History JerkassWoobie / Film

%%Good Evening Editors, If you wish to add more woobies, please consult the cleanup thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=15391212720A38366900&page=1

* In many ways, ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'''s interpretation of Lady Tremaine is ''exactly'' the criticism people often give the original premise of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'': someone who was initially idealistic gradually broken into cynicism. Many points of the movie are dedicated to showing just how damaged she is, and how much [[TheResenter she hates Cinderella for remaining optimistic and cheerful despite suffering her own tragedies.]] At the very end, her cruel actions are justly retributed upon, but it's hard to not pity her bad luck.
* Charles Foster Kane in ''Film/CitizenKane'' is probably the ur-example in the film medium. He's an arrogant and callous man who believes in nothing but himself, but in the end it turns out all he really wanted in life was to be loved. His tragedy was that his own abrasive personality (along with his relentless ControlFreak tendencies) ended up alienating everyone in his life who ''did'' love him, until he was a bitter old recluse living out his last days in a magnificent barren mansion.
* From ''Film/CrimsonPeak'', Thomas and Lucille Sharpe could count as this. They were both abused by their parents, separated for a long time, are desperate to restore their family fortune and by the end, [[spoiler:they both become spirits, with Lucille left behind to haunt Allerdale Hall while Thomas moves on]]. On the other hand, [[spoiler:they're both money grubbing {{Serial Killer}}s of rich women and Lucille herself being an incestuous {{Domestic Abuse}}r to Thomas]].

* Wikus van de Merwe in ''Film/{{District 9}}'' is a [[FantasticRacism (fantastical) racist]] ObstructiveBureaucrat who enjoys working for a corporation that evicts aliens from their homes. However, in the course of the film, he gets contaminated by harmful fluid, is nearly vivisected, becomes a fugitive from his employers and criminals, is separated from his wife, who believes that he cheated on her with a prawn (as the aliens are called), [[spoiler:and eventually turns into a prawn whose only form of contact with his wife is via sending her "flowers" made out of scrap, just as he did as a human]]. In addition to this, he redeems himself over the course of the film, helping the aliens and even [[spoiler:risking his life for them]].
* Effie White from ''Theatre/{{Dreamgirls}}''. She started out as pushy, rude, selfish, and self-centered, but when she loses her man to her beautiful friend while she's pregnant with his baby (then [[CrossesTheLineTwice he marries her eventually]]), and kicks her out of the group, its not hard to feel sorry for her. She then goes through CharacterDevelopment.

* ''Film/SinCity:'' While Becky isn't exactly loved for betraying Old Town to the mob, it generally isn't viewed as her crossing the MoralEventHorizon either. Fans sometimes sympathize with her motivations of wanting a life outside of the sex trade, and feel that she was right to worry that the mob might have been able to kill her mother despite Gail's offer to protect her. It helps that she does seem somewhat remorseful while talking to a captured Gail. Having a chunk of her skin bitten out by a vengeful Gail and being abused and threatened by the mob also makes Becky somewhat pitiable.

* ''Film/SinCity:'' While Becky isn't exactly loved for betraying Old Town to the mob, it generally isn't viewed as her crossing the MoralEventHorizon either. Fans sometimes sympathize with her motivations of wanting a life outside of the sex trade, and feel that she was right to worry that the mob might have been able to kill her mother despite Gail's offer to protect her. It helps that she does seem somewhat remorseful while talking to a captured Gail. Having a chunk of her skin bitten out by a vengeful Gail and being abused and threatened by the mob also make Becky somewhat pitiable.

* ''Film/SinCity:'' While Becky isn't exactly loved for betraying Old Town to the mob, it generally isn't viewed as her crossing the MoralEventHorizon either. Fans sometimes sympathize with her motivations of wanting a life outside of the sex trade, and feel that she was right to worry that the mob might have been able to kill her mother despite Gail's offer to protect her. It helps that she does seem somewhat remorseful while talking to a captured Gail.

* [[''Film/TheKid2000'']]: Russ, the film's protagonist. He grew up to be a huge cynical scumbag but had a horrible childhood with an abusive father, a mother dying from cancer, and a friend who ditched him to be with a GangOfBullies.

* Brigadier-General Francis Xavier Hummel in ''Film/TheRock''. He's a leader of the rogue Marines who steals the VX gas-armed rockets from one of the military bunkers. Not to mention taking a big group of tourists hostage on the Alcatraz Island and planning to kill the San Francisco's population unless the government pay up the ransom. Before his said terrorism plan, there was his deceased wife. As it turns out, his main motive is to give compensation to the deceased soldiers' military widows and orphans. He also regrets when his men kills the Navy [=SEALs=] in the shootout. Also, Hummel puts Stanley Goodspeed and John Patrick Mason in one of the prison cells, telling them that the guidance chips are to be returned or he will kill a hostage. The next day, when [[spoiler: he launches one of the VX rockets, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he diverts its course from San Francisco into the sea, making it a bluff.]] Pity that Cpt. Darrow and Frye weren't about to agree with Hummel aborting the mission, and they are actually in just for the money. Hummel gets involved in the MexicanStandoff, which results in Mjr. Tom Baxter shooting Sgt. Crisp and getting killed. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Hummel himself was fatally wounded after killing Crisp]]. He tells Goodspeed about the remaining VX rockets before dying.]]
* Harry Osborn from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. Also, his father, ComicBook/NormanOsborn. Also, Peter Parker's pretty much always been TheWoobie, but in the third movie, he becomes a bit of a {{Jerkass}} after gaining the Venom symbiote.
* Teddy Duchamp in ''Film/StandByMe'' is still the most unstable of Gordie's friends, but has the less pleasant qualities of his craziness toned down compared to his book counterpart. He also [[spoiler:doesn't get himself and some other buddies killed in a drunk driving crash later in life]].
* ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'': Caledon Hockley. Being a product of his times, he genuinely cannot understand how Rose could possibly be happy as the wife of a homeless man with no financial security. He is a classic CrazyJealousGuy who treats Rose like a possession rather a person, though it should be noted that this is also a direct by-product of his upbringing and culture. Rose and Jack themselves, meanwhile, are clearly ahead of their time as far as their values go(this may explain why so many people view them as anachronistic characters). In short, he genuinely loves Rose but does not know how to show it properly, he loses her to another man, and [[spoiler: then gets to New York thinking that she's dead.]]
* Louis Winthorpe in ''Film/TradingPlaces''. He was a snobby BlueBlood commodities broker who ends up being framed for embezzlement and drug dealing, gets incarcerated, loses his home and wealth, and gets shunned by all his friends and fiance, who's also led to think that he's been cheating on her. The shock of all this proves so much that he gets DrivenToSuicide ''twice''. [[CharacterDevelopment He gets better]] after he learns that he went through all that because of a bet by his bosses [[spoiler: of only one dollar, and he gets back at them magnificently]].

