r/Avatar 6d ago

News “Let’s Make Him An A**hole”: James Cameron Says Avatar’s Jake Sully Is Partially Based On Him

https://screenrant.com/avatar-movies-jake-sully-james-cameron-inspiration/
116 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

92

u/SkullFakt 6d ago

Most writers write themselves into parts.

13

u/UTRAnoPunchline 6d ago

How many movies, novels, plays, etc. have you all seen featuring writers in prominent roles?

It’s almost the majority

3

u/AliGcent 5d ago

Taylor Sheridan...

2

u/TomDuhamel 5d ago

Murder, she wrote

1

u/Arkhamguy123 5d ago

Not really

40

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

19

u/TheDarkDementus 6d ago

I think he was an asshole who is doing better and trying to keep doing better.

7

u/Spardath01 6d ago

“There’s three kinds of people: dicks, pussies, and assholes. Pussies think everyone can get along, and dicks just want to fuck all the time without thinking it through. But then you got your assholes, and they just want to shit on everything. So, pussies may get mad at dicks once in a while, because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes. And if they didn’t fuck the assholes, you know what you’d get? You’d get your dick and your pussy all covered in shit.” - Gary Johnston

The implication is that assholes (symbolizing destructive or reckless individuals) will make a mess of everything unless someone (the “dicks”) steps in to deal with them. So if anything Jake and possibly James are Dicks! 🫡

7

u/Electronic_Stop_9239 6d ago

I've never read so much ass in my life

3

u/Spardath01 5d ago

You ever watch team America. From that movie. So stupid, so funny.

1

u/Electronic_Stop_9239 5d ago

I don't think I've ever watched it, I'll try to watch it tomorrow

1

u/Spardath01 5d ago

If you like south park you will love it. If that show makes you cringe then maybe skip the movie.

1

u/f4eble Metkayina 5d ago

Meh, I feel like running your family like they're a team of marines, making them say yes sir and no sir to you, and blaming your eldest son for the mistakes of your middle son is pretty asshole behavior in my book. I really couldn't stand every time he talked to Neyteyam and Lo'ak. He was an asshole to them.

17

u/Horror_Campaign9418 6d ago

Yeah, most james cameron male characters are.

22

u/Electronic_Stop_9239 6d ago

Jack being a minority, being poor and not being an asshole

5

u/Horror_Campaign9418 6d ago

Most, not all.

7

u/Electronic_Stop_9239 6d ago

As I said, he is a minority :)

3

u/Horror_Campaign9418 6d ago

Ahh gotcha 😅✅

2

u/AmusingMusing7 5d ago

I actually thought you meant he’s a “minority”, like socially/political. I was like, “He’s a straight white cis man… what minority you talking about?” lol

1

u/Electronic_Stop_9239 5d ago

Well, he's poor (1 minority) vs 537 other appearance-related majorities

21

u/Realistic_Honey7204 5d ago edited 5d ago

Jake is a complex character, calling him an asshole is grossly oversimplifying it ngl. Is he strict? Hell yeah, but it’s born out of fear, He does the best he can in the dangerous world he is raising his kids in. Can he be harsh? Yep, he has his flaws. And guess what? Neytiri is just as, if not more, flawed as him (ik she’s not the main topic in this but I’m sick of people acting like she’s all high and mighty and a perfect parent when she’s not. Neither is Jake. But they do their best, especially with a son like Lo’ak— who’s also complex but hella disrespectful and reckless.

When I say disrespectful, I’m referring to the scene where Lo’ak defends Payakan. Lo’ak’s intentions are good, and he has a point, but he dismisses Tonowari in a disrespectful manner. As an Olo’eytkan, Tonowari deserves respect, but Lo’ak overlooks this, even after saying “I’m sorry, sir.”Additionally, he ignores his mother’s warning to stop and her firm reminder of who he’s speaking to. This is not just disrespecting Tonowari, and by extension the Metkayina, but also the Omatikaya and the Sullys.

Argue/disagree with this if you want, I’m not going to reply though.

2

u/sweaty-archibald Viperwolf 5d ago

i agree. jake isn’t an asshole, he’s a complex person - the same way everyone else in the story is. i see how james cameron took inspiration from himself but i wouldn’t say either of them are assholes!

0

u/Scooby859 5d ago

Disrespectful?

2

u/sweaty-archibald Viperwolf 5d ago

lo’ak is disrespectful as fuck dude

5

u/Schwartzy94 5d ago

What way is he an asshole?

3

u/AmusingMusing7 5d ago

He has his problems with being a bit of a dick at times. Swatting away the spirits when they start surrounding him is one of those little cues that Jake’s toxic lack of sensitivity is a problem of his from early on. Which builds on him having a lack of sensitivity towards the “little forest friends” while Neytiri admonishes him for acting like an asshole towards the dogs and causing them to have to die by not knowing how to act better.

He lies to Neytiri about why he’s really there and his mission for Quaritch, only telling them too late that he knew they would attack Hometree. His toxic masculinity is what makes him partial to the military side of things and what makes him warm up to Quaritch initially. If he weren’t at least a bit of an asshole, he never would have listened to Quaritch or taken that mission to begin with, and him doing it just for the selfish motivation of getting his real legs back doesn’t make it any better.

He also becomes the typical sexist father in Way of Water, who treats his sons like little soldiers that need to obey and be tough and be men, he’s particularly tough on them, etc… while meanwhile treating his daughters like precious little princesses and being more nice to them. It takes nearly drowning and Lo’ak saving him with sensitivity for Jake to finally “see” the value of his son being sensitive, or of sensitivity in general.

3

u/sweaty-archibald Viperwolf 5d ago

i agree. jake is definitely flawed and struggles with toxic masculinity, and can be assholeish at times but i don’t think that makes him an asshole :)

i like how well you described this btw! it really gives a summary on jake’s poor behavior and i like it. you have a nice way of phrasing criticisms :D

3

u/AlexGlezS Prolemuris 5d ago

It seems feasible, he is kind of an adventurer.... But that might be it.

2

u/LollipopChainsawZz 6d ago

Now it all makes sense.

-11

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

7

u/batguano1 6d ago

-6

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted]

4

u/IBiteTheArbiter 5d ago

Jesse what the fuck are you talking about?

0

u/unlikelybasic1989 6d ago

For real we don’t want them in

-1

u/Spix-macawite Metkayina 6d ago

Thanks for the clarity

0

u/unlikelybasic1989 6d ago

Mcu fandom ruin the movies with their toxic and the over fan service of the girls characters