Peaceful main character movie or prose suggestion request

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Magna
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03 Jan 2019, 4:05 pm

Does anyone remember the TV show: Kung Fu starring David Carradine?

I loved the show as a kid and have streamed some of the show recently. It's a bit dated in the same way that Little House on the Prairie is, but some of the plots are still good.

His character on that show, Kwai Chang Caine resonated with me as a boy and teenager because I bore many similarities to the character (except that I was not adept at martial arts):

- Both the character and I led a solitary and peaceful life being one with nature.
- Both the character and I were happy living life as a loner.
- Both the character and I were tranquil and kind.
- Both the character and I believed that happiness was not contingent upon being accepted in a community of peers.

- Both the character and I did not look for trouble, however.....trouble (ie bullies) was drawn to us.

Unlike the character, who did not look for trouble but when threatened by it as an innocent person, solidly gave the perpetrators their comeuppance, I was most often defenseless.

Does anyone know of any other characters of film, TV or prose that fit the same type of traits that Kwai Chang Caine had?

I can think of loner characters like Jeremiah Johnson (Robert Redford), but I can't think of any others.



TW1ZTY
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03 Jan 2019, 5:33 pm

I like a lot of movies where the main characters are good people and are not looking for trouble.

Like in The Green Mile. John Coffey was a mysterious death row inmate who looked large and dangerous but was very gentle and had a child-like mentality. He also had supernatural powers and could heal the sick and dying but also punish people who did evil by touching them. The prison guard played by Tom Hanks who befriended John and his guard buddies were also very nice. They did their jobs as expected looking after the death row inmates and were nice to the ones who caused no trouble but gave proper punishments to the ones who acted out of line like Wild Bill. The only guard who was abusive and cruel was Percy and the other guards gave him a proper punshment in the end for the very cruel thing he did to one of the prisoners as he was being executed.



traven
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04 Jan 2019, 4:53 am

La vita è bella (film 1997)
Life Is Beautiful (Italian: La vita è bella Italian pronunciation: [la ˈviːta ˌɛ bˈbɛlla]) is a 1997 Italian comedy-drama film directed by and starring Roberto Benigni, who co-wrote the film with Vincenzo Cerami. Benigni plays Guido Orefice, a Jewish Italian bookshop owner, who employs his fertile imagination to shield his son from the horrors of internment in a Nazi concentration camp.



kraftiekortie
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04 Jan 2019, 5:37 pm

Grizzly Adams?

I'm even thinking of the Lone Ranger....



HighLlama
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04 Jan 2019, 7:42 pm

Boyd from the 1999 film Ravenous is like this. He's sort of a closet pacifist. PTSD from war makes him more peaceful, but when he encounters a wendigo in the old west he defends himself as necessary. He doesn't get to live alone, but he's very much alone--he disagrees with the group. Brilliant film.



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04 Jan 2019, 7:52 pm

Also you should see Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. He plays a man with a low IQ and a simple yet practical view on the world. He gets to experience some interesting things in history like the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement and as a character he's very non-judging and friendly (though awkward) to everybody. The sad part about the movie is he lives a very good life but tragedy seems to befall everyone close to him like his friends Lt. Dan, Bubba, and Jenny. What happens to those characters is just so depressing...



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04 Jan 2019, 7:55 pm

"The Incredible Hulk", starring Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby.

Very similar in formula to "Kung Fu".

A man wanders into town, gets a job, and meets people. At least one of the people is being victimized in some way. Soon, the man is being victimized, too. After a few rough encounters, the man suddenly becomes a fierce fighter who devastates and/or chases off the bad guys. The people are grateful, but the man can't stay because his presence could put the people's lives in even greater danger. Cue the sad, sappy closing theme music as the man wanders away.



Magna
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04 Jan 2019, 8:07 pm

Fnord wrote:
"The Incredible Hulk", starring Lou Ferrigno and Bill Bixby.

Very similar in formula to "Kung Fu".

A man wanders into town, gets a job, and meets people. At least one of the people is being victimized in some way. Soon, the man is being victimized, too. After a few rough encounters, the man suddenly becomes a fierce fighter who devastates and/or chases off the bad guys. The people are grateful, but the man can't stay because his presence could put the people's lives in even greater danger. Cue the sad, sappy closing theme music as the man wanders away.


I liked that show as a kid.



kraftiekortie
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04 Jan 2019, 8:44 pm

Yep. That guy in "Life is Beautiful." Yep.



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04 Jan 2019, 8:47 pm

The Hulk is a pretty violent superhero...