Looking for these kinds of stories...

[zampana]

I think this would be the right place.

What stories do you know where the main character who is telling the story, through which we experience the story, is not actually the protagonist.

The only solid example I could think of was a novel by John Irving called A Prayer for Owen Meany. I'm sure there's other examples in novels, but wondering if anyone can think of a movie that uses this device?

j

[echomusic]

Despite the fact that there isn't voice over, Saving Private Ryan comes to mind. You'd think it was Tom Hanks through the whole film but it's Matt Damon -- and it actually makes no sense either.

That's the first thing that comes to mind.

[Deleted]

Shawshank Redemption.

Red tells the story, but I believe Andy was the protagonist.

(Admitted amateur so someone can correct me if I am wrong)

[zampana]

Shawshank is an excellent ref!

Saving Private Ryan - you're right, this might be one -- haven't seen it in a long time. But it's muddy.

[teamcoco]

The Princess Bride, maybe? With the Grandpa telling the story.

[zampana]

That's interesting. I think I'm looking for a main character who's involved with the protagonist as either a partner or mentor character. But interesting, as I did think of using the princess bride framing device but have the story be something the grandfather is telling to his grandson as something he experienced -- he was the best friend of the protag kinda thing...

[attatt]

This has been mentioned on GITS before, Ferris Bueler's Day Off follows this format. Many argue that Ferris is not the protagonist, Cameron is because it is his character who changes as a result of their experiences and whose life has major changes on the horizon while Ferris likely goofs off through college then joins the middle class bourgeois.