%%* Alex Russo in the ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' movie.
* Luke from ''Film/{{Cherrybomb}}''. While he undeniably behaves like a Jerk on several occasions, he does have a huge FreudianExcuse - he suffers appalling abuse and neglect at the hands of his family - and is clearly very emotionally vulnerable. The fact that he's tall, dark, and {{Bishonen}} (i.e. the fact that he's played by Creator/RobertSheehan) probably doesn't hurt either.

* The titular character of ''Film/HedwigAndTheAngryInch'' is this in spades. He/She gets a botched sex change operation in order to obtain a CitizenshipMarriage out of UsefulNotes/EastGermany and, upon arriving in America, has to work as a prostitute to survive. She is also a snappy, bad-tempered diva who treats her band members like absolute shit - esspecially Yitzhak - which delves into outright psychological abuse at time.
* The Red Queen from Creator/TimBurton's ''Film/AliceInWonderland2010''. Yes, she's ([[CompositeCharacter basically]]) the AxCrazy [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen of Hearts]]. And yes, she's quite evil, what with [[DoomedHometown razing the countryside]], unleashing multiple {{Eldritch Abomination}}s, [[KickTheDog abusing the]] {{Talking Animal}}s, and ''killing'' [[MoralityChain the King]]. Yet she's also desperately lonely, has an [[TheUnfavourite inferiority]] [[WellDoneSonGuy complex]] with [[CainAndAbel her sister]], and knows that she's only safe as long as people are too afraid to revolt. Also, she does NOT have a VillainousBreakdown after her defeat and [[FateWorseThanDeath punishment]] (despite her PsychopathicManchild tendencies), merely making [[TearJerker a TRULY heartbreaking face]] when she realizes that she'll effectively [[DyingAlone die alone]]. Hell, she only descends into hysterics post-defeat when the Knave tries to kill her. Given that this is IMMEDIATELY AFTER she just said "[[YouAreWorthHell At least we have each other]]", the audience is [[MoralEventHorizon right there with her]].
* UsefulNotes/HenryVIII as portrayed in ''Film/AnneOfTheThousandDays''. He'll do anything for a male heir, no matter how unethical, unlawful, unpopular, or uncomfortable for himself, but all he gets for many years are daughters and stillborn sons. Small wonder that after the fourth failure, he [[SkywardScream shouts]], "I am accursed!" His ex-wife, as badly as he treated her, pities him.
** Anne herself spends most of the time as just a Woobie, but she does insist on the execution of every cleric who doesn't recognize her marriage.
* Sidney Falco in ''Film/SweetSmellOfSuccess'', largely because most people he meets seem to loathe him before he even gives them reason to (which, granted, he probably will). And because his boss, J.J. Hunsecker, is just so much worse.
** This is a major departure from the book, in which the inspector was a stone-cold, almost antagonist. It was surprising to see him become a relatable character in the adaptation.
* The Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse version of Loki is very much this trope, both in ''Film/{{Thor}}'' and in ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}''. On the Jerkass side, he kills an awful lot of people, to the point that even ''Thor'' seems to consider him to be this trope. However, you can't help but feel sorry for him when it's revealed that he's actually an adopted Frost Giant and it's revealed that his main motivation is to prove to his (adoptive) father that he is a worthy son. This also overlaps with WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds.
** ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'' brutally plays up his Woobie side for a while with his reaction to [[spoiler: Frigga's death]]. When he gets the news, he turns away from the messenger and seems to go into quiet contemplation, and suddenly radiates a kinetic blast that knocks down the chair and table in his cell. When Thor arrives to [[spoiler: break him out of jail]], he initially appears with his usual SmugSnake bitterness, and when Thor demands he stops, Loki's illusion pings away to reveal the truth: a physically and emotionally exhausted young man slumped against the wall in a disheveled mess, with his cell looking like a twister blew through, indicating that there was far more to his tantrum than what we were shown. Just to hammer the point home, one of the first things he asks Thor after the reveal is [[spoiler: "Did she suffer?"]].
* William "D-Fens" Foster in ''Film/FallingDown''. A divorced husband and a violent, anti-heroic VigilanteMan who took his anger out on every frustration he came across, but whose main motivation was to see his daughter.
%%* Martin Q. Blank in ''Film/GrossePointeBlank''.
* Tyler Durden from ''Film/FightClub''. [[spoiler: He is only a split personality of the narrator and is literally the personified composite of his rage and melancholy]]; he hates himself, hence his pontificating about self-destruction and hitting bottom. And [[spoiler: the narrator, the very person who created him, kills him at the end of the film.]] However, he ''is'' also a nihilistic sociopath.
* Travis Bickle from ''Film/TaxiDriver'', though lower on the "jerkass" than most examples here. He was an unstable, bigoted VigilanteMan who wishes to cleanse the "fifth" in the streets. But his main problems was because he was suffering from severe insomnia and depression. Not to mention that as a taxi driver, he was forced to work in the dangerous streets containing pimps, addicts and thieves.
* Eddie Valiant in ''Film/WhoFramedRogerRabbit''. His brother's death is what turns him into an alcoholic like he was today.

