*** Note: Possible spoilers ahead. Depends on what you do or
don’t want to know…
Also typos. They seem to be abundant these days for me.
Let’s be honest, I know little to nothing about dating and
relationships. But what I do know is character, and going off my past adventures in 80s/90s/early 2000s heartthrobs, I decided to take a gander at
some of the most standout leading males of this year in film and television to
name my “Fictional Boyfriend of the Year”!
I know that the year isn’t technically over yet, but being
so close to the end and considering which movies I will likely be seeing in the
remaining months, I think I have enough to go off of. Of course this is all
based on my personal viewing preferences and likes so you may think
differently, but in the end, it’s all just for fun.
And let me tell you, someone unexpected came right out of
left field to run away with the glory this year! Just like how Ethan Embry as Preston Myers snuck right up on me... Shall we take a gander at some
“almost winners,” working our way up to the best, first? I can't see why not:
Dan Stevens as Matthew Crawley – “Downton Abbey”
Largely in part for standing by his fiancé/wife Mary, even
though she has become increasingly irritating since (the beginning of) the
first season. Yeah, I don’t really like Mary, and yet here Mathew is, being
totally devoted to her and what she wants. Yet despite always wanting to make her happy, he doesn’t bow
down to her every wish: he acts on his own terms. He’s also got some great tact
with working through issues with the family (ie, that hotsy-totsy young niece
or the estate’s investment issues), and always figures out what is best for
everyone. Also shout-out to my boy, Tom Branson! You were close, my dear, and I
like that you are always just being yourself, but that Irish revolutionary
stuff got on my nerves a little bit after a while.
John Bradley as Sam Tarly – “Game of Thrones”
Weren’t expecting this one, were you? A simple, sweet guy
and a simple, sweet girl, mixed up in some messy circumstances. Hey, maybe he
isn’t per say Gilly’s boyfriend, but it’s close enough for me! This guy clearly
thinks she is just the most wonderful little thing he’s ever seen. He hasn’t
had any experience with girls, yet he still wants to risk everything to save
her from her father’s abuse (and possible death of her child) after knowing her
for barely any time at all. In this brutal world of chaos, death, and betrayal,
that stood out to me as particularly memorable and caring.
Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont – “Game of Thrones”
With such a large cast, I reckon I can have two from this
series. Once again, he is not exactly Daenerys’ boyfriend, and she was in fact
in love with Khal Drogo in the end, but who is the one who is always by her
side? Ser Jorah. He obviously only wants what is best for her, even when she
can’t see it. And despite her childish outbursts (due to being so young, after
all), he still stands by her decisions no matter what. Their relationship may
have begun under strange, suspicious circumstances, but his devotion and
protection of Khaleesi over time has created a increasingly strong bond.
Jared Gilman as Sam Shakusky – Moonrise Kingdom
Ah the naivety of youth, thinking they are in love upon
first sight and jumping right into the chaotic whirlpools just like young Romeo
and Juliet. But regardless of their age and kooky nature, these two really do
seem to care about each other, and whether what they need in life is really
just a friend is beside the point. They embrace each other’s quirks, and Sam is
incredibly supportive of Susie in regards to her family situation. Plus, he’s
great at all that outdoorsy stuff, so if you ever needed to escape into the
wild for a while, he’d be your guy. Not to mention all that adorable swag for
such a young fella.
*Update: Steven Yeun as Glenn Rhee - "The Walking Dead"
Initially I didn't have sweet Glenn on this list because last season he just wasn't doing it for me. He was still a total push-over, and although very kind and caring, needed to be a little more rounded. And boy, has he ever become an interesting fixture in this current third season of the show. Specifically his relationship with Maggie and all it's deep and implicated developments. You can tell that he truly cares for her, as well as all the others in the group. And come on now, who wouldn't want to know that their significant other could basically cage-fight a zombie to a pulp, all the while bound to a chair? That kind of protective and kick-ass ability is probably hard to come by, and thus to be admired in this dark and dingy world of confused morality. (And yes, I chose this photo specifically because of how much I loved this intensely terrifying scene.)
Martin Freeman as John Watson - "Sherlock"
If you don’t know why he’s on this list then you obviously
don’t watch this show. Even John’s lady-friend told him what a great boyfriend
he is! …. To Sherlock Holmes. Okay, so maybe he isn’t really dating Sherlock
(are we starting to see a theme here?), and did kind of ignore his actual
girlfriends for his best friend, but that kind of loyalty? Helping his friend
through everything and never doubting him? I’d say that’s love. Plus who didn't cry when those two were on the phone together in The Reichenbach Fall? Don't lie to me now.
Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams – “Doctor Who”
Who else would put up with their fiancé running away through
space and time with a strange man the day before their wedding? Who else would
die 5 (6? Does that angels paradox count?) times, or stand outside a box for
two thousand years in order to protect the one they loved? None other than Rory
Williams. When he and Amy were on the rocks, he tried to hold on and work it
out. He embraced her strange friend and went on adventures with them, put up
her accidentally marrying a historical king on their anniversary (if you didn’t
catch that in “The Power of Three”), and is even a kind, caring nurse on top of
all that. That’s the kind of guy who emerges victorious from the friend-zone
after all those years. Not the guy who you are immediately attracted to, but
the guy who grows on you because of who they are inside. Oh dear, now I’m
getting all mushy about it; I really will miss Arthur Darvill’s presence on
this show in the future.
Runner Up: Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker – The Amazing Spiderman
A genius inventor? And a photographer? And doesn’t give in
to the bystander effect to actually help someone who is being bullied? With
superpowers? And absolutely adorable and gawkish to boot? Sign me up! Oh yes,
I’m very much biased towards Andrew Garfield, but he even managed to charm the
pants off my mother in the role of the sweet Peter Parker (although she has
also loved him in Boy A and Red Riding 1974 before this, but that’s
not the point). He may be flawed and act out at times in his teenage state, but
that also makes him a real, complex person. Yet at the end of the day, even
with these bouts of angst, questionable decisions, and a few jerk moments, he
still remains insanely likeable. Maybe it’s the character of Peter Parker we
all know and love, or maybe it’s the talent of the actor, but I’d like to say
it’s a combination of both. It also doesn't hurt that Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are adorable together both onscreen and off.
And the Winner is: Skylar Astin as Jesse – Pitch Perfect
A couple of friends and I went to see this movie after The Perks of Being a Wallflower was sold
out, and boy did we love it. But most of all, we fell hard and fast for Skylar
Astin as the main love interest. Sure, you know exactly where it’s all going to
go from the very beginning of the movie, but it’s the ride and characters that
make it fun along the way. And this boy sure did sell it, with a goofy
earnestness and honesty that anyone would fall for. Not to mention just being
an all around kind character (even to the weirdoes and outcasts, right from the
beginning), and introducing Becca to great movies like The Breakfast Club. If there’s something I love, it’s a film geek:
the kind who punches his fist in the air when you sing “Don’t You (Forget About
Me),” and knows you can work it all out through the power of song. Okay, maybe
that is a little cheesy, but I’ll let myself slide this time. Oh, and did I
mention he can sing? Really really well? Oh, well maybe we just need to revel
in a musical performance from this movie in that case, huh?
But of course I leave this with an open-ended question: What
about you? Who would you consider your favourite leading-male of the past year
in television and film? Your fictional boyfriend of 2012?
(I may be alone in doing this kind of thing, but that’s
okay, I just think it’s sort of fun.)
