Introverts and Movies

I just finished reading Susan Cain’s book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (you have probably seen her TED talk.)

It was less of the self help manual for introverts that I expected and more of a plea to all people to understand that the person who talks the loudest does not always have the best ideas, and introverts shouldn't be pressured to fit into the "extrovert ideal." They contribute unique input and skills just the way they are.

I started wondering: are there certain jobs in the movie business that attract more introverts than other areas? Writing, editing?

Who are some great introverted characters from movies?

The first two that came to mind were Amelie (Amelie) and Andy Dufresne (Shawshank Redemption). They're not your typical heroes. They're quiet and hard to peg, but also sneaky and brilliant in their own ways.

Some of the qualities Susan Cain talks about in regards to introversion are tenacity and focus. These qualities can empower shy, gentle people (Gandhi, Rosa Parks) to oppose great foes. 

You can definitely see that tenacity in Andy Dufresne's character. Part of Shawshank Redemption is taken up by Andy's crusade to get better books for Shawshank Prison's small library. After he gets books, he acquires money to renovate and expand the library. Then he adds a music library, and he gets resources to start a GED program. And on and on. He single-handedly creates this amazing place for his prisonmates to go and stimulate their minds, something no one previously thought possible. Which leads to one of my favorite movie quotes of all time (Morgan Freeman's character speaking): 

"Prison time is slow time, so you do what you can to keep going. Some fellas collect stamps. Others build matchstick houses. Andy built a library." 

Andy finds his greatest foe in Shawshank Prison's Warden Norton. Norton is a cruel and merciless man who loves to hear himself preach. He uses and abuses Andy, but Andy has the last word when he gets revenge in the most fantastic way possible. And it's fantastic because it was a trap he had laid over the course of many years and no one saw it coming. Then you start thinking back over things he said and did throughout the movie that now make more sense. He was always a man with a plan. 

Tenacity and focus.

I've already got a running list of great supporting characters in movies, but now I'm going to start a list of great introverted characters as well. I think people are inspired by the way introverted characters solve unusual problems, because isn't that how we view life sometimes? A series of problems to solve? It takes a lot of creativity to make it through. Sometimes the quietest people have the best ideas for what to do. Active imaginations can do wonders.

Quiet is an interesting book and I recommend reading it. It's got some great food for thought. If you read it too, I'd love to know what you thought. And let me know if you can think of any memorable introverted characters I can add to my list.