* Lee Woo-jin in ''Film/{{Oldboy 2003}}''. Sure, he is the king of DisproportionateRetribution and a manipulative, sadistic, ruthless, evil man, but still, many viewers will say that [[spoiler:his flashback to his sister's suicide]] is the most heartwrenching scene in the movie.

* Raoul Silva from ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. Sold out by M, tortured for five months, and tried to commit suicide via cyanide capsule only to end up horribly disfigured. His only goal now is destroy M and die with her.
** ''Film/GoldenEye'' implies this is true of Bond himself. For instance, the reason he [[ReallyGetsAround sleeps around so much]] is actually that he's desperate for companionship due to the number of friends and allies he loses on his missions.
*** The Daniel Craig version of James Bond is pretty much a ByronicHero who [[ParentalAbandonment is orphaned at an early age]], [[PerpetualFrowner generally looks unhappy even when he smiles]], [[KnightInSourArmor has a grim outlook on his job]] and [[HurtingHero still regrets losing his loved ones and allies]], especially [[TheLostLenore Vesper Lynd]] in ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'', [[CoolOldGuy René Mathis]] in ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' and [[ParentalSubstitute M]] in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. On top of this, [[ParentalSubstitute his adoptive father]] was killed off by his own [[BigBrotherBully foster brother Franz Oberhauser]], just because Bond got [[CainAndAbel more endearment]] than him, and [[DisproportionateRetribution is bent on making Bond's life miserable in any way possible]].
* In ''Film/TheGamersDorknessRising'', Cass the RulesLawyer clearly has some control issues. To make matters worse, he appears to have invited his ex Joanna to the gaming group in hopes of getting a second chance with her, only for her to hook up with Lodge, basically right in front of him.
* General Zod from ''Film/ManOfSteel'' is a genocidal megalomaniac. But [[Creator/MichaelShannon Micheal Shannon's]] performance, his character depth and his sorrowful tone of voice when [[spoiler: his army is sent back to the Phantom Zone and his plans to create a new Krypton on Earth are ruined]] push him into this territory.

* ''Film/KickAss'':
** Big Daddy[=/=]Damon [=McCready=], also lean towards WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds territory.
** Red-Mist [[LonelyRichKid to a]] [[WellDoneSonGuy lesser extent]]. He's much more sympathetic in the movie in comparison to the comic.
*** This will evidently continue in the sequel, as Red-Mist as Motherfucker's more violent acts are going to be removed, particularly [[MoralEventHorizon the rape]], to which Christopher Mintz-Plasse flat-out said "''Thank God.''" He's still pretty evil in the sequel though as he [[spoiler:murders Dave's father, kills Colonel Stars And Stripes, and attempts to rape Night Bitch (and when that fails, he puts her in the hospital)]].
* Franklin Hardesty in the original ''Film/{{The Texas Chainsaw Massacre|1974}}''. Considered one of the most annoying horror movie characters of all time, but consider: 1. It's obvious he didn't want to come on this trip in the first place. 2. He seems to be developmentally challenged, but is smart enough to realize the only reason his sister and her friends dragged him along in the first place is a feeling of obligation, and he resents being seen as such.
* ''Film/{{Pitch Perfect}}'' gives us Aubrey, the captain of the Barden Bellas acapella group. Throughout most of the movie, she is [[ControlFreak overly controlling of everything the group does]], refuses to take anyone else's ideas into consideration, and is constantly at Becca's throat over her "alt-girl" appearance, [[CantTakeCriticism criticisms of the group's (admittedly) boring and overdone performances]], and her ShipTease friendship with Jesse, a singer for their rival group. She even cruelly insults her best friend Chloe for wanting Becca back after her falling out with the group. It takes Becca apologizing and then starting to leave for Aubrey to admit that her obsession with perfection stems from her father, who demanded nothing less from her lest she be disowned.
--> '''Aubrey''': "I am my father's daughter. And he always said: 'If at first you don't succeed, pack your bags.'"
** Becca is this as well. She is [[IneffectualLoner abrasive in her apathy towards her father's wishes and the affections of others]], [[BrutalHonesty almost never tries to frame her misgivings about the group's performance diplomatically]], and nearly ruins her friendship with Jesse simply because [[UnwantedAssistance he tried to help her when she didn't want it; she yelled at him twice when she felt his assistance was only making things worse for her]]. It is revealed early on that her parents divorced, she implies in a conversation with Jesse that it was not an amicable separation, and explains to her dad that the experience soured her on forming meaningful relationships with anyone, even on maintaining her existing relationship with him.
--> '''Becca''': "Don't take it personal, I shut everyone out. It was just easier."

