Top 11 Movie Nerds

By CJ Tiernan

Although called names like geeks, dweebs, dorks, or bookworms, the studious character of the movie is often a fan-favorite. Whether they are helping the main character save the day, or accomplishing something great themselves, we love the movie nerd. This is my love letter to the nerds of the world. Below is a list of my 11 favorite characters in movies that exhibit the nerd qualities we've all come to know and love.

1. Doc Brown - Christopher Lloyd

Back to the Future (1985)

He built a time machine out of a DeLorean. He took a car with gull-wing doors and added a flux capacitor. It may just be the coolest thing in the history of film. Step aside, James Dean, because here comes the DeLorean. He sports a Hawaiian shirt under a white lab coat (which is adorned with a pocket protector) and is rocking multiple watches. Dr. Emmett Brown is the quintessential mad scientist, only he uses his powers for good. Well, he did steal Plutonium from the Libyans so we'll call it moral grey area.

2. Hermione Granger - Emma Watson

Harry Potter (2001-2011)

She's a wizard. An extremely talented wizard. If I was a wizard, I don't think I would read as much as she does. She does so much reading. Hermione is the quintessential bookwork. Early on, her extensive knowledge casts her as a social pariah (plus her status as a Muggle-born didn't help). Harry and Ron quickly learn to use her knowledge to their benefit, courtesy of the whole "Troll Bogeys" situation. She is a walking encyclopedia of knowledge while also in possession of quick wit and a logical demeanor. She is one of the braver nerds you will ever see.

3. Wayne Szalinski - Rick Moranis

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Here we have a master inventor. This is a man that has accidentally shrunk his own kids, his baby, and himself. He needs to invest in a safety button or some sort of two-factor authentication process to prevent these mishaps. Apart from the mistakes that launch the plot of every film, he seems to be a pretty sound inventor. He created a shrinking machine and a growing machine. Wayne Szalinski was also big on inventions that you can strap to a helmet. In fact, he was ahead of his time in making a camera and a phone hands-free. The grooming helmet still hasn't taken off yet, though.

4. Peter Parker - Tom Holland

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

He may be a superhero with super powers, but he is still in High School. Peter Parker has to protect his superhero alter ego so his peers don't get to know the coolest part about him. However, he is kinda brilliant. While in the MCU, his tech comes mostly from Tony Stark, in most iterations of the character, he creates it himself. He is a genius in several fields of science and engineering. He also expertly exhibits the socially awkward characteristics we've come to associate with a nerd. For this reason, we can be thankful that the term "nerd" has largely shifted from purely a pejorative to a characteristic to be praised.

5. Evie - Rachel Weiz

The Mummy (1999)

"I... am a Librarian" is her proud proclamation early in the film. While true, Evelyn is underselling it here. She has a rich, studied knowledge of ancient Egypt and is sought time and again for helpful information during the exploration of the ancient City of the Dead: Hamunaptra. While reading hieroglyphs in the famed Book of the Dead(which she kinda sorta stole), she might have kinda sorta accidentally awoke an ancient mummy. Evie geeks out over all things ancient Egypt and is a bookworm. She also brings a real "adorkable" energy to the movie.

6. Rich Purnell - Donald Glover

The Martian (2015)

"Houston, be advised: Rich Purnell is a steely-eyed missile man." The "Rich Purnell Maneuver" is a last-ditch Hail Mary attempt to save the stranded Mark Watney from the surface of Mars. Rich himself is an astrodynamicist who discovers this maneuver whilst he is supposed to be working on something else. This is the rare onscreen nerd portrayed as on the autism spectrum. He has a brilliant mind and still has to "borrow" super-computer time to confirm his calculations on his strategy. He harbors a small but important role in "The Martian," which is one of my favorite movies ever... and one of my favoirte books ever.

7. Homer Hickam - Jake Gyllenhaal

October Sky (1999)

Homer Hickam is the first movie nerd to appear on my list that is also a real person. Based on the book Rocket Boys, "October Sky" told the story a young man who wants to become a rocket scientist against the wishes of his coal miner father. Fun fact: "October Sky" is an anagram of "Rocket Boys." Spoiler Alert: the young man did indeed eventually work for NASA in real life. It is a beautiful story of making dreams a reality and the power of persistence. Forced to overcome his father's resentment for what he does, he and his friends get crafty and rely on a great number of the members of their small town to make their work possible.

8. Lyle - Seth Green

The Italian Job (2003)

Seth Green's character in this movie (sorry, I never saw the original) is your prototypical "guy in the chair." This is a long-lasting trope in movies and television that feature a remote individual assisting the mission. Ned calls himself this in the Spider-Man movies. Felicity Smoak in "Arrow" is a great example. Luther in the "Mission: Impossible" movies is another great example of the "man in the van" trope. I'm a sucker for Lyle. Everything is so high-tech and effortless. The movie revolves around revenge for a double-cross and trying to get back at their saboteur. The big heist at the end is a gold heist involving Mini Coopers. It's sick. Lyle's role involves being on the cameras and relaying info to the crew. He is able to deduce which car to follow based on ride height and can manipulate traffic by controlling the stop lights. He is the tech wizard. Also, he is nicknamed "Napster" because he claims to have invented Napster.

9. Fogell a.k.a. McLovin - Christopher Mintz Plasse

Superbad (2007)

The 25-year-old organ donor from Hawaii, McLovin, is epic. Fogell is a classic High School nerd as he is too socially awkward to successfully fit in, despite his attempts. Seth and Evan repeatedly mock him, making him one of the most persecuted nerds on the list. Nevertheless, he maintains a positive and upbeat attitude. He is also capable of cutting loose and getting wild at a party. Behind Spider-Man, Fogell has the second greatest alter ego on my list.

10. Indiana Jones - Harrison Ford

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

John Griffiths, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

As a professor of archeology, Indiana Jones is absolutely a nerd. The costume department does their damnedest to make him look nerdy at the start of the film. Inevitably, the coolness of Harrison Ford seeps out. Much like in "The Mummy," it is knowledge of history and ancient artifacts that trigger the whole adventure. He is the rare nerd that is seemingly equally adept at both operating in the field and performing in the classroom. Has anyone ever made the bullwhip look cooler than Indy?

11. Tina Belcher - Dan Mintz

The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022)

Tina's two biggest passions are horses and butts (and Jimmy Jr.). She has written fan fiction stories on both (and probably mashed them together). She is incredibly socially awkward. Her noise (the anxiety-induced "uhhhhhh") might be the second most iconic nonsense word in cartoons behind Homer Simpsons' "D'oh!" While she is predominantly a TV character, there was a movie, so I can count her as a movie character. She is a unique nerd in that her skillset doesn't really include academic success. It is more her fixation on certain topics (again, a lot of erotic fan fic.) and social awkwardness that drive her into that particular bucket.

Final Thoughts

The movie nerd is a cinema staple. I don't think I know a lot about any one subject, so I'm always enamored with those who are brilliant and savvy in one particular area. As you can see, they don't need to originate there to become iconic. I had characters on my list that started in TV shows, comic books, and novels. I'm sure you have a favorite nerd that didn't make the list. Please let me know in the comments below. Thanks!