The New Randall Boggs (post-redemption)?

[randallsnape7]

Hi.

I am wanting this thread to allow fans to speculate on the kind of things a guy like Randall would actually do with Mike and Sulley on a daily basis as lifelong friends, once ALL the apologies have been said, the heroics have played out, and Randall has FINALLY let go of his past. True, we'll still have to sort out the journey of redemption that must be seen in 'Monsters 3', but LOGICALLY... once Randall has finally risen above his past failures, burned his bridges behind him, and made his final, permanent commitment to the side of good, he is going to have to start LIVING his new life.

LOL: Yeah, Randall! This is the tough question: You've triumphed over evil, the monsters of Monstropolis are all pitching in to restore the factory, and YOU, my friend... are now standing still and silent between Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan out in the distance, in complete serenity... watching the sun set, and wondering what in the WORLD to do. You're now officially "stuck" with these two guys for the rest of your life!

So... Randall Boggs, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? Thank your new friends? Hug them? Play with them? Look at your scars (if you have any) and cry tears of joy? Look up at the sky and breath a sigh of relief? Go to the beach? Go to a movie? Read a book? Start a hobby like playing golf? Click your tongue and whistle? All of the above?

The end of 'Monsters 3' will obviously have to show the start of Randall's glorious, peaceful future with Mike and Sulley. What do you think this will entail?

[pitvipersnake]

I've thought about this quite a lot. Immediately after whatever brings back to Monstropolis and causes him Sulley and Mike to make amends Randall will probably still need counselling if not hospitalisation to get over all his mental disorders because that can take years.
But after he was better he would need to get a new job. I'm certain Randall wouldn't want to become a comedian. He probably wouldn't want to work at Monsters Inc. (or any scream/laughter factory) at all after all the bad memories he has of it.
I don't imagine him wanting to work in a shop or anything like that. I did wonder if he might go back to Monsters University to do a postgraduate course with a view to either going into research or becoming one of the lecturers there.

[randallsnape7]

Ahem... again with that? If it's hospitalization or possibly even surgery to tend to any physical injuries Randall may have, I'd say yes, that's in the cards... but years of therapy with a psychiatrist? I'm sorry, folks, but um... Disney is simply not gonna go for that. There are... there are certain things you can expect and not expect from a Disney animated film. Plus, the context of such a thing at the end of 'Monsters 3' would make the film VERY anti-climactic... I honestly don't care if people think it makes sense or not. From a professional, filmmaking perspective, it would be an awful drag with NO purpose whatsoever. (I've watched DVD features before on countless movies on many different occasions, and I can tell you to the best of my knowledge, no filmmaker on 'Monsters' would do this.)

You'd be more likely to see Mike hold a tongue-and-cheek counseling session with Randall in these 'Monsters' films for kicks than suddenly see Randall discuss his whole life in a counselor's office with a complete stranger we've never seen before in the 'Monsters' series! I'm not making any kind of a negative statement on psychiatry itself, I'm just saying that... that's simply not Disney's style. Would a real human like Randall need to meet with a psychiatrist regularly? Most likely... but Randall himself? No.

Keeping within the pacing demands of an animated film like 'Monsters 3', Randall's ONLY job is to make up with Mike and Sulley, save their lives (or all of Monstropolis), then start living his new life and enjoying an everlasting friendship. I've seen a ton of animated films, and as far as the good ones go... that's simply how it will play out. I don't even have to wonder. If this were to bug those who study psychology and would find inconsistencies in Randall's development, they could simply start expressing their opinions online like we're doing now.

P.S. Randall going back to Monsters University as a teacher or lecturer sounds like a possibility... eventually.

[pitbulllady]

We STILL need to know more about Randall's background, though, before he came to MU and certainly before he worked at MI. IF the audience in general is going to accept him as one of the "good guys", they will need to know more about his real motives, what makes him tick, than some shallow assumption that "he is just a social climber who thinks he's too good to be friends with someone like Mike" or "he's just jealous" or "he just started hating Sulley because Sulley beat him in the Scare Games". There's more to it than that, and I sincerely believe that in order for Randall to ever be seen as a sympathetic character, to convince the people who still are not Randall fans, then we have to see more of where he came from.

