i mean he had to go through a lot for the kid AND deal with his daughter. . .
i mean his character is great overall and funny with his sarcasm. . .
but man, the fact that we knew he was gettin' pwned, like, that sucked. . .
even charlie felt bad. . .
"Sic Vis Pacem Parabellum-If You Want Peace, Prepare For War. . ."
yeah i definatly felt bad for him.
All he was doing during the film was being a principal and a father.
He even helped charlie out alot, for example when he found out the overdose kid got the drugs from charlie he didnt sell charlie out to the cops.
As for the scene where he wanted to see what was in the prescription bag that charlie gave to susan he did exactly what any father would do. I know my dad wouldnt want me taking random drugs with my boyfriend.
sheesh
I did a bit
It'd be depressing to have a daughter who hated you, no wife, and an entire school of teens who disliked you.
"..Maybe it was a pimp carpool."-a close friend
i had so much sympathy for him, and next to none for charlie bartlett.
Oh you do arouse the pagan in me!
I felt so bad for his character, lol I justs aw the movie today. But yeah I felt bad for him, his wife cheated and he was an alcoholic and was probably truly depressed. And like you guys mentioned his daughter didn't like him very much, and was the principle at a school where the kids didn't like him very much.
Anyway though. RDJ is a great actor.
I thought it greatly paralleled RDJ's real life. He is one of the most successful actors out there to come from such personal tragedy (drugs, alcohol, addiction) and be so popular again.
shareYeah, I felt bad for him, too. He was the most sensible character in the whole film and yet he was made out to be some villain.
Do I smell the revolting stench of self-esteem?
He wasn't really made out to be a villian.
I loved Robert Downey, Jr's performance in this movie.
It was real sad to see him like this also and i did feel some sympathey.
But he should trust his daughter a little bit more.
The scene where he wanted to know what was in the bag, he should have asked a little bit more politely.
He was drunk and was just yelling at her the time he came out of the house.
But Charlie still shouldnt have punched him.
Before too long you'll only be a memory.
The moment Charlie HIT Principle in front of her Daughter, THE MOVIE LOST it's DEGNITY. I Hated the movie from that scene!
If we stay the course, we are dead! WE ARE ALL DEAD!
A low down situation like that (and the pool) was needed, in order to later be fully redeemed when Charlie got him to the play, where he enjoyed his daughter's performance. I thought the whole story was well told, clever and balanced.
Downey's character was definitely happier teaching - and not stuck being a discontented administrator.
I liked how they showed what a bad influence the superintendent was on him, as though they're making the point that peer pressure isn't just a teen thing. It started strictly in working terms (security cameras are ultimately the superintendent's decision) but extended well beyond that (Charlie punched Gardner off school grounds and outside school time so it was entirely Gardner's call whether to press charges or not).
*Failure is not an option- it's standard equipment on everything we do!*
Initially, I thought he was okay.
But later, when he was drunk, waving the gun around, recklessly shooting in his own home, and terrorizing a 17 year old kid with that, I thought ... what a hole. That was worse and more dangerous than anything Charlie ever did, and he gets a free pass? He doesn't get arrested for that, but Charlie gets arrested for assault after throwing one punch? Charlie could have landed wrong from the fall and died. No apology? Then he starts giving words of wisdom ... he should just screw himself.
From that one act, I've lost any sympathy for Downey's character.
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That's the problem I have, even with these "tongue in cheek" movies like Ferris Buellars Day Off.
Parents are made to look like live versions of Homer Simpson. Inept, self interested, comedically stupid and without understanding.
The children seem to always hold the moral high ground because parents just don't "get them".
Enough. Even for an exaggerated comedy this is shallow and without merit.
Democracy is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance. H.L. Mencken
Nathan Gardner was the name, and yes,I felt bad for him,and during the whole movie I wanted to hug him.The guy needed a bit of love too,and it was like everyone hated him.
You could see the guy was alone and he had no anyone around to give him some peace,love or just hearing his stuff.
The daughter seemed to me too selfish and into her world,she treated Nathan like a stupid puppy which comes to bother,she ignored him practically,and that was cruel.
Considering she had to live with the fact of her mom leaving her and that can becomes you in a different person,but Nathan seemed to me very lovely with her,it is not like her father was a selfish and negative moron..He treated her with care and love but Susan acted like if she was sick of him.Like she was always helping contact with him ,locked in her room and such..
Then Charlie Bartett started to create lots of problems in the high school,Nathan had to deal with students who acted like prisoners in a jail.Too violent,aggresive and discontent,that gives a lot of stress,and what Charlie was doing with the drugs and like he was constantly trying to make a war in the highschool was beyond patience.
Then I saw how Nathan went to that snack bar to drink and he was alone.It broke my heart,because the more things complicated the more he drank and he had not a *beep* person to help him a bit.It was like "do you feel bad,Nate? ok"
.I didn't see he had friends,his ex wife sounded like a b-itch ,his daughter had her own world and then Charlie started a students war in the high school.
I felt better when at the end of the movie it seems Nate feels better.He is teaching History and looks more relaxed and entusiastic about it.Even his clothes are more youthful and modern.It is like he has changed a bit and doesn't look so sad and lost.
Charlie is in good terms with him, and the relationship with the daughter maybe was less cold.
Larry will save my day..
Yeah he sure had a lot of bad things going on for him.When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...
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