* Khan in ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan''. He was a mass-murdering warlord at one point, but you can't help but feel bad for him as his happy life from the end of TOS' "Space Seed" had been ruined by the destruction of Ceti Alpha VI.
* Vincent from ''Film/StVincent2014'' behaves like a grouchy old drunk, but opens up to young Oliver, who eventually learns of the deteriorating elements in Vincent's life (his debt, addictions, post-war outlook, sick wife, etc.).
* In many ways, ''Film/{{Cinderella 2015}}'''s interpretation of Lady Tremaine is ''exactly'' the criticism people often give the original premise of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}'': someone who was initially idealistic gradually broken into cynicism. Many points of the movie are dedicated to showing just how damaged she is, and how much [[TheResenter she hates Cinderella for remaining optimistic and cheerful despite suffering her own tragedies.]] At the very end, her cruel actions are justly retributed upon, but it's hard to not pity her bad luck.
* As much as we all laugh at his suffering at the beginning, [[Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly Tuco Benedicto Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez]] is very easy to sympathise with, especially after the fight with his brother. He's a thief, a rapist, a cad, a scoundrel. He's loud, rude, vengeful, mean and selfish. However, he's also personable and the most likable character in the entire movie, and we end up feeling kind of bad for him during the movie's second half, where he's first rejected by his brother whom he loves, then later beaten senseless by Corporal Wallace and finally almost hanged for the third time, by which point the viewer really has started to worry about him. He has the broadest emotional range of all the characters and has a cheerul and welcoming demeanor. Furthermore, the audience identifies with his more endearing character flaws, such as his short temper and almost as short attention span. In short, it's somewhat ironic that the most sympathetic and likable character is the one who's most morally ambiguous.
* Milton Dammers from ''Film/{{The Frighteners}}''. Dammers is a deranged and very unstable FBI agent that is obsessed with arresting Frank Bannister for a crime that he is innocent of. But, there's more to him than that. Dammers' work as undercover agent among cultists caused him to sustain multiple massive mutilations and drove him to the brink of insanity. In the extended version, it's also revealed he had been a victim of Charles Manson and his "Family" in 1969.
* Alejandro Gillick from ''Film/{{Sicario}}'' is ''not'' a nice man. Ruthless, devoid of emotion and depending on the viewer's perspective, jumps over the MoralEventHorizon when he murders [[spoiler:[[BigBad Fausto Alarcon's]] family in cold blood before murdering Alarcon himself]]. But his backstory ([[spoiler:He was a simple Lawyer before his wife was decapitated while his daughter was murdered by being thrown into a vat of acid]]) can make him come off as sympathetic. Even his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-UB1amm8LE theme]] implies this.
* From ''Film/CrimsonPeak'', Thomas and Lucille Sharpe could count as this. They were both abused by their parents, separated for a long time, are desperate to restore their family fortune and by the end, [[spoiler:they both become spirits, with Lucille left behind to haunt Allerdale Hall while Thomas moves on]]. On the other hand, [[spoiler:they're both money grubbing {{Serial Killer}}s of rich women and Lucille herself being an incestuous {{Domestic Abuse}}r to Thomas]].
* Mary Mason aka "Bloody Mary" from ''Film/AmericanMary''. Mary is a former med student who, as a result of becoming desperate for money, performs graphic BodyHorror modifications to underground clients. Though, can you blame her? After getting raped, she got pushed over the edge and slowly becomes more dark and twisted.
* Amber Von Tussle from the 2007 adaption of ''Film/{{Hairspray}}''. She may be an bratty AlphaBitch, but at the end of the movie, [[spoiler: she loses her crown to a child and her boyfriend. She also falls from a set hard enough to hurt her ankle. She then talks coyly with a black dancer, implying a HeelFaceTurn.]]
* Kikuchiyo from ''Film/SevenSamurai''. He's a loud, boisterous, bumbling braggart who shamelessly makes a show of himself and yells at the weak and helpless, even though deep down inside, [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold he's deeply empathetic to their plight]]. Also, his life is ''terrible''. He was orphaned as an infant, has had to beg, borrow and steal to vaguely pass himself off as a samurai, which gets him no respect at all from the other samurai, he screws up ''constantly'' and [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone feels terrible about it]], and the whole time, he's either isolated from the group or completely alone. It's hard not to pity Kikuchiyo, really.
* Ben from ''Film/TheTigerMakesOut''. He's a mean-tempered, antisocial know-it-all who looks down on everyone who passes him by as stupid and uncultured, and he's a sexual predator at worst. The thing is, however, his life is horrible. He has relentless bad luck. His neighbours and colleagues don't recognise him even though he's been seeing them for years, his landlord rips him off by having him pay the rent even though she sold the apartment three years before... nobody gives him a break!
* ''Film/SavingPrivateRyan'': Pvt. Mellish is incredibly rude to rest of the squad (especially [[NaiveNewcomer Upham]]), but as a Jew he's the most personally affected by the war. In the establishing scene at Omaha beach, he's handed a Hitler Youth knife as a war trophy, to which he quips "and now it's a shabbat challah cutter, right?" [[MoodWhiplash and then]] [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone breaks down into]] ManlyTears. [[spoiler:He also gets possibly the cruellest death in the film, via being slowly stabbed to death while pinned to the floor helpless and pleading for his life.]]