While I agree that Disney is not going to focus on Randall undergoing years of therapy, that still does need to be mentioned, at least. It will make Randall, and indeed the entire franchise, into a "Loony Toons" sort of character if the audience sees that he has emerged from that beating completely unscathed, physically or emotionally. It will also negate any sense of guilt that either Mike or Sulley-especially Sulley, as I doubt Mike is capable of guilt for the most part-would feel about what happened to him. Audiences do need to see at least some of the struggles that Randall goes through on his path towards healing, and that is especially true for those who dislike him. It's going to be harder for them to sympathize with him, even if he DOES do something heroic, unless they can see that vulnerable side.

Now, as for a job at MI, I guess that would hinge on how well he and Sulley could patch things up. Keep in mind that although the original focused on collecting Scream energy, later Laugh energy, that corporation would employ literally hundreds of thousands of individuals, not just Comedians now. Randall has already proven his ability in being able to develop and assemble new technology and with machinery, so perhaps there would be a place for him in either Research and Development or in the Maintenance Dept. SOMEONE has to oversee all that machinery and help keep it running, and there will always be a need for new products and technology. It really would be a matter of both Randall and Sulley putting their own pride aside, and THAT will hinge upon whatever goes down that requires them both to work together for a common good, to save their world or whatever. Randall at least does have other skills he can fall back on, something that a lot of former Scarers might not have going for them.
On that "save the world topic", a recent interview with one of the people I most admire, Physicist Dr. Michio Kaku, reminded me of a very good reason why many humans would want to gain access to the Monster World. It's not for the monsters themselves, but for one particular bit of technology that they possess, which we don't. I'm referring to "wormhole technology", the ability to manipulate and open, at will, portals linking various parallel worlds, and even to allow movement from one part of any given world to another part of that same world, spontaneously. The applications for that are endless, and in the wrong hands, it would prove a devastating tool. Think of what that would mean, just for us, if a rogue government or group obtained that technology, and only they had it. It might not just be the Monster World that would need saving if that were to happen.

pitbulllady

[randallsnape7]

Interesting thoughts.

1). VERY poignant statement about Randall! We DO need to know more about where he came from, and I think we need to see Randall where he was emotionally BEFORE he attended Monsters University. As anyone knows, getting to college isn't easy - you have to be accepted. If audiences were to see Randall as a simple teen with hopes and dreams like anyone else, and simply wanting to contribute to the world, that would open people's eyes. I'm almost certain that being accepted at Monsters University made Randall VERY happy. Any problems he would have had prior to that would have been held at bay at least for a while... he was probably a brilliant student who made top grades in Monster school, but never really socialized with anyone in particular (again... much like Snape). Going to Monsters University was DEFINITELY an honor for Randall, which probably made his failure at the Scare Games all the more devastating... Randall didn't deserve that.

2). The unique power technology that the monsters have would definitely be an incentive for Humans to vist the Monster World, but at the same time, I don't think any of us would want to see just humans in general invading the Monster World just to seize their technology, as this would make the majority of humans in the Human World look bad. (To me, that also kind of hints at the Science-Fiction 'Man playing God' factor that occurs in some films, which could easily be blown out of proportion if done the wrong way, and for a Disney film, that COULD possibly offend some viewers.) I know the science of technology is interesting, and in the 'Monsters' films, it's intriguing, but I still think my idea of two punk teenagers obsessed with a Monster-killing video game and rap music would be... (how shall I say it?) ... the least controversial form of oppression to the monsters. Technology can still play a major role... but it's safe to say that I do NOT think it should 'steer the boat' of the whole thing.

[pitbulllady]

We know nothing of Randall's background prior to MU, and can only infer up to this point. We get to actually SEE at least one incident from Mike's childhood, before college, and see what started his obsession with becoming a Scarer, saw one of his idols, saw his struggles against everyone else thinking he was crazy for wanting to be a Scarer. Pixar also created a very poignant rough-animated scene from Sulley's childhood, showing his father moving out and driving away in a pickup truck in the rain, and a sobbing kid Sulley running after that truck until he could run no more and just standing there in a pouring rain watching that tailgate disappear from view. They eventually left out all the scenes from Sulley's childhood and cut Mike's down to just one, but that scene explained why Sulley has that douchebag personality in MU, to hide those painful memories. Pixar even provides a very strong hint of a not-so-pleasant father-son relationship for Johnny in the "Art of Monsters University" book, as an explanation for why HE acts like a jerk, but we have absolutely NO solid information about Randall's childhood, his family, etc. All we know is that he's nervous, lacks confidence, he's sweet and caring, he seems a bit old-fashioned, and he is desperate to make friends and be accepted. We don't really know WHY he's like that, though.

