which I suppose could fit with the OP's topic, but he should just be aware that there are specific ills with which his characters wrestle.

Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? They are books, and movies! Also, Scandinavian.

Ghost World. Teen-ish kind of movie but has some deep thoughtful aspects. Good comedy and good music too.

Also, Scarlett Johansson. That's always a plus right?

@Mushir: the titular trollhunter is a very introverted character who tries his best to avoid others. Although he doesn't seem overly socially awkward, if I recall. Might not be the best movie to find the sorts of examples you're looking for. But it's worth a look I suppose.

@pyromagnestir said:

Some suggestions that might possibly fit what you're looking for, that I can think of... Drive is underlined and bold. Because yeah. Drive.

• Drive?
• Shame?
• The Machinist?
• Trollhunter?
• Martha Marcy May Marlene?
• Surely some David Lynch movie of some sort would have a character that fits. Mulholland Drive, or Eraserhead or something else possibly?

Are any of these even close to what you're looking for? I could probably find others.

Drive. Definitely Drive.

Instantly thought of Twilight. Which is sad but man is that girl awkward.

Also I agree with Drive being pretty great one.

Try Troll Hunter. I think it's on Netflix Instant and it's Norwegian. The main character hunts trolls but most don't believe trolls exist. And if it doesn't work for your assignment it's still fucking great.