A Mean Motive Opportunity

Motives. Sometimes characters in movies have them. And these days, I should really be grateful when this happens at all. But I am not. It’s not enough that that characters have a motive, it must be something we can feel ourselves. So we divide these motives into two categories, mechanical and felt.

This is an important distinction, as often times, certain motives just go right over our hearts. Rich people worried about how shaving basis points might affect their Roomba class (that’s not a typo, I’m just imagining the future) is not so relatable. The story proceeds, and we don’t object, which is what now passes for interest. If you don’t get caught, it’s the same as not committing the crime.

That same character pining for a high-school sweetheart or being on the outside or even wanting revenge, and suddenly we don’t care how much he stole from the poor.

Well, they gotta be rich. Or at least have a nice kitchen. How else could we possibly relate?