pitbulllady

[randallsnape7]

To pitbulllady:

Another post-redemption thought: From a therapeutic and emotional standpoint, given everything Randall has gone through, I think by the end of 'Monsters 3', Randall would be in need of a calm, relaxing vacation with Mike and Sulley, which I personally think would be the best note to end the film on... like the very last scene.

In the Human World, people who get annual vacation time from months of their daily work usually take advantage of those vacation holidays to spend time with friends and family... usually during the summer holidays. I'm basically assuming that MI: Monsters Incorporated would technically function the same way. Assuming that by the end of 'Monsters 3', Randall has truly let go of the past and befriended Mike and Sulley, do you think if he got summer vacation time off from work like humans, Randall Boggs would be willing to take a vacation with Mike and Sulley? Is that something he could "be cool" with?

To be honest, I truly cannot get this image out of my head of Randall, Mike, and Sulley taking a week-long vacation together by themselves, like to an island resort or something, or the 'monster' equivalent of the Hawaiian Islands. I think it would give them quality time together as friends, and again, from an emotional standpoint, I think an island getaway would be VERY good for Randall. The image is just stuck on my brain! It won't go away!

This was REALLY where my thoughts were when I created this thread. I personally think that Randall needs to take an island vacation with Mike and Sulley in the end. Since it's obvious that Randall has NEVER had a vacation in his life, I can't help but smile and wonder how he would approach the whole concept: Which parts of a vacation would be foreign to him? Would Mike and Sulley be able to convince Randall to come along? Could Randall truly relax himself and have the time of his life?

I personally think it's a great idea... please tell me your thoughts!

[pitbulllady]

Mar 6, 2014 22:16:44 GMT -5 randallsnape7 said:

To pitbulllady:

Another post-redemption thought: From a therapeutic and emotional standpoint, given everything Randall has gone through, I think by the end of 'Monsters 3', Randall would be in need of a calm, relaxing vacation with Mike and Sulley, which I personally think would be the best note to end the film on... like the very last scene.

In the Human World, people who get annual vacation time from months of their daily work usually take advantage of those vacation holidays to spend time with friends and family... usually during the summer holidays. I'm basically assuming that MI: Monsters Incorporated would technically function the same way. Assuming that by the end of 'Monsters 3', Randall has truly let go of the past and befriended Mike and Sulley, do you think if he got summer vacation time off from work like humans, Randall Boggs would be willing to take a vacation with Mike and Sulley? Is that something he could "be cool" with?

To be honest, I truly cannot get this image out of my head of Randall, Mike, and Sulley taking a week-long vacation together by themselves, like to an island resort or something, or the 'monster' equivalent of the Hawaiian Islands. I think it would give them quality time together as friends, and again, from an emotional standpoint, I think an island getaway would be VERY good for Randall. The image is just stuck on my brain! It won't go away!

This was REALLY where my thoughts were when I created this thread. I personally think that Randall needs to take an island vacation with Mike and Sulley in the end. Since it's obvious that Randall has NEVER had a vacation in his life, I can't help but smile and wonder how he would approach the whole concept: Which parts of a vacation would be foreign to him? Would Mike and Sulley be able to convince Randall to come along? Could Randall truly relax himself and have the time of his life?

I personally think it's a great idea... please tell me your thoughts!

