Do you mean do I feel sympathy more for one over the other? If so, that's a tough question. I feel for Joe because he's so fucked up, but I have sympathy for Billy too. Hmmm...
This is such a tough question. Do I find one of the guys markedly more sympthetic than the other? No, BUT -- I always lean towards Billy. I get his motivations to not want to flounder around in dive bars, etc. I do understand Joe as well, but if push comes to shove I lean toward Billy.
In HCR, Baker talks about how the story might differ if HCL were a girl band. He said something about how women in their mid-30s might not be as inclined to to roam Canada in a busted up old milk truck and would be ready to move on to the next stage. I can see that -- as a woman in her 30s, I identify with Billy's desire to move on and how the dive bar days could get old. Joe's need to keep the status quo, and the way he literally pisses away his chances at success -- these traits make me sympathize with him, but at the same time I wouldn't fault someone for wanting (or probably more accurately, needing) to leave him behind.
having read the book first, i find joe so much more sad.
all this hcl discussion is interesting because i just found out a friend loves the book, but had no idea it was a movie. and we have such different perspectives on the characters.
if only for comparison purposes, you should check it out. it's been a while, so i don't remember all that is in it, but it's the ending that sticks in your head. the ending is *so* different. which is a big part about why the end of the movie -- especially on first view -- was such a blow.
Wow! Slightly more people have sympathy for Billy, when Joe is obviously a big WOOBIE!!! (or maybe I've watched too many vids, and should watch the movie again.)
Billy, but it's really close. If Joe had decided to not kill himself and live without HCL, I would pick him, but Billy gets my vote for having to live with what Joe has done.
It really depends, for me, on my mood at the time. The first time I watched the movie I was all about Billy (CKR, how are YOU so awesome?); after THE ENDING, I immediately watched it again for Joe. Now I go back and forth, so - no.
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This is such a tough question. Do I find one of the guys markedly more sympthetic than the other? No, BUT -- I always lean towards Billy. I get his motivations to not want to flounder around in dive bars, etc. I do understand Joe as well, but if push comes to shove I lean toward Billy.
But it's not marked at all.
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all this hcl discussion is interesting because i just found out a friend loves the book, but had no idea it was a movie. and we have such different perspectives on the characters.
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