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Poll: Biggest Movie Losers

A poll by Breumaster.
These are movie characters who are perpetual losers, because their life, their circumstances or simply their environment is keeping them down. But they fight and some of them don't give up aiming for a normal condition. Which of these struggling, losing characters below is the most interesting to you?

(The loser has to be from movies rated minimum 6.5/10 stars on IMDb. No animation allowed but characters can be either from real life or fictional. One exception: When the loser is so significant that he's worth standing next to the other losers below, the movie can be rated down to 5.5/10.)

Discuss here.

A special thank you to Dan Dassow, Jen & Djesika, who helped me so much correcting my typos.

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Make Your Choice

  1. Vote!

    Michael Douglas in Falling Down (1993)

    William 'D-Fens' Foster: Foster completely lost his mind in the daily traffic jam. He was always a ticking time-bomb but was pushed over the edge when he was fired. He went to see his wife, disregarding the order of protection she had taken out to protect her and their daughter. In the course of his rampage he shocked some people and killed some people until he finally got killed by a good officer's bullet. Suggested by jonzcliff
  2. Vote!

    Margot Robbie in I, Tonya (2017)

    Tonya Harding: Foiled by her mother, her husband, her husband's dumb friend's plans, the police, the court of law, the press, the audiences, she is still known as cheap white trash to the public.
  3. Vote!

    Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave (2013)

    Patsey: A female black slave in 19th century in America. Despite being the worker with the best results, she was put down by her slave keeper, being whipped by another slave, and had to beg for soap to clean her body.
  4. Vote!

    Choi Min-sik and Kang Hye-jeong in Oldboy (2003)

    Dae-su Oh: Held 16 years as a captive in a little room by evil forces, not knowing what's up with his family, while his wife was killed, he was officially falsely denounced as murderer and his little daughter was abducted. Compulsory sedated by poisonous gases, hypnotized, and at last set free for finding out why that happened to him. His daughter was already grown up after the 16 years and hypnotized by the same abductors. So they had sex while not considering each other as relative. He later discovered that fact and that it all was done to them because in earlier times as a student, he told a lie about a female classmate, he therewith unintentionally caused her suicide and induced the revenge by her incestuous brother who captured him later for the known 16 years.
  5. Vote!

    Robert De Niro in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994)

    Frankenstein's monster: Doctor Frankenstein re-animated his monster from body parts from the deceased. The monster suffered from the pain of the scars, being lonely and being a monster. Normal citizens feared and derided him with laughter. The monster’s heartache arose from the desire for a mate. Suggested by BlackBolt-3
  6. Vote!

    Charlize Theron in Monster (2003)

    Aileen Wuornos: Abused by her father and his friends as a kid, later searching for love and kindness. In need of financial matters she became a prostitute. While not being able to cope with that clientel, she became a serial killer. She was torn away from her only love and got killed by state run execution.
  7. Vote!

    Elliot Page in An American Crime (2007)

    Sylvia Likens: She was sent to a foster family that was abusive. Beaten and tortured by other kids in that 'family', Sylvia suffered from being hopeless. She died in the Baniszewski cellar.
  8. Vote!

    "Carrie" Sissy Spacek 1977 United Artist

    Carrie White: Oppressed by her religious mother, mobbed and shunned in school, exposed and mocked by a cruel prank of dumb classmates at the prom. Turned to a satanic mass murderer by using psychic powers. Beside many victims in her psychic amok run, she killed her mother and the teacher who mostly tried to help her.
  9. Vote!

    Smile, you're at Mr. Smiley's

    Lester Burnham: Turned dull by disillusion in his job where he got fired. After extorting the dismissal manager of his old job, he completely lost his mind to oblivion. He was seduced from one 16 y.o. classmate on a cheerleading school event of his daughter. Despised by his daughter, cheated by his wife, suspiciously regarded by his militaristic neighbour who killed him later.
  10. Vote!

    Angelina Jolie and Devon Conti in Changeling (2008)

    Christine Collins: After her son was lost for five month and then 'found' again, she realized he can't be her son. By remarking that he obviously has shrunk, Christine faced an outraging system that covered an absolutely criminally corrupted police system to keep the cost and effort for finding missed children low. She even faced a corrupted mental hospital for complaining about the circumstances and got told by the doctor to give up to get free. She never gave up! But after all it finally came up that her son was killed by a weird serial killer.
  11. Vote!

