Mistreated Characters That Were Right About Everything

Just because someone comes off as a jerk doesn’t mean they actually are one. It’s easy for moviegoers to misconstrue someone’s good intentions. Though to be fair, some of these people could stand to lighten up a little bit. I get where they’re coming from, but that doesn’t excuse them to act rudely.

Here are twelve characters that were treated like jerks but right about everything.

1. ARIEL’S FATHER – THE LITTLE MERMAID

All Ariel’s dad did was warn her about the danger of leaving the sea – that’s it! That sounds like good, old-fashioned, fatherly advice to me. Many people believe that Ariel’s dad didn’t deserve to be painted as the bad guy – he was looking after his little girl and wanted her to be safe. Is that a crime?

2. MIRANDA HILLARD – MRS. DOUBTFIRE

The plot of Mrs. Doubtfire is still relevant today after all these years. However, when you think critically about the film, you realize Robin Williams was the bad guy in the film – not his wife!

While come comes off as cold and boring, sometimes that’s what you need to be as a parent. Stability and providing for your family is more important than being fun.

3. IAN MALCOLM – JURASSIC PARK

Sure, Jeff Goldblum’s iconic character rubs many people the wrong way with his abrasive personality throughout Jurassic Park, but let’s not forget that Ian Malcolm was right about everything! In many people’s minds, Ian Malcolm is the movie’s true hero.

4. BUDDY’S FATHER – ELF

Think about it: If you were in Buddy’s father’s shoes and someone like Buddy came from seemingly out of nowhere, you’d be slightly abrasive initially, wouldn’t you? Buddy’s personality and charisma are off-putting at best and straight-up bizarre at worst. I can’t blame his father for being defensive throughout the movie.

5. JAKE HOUSEMAN – DIRTY DANCING

Much like Ariel’s father in The Little Mermaid, the father from Dirty Dancing gets a bad rap and is universally seen as a jerk. He doesn’t want his teenage daughter dating someoen who looks like they could be 40. That’s not so bad, right?

6. WALTER PECK – GHOSTBUSTERS

Despite his questionable attitude towards the heroes, the character of Walter Peck was the voice of reason throughout Ghostbusters! They were reckless with a borderline psychopathic disregard for human life; they could have destroyed Manhattan.

7. TODD AND MARGO – NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION

I think the entire world agrees with me when I say it would be an absolute nightmare having Clark Griswold as a neighbor. I can’t even imagine the mental torture I’d go through. So let’s let Todd and Margo off the hook; they reacted like ordinary neighbors!

8. JERRY – LIAR LIAR

The character of Jerry exists as a foil to Jim Carrey’s lead character, but he’s a nice guy who gets steamrolled by Carrey’s character by the end of the movie! There’s nothing wrong with him; he’s just a goofy dad-type.

9. ED ROONEY – FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF

I’ll say this until I die: Ferris Bueller was the villain of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. His principal, Ed Rooney, may have gone to extreme lengths to catch Ferris fibbing about being sick, but all he’s guilty of is wanting Ferris to attend class and get a quality education. Ferris is the jerk, not Ed!

10. THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST – THE WIZARD OF OZ

She just wanted her sister’s shoes back from the girl who killed her. If your entire life’s goal is to simply find your dead sister’s shoes, are you the jerk? I think not.

11. MITCH – PATCH ADAMS

We see Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Mitch as the “rival” to Robin Williams’ Patch Adams during their time in medical school. Since Patch is the protagonist, it’s easy to see Mitch as a villain.

In reality, Mitch sees a classmate slacking, goofing off, not taking his studies seriously, and even stealing supplies from a hospital. Who wouldn’t be a little angry at Patch?

12. WALTER – THE BIG LEBOWSKI

Walter was right about literally everything. This isn’t ‘Nam, so he can afford to tone it down a notch or two, but he was indeed right about how Bunny Lebowski kidnapped herself.

Also, it’s a league match. There needs to be rules. I guess he is the only one who cares about this stuff.