Christine [1983]
Arnie Cunningham [Keith Gordon]
From the moment she called to Arnie Cunningham there was this unseen connection between Christine and Arnie. Finally, after years of doing the "right thing" or what was expected of him, this was the one thing he can call his own. He earned it and got to enjoy the fruit of his struggle to bring her back to life. Christine thanked him for it. Unfortunately for the once mild mannered Arnie, she has a temper fueled with sass! The world around him sees this change out of nowhere unearth from Arnie. This rebellious, hostile, and edgy Arnie is slowly surfacing almost suddenly as Christine takes center stage in his mind and soul. He's got a cool ride and the girl all the fella's at the school want. She chooses him. She sees the other Arnie buried under this rough surface. Perhaps, it's the same one that Will the junkyard owner sees. 🤔 The one he sees under the surface he calls out on and tries to put him in his place. Maybe he saw something we didn't see at first? 🤔 Arnie transforms and calls on this connection between Christine and him. But who really pulls the strings? I guess that's for you to interpret. In this story, there are no real heroes. At least that's what Dennis says as the film draws to a close, "A real hero would have saved Arnie."
Arnie Cunningham is one of those memorable characters for me. From the moment we are first introduced to him till his final shot. The world constantly expects so much from him. The good grades, the courtesy, and the almost yes behavior time and time again. Perhaps, we were wrong about our mild mannered Arnie. Maybe that persona that was pulled from underneath when Christine pulls into his life is the one that has been there all along. This person inside him tired of always doing what's expected and never showing anything from it. Everything that's expected of him, he did. Maybe he never really wanted to in the first place. This freedom unearths from him. This rebellious edge that wasn't expected of him steps forward and is sitting in the driver's seat. He's tired. Tired of always being picked on and never having the right way to handle the situation. There's something I see in Arnie that is so human. It's broken and yet there's this unseen fight for power. The Arnie we knew between the Arnie in control.
Arnie is one of those few characters that still years later I silently root for. I don't know why. I just do.
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