    Tom Hardy in Warrior (2011)

    Tommy Conlon: Put down by his boozing father, put down in a fair MMA-fight by his brother for giving his brother's family a chance. Then going to jail by the military law for deserting.
  12. Vote!

    Bruce Campbell in Army of Darkness (1992)

    Ash: He just wanted to spend a nice weekend at the woods with his fellows. It turned out to be a horrific weekend with his friends turning to zombies after hearing a man on tape reading a strange old text. He killed them and got into other troubles with demons possessing him after and making him cut of his right arm with a chainsaw. After connecting the chainsaw on the stump of his arm, coincidentally and magically appearing wormhole, lead him to medieval ages and places. He was forced to fight the evil army of death from a necromancer he accidently conjured while trying to come back home. When he got home in normal times after all, he was followed by a bad witch that tried to kill him.
  13. Vote!

    Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt (2012)

    Lucas: Smeared by an innocent lie. Fired by his superior, scorned by his friends. Dragged into a battue by his environment. Got shattered by circumstances he had no control of. Suggested by BlackBolt-3
  14. Vote!

    Lin Shaye and Leigh Whannell in Insidious (2010)

    Elise Rainier: Had paranormal visions of victims. Her father was not abusive to her but captivated other young women. She never coped with it, but had continuosly other paranormal visions. She tried to help people when endangered by demons of a strange twillight zone between life and death. She never got happy without deeper sorrows about this hidden sinister realm.
  15. Vote!

    Tilda Swinton in We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

    Eva Khatchadourian: Put down by her psychopathic son by trying to reach him and getting demeaned by him. In between he hurt his little sister intentional badly. As a reward for her efforts, someday he killed a bunch of his classmates by a calculated rampage with bow and arrows. While trying to cope with his evil deeds, she got avoided and hated by her environment while her house got vandalized by strangers.
  16. Vote!

    Anne Hathaway in Les Misérables (2012)

    Fantine: Her curse was her beauty. Slandered by the envy women at work, she was thrown out of the factory so that she couldn't any further buy the medicine for her son. She had to become a prostitute to make the money for her son and was shattered down by losing her dignity.
  17. Vote!

    Jason Statham in Crank (2006)

    Chev Chelios: Low down gangster, was poisened by some lower gangster because his boss cheated on him. Losing mind, losing time, losing the game; He hurt or killed people to revenge himself, was taking illegal drugs to lower the poison's effect for some time, causing chaos, havoc and devastation while being sure to die at the end. And then he died spectaculary at the end. (Just concluding first movie.)
  18. Vote!

    Al Pacino in Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

    Sonny: Sonny wanted to rob a bank for his lover's sex change operation. There was not enough money because so many people withdrew money, that it wouldn't be enough for the operation. While he realised that fact, he got a phone call by police inspector Moretti who told him he was surrounded by the cops outside. So he took hostages and the situation turned to a media circus, everybody had fun to watch. At the end he was shot to death. Suggested by Silitonga
  19. Vote!

    Ben Affleck, Lisa Banes, and David Clennon in Gone Girl (2014)

    Nick Dunne: Nick dated a perfect female psychopath. He was suspected of murdering his wife while she was hiding. He suffered the social pressure while no one knew that he was innocent. Not able to prove his innocence he had to bluff to get her back to public, alive. To get out and come back to him, she atrociously murdered an innocent man and lied about him, that he would have abducted and raped her. To get out of this foul game Nick had to play the loving husband further, while knowing to live with a total psychopath. She played perfect with the media, he had no chance. Suggested by Silitonga
  20. Vote!

    Cate Blanchett in Blue Jasmine (2013)

    Jasmine French: She was a successful socialite in New York, but got utterly ruined. She tried to reunite with her estranged sister and son while her proud commanded her to prevent showing the abominable truth. After she couldn't hide it anymore, she lost her family ties. Suggested by Silitonga
  21. Vote!

    Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern in Home Alone (1990)

    Harry & Marv: Low down gangsters, searching for abandoned houses on Christmas holidays to break in and steal worthy things from the owners. They got burned, punched, electrified, glued and feathered, etc. - by a 6 year old! The boy helped to get those dumbnuts caught. They went to jail. Losers! Suggested by Jen
  22. Vote!

    Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980)

    Jack Torrance: Jack signed a contract as a janitor for looking after the old Overlook Hotel while concentrating on his writing. The loneliness made him dull and mean. He turned mad about anything, then his delusion turned worse. He spoke to ghost appearances in his mind. At last he hunted his wife with an axe and died on the hunt by freezing to death. Suggested by Jen
  23. Vote!

    Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters (1984)

    Louis Tully: Louis was a dumb boring loser and just wanted to date the exciting Dana Barrett, but he locked himself outside from his own party. When Dana was ready to date him, she already turned to a higher demon. So she forced Louis to be possessed. After the whole story, he was the same old loser. Suggested by Jen
  24. Vote!

    Anthony Perkins in Psycho (1960)

    Norman Bates (also contains spoiler of 'Psycho II): Owned and operated a motel. Spyed on naked people. His hobby was taxidermy. He was a milksop who murdered people. At last he went totally nuts, turned to his mother by schizophrenia and was sent to an asylum. Later, when he was cured, he was tempted to kill again and did it. ('Psycho II') Based on a suggestion by Jen
  25. Vote!

    Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler (2008)

    Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Randy 'The Ram' Robinson: Spent his life with Wrestling, sex, drugs and show until he was to old. At his last days he wanted to reunite with his estranged daughter, who tried to help, but then he messed up with drugs and a one night stand and forgot their dinner. His daughter despises him for not being reliable even at this point of his life. His only friend was a pole dancer who didn't want to be romantically involved with him. When he had a heart attack, he shouldn't have worked any further as wrestler, but did. Supposedly, he died in the ring. Suggested by SeventhAr7
  26. Vote!

    Randy Quaid at an event for Hannibal (2001)

    (In lack of a better image) Russel Casse from 'Independence Day': Alcoholic. Mocked by his environment for the story of his alien abduction. Lost everything: His wife, his job, his dignity, the respect of his peers and at the end his life (even if he gained the respect of his son again). Suggested by BlackBolt-3
  27. Vote!

    Al Pacino and John Cazale in The Godfather Part II (1974)

    Fredo Corleone: Always was selfish, weak, a betrayer. He had no guts and betrayed his own brother to another mafia boss. He had to need help from his sister to reunite to his family and was assassinated on his brother's order after his mother's death. Suggested by SeventhAr7
  28. Vote!

    Joaquin Phoenix in Her (2013)

    Theodore: Theodore was tempted by a clever artificial intelligence. He built a relationship to her, Samantha. She gained not only his attention. She gained his sexual fantasies and the control over all aspects of his life, while he more and more departed from reality. When 'she' was sure about his addiction, she revealed on the side, that she did the same project with thousands of other people at the same time. He was shocked. Suggested by Jen
  29. Vote!

    Gene Hackman in The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

    Royal Tenenbaum: Left his family without a cause. On that turn his talented kids started struggling with problems until they were grownups. For reuniting he lied about having cancer. Neither his sons, nor his wife believed in his dubious story. His wife even gave a task to a private detective. As the truth came up, he signed the divorce proceeding papers for his wife and reunited with his descendants, but then died of a heart attack. Suggested by Jen
  30. Vote!

    Gene Hackman in The Chamber (1996)

    Sam Cayhall: He was a member of the KKK. When he was a young adult father, burning with hatred and racism, he shot a black boy of the same age like his daughter, who simply was a neighbor's son, a playmate to his daughter. That threw his daughter and his son into deeply mental problems. His son killed himself because he couldn't cope with his father's crime. Cayhall killed two Jewish siblings by a cowardly bombing attack for the Klan. He was convicted to jail - the death row. Even when his grandson, who was a lawyer, came to prevent him from execution, he denied his help and was angry, ranting and insulting. At his last day he repented, but was executed in the gas chamber.
  31. Vote!

    Vincent D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket (1987)

    Pvt. Pyle: Didn't make it in real life. Didn't make it in basic training. Despaired, became nuts about his situation and shot his drill instructor and himself. Suggested by Jen

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