* The title character in 1981's ''Film/{{Arthur}}'' is a downplayed example. He's a devil-may-care millionaire alcoholic playboy nonetheless prone to self-pity regarding his loneliness, desperate to avoid taking on adult responsibilities, and annoying to most of the people around him because of his constant joke-cracking. But beyond the fact that he '''is''' a LonelyRichKid, he has a generous heart capable of great love, he jokes to make people happy, and he really is funny -- it's just that most of the people around him are terminally humorless. In-universe Hobson, his valet and the one person in his immediate circle who truly loves him, sees him as this and goes on to help Arthur find true love -- and a little maturity -- with a working-class woman who appreciates his good qualities.
* A good chunk of characters played by Creator/EmilyBlunt qualify as this:
** ''Film/SunshineCleaning'' - Norah is constantly drunk or high and is a complete slacker, frequently snapping at her more perfect older sister. But when you learn that her mother committed suicide and that she may be a closeted lesbian, it's impossible not to feel for her.
** ''Film/TheJaneAustenBookClub'' - Prudie is a pompous jerk who is rude to a few people. But she has a troubled marriage, feels like she's wasted her life and has a complicated relationship with her mother. [[spoiler: Her mother dies shortly after Prudie orders her out of her house]].
** ''Film/TheDevilWearsPrada'' - Emily is rude and snitty to everyone, but is under constant pressure as Miranda's assistant and is aware that she could be fired and replaced at any moment. She does get a few PetTheDog moments involving Andy.
** ''{{Film/Looper}}'' - Sara was previously a HardDrinkingPartyGirl who foisted her son onto her sister so she could continue her partying ways. Now the sister is dead and Sara is desperately trying to atone. She deserves every bit of indifference Sid gives her, but you can't help but feel sorry for her.
** ''Film/EdgeOfTomorrow'' - Rita is cold and aloof, with a reputation as 'The Full Metal Bitch'. But then you learn that she got her reputation as the fearsome ActionGirl from having to relive the same day over and over again - including the death of a lover she couldn't save.
** ''Film/TheHuntsmanWintersWar'' - Freya leans more towards WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds as she's the film's initial antagonist. But then you learn just how much of a pawn she was by Ravenna - who murdered Freya's baby, made her think it was her lover, and thus turned her into an evil sorceress who kidnapped children and raised them as soldiers. [[spoiler: Freya pulls a HeelFaceTurn and dies saving Eric and Sara]].
** Her film debut ''Film/MySummerOfLove'' plays with this. Tamsin is a disturbed girl with a dark sense of humour, but she has a troubled home life and claims her sister died of anorexia. [[spoiler: These turn out to be lies]] but it's left open how genuine Tamsin's issues are.
** ''Film/TheGirlOnTheTrain'' - Rachel is a complete mess who harrasses her ex-husband and his new wife constantly. It's not surprising when she is thought a suspect in Megan's murder. But she's an alcoholic because her marriage collapsed after she found out she was barren, and her husband had an affair. [[spoiler: She becomes a full-on Woobie when it's discovered that she's the victim of some very cruel {{Gaslighting}}.]]
** Even in ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie2017'' - Tempest Shadow may be the villain, but her backstory is that her horn got broken when she was attacked by an Ursa Minor. Her friends abandoned her for being a freak, and she grew up alone. Her motivation is to get her horn restored so she can be accepted. [[spoiler: After Twilight shows her some kindness, she pulls a HeroicSacrifice to earn her redemption]].
* Kim Man-seob from ''Film/ATaxiDriver'' is a cynical, shifty, taxi driver with a HairTriggerTemper, and a DirtyCoward who abandons the revolutionaries and the journalist more than once. However, he's a veteran from Saudi Arabia who spent all his earnings on hospital bills for his wife and daughter; his wife is dead, his daughter is home alone and he's thrown into a bloody revolution where his life is at stake. Despite all he does it's hard not to feel sorry for him.
* ''Film/GodsNotDead'': Professor Radisson is not only a {{Jerkass}} who forces his atheist beliefs on his students, but also patronizes his girlfriend for her Christian beliefs as well. Even despite all of this, it's not hard to feel sorry for him when you realize the reason for him being so against Christianity is because he lost his mother to cancer when he was only twelve years old. He was hopeless to save her, despite them both praying to God. It's clear that even though it happened years ago, he clearly hasn't gotten the help he needed. He starts slipping into UnintentionallySympathetic territory when the DesignatedHero of the story, Josh, exploits his trauma for winning a debate. He later realizes the error of his ways, and tries to apologize to his girlfriend. However, he's killed off before any CharacterDevelopment.
* ''Film/TheStrangeThingAboutTheJohnsons'': While nowhere near as sympathetic as her husband, Joan is aware of the sexual abuse Isaiah forces onto Sidney, but is desperately trying to preserve the image of the perfect family, even if it means not taking action. After losing her husband to the accident, Joan is forced to [[OffingTheOffspring kill Isaiah]] when he tried to push her into the fireplace. She then burns Sidney's second memoir, keeping the family's dark secret to herself.
* Reece the little brother in the ShortFilm ''[[https://vimeo.com/329303046 Underwater]]''. While he's pretty mean to his older brother Jack (who is TheWoobie full on) and tells him he hates him, it's clear the kid's got problems. He's always in trouble at school, and his parents don't seem to get to the root of the problem and blatantly [[ParentalFavoritism compare him to Jack]]. When the rest of the family [[spoiler: finds Jack DrivenToSuicide]], he [[CryIntoChest cries in his mother's arms]]. The parents might be neglectful too, but they [[spoiler: are likewise devastated at finding their son's body]].
* ''Film/{{Valentine}}'': [[spoiler:Jeremy Melton is a ruthless SerialKiller in the present day, but one can feel sympathy for how he turned out, given that he was framed for sexual assault before he'd reached his teen years and his life essentially ruined. In his own words, what he suffered became too much for him to handle and the only recourse was taking revenge on the people who put him there. He also has a soft spot for his girlfriend Kate, [[BecauseYouWEreNiceToMe who was kind to him even though she rejected him]] and was the only member of the GirlPosse who didn't corroborate the frame job, even taking time to murder a man who was stalking her.]]

