Dr. Norm Spellman: Hero Wannabe

Look! A video that runs through all of the "Norm Moments!"

He really is your typical nerd, not very good social skills, but seems to know EVERYTHING. When Norm first arrives to Pandora, he seems to be the promising one out of the pair of newbies to help with the Na'vi relations. However, just like in every other movie, the nerd, who does everything right and according to plan, gets beat out by the "cool guy"

Norm did everything right, he followed all the rules, he followed the steps needed to get into the Avatar program, and he had the knowledge needed to succeed on Pandora. Yet, even though he has been working his whole life towards this goal to be an Avatar, all of his ambitions are swept away by this big hot shot Jake Sully who has none of the preperations that he has. And really, Jake only succeeds through a stroke of luck. He was the one that got chased into the jungle by a big Rino-thing and was left to be saved by the Na'vi. If it was Norm who was left in the jungle over night, he may have been in Jake's shoes (and he may have even served his purpose better) But... since this movie is just like any other movie, the cool guy is the one who always has to get the girl.

Norm is constantly undermined, both by Grace (the badass nerd) and by Jake (the idiot) he just acts as a side character to show how well Jake is improving. Grace rudely calls out "Keep up Norm" referring to his inability to do well physically in the jungles of Pandora. Jake follows up with his army-talk "Keep moving" as if Norm was distracted from the goal that they are there for.

Norm goes through a transformation through the movie, just like any other dynamic character. But his transformation is in the background, with very little focus. His transformation can be seen by his clothing throughout the movie. When he first enters Pandora his attire is that of a non-fasionable awkward outfitted nerd and stays that way through most of the movie, until he stands up against the 'norm' (tehe) and for what he thinks is right, which ends him up in a jail cell. When they break out, suddlenly Norm is wearing a wife beater (where did he get that!?!)and Trudy throws him a gun! (oh look! could that mean he is suddenly man enough to carry a gun?!) Suddenly, Norm turns into a Jake wanna-be. And that is the furthest extent that he can become, because he is just too far into the game to become someone like Jake. He had to throw away all of the rules he has followed, and everything he has done to become what he was always working towards.

In the end, Norm looses his Avatar, (it gets shot during the big battle scene... again, he just isn't good enough to survive) and everything he worked for is gone. During the conclusion of the movie, the only moment give to him is when he watches the Humans walk out of Pandora, holding a gun and wearing army gear. What he does in Pandora without his Avatar, it is never specified but its gotta suck being the only human alive on Pandora.

Its interesting to me how in every movie, they always make the nerd out to be the one that is not fit to be a hero, or the change maker, when in reality, it is the nerds who are the world-changers; People like Steve Jobs, and Bill Gates. People who change the world for good, and not to corrupt the government further... Its sad to me that movies always make the cool (self focused) guys out to be the hero, when in reality the cool guys don't do much to make the world a better place. Why must we glorify the idiots!?!