# Movie where main character is dead before the movie begins(SPOILERS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2004, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278 "2004-02-15T01:23:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/61 "2004-02-17T23:06:46Z")
> [@wnorthr](#): > > Did “Things to do in Denver when you’re dead” start with a dead guy? It depends. Do you believe that Jimmy his buckwheats? I’m not convinced that he did. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/62 "2004-02-17T23:08:06Z")
> [@adam yax](#): > > It depends. Do you believe that Jimmy his buckwheats? I’m not convinced that he did. Do you believe that Jimmy **GOT** his buckwheats? ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/63 "2004-02-17T23:46:09Z")
> [@rimshotgdansk](#): > > \*\*\*I \* \*\* knew where you were going, **Ferrous** , and I thought it was hilarious. Don’t ever change. Ah, sweet validation! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/64 "2004-02-17T23:48:12Z")
**The Name of the Rose** is narrated by Christian Slater’s character in his old age. The entire movie is a flashback, and the main character (played by Sean Connery) is already dead. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/65 "2004-02-18T00:01:05Z")
Also, **The Road Warrior**. The last line from the narrator is “He lives now only in my memory.” ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/66 "2004-02-18T00:04:39Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Also, **The Road Warrior**. > > The last line from the narrator is “He lives now only in my memory.” I know I’m going to be beaten for this, but wasn’t there a sequel? ---
**Author:** ![Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raymond_luxury_yacht/32/4099_2.png) [@Raymond\_Luxury\_Yacht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raymond_Luxury_Yacht)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/67 "2004-02-18T05:16:36Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Would _D.O.A._ count? Sorta? Dennis Quaid is narrating the movie in his dying gasps… Don’t you mean [D.O.A.](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042369/)? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Albium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@Albium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albium)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/68 "2004-02-18T05:38:04Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > For the sake of arguement, I’ll say no. > > But that was a kewl movie, nonetheless. Donnie Darko is out, then? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/69 "2004-02-18T05:38:19Z")
Weekend at Bernie’s II? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/70 "2004-02-18T05:44:22Z")
> [@Albium](#): > > Donnie Darko is out, then? 😉 Yep, even moreso then 12 monkeys. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/71 "2004-02-18T05:51:01Z")
My votes: to Bobby: Boy, you’re teasin’ the gorilla in the monkey house. If you weren’t my son I’d hug you. to Luanne: Damn it girl, every time I think you’ve said the dummest thing you could ever say you keep talking! * * * Miscellaneous: Butane is a bastard gas. Hank: So, are you Chinese or Japanese? Kahn Souphanousinphone: I lived in Arizona for the past 20 years. I’m originally from Laos. Hank Hill: So, are you Chinese or Japanese? ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/72 "2004-02-18T05:53:28Z")
Uh… I have no idea how in the hell that just happened. I wasn’t even looking at this thread… sorry. ---
**Author:** ![brainfizz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/da6949/32.png) [@brainfizz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainfizz)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/73 "2004-02-18T13:35:06Z")
What about **Weekend At Bernies** and its sequel? Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned that! The only movie I know that features a corpse as its headline star! ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/74 "2004-02-18T14:17:10Z")
> [@meanyblue](#): > > “The Man Who Never Was”…the character was dead and fictional… That’s a clever choice…but was he dead at the beginning of the movie? Didn’t he die during the course of the movie? ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/75 "2004-02-18T14:20:04Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > I know I’m going to be beaten for this, but wasn’t there a sequel? There was no sequel to **The Road Warrior**. Oh, and how about **Amadeus** , which is told by Salieri in flashback? ---
**Author:** ![Rocketeer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocketeer/32/4437_2.png) [@Rocketeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rocketeer)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/76 "2004-02-18T14:23:20Z")
Whoops, someone had already mentioned **Amadeus**. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/77 "2004-02-18T18:47:11Z")
Isn’t Bette Midlers character already dead at the beginning of **Drowning Mona**? If so that qualifies. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Bongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a9adbd/32.png) [@Winston\_Bongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Bongo)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/78 "2004-02-18T22:54:00Z")
In **Human Nature** , the first time we see Tim Robbins’ character, he’s already dead. Sure, he’s sitting at a table, talking, with a bleeding bullethole in his head, but he’s definitely dead. The movie then goes into flashbacks, and ends by showing how he died. Also, if we’re including films where the protagonist _may_ be dead but he (and the viewer) isn’t sure, then I nominate **Waking Life**. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/79 "2004-02-18T23:21:39Z")
> [@brainfizz](#): > > What about **Weekend At Bernies** and its sequel? Can’t believe nobody’s mentioned that! Ah, but I did… ---
**Author:** ![Balduran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cc9497/32.png) [@Balduran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balduran)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278/80 "2004-02-19T00:03:14Z")
**Simon Birch** , narrated by the main character while visiting Simon’s grave. **Stand By Me**? narrated by the grown up character played by Wil Weaton as a kid? I think it was after reading about River Phoenix’s character dying. Well, he was one of the major characters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-where-main-character-is-dead-before-the-movie-begins-spoilers/229278.md?page=5)