Looking back over m favorite movies, I’ve noticed that in most of them, there’s a main character who’s clumsy, goofy-looking, and weird… a nerd! I know I’m something of a nerd myself, so maybe that’s why I find these characters so appealing… at any rate, nerds are everywhere in the movies! If you’re not sure what I mean, let’s review these top 7 movie nerds…
1 George McFly from “Back to the Future”
Crispin Glover plays George McFly, and 1950’s era nerd with a heart of gold and a sweetness about him that’s just adorable. He’s crazy about a girl who doesn’t even know he exists, but with a little help from a guy from the future, who just happens to be his son, he’s able to stand up for himself, punch a bully in the face, and win the girl… in fact, by the end of the movie, he’s actually kind of… cute…
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2 McLovin’ from “Super Bad”
You know you’re a nerd when your friends, who are also nerds, single you out for abuse. The problem with McLovin’ is that he doesn’t seem to realize that he’s a nerd, or that his friends are being mean to him. Luckily, his friends actually do care about him, and the movie is hilarious, not mean-spirted.
3 Pee Wee Herman in “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”
This is one of my favorite movies of all time, made especially heart-warming and hilarious by the clueless nerd, Pee Wee. He’s on a quest to find his most prized possession — his bike — stolen from him by his arch-nemesis, another nerd named Francis.
4 The Entire Cast of “Goonies”
A goonie is, by definition, a nerd, and the cast of “Goonies” represents each kind of them. There’s the braces-wearing short kid, the nerdy girl with glasses, the Asian inventor kid, the fat kid, and more. But they’re all wonderful, and they work together to find the treasure that will save their neighborhood, the Goondox.
5 Ted from “Sixteen Candles”
Looking at Anthony Michael Hall now, it’s hard to believe he was the awkward, goofy-looking kid with the braces and the squeaky voice in John Hughes’ classic “Sixteen Candles.” The twist is that as Ted, he’s the hero of all the other nerds. He somehow manages to convince them all that he’s desired by all the girls, including the prom queen. Wow. And hey, look at a young and nerdy John Cusack, too!
6 Any Role Ever Played by Rick Moranis
Any movie role ever played by Rick Moranis has him cast as the nerd. From the “Ghostbusters” movies, to the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” movies to “My Blue Heaven” with Steve Martin, Moranis has been type-cast as a nerd, a role he seems to relish.
7 Peter Parker in “Spiderman”
When I heard Tobey Maguire was going to play Peter Parker in the Spiderman movies, I was shocked. He’s not a nerd! But he played the role perfectly, especially in the first movie. He’s awkward, gawky, and clumsy before he gets his spider-powers. A perfect nerd!
Those are my own favorite movie nerds, but there are so many more! Which of these movie nerds do you like best, or is there another one you love more? Please let me know!