* Reece the little brother in the ShortFilm ''[[https://vimeo.com/329303046 Underwater]]''. While he's pretty mean to his older brother Jack (who is TheWoobie full on) and tells him he hates him, it's clear the kid's got problems. He's always in trouble at school, and his parents don't seem to get to the root of the problem and blatantly [[ParentalFavoritism compare him to Jack]]. When the rest of the family [[spoiler: finds Jack DrivenToSuicide]], he [[CryIntoChest cries in his mother's arms]]. The parents might be neglectful too, but they [[spoiler: are likewise devastated at finding their son's body]].

* ''Film/LetItRide''. Jay Trotter (played by Richard Dreyfuss) is practically the TropeCodifier. As the movie tagline states: "He drinks. He smokes. He gambles. He curses. He thinks about committing adultery. '''''You'll love him.'''''" His best friend Loomey is even more of one.

%%* The titular character in ''Film/BramStokersDracula'', in a departure from [[Literature/{{Dracula}} the original novel.]]
%%* Diane Selwyn in ''Film/MulhollandDrive''.
%%* Teddy Duchamp in ''Film/StandByMe''.

* Wikus van de Merwe in ''Film/{{District 9}}'' is a [[FantasticRacism (fantastical) racist]] ObstructiveBureaucrat who enjoys working for a corporation that evicts aliens from their homes. However, in the course of the film, he gets contaminated by harmful fluid, is nearly vivisected, becomes a fugitive from his employers and criminals, is separated from his wife, who believes that he cheated on her with a prawn (as the aliens are called), [[spoiler:and eventually turns into a prawn whose only form of contact with his wife is via sending her "flowers" made out of scrap, just as he did as a human]]. In addition to this, he redeems himself over the course of the film, helping the aliens and even [[spoiler:risking his life for them]].
%%* Charles Foster Kane in ''Film/CitizenKane''.
* Harry Osborn from the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. Also, his father, ComicBook/NormanOsborn. Also, Peter Parker's pretty much always been TheWoobie, but in the third movie, he becomes a bit of a {{Jerkass}} after gaining the Venom symbiote.
%%* Alex Russo in the ''Series/WizardsOfWaverlyPlace'' movie.
* Luke from ''Film/{{Cherrybomb}}''. While he undeniably behaves like a Jerk on several occasions, he does have a huge FreudianExcuse - he suffers appalling abuse and neglect at the hands of his family - and is clearly very emotionally vulnerable. The fact that he's tall, dark, and {{Bishonen}} (i.e. the fact that he's played by Creator/RobertSheehan) probably doesn't hurt either.

* ''Film/BuffaloSixtySix'': played to the hilt with Billy Brown. He's a total jerk, braggard, liar, and kidnapper, but only because he's led such a humiliating and pathetic life, in part due to his absentee parents.
%%* Alan in ''Film/ReturnToSleepawayCamp'' .
* Mark Zuckerberg from ''Film/TheSocialNetwork''. He's an InsufferableGenius who discards people when they're no longer useful to him, but one of his lawyers finds out that much of his behavior is just a mask, and he's actually significantly more lonely and vulnerable than he lets on.

* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the 1984 film ''Film/{{Amadeus}}'', a {{Jerkass}} and InsufferableGenius, with an AnnoyingLaugh to boot. Once he gets around to writing the Requiem Mass, though, he starts breaking down physically and mentally, and you can't help but feel sorry him.
* At first, John Bender from ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' comes off like a punk with no reason behind his behavior, but it's later revealed that he has a very bad home life stemming from his [[AbusiveParents father's abuse]]. He doesn't really change by the end of the movie, but your impression of him is softened considerably.
* Raymond Shaw from ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate''. Yes, he's a cold, misanthropic jerk, but judging from what's implied about his childhood, it'd be amazing if he weren't. And that's not even counting what he goes through over the course of the film. The only two people he's ever truly cared for are Major Marco and Jocie, and his mother brainwashes him into killing the latter. The universe just hates this guy.

* ''Film/{{Hugo}}'': The Station Inspector. His leg was crippled in World War I, and beneath his stern, relentless persona is a lonely man who is harsh on orphans because it reminds him of the pain of being one himself.

* [[Creator/JamesMcAvoy Nicholas Garrigan]] in ''Film/TheLastKingOfScotland'' is a conceited, ignorant and selfish individual, constantly chasing the skirts of married women. However, seeing him [[spoiler: getting meathooks shoved through his chest and then suspended from the ceiling]], does make one feel sorry for him.
* ''Film/{{Titanic 1997}}'': Caledon Hockley. Being a product of his times, he genuinely cannot understand how Rose could possibly be happy as the wife of a homeless man with no financial security. He is a classic CrazyJealousGuy who treats Rose like a possession rather a person, though it should be noted that this is also a direct by-product of his upbringing and culture. Rose and Jack themselves, meanwhile, are clearly ahead of their time as far as their values go(this may explain why so many people view them as anachronistic characters). In short, he genuinely loves Rose but does not know how to show it properly, he loses her to another man, and [[spoiler: then gets to New York thinking that she's dead.]]

* Brigadier-General Francis Xavier Hummel in ''Film/TheRock''. He's a leader of the rogue Marines who steals the VX gas-armed rockets from one of the military bunkers. Not to mention taking a big group of tourists hostage on the Alcatraz Island and planning to kill the San Francisco's population unless the government pay up the ransom. Before his said terrorism plan, there was his deceased wife. As it turns out, his main motive is to give compensation to the deceased soldiers' military widows and orphans. He also regrets when his men kills the Navy [=SEALs=] in the shootout. Also, Hummel puts Stanley Goodspeed and John Patrick Mason in one of the prison cells, telling them that the guidance chips are to be returned or he will kill a hostage. The next day, when [[spoiler: he launches one of the VX rockets, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he diverts its course from San Francisco into the sea, making it a bluff.]] Pity that Cpt. Darrow and Frye weren't about to agree with Hummel aborting the mission, and they are actually in just for the money. Hummel gets involved in the MexicanStandoff, which results in Mjr. Tom Baxter shooting Sgt. Crisp and getting killed. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Hummel himself was fatally wounded after killing Crisp]]. He tells Goodspeed about the remaining VX rockets before dying.]]

* Harry from the first two ''Film/HomeAlone'' films and the hotel concierge from the second film. Harry is a hot-tempered burglar who [[spoiler: tries to bite off Kevin's fingers in the first film and tries to ''shoot'' Kevin in Central Park in the second film]] but considering all the sadistic and nasty things Kevin does to him(and Marv), especially in the second film, few people wouldn't feel sorry for him. The concierge in the second film, meanwhile, is [[InspectorJavert a little overeager to bust Kevin for "credit-card fraud"]] and is an all-around smarmy jerk but watching him get outsmarted and humilated by Kevin, and later slapped in the face by Kevin's mother, makes him pitiable.

* Raymond Shaw from ''Film/TheManchurianCandidate''. Yes, he's a cold, misanthropic jerk, but judging from what's implied about his childhood, it'd be amazing if he weren't. And that's not even counting what he goes through over the course of the film. The universe just hates this guy.

