Character Analysis: Wallace Wells
By: Brian Cotnoir
I’m not as big a fan
of comics as many people, but there are some comics I’m rather fond of. One of my favorite comics is Bryan Lee
O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comics. I’ve always identified with the titular title
character, Scott, so much. I mean we’re
both socially awkward Canadians in their mid-20’s who play the bass, and have
an evil ex-girlfriend who’s a singer...you can’t be more relatable than
that. I’m also a huge fan of the movie
based on O’Malley’s comics, so I asked my friends to pick a character from the
Scott Pilgrim universe for me to write an analysis on, and by overwhelming
request they I chosen Wallace Wells as the Character for my Analysis. Now, just to clarify, I’m only doing an
analysis on Wallace from the film version, and not the Wallace from O’Malley’s
comics (because they do have some significant differences).
CHARACTER: Wallace
Wells from “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
(2010)
Wallace Wells is the “cool gay roommate” of Scott Pilgrim in
both the comics and the film. Although,
not state in the film, it is revealed in the comics that Wallace has a day job
working in an office. He shares a very
tiny apartment with Scott and more or less pays for everything they have. He and Scott even have to share a mattress on
the floor. Wallace cares about, Scott
but also teases him a lot. It is Wallace
who rats out Scott to his younger sister Stacy, and tells him that he is dating
a 17-year-old girl named Knives Chau.
Wallace in the film is also a fun loving bachelor in the film. At the first battle of the bands he steals
Stacy’s date, Jimmy, away from her.
Judging by Stacy’s reaction, in the film, this is not the first time
Wallace has done it. Wallace is a key
figure in helping Scott train, figure out a battle strategy, and the locations
of some of Romona’s seven evil ex’s.
Wallace also helps Scott deal with his breakup with Envy Adams which
shows that he does care for his friend Scott.
And despite his own promiscuous behavior in the film, Wallace tells
Scott that if he will tell Ramona the truth about him already having if a
girlfriend unless he breaks up with Knives.
THE ACTOR:
Wallace Wells is played by actor Kieran Culkin who is the
younger brother of former child star, Macaulay Culkin. He was absolutely hilarious in this
role. Culkin’s brother, Macaulay, played
a gay character in the film “Party Monster”, and was very overly flamboyant
& stereotypical with his role, so it was nice to see that Kieran took a
more subtle approach to his role.
CHARACTER
IS SIMILAR TO OR INSPIRED BY:
According to the Comics creator, Bryan Lee O’Malley, Wallace is
based off his former roommate Christopher Butcher, who is the co-founder
PopImage; a website all about comics. I
also believe that Wallace is your typical mentor character. He’s the guy sent
to there to help the hero/protagonist train and achieve their goal. I’d put Wallace in the same category as Mr. Miyagi
from “The Karate Kid”, Phil from “Hercules” (1997), and Paulie from the “Rocky” franchise.
Wallace Wells from "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World"
Paulie from the "Rocky" Franchise
FATE OF THE
CHARACTER:
After Scott’s final battle at the Chaos Theater, we don’t really
find out what happens to Wallace, at least in the film. In the comics we find out that he is dating
and living with his boyfriend, Mobile (who does not appear in the film), who is
a psychic.
