Category: Character Stories

MILES, SEVEN

The story requires that Miles have a broken heart. It’s how he and Iris bond. He’s such a cheerful person, though, that it’s disconcerting to see him feel sad. His spontaneous personality — singing loudly in the video store, offering Christmas fettucine — seems impervious to depression.

Miles finds so much joy in his daily life that I want to call him a Seven. His songwriting and film scoring work bring him pleasure. Being tossed into the middle of Arthur’s dinner party brings him relaxation. Although his girlfriend cruelly dumps him, he finds a way to move past her without lingering or wallowing. Life is too exciting for Miles. He won’t be bogged down by sorrow.

It’s hard to separate Miles from Jack Black. The actor’s real life personality infuses any character he portrays. Dewey Finn from School of Rock is also impulsive and bold. Miles is a dependable adult unlike Dewey (lol), but they share an authenticity. What you see is what you get. Black’s style meshes well with Miles’ happy Seven qualities. 

He also meshes well with Iris’ Two. She doesn’t need more drama in her life, and Miles is low maintenance. He’s easy to love: expecting nothing and welcoming everything.

IRIS, TWO

The Holiday has become a Christmas staple over the past 20 (!) years. Wow, has it really been that long? Well, then, it’s certainly worthy of a look at its Character Enneagrams.

When you first meet Iris, our English rose, do you like her? On the one hand, she has a generous and vulnerable heart. On the other, she’s seduced by an obvious and repugnant con artist. She wins us all over, though, when she gets to Los Angeles and takes such pleasure in her vacation.

Unlike Amanda, whose problem is herself, Iris’ problem can be left behind in England. She forms relationships with people — Arthur and Miles — who aren’t toxic. Her routine at home was a prison. Here she’s free. Iris, named after a flower that emerges at the end of winter, blooms in warm California.

This is a Heart Type. Iris is a Two. Her caring nature leads her to overextend her sympathy for Jasper, the cad. The sweetest personality in the Enneagram, a Two, can be manipulated by vultures, and Iris is a textbook case. Jasper expects (and demands) that Iris take care of him. It’s exhausting for her; she’s depleted by their relationship. Arthur, the elderly neighbor, is the opposite. He’s a bit grumpy about any caretaking, but he accepts Iris’ help. Her easy persuading is understood and appreciated.

We’re so happy to see Iris rewarded with the people she meets. She deserves to find true friends and love.

FELIX HAPPER, NINE

The fabulous Burt Lancaster, nearing the end of his career, plays the corporate mogul in charge of Knox Oil and Gas. Happer is incredibly eccentric; he’s obsessed with discovering and naming a comet. In Scotland Mac is to call him long distance about changes in the constellation Virgo. Lancaster brings instant gravitas to a kooky character. Casting him is excellent.

Happer is impulsive. When Mac, drunk, calls to explain the colors in the aurora borealis to him, Happer skips the pond to see for himself. He’s also wealthy and privileged, talking to Heads of State. In some ways, Happer is dotty. I prefer to see him, though, as an elderly, successful man who can do whatever he likes at this stage. He’s proven himself many times over during his career.

However, these offbeat qualities make him the best negotiator with Ben, the shack-living bum who owns the beach. Happer is excited about the sky, and Ben, who lives under the northern sky every night, is a wonderful resource. The solution they reach suits Happer’s interests, but it will also please the Knox shareholders.

Whoo, boy, the choices for his Enneagram are many. His whimsy could indicate a Seven. His charm and success could indicate a Three. His easy manner with Ben could indicate a Nine.

Lancaster was such a physical man. Remember, his career began as an acrobat. Because of this, I want to choose Nine. In “Field of Dreams” he played an elderly doctor, but we also believed that he was a remarkable baseball player in his youth. Lancaster’s real life personality touched every character he portrayed. Happer can be logically described as a Nine, but I’m picking it because . . . I gotta. It’s freakin’ Burt Lancaster. 

GORDON URQUHART, THREE

Gordon is the local man. Like everyone in the village, he wears many hats: hotelier, bartender, and accountant. He represents the community, negotiating the purchase deal with Mac. He’s competent and a natural leader.

Gordon is a Three. He must be. He’s good at everything he does and everyone like and trusts him. When Mac, drunk, says to him, “I’d make a good Gordon, Gordon,” it’s an admission that Gordon is already the best version of himself.

One thing I like about Gordon’s Threeness: he’s great for the village. His genius is capped by his circumstances. Mac, coming from a more ruthless community, outnegotiates him. We know from the early Knox board meeting that the town and surrounding beach is worth $600 million and that they can go no higher than $60 million in payout. Gordon feels very bold to ask for $6 million, and Mac, stonefaced as always, says he’ll consider that price.

Bonus points if you recognize Gordon’s young Denis Lawson as fighter pilot Wedge from the OG “Star Wars”.

OLDSEN, SIX

The Scottish representative of Knox Oil and Gas, Oldsen works with Mac to secure the deal. Here is Peter Capaldi (of Dr. Who fame) in his first film role, portraying an extremely awkward young man. He runs like Woody from “Toy Story”, lol.

I suspect that Oldsen is a Head Type, considering his physical and social clumsiness. He has a genuine honesty, though, that makes him endearing. (Unlike Mac, he would not make a reliable negotiator.)