* Henry VIII as portrayed in ''Anne of the Thousand Days''. He'll do anything for a male heir, no matter how unethical, unlawful, unpopular, or uncomfortable for himself, but all he gets for many years are daughters and stillborn sons. Small wonder that after the fourth failure, he [[SkywardScream shouts]], "I am accursed!" His ex-wife, as badly as he treated her, pities him.

* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
** Darth Vader is responsible for many of the Empire's atrocities, particularly killing the Jedi. He did so in an attempt to save his wife from dying, but this ends up happening anyway as a result of his own actions. And (he thinks) his unborn child(ren) died with her. And before that, there was his mother. Then there's the fact that the whole galaxy hates him for trying to do the right thing. Emperor Palpatine convinced him that the Jedi were trying to overthrow the Galactic Republic and sends him visions of his wife dying, so Anakin tries to save her by learning the secrets of the Sith, only to be overcome by the Dark Side. Then he ends up Force choking his wife in anger, who later dies, his best friend dismembers him and leaves him to burn to death at the end of their fight, and he had the rest of his friends either killed or driven away. The only person he has left is his worst enemy, Palpatine - who got him into this mess to begin with - until he learns that his son, Luke Skywalker, is alive. JerkassWoobie indeed.
** From the sequel trilogy, there is Vader's self-proclaimed successor and [[spoiler: grandson]], Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren/[[spoiler: Ben Solo]], despite being a dedicated warrior for the Dark Side, is shown to be a tormented, insecure individual, desperately trying to live up to Darth Vader's legacy. His confrontation with his father,[[spoiler: Han]], despite it ending with Ren crossing the MoralEventHorizon, shows Ren's inner conflict, and, depending on how you interpret the scene, may feature Ren asking his father to kill him before giving in to darkness and murdering him. His desperate, disheveled state during the finale, thumping the wound in his side, makes him look like he's on the verge or even in the midst of a psychotic breakdown.
** Kylo Ren's rival / {{foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless and power-hungry General of the First Order who ordered the destruction of the Hosnian System and killed millions of people in the process. Yet he's also depicted as a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force whenever he displeases them, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst illegitimate heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His peers' already low opinion of him plummets further after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting [[HumiliationConga repeatedly kicked and knocked down]] in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. Further Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse materials also reveal that he was regularly abused by his father as a child, and was raised by Imperials who taught him to be ruthless and shaped him into the genocidal maniac seen in the movies. As noted in ''ComicBook/StarWarsAgeOfResistance'', his troubled past doesn't excuse the crimes he'd committed, but, given his upbringing, it is hard to see him become anything else.

** Kylo Ren's rival / {{foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless and power-hungry General of the First Order who ordered the destruction of the Hosnian System and killed millions of people in the process. Yet he's also depicted as a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force whenever he displeases them, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst illegitimate heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His peers' already low opinion of him plummets further after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting [[HumiliationConga repeatedly kicked and knocked down]] in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. Further Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse expansions would also reveal that he was regularly abused by his father as a child, and was raised by Imperials who taught him to be ruthless and shaped him into the genocidal maniac seen in the movies. As noted in ''ComicBook/StarWarsAgeOfResistance'', his troubled past doesn't excuse the crimes he'd committed, but, given his upbringing, it is hard to see him become anything else.

* ''Film/TheStrangeThingAboutTheJohnsons'': While nowhere near as sympathetic as her husband, Joan is aware of the sexual abuse Isaiah forces onto Sidney, but is desperately trying to preserve the image of the perfect family, even if it means not taking action. After losing her husband to the accident, Joan is forced to [[OffingTheOffspring kill Isaiah]] when he tried to push her into the fireplace. She then burns Sidney's second memoir, keeping the family's dark secret to herself.

** Kylo Ren's rival / {{foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless General of the First Order who had destroyed the Hosnian System and killed millions of people. Yet he's also shown to be a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force whenever he displeases them, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst illegitimate heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His peers' already low opinion of him plummets further after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting [[HumiliationConga repeatedly kicked and knocked down]] in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. Further Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse expansions would also reveal that he was regularly abused by his father, and was raised by Imperials who taught him to be ruthless and shaped him into the genocidal maniac seen in the movies. As noted in ''ComicBook/StarWarsAgeOfResistance'', his troubled past doesn't excuse the crimes he'd committed, but, given his upbringing, it is hard to see him become anything else.

** Kylo Ren's rival / {{foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless General of the First Order who had destroyed the Hosnian System and killed millions of people. Yet he's also shown to be a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force whenever he displeases them, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst illegitimate heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His peers' already low opinion of him plummets further after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting [[HumiliationConga repeatedly kicked and knocked down]] in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. As his [[Creator/DomhnallGleeson actor]] puts it, Hux is a desperate man who is constantly on the edge of losing everything, and is willing to do ''anything'' to maintain his position.

** From the sequel trilogy, there is Vader's self-proclaimed successor and [[spoiler: grandson]], Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren/[[spoiler: Ben Solo]], despite being a dedicated warrior for the Dark Side, is shown to be a tormented, insecure individual, desperately trying to live up to Darth Vader's legacy. His confrontation with his father, Han, despite it ending with Ren crossing the MoralEventHorizon, shows Ren's inner conflict, and, depending on how you interpret the scene, may feature Ren asking his father to kill him before giving in to darkness and murdering him. His desperate, dishevelled state during the finale, thumping the wound in his side, makes him look like he's on the verge or even in the midst of a psychotic breakdown.
** Kylo Ren's rival / {{foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless General of the First Order who had destroyed the Hosnian System for housing the New Republic and killed millions of people. Yet he's also shown to be a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force whenever he displeases them, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His superiors' perception of him clearly plummets after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting repeatedly kicked and knocked down in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. As his [[Creator/DomhnallGleeson actor]] puts it, Hux is a desperate man who is constantly on the edge of losing everything, and is willing to do ''anything'' to maintain his position.

