Think about your top ten favorite films. How many times have you watched them? Movies undoubtedly evoke strong emotions inside of you; they make you cry, scream, laugh or feel better. Clearly, we all like to see heroes, but some people like to see Debra Winger facing cancer in Terms of Endearment and other people prefer Arnold Schwarzenegger kicking butt in The Terminator. These are very different types of heroes that communicate different messages about life, and that’s the idea that sparked our book, Cinescopes: What Your Favorite Movies Reveal About You. We created 16 personality types based on heroic archetypes and themes. Using your top ten movie list, you can discover which personality type you are by using the glossary in the book.
The first personality type is “Courageous Detective”. If it resonates with you, maybe you have what it takes to solve the world’s most challenging mysteries.
The Courageous Detective
Life’s little mysteries can be a real pain. The Courageous Detectives of the world lie awake at night tormented by questions: Where is that money buried? Who was that crazy blonde? Who was that dead guy? It’s the role of these brave heroes to scour dark places for answers, engaging in a game of cat-and-mouse with the enemy. Since there’s nothing these ingenious heroes value more than using brain power to solve a puzzle, they readily jump at the chance to find the mysterious woman, the bank robber, or the eccentric billionaire.
Detectives are sharp and intuitive; they possess a nearly psychic ability to see straight into the souls of others. Although they tend to take things seriously, they have a playful side that comes out when they feel like they’re on to a clue. No one is more determined to follow through on a job. This, however, can also be their undoing. Courageous Detectives often find themselves so obsessed with their nemesis that they begin to lose sight of everything else. They can drive themselves so hard that they begin to rip apart at the seams. In their fatigue, it’s easy for them to become confused and indecisive. Making errors in judgment can often lead to dangerous conclusions. Courageous Detectives always get their man… or woman. In the process, they’ve had to unwillingly let go of their assumptions and face the harsh reality of the truth. These insightful heroes know that only with knowledge can humans truly be set free. As a Courageous Detective would say: “We didn’t believe your story, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy, we believed your 200 dollars.”
Strengths
Watching someone mentally determined to unravel a tightly formed knot is an awe-inspiring experience. These heroes have the brain power that other people can only hope to possess. They know all the games people play and they can play them too, even though they’d much rather just stay at home and drink a scotch. They’ve got that kind of charismatic wit that throws the most accomplished performer off their game and makes the toughest criminal crack. They’ll shake up your world and leave you with a scorching one-liner to chew on.
Weaknesses
Using their brains this much hurts and leaves these heroes feeling worn out. But because of their burning need to complete an assignment as quickly as possible, these tenacious heroes will charge through even when they need a good night’s rest instead. Fatigue is their greatest enemy, and it causes these heroes to drop their guard when they need it most of all. It can also lead to momentary paralysis as indecision may overwhelm them. In these moments of weakness, Courageous Detectives may suddenly find themselves outmaneuvered.
Everyday Courageous Detectives
Everyday Detectives enjoy movies about people searching for the truth. They delight in watching a mystery unravel, and it gives them a sense of closure to see someone systematically expose others for what they truly are. In the end, they want their films to have a deep message and a big reveal that both shocks and puts you at ease about who the real bad guys are. Why do they favor these movies?
In real life, Courageous Detectives tend to take things very seriously, whether it’s work, relationships, or fun. They crave more justice in the world and enjoy scratching beneath the surface of people, situations, politics, and history; it appeals to their strong sense of curiosity. Perhaps the idea of chasing down a mystery thrills them because they secretly crave more danger in their everyday lives. Or perhaps they simply enjoy analyzing things until they fully understand them.
Despite their serious exteriors, Detectives have a playful side that emerges when they feel especially confident. They often laugh about the absurdity of life, and they’re the first to chuckle when someone makes a joke at their expense. Well… only if it’s a really good joke.
The Secret No One Knows
These no-nonsense heroes just want to let loose and have fun. Beneath glib remarks and stoic expressions, Courageous Detectives need someone who makes them crack a smile and laugh. That’s why finding a companion who can tease them out of their overthinking is essential. If they succeed, they may even start to believe that there truly are people in the world other than selfish greedy crooks… or are there?
Famous Courageous Detectives:
Film Noir: Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep), Jake Gittes (Chinatown), Holly
Martins (The Third Man), Mike Vargas (Touch of Evil)
Comedies: Nick and Nora (The Thin Man series), Frank Drebin (Naked Gun)
Action: James Bond (Goldfinger), Catherine Olds Banning (The Thomas Crown
Affair)
Thrillers: Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs), Davis Mills (Se7en), Det. John
Ferguson (Vertigo), Jeffrey Beaumont (Blue Velvet)
Dramas: Erin Brokovich (Erin Brokovich), Mary Maceachran (Gosford Park)
To find out what your type is, pick up a copy of Cinescopes: What Your Favorite Movies Reveal About You, code your top ten movie list and see which code prevails.