Even though both men dress in business suits, which doesn’t leave much room for odd pattern or style choices, Oldsen seems like a guy who has a few strange pieces in his closet at home. I’m going with a Six for him. He has a dogged loyalty to Mac and a persistent (but not stalker) interest in Marina. When Happer mistakes him for Mac, Oldsen doesn’t care. He just wants to do the job. This is a Trooper.

MAC, FIVE

The movie “Local Hero” never gives Mac a first name, although we know his full last name is MacIntyre. He’s sent to Scotland to finalize a land purchase from a small coastal village for a Texas oil company. If you have never seen this strange, charming film from 1983, I highly recommend you try it. It’s become a Thanksgiving staple for our family for the silliest of reasons: Mac and friends deliver a meal of whiskey and beef sandwiches to a beach shack. Something about this parade of elegance across the sand speaks of food and tradition. It’s a tentative connection, I grant you, but we count it.

Mac is reluctant to leave Houston in order to secure a deal. He’s a “Telex man” (which is meaningless to us nowadays). In Scotland he wears his suits and watch, all business. His character arc changes over time, though, and he comes to love the village. It becomes his true home and Houston becomes alien.

So, we have a protagonist who’s organized and focused. As a dealmaker, he plays it very close to the vest. He never gloats, but he’s arranging a purchase price much lower than the company expected. He’s no glad-hander, and he’s not particularly good with people.

We’re looking at a Head Type.

Peter Riegert, in an early role in his career, doesn’t fit the physical dimensions of a tall Five, but I think this is what he’s playing. Although the Scotland experience makes him more fun-loving, Mac doesn’t seem like a Seven. He’s too serious, too buttoned-up at the beginning. He could be a Six, but he seems too cold at first, too distant from other people. Because he’s reserved and slow to relax, I prefer him as a Five.

LIEUTENANT DAN TAYLOR, FOUR

He’s so impulsive and angry; is Lt. Dan an Eight? An Eight, a Body Type, who loses part of his physical ability would have a difficult recovery.

What if Dan is a Heart Type, though? It’s a joke in the movie that Dan’s every ancestor has died in war, and Dan expects the same fate. A Four would feel pretty pissed off at getting cheated out of a glorious death.

Dan is more emotionally volatile than an Eight would be. “You call this a storm?!” He loves this conflict, this fight between his will and nature’s. It’s not about physical power, though. An Eight would ask for his body to be changed; for Dan, his heart needs to change. Until this moment he’s dominated by depression and can’t move forward with his life.

I also like him as a Four because he is another Heart Type companion for Forrest Gump. It’s consistent.

BUBBA BLUE, TWO

Who doesn’t love Bubba? Of course, like Jenny, he’s kinda fridged so that Forrest Gump can have feelings.

Is Bubba, like Jenny, also a Two?

I mean, he has a collection, which is a Man Two trait. He collects shrimp recipes!

It’s interesting that Forrest would surround himself with the same Enneagram. (Or, the showrunners would stick to writing the same kind of character who befriends Forrest and then dies.)

Bubba is a complete character, though. He’s written for laughs, but Mykelti Williamson gives us more than comedy (or pathos). We believe that he and Forrest have a connection strong enough to last beyond Bubba’s death. Making Bubba a Two is a wise choice.

JENNY CURRAN, TWO

She is a sexually-abused child who grows up to become a wounded woman. Drugs, hurtful boyfriends, rash choices, and suicidal moments are what we see of her. She wants to be a folk singer, like Joan Baez, but she performs nude (with her guitar as her modesty shield) in a strip club. She’s a character who breaks our hearts, but she’s also a plot device to break Forrest’s heart. Is Jenny actually a complete person, or is she only an archetype of pain?

At the end of the movie, Jenny is a real character. She’s grown, she has an arc, and she’s exorcised her demons.

But she’s also fridged, lol.

Okay, let’s dig. I immediately jump to Heart Type because she carries so much emotion. She’s not strong enough to be a Four — she would need power moments and not just trodden moments. She’s clearly not a Three. Maybe a Two? An abused Two can break into pieces like Jenny does.

I’ll take it. I like that her damaged Two is supported by Forrest’s Eight-to-Two confidence. It’s a good match beyond plot shenanigans. Also, when Jenny finds her strength, it’s in the healthcare field. A genuine Two at peace could choose that career.

FORREST GUMP, EIGHT

As I said in my review of the protagonist in The Accountant, any Enneagram choice must be about the character beyond their neurodiversity. Showrunners just can’t present a hero with no specific defining traits. 

What are the possibilities for Forrest?

He’s a “running fool”. My first thought is about a Body Type. Someone who needs that physical expression — running across the country — could be a Nine, Eight, or One. However, he doesn’t seem like a Nine. “Sorry I ruined your Black Panther party” is not spoken by someone who avoids conflict. He’ll mix it up with anyone if he thinks he’s defending Jenny. Is he an Eight?

Yes. Think of his bravery during the war. He goes back for everyone, tirelessly. That leadership, that instinctual heroism, is Eight-like.

He’s so connected to his friends — Bubba, Lt. Dan — that I thought he might be a Heart Type. I prefer to think of him as an Eight moving toward his strength number, Two. Perhaps his mental challenge lets him discard the darker side of his Enneagram. He’s never stingy, which would be his weak number (Five) reaction. He’s always compassionate and generous. I really like the idea that Forrest leans heavily into the Two aspect of his Enneagram.

But he’s still an Eight. I only need remember his table tennis prowess to feel certain of that.