** Kylo Ren's rival / {[foil}}, Armitage Hux, also qualifies. He's a ruthless General of the First Order who had destroyed the Hosnian System for housing the New Republic and killed millions of people. Yet he's shown to be a NoRespectGuy who isn't well-liked even among the First Order ranks. Snoke and Kylo Ren frequently throws him around using the Force, while many of the other high ranking Officers despise him for his [[BastardAngst heritage]] and [[ImprobableAge relatively young age]]. His superiors' perception of him clearly plummets after he lost the Starkiller Base at the end of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', resulting in him getting repeatedly kicked and knocked down in ''Film/TheLastJedi''. As his [[Creator/DomhnallGleeson actor]] puts it, Hux is a desperate man who is constantly on the edge of losing everything, and is willing to do ''anything'' to maintain his position.

''Franchise/StarWars'':

* Darth Vader in ''Franchise/StarWars'' is responsible for many of the Empire's atrocities, particularly killing the Jedi. He did so in an attempt to save his wife from dying, but this ends up happening anyway as a result of his own actions. And (he thinks) his unborn child(ren) died with her. And before that, there was his mother. Then there's the fact that the whole galaxy hates him for trying to do the right thing. Emperor Palpatine convinced him that the Jedi were trying to overthrow the Galactic Republic and sends him visions of his wife dying, so Anakin tries to save her by learning the secrets of the Sith, only to be overcome by the Dark Side. Then he ends up Force choking his wife in anger, who later dies, his best friend dismembers him and leaves him to burn to death at the end of their fight, and he had the rest of his friends either killed or driven away. The only person he has left is his worst enemy, Palpatine - who got him into this mess to begin with - until he learns that his son, Luke Skywalker, is alive. JerkassWoobie indeed.
** From the sequel trilogy, Vader's [[spoiler: grandson]], Kylo Ren. Kylo Ren/[[spoiler: Ben Solo]], despite being a dedicated warrior for the Dark Side, is shown to be a tormented, insecure individual, desperately trying to live up to Darth Vader's legacy. His confrontation with his father, Han, despite it ending with Ren crossing the {{Moral Event Horizon}}, shows Ren's inner conflict, and, depending on how you interpret the scene, may feature Ren asking his father to kill him before giving in to darkness and murdering him. His desperate, dishevelled state during the finale, thumping the wound in his side, makes him look like he's on the verge or even in the midst of a psychotic breakdown.

** The sequel to ''Film/{{Thor}}'' brutally plays up his Woobie side for a while with his reaction to [[spoiler: Frigga's death]]. When he gets the news, he turns away from the messenger and seems to go into quiet contemplation, and suddenly radiates a kinetic blast that knocks down the chair and table in his cell. When Thor arrives to [[spoiler: break him out of jail]], he initially appears with his usual SmugSnake bitterness, and when Thor demands he stops, Loki's illusion pings away to reveal the truth: a physically and emotionally exhausted young man slumped against the wall in a disheveled mess, with his cell looking like a twister blew through, indicating that there was far more to his tantrum than what we were shown. Just to hammer the point home, one of the first things he asks Thor after the reveal is [[spoiler: "Did she suffer?"]].

* ''Film/GodsNotDead'': Professor Radisson is not only a {{Jerkass}} who forces his atheist beliefs on his students, but also patronizes his girlfriend for her Christian beliefs as well. Even despite all of this, it's not hard to feel sorry for him when you realize the reason for him being so against Christianity is because he lost his mother to cancer when he was only twelve years old. He was hopeless to save her, despite them both praying to God. It's clear that even though it happened years ago, he clearly hasn't gotten the help he needed. He starts slipping into UnintentionallySympathetic territory when the DesignatedHero of the story, Josh, exploits his trauma for winning a debate. He later realizes the error of his ways, and tries to apologize to his girlfriend. However, he's killed off before any CharacterDevelopment.

* ''Film/GodsNotDead'': Professor Radisson is not only a {{Jerkass}} who forces his atheist beliefs on his students, but also patronizes his girlfriend for her Christian beliefs as well. Even despite all of this, it's not hard to feel sorry for him when you realize the reason for him being so against Christianity is because he lost his mother to cancer when he was only twelve years old. He was hopeless to save her, despite them both praying to God. It's clear that even though it happened years ago, he clearly hasn't gotten the help he needed. He starts slipping into UnintentionallySympathetic territory when the DesignatedHero of the story, Josh, exploits his trauma for winning a debate. He later realizes the error of his ways, and tries to apologize to his girlfriend. However, he's killed off before any CharacterDevelopment.
* Quentin Beck/ Mysterio in ''Film/SpiderMan:FarFromHome'', who's greatest creation of holographic imagery was stolen by Tony Stark (and renamed B.A.R.F), and was even discredited for said creation. This was what later motivated him to bring him and his fellow hench-people (who were also discredited) to justice, even though their actions put so many innocent lives at stake.

* Quentin Beck/ Mysterio in ''Film/ Spider-ManFarFromHome,'' who's greatest creation of holographic imagery was stolen by Tony Stark (and renamed B.A.R.F), and was even discredited for said creation. This was what later motivated him to bring him and his fellow hench-people (who were also discredited) to justice, even though their actions put so many innocent lives at stake.

* ''Film/GodsNotDead'': Professor Radisson is not only a {{Jerkass}} who forces his atheist beliefs on his students, but also patronizes his girlfriend for her Christian beliefs as well. Even despite all of this, it's not hard to feel sorry for him when you realize the reason for him being so against Christianity is because he lost his mother to cancer when he was only twelve years old. He was hopeless to save her, despite them both praying to God. It's clear that even though it happened years ago, he clearly hasn't gotten the help he needed. He starts slipping into UnintentionallySympathetic territory when the DesignatedHero of the story, Josh, exploits his trauma for winning a debate. He later realizes the error of his ways, and tries to apologize to his girlfriend. However, he's killed off before any CharacterDevelopment.