Sean O'Connell: discuss...

One of the greatest imaginary photographers in the history of people pretending to be photographers in films partially about photography is Sean O'Connell in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (the 2013 remake). It was played partially for laughs and partially with an eye to not making any sense at all by Sean Penn who is not be confused with Sean Bean, Mr. Bean, or the Sean O'Connell who retired from Mixed Marital Arts in 2018 with a record of 21 wins and 10 losses according to Google who rank him the most popular Sean O'Connell in the world today according to an algorithm.

The question is: as a photographer or photographers, how many times did you actually or merely want to throw your remote through the TV while watching and/or listening to Sean Penn, who is both actual and an actual photographer, pretend to be a Sean O'Connell the imaginary photographer not the MMA chap?

Or, perhaps you sighed and clapped your hands in admiration when he almost took a picture of a snow leopard? Please discuss the wisdom of Sean O'Connell below.

I know a Seán O'Connell, who lives down the road but he's not into photography, just sheep farming.
On a Saturday night, he might practice a bit of mixed martial arts, depending on how many he had in the pub.

It's been a while. All I can see is Spicoli sitting behind a Nikon with a huge bong attached .... did that happen?

the original and the remake were pretty good,
the guy acted like every other landscaper and wildlife person I have met
no issues with her performance...

don no fish tanking happened in the remake
they left the bus at the basecamp and did it before the hike
the best line in the film was when he looked at his brah and said
"you should not photograph the snow leopard on luuuudes"

“If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.”

“If I like a moment, for me, personally, I don't like to have the distraction of the camera. I just want to stay in it.”

That's a very, very valid philosophy, and certainly a Zen sort of deal. But, you don't get you a lot of photos.

Well, yes. Steve Conrad, who also wrote Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Wonder, is positing our man as having ascended Mount Olympus (or Nikon) and, not wanting to stop, just kept going . . . into a rarified state of zen supra-photography. In that moment, Sean O'Connell outgrows photography; leaves behind mere carnal thoughts of capture; surrenders the ego, and achieves oneness with a larger reality. What a silly man, and what a silly scene. If he didn't want the distraction of the camera, why did he lug several bodies, a kit bag of massive, fast telephoto lenses and a flaming huge tripod up and down mountains for weeks on end? I can certainly see how that would be a distraction - much, much more of a distraction than triggering the shutter from 100m away, having already done all the hard work. I would imagine that waffling away about how wonderful he was to Ben Stiller, instead of taking pictures, would be more of.a distraction.
I'm afraid it's just another in the very, very long list of failed, hollow-ringing depictions of 'genius' that Hollywood films are so drawn to, and never, ever get right.

16:9 said:

I'm afraid it's just another in the very, very long list of failed, hollow-ringing depictions of 'genius' that Hollywood films are so drawn to, and never, ever get right.

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Yet there must be something compelling to the average viewer about that depiction, because the do keep making these scenes in movies. I think most of the time they are actually depicting the moment before the guy finally gives up and kills himself.

Actually I pretty much enjoyed the film. Love the snow leopard scene. Also he uses a a Nikon F3T and a Leica so I'm good with that.

Marcelo Paniagua said:

Actually I pretty much enjoyed the film. Love the snow leopard scene. Also he uses a a Nikon F3T and a Leica so I'm good with that.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it. I felt sure not everyone would be as grumpily opposed to it as I am. That's why we have so many different camera brands: diversity, innit?