Assuming that Mike is still in a relationship with Celia Mae, though, he'd probably MUCH rather go on a nice, extended vacation with HER than either Randall or Sulley, wouldn't you think? Now that IS an assumption...perhaps Celia Mae has wised up and seen through Mike's "Googly Bear" disguise and dumped him, but who knows? I've known women to stick with guys that were even worse than Mike. It would be nice to see the three of them, plus Celia Mae(if she's still hanging around), and any other friends they've made along the way doing SOMETHING fun together, though, like the company picnic, perhaps, and to see Randall FINALLY included in the festivities rather than treated like an outcast.

pitbulllady

[randallsnape7]

We know Celia Mae will still be in there somewhere, but there would be a HUGE problem if Celia accompanied Mike, Sulley, and Randall: BAIT!!! Mike would spend almost the ENTIRE vacation talking lovey-dovey to Celia, thereby ignoring Randall as a friend (possibly even SULLEY, too), and causing a VERY unneeded distraction overall. Mike "Googly-bear" Wazowski is self-centered enough as it is!

Celia going on a vacation with Mike, Sulley, and Randall??? UGH.... let's not give Mike that kind of satisfaction!!! LOL

[pitbulllady]

Mar 7, 2014 13:09:12 GMT -5 randallsnape7 said:

We know Celia Mae will still be in there somewhere, but there would be a HUGE problem if Celia accompanied Mike, Sulley, and Randall: BAIT!!! Mike would spend almost the ENTIRE vacation talking lovey-dovey to Celia, thereby ignoring Randall as a friend (possibly even SULLEY, too), and causing a VERY unneeded distraction overall. Mike "Googly-bear" Wazowski is self-centered enough as it is!

Celia going on a vacation with Mike, Sulley, and Randall??? UGH.... let's not give Mike that kind of satisfaction!!! LOL

It's no coincidence that last night after reading this I had this dream where Mike, Randall and Sulley all go on a fishing trip to patch things up, and it was Johnny who was the catalyst behind this, offering the three of them one of his family's fish/hunt camps down in the Monster World version of Louisiana. Isolated place on a lovely bayou, beautiful trees and glorious fishing. The three of them are expecting some swank place, knowing how much money the Worthingtons have at their disposal, but when they arrive they find the place is just like most south Louisiana fish camps-it's a shack, basically, that floats on pontoons near the shore. No phone, no indoor toilet, tin roof, powered by a portable generator that you have to hook up to a Scream/Laugh canister. The latter is too strong and overloads the breaker box, so they have to try to find Scream canisters for power. Mike got the worst of it because he, unlike the other two, is a city boy through and through. The main highlights I can recall is a slow fishing day when nothing was biting(except mosquitoes) and Sulley says, "time for Plan B" and removes the top shelves of his tackle box to reveal a secret compartment in the bottom, which is full of M-80's, and Randall looks over at and says, "I see you bought your redneck fishing tackle", while Mike is having a hissy fit about them getting caught as Sulley and Randall light up M-80s and chuck them into the water and then send Mike out in a skiff to collect the fish floating on the surface, and Mike is all grossed out by how the fish feel and hates to have to touch them. At some point an alligator winds up using the "porch" of the shack to sun itself and causes the entire shack to start tipping into the water from its weight and the three monsters have no idea how to make it leave, then Randall gets the bright idea to throw some sort of food items that Mike had attempted to cook the previous night(which were a disaster-I think he and Randall got into an showdown about whose cooking was best and Mike lost), which scared the alligator away. And somehow Mike winds up catching a catfish and even after being warned by both Sulley and Randall to be careful handling it, he tries to show off and just grabs it and gets "finned', causing his hand to swell up like a balloon! There was some sort of threat, someone or something that was after all three, or some scary thing that they had to deal with, but I am not clear on just what it was.

pitbulllady

[randallsnape7]

Sounds like a Pixar short film that would happen after 'Monsters 3'!

[randallsnape7]

You are right, pitbullady. I am also 100% convinced that near the climax of 'Monsters 3', when that true 'reversal of fortune' plays out, the audience needs to see more of where Randall came from, through a series of flashbacks. It would be really nice to see Randall as a very young child, smiling and having fun BEFORE the humiliations and rejections he encounters in his life. The flashbacks need to show Randall in a warm and endearing light... that is essential. Seeing Randall as, by nature, a sweet, fun-loving monster with a kind soul would make it more believable for the audience to see Randall relaxed and carefree later at the end of the movie, acting as a best buddy to both Mike and Sulley as the story wraps up.

Without a backstory, seeing Randall's personality change would probably ring hollow for most audiences, which is why it's necessary to have a flashback, or a series of flashbacks that ultimately redefine exactly who Randall Boggs is as a person.