The Kilted Writer

Here's another romantic comedy that relies heavily on mind, body, and spirit interactions. This movie actually has three layers of mind, body, and spirit - the main characters, Peter Colt's family, and...well, see if you can find the third. The Mind Character: Peter Colt (Paul Bettany) Peter Colt introduces himself as the 119th-ranked tennis player in the world. To him, this only means there are 118 players who are younger, stronger, and faster. As a result, he doesn't dream about being better. Instead, he plans on a happy retirement and a cushy job as a pro at a tennis club. As he prepares for his first match at Wimbledon, he goes over everything that got him there: 1000 balls/day, 365 days/year - 6 million balls and "it all comes done to this." After he serves an ace, he says, "Another 71 like it and you've got it in the bag." In a later round, when he is injured, he doesn't dig deep into his soul to find the will to win. He...

No, not the Chaucer version, though Chaucer does come into the mix. This post covers the film, "A Knight's Tale," starring Heath Ledger. In this movie, the different character types are crystal clear. The primary characters can be identified within a couple of minutes of the film's opening. This movie actually has two layers of mind, body, and spirit characters, but I will address both layers together rather than doing separate posts. The Spirit Characters: William (Heath Ledger) and Jocelyn ( Shannyn Sossamon) William, a squire who masquerades as Sir Ulrich to compete in jousts, is the lead protagonist and Jocelyn is the object of his affections. William begins the film by leaping into the joust after his lord dies mid-competition, despite the fact he has no noble lineage or training. If discovered, he could be imprisoned or executed. The theme for his character throughout the film is the desire to 'change his stars,' and this is the fir...