Randall really is...

[Brown Eyes]

Timmy isn't just a step down, he's the whole staircase down -- he's intended to be so ludicrously unattractive he's not even fun to work with, let alone share a tent with.

LOL!!   

Does anyone else find it hilarious that, in addition to everything else, that man is named "Timmy" anyway?  How do we know he's named Timmy?  Or is this a BetterMost  joke?  I'm ashamed to admit I've never watched the BBM credits all the way through or very carefully.

I was too busy disliking Jimbo to notice whether his body was hunky or not. But I think he's supposed to look somewhat like Ennis from across a bar (white hat, light-colored shirt) and not at alll like Ennis up close. I don't think he's supposed to be hot. His appearance helps suggest that Jack would be "settling" -- and in fact, didn't even get the opportunity to settle (illustrating the frustrations of being gay and single in his millieu and helping explain why he went for Lureen)!

Very excellent points.  Jimbo is just freaky looking to me... yes he is a bit too shiny and his hat is too white.  I can't imagine how frustrating it would be to be gay and single in Jack's environment... I'm glad the Jimbo scene is there to illustrate this issue.  And, I think it's true that both Jimbo and Randall are meant to be "Ennis-substitutes"... and rather disappointing substitutes.  Isn't this what we think Jack means when he says "I miss you so much I can hardly stand it." ?  As viewers we can read between Jack's lines here to hear him complaining that Randall isn't very satisfying to him (and that he certainly hasn't stopped loving Ennis even though he's now been seeing Randall for quite a long time... I know the question of how long is a bit of a matter of debate).  Jack has explored Ennis-alternatives and Ennis-substitutes and none are any good (Mexico is the worst of all because it's humiliating... the Jimbo-type rejections are also probably pretty humiliating)... and he's dealing with the frustration of the separations from Ennis on top of all of this.  I think all of these disappointments lead to Jack's stressed/ washed-out appearance/ demeanor by the end of the film.

[MaineWriter]

(listen to me, rhapsodizing like this over FICTIONAL characters!),

Scott

Please, never apologize or even question rhapsodizing over fictional characters...isn't this what we have all been doing for months? For me, since Dec 27th to be exact...

L

[Jeff Wrangler]

LOL!!   

Does anyone else find it hilarious that, in addition to everything else, that man is named "Timmy" anyway?  How do we know he's named Timmy?  Or is this a BetterMost  joke?  I'm ashamed to admit I've never watched the BBM credits all the way through or very carefully.

Check the credits in the film or in Story to Screenplay. The character is named Timmy. And I'm not jokin'. 

[Brown Eyes]

Check the credits in the film or in Story to Screenplay. The character is named Timmy. And I'm not jokin'. 

Very timely advice Jeff!  I'm excitedly awaiting my copy of that book from Amazon any day now.
Yeehaw!

[Jeff Wrangler]

Very timely advice Jeff!  I'm excitedly awaiting my copy of that book from Amazon any day now.
Yeehaw!

You mean you don't have a copy yet? I'm shocked! No Brokie home should be without it. I guarantee you will find it invaluable, even where you know it departs from what we see on the screen (ref. my oft-repeated comment that my favorite Ennis line, "Jack fuckin' Twist," uttered on the apartment landing as he looks down at Jack in the parking lot, is not in the published screenplay).

[Ellemeno]

I have noticed over the last few months, that the men here say Randall is HOT, and the women say he is NOT.

Also, I know this is unpopular, but I'm sayin' it anyway, I think Jimbo is just fine looking, and I even kind of like him as a person.  I haven't figured out why he is so disliked.  My take on him is that he IS gay, desperate to stay closeted, and is afraid of how Jack is flirting with him right in front of the bartender.  His entire performance is based on trying to avoid the tire iron.  And he stays courteous to Jack, but does overtly divorce himself from him and his out ways in front of the bartender, just for survival.

[MaineWriter]

I have noticed over the last few months, that the men here say Randall is HOT, and the women say he is NOT.

Also, I know this is unpopular, but I'm sayin' it anyway, I think Jimbo is just fine looking, and I even kind of like him as a person.  I haven't figured out why he is so disliked.  My take on him is that he IS gay, desperate to stay closeted, and is afraid of how Jack is flirting with him right in front of the bartender.  His entire performance is based on trying to avoid the tire iron.  And he stays courteous to Jack, but does overtly divorce himself from him and his out ways in front of the bartender, just for survival.

Interesting, Elle, and I actually think this is very plausible and may be the case. I think the reason that is that afterwards, when he goes over the to pool table, he says something that gets the other guys to look at Jack in that mean way, and that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth about the guy.

L

[David]

Randall Hot?     NO  F'ING WAY!

Handsome if you like guys in beards, I'll grant you that much.   But I don't like guys with full thick beards.   Now a neatly trimmed Goatee or light face fuzz like Jake and Heath sometimes wear, that is OK.    But I prefer em clean and smooth.    No pornstaches either!   Ugh.

[Jeff Wrangler]

Interesting thoughts, Clarissa, about Jimbo. I need to study on that some more. My initial knee-jerk reaction was No, Jimbo is not gay, but then came the thought that something must have made Jack think Jimbo might have been receptive. Nowadays we'd call that gaydar, and presumably Jack's isn't very well developed.

On the other hand, perhaps that something was merely the white hat and the shirt at some level triggering a memory of Ennis--obviously the actor was costumed the way he was in the bar for a reason; he might just as easily been put in a dark shirt and dark hat.

Personally I don't consider Randall hot. Handsome in that full-bearded kind of way, to be sure, and I wouldn't say No to a short, meaningful relationship, but not hot.

Again on the other hand, everyone has his or her own idea of hot, and over the years I've slowly come to realize that for me, hot is connected with dark hair. So--being fully aware that I am about to set myself up for crucifixion  --I'll fess up to the implication of that last statement that for me, Heath is handsome and attractive, but Jake is HOT!

[MaineWriter]

Again on the other hand, everyone has his or her own idea of hot, and over the years I've slowly come to realize that for me, hot is connected with dark hair. So--being fully aware that I am about to set myself up for crucifixion  --I'll fess up to the implication of that last statement that for me, Heath is handsome and attractive, but Jake is HOT!

Jeff Wrangler, you just dance on over to the Heath Heath Heath thread, scroll through those hundreds of images and try to tell me that Heath Ledger is not the epitome of hotness? I don't think it can humanly be done.

L