Stargate is a really good movie. It takes a compelling concept and turns it into a fun adventure that spans the known universe. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about today. What I actually want to focus on is the main character: Daniel Jackson.

He’s a wonderfully imperfect man who sees the world in a different way than anyone else. He’s not prideful or conceited, even though he makes bold claims in a very childlike way. In fact, he’s always the least-intimidating member of any group he’s in.

Daniel Jackson’s Introduction

The first time we see Jackson, he’s giving a lecture to a large hall full of Egyptologists and historians. He calls the seminal work of a renowned expert in his field a fraud, and he challenges the conventional wisdom of ancient history without regard for the feelings of his listeners. This causes them to mock him and leave early. Clearly, he hasn’t found the right audience yet.

Thankfully, just one person is willing to listen to him. And that lady gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. Visionaries can’t exist in a vacuum. They need some kind of encouragement to keep going. Jackson is at the end of his rope when he finally gets someone to take him seriously.

When he sees someone else’s English translation of some hieroglyphics, he arrogantly starts crossing words out and replacing them with a more accurate translation, such as replacing “Door to Heaven” with “Stargate.” This hurts the feelings of the linguist standing right next to him whose work he is denigrating. But Jackson doesn’t come across as arrogant. He’s more like a man with a laser focus on a difficult task.

Seeing What Others Can’t

He sees things others can’t. There are seven symbols on an ancient artifact that a whole team of experts have been puzzling over for two years. They can’t make heads or tails of them. Jackson is equally in the dark for a time, but after just two weeks he finds the answer in the most unlikely of places. Instead of looking down at the Earth, he looks in the opposite direction up at the stars. The symbols are star constellations rather than Egyptian hieroglyphics.

This realization, along with some unorthodox thinking that leads him to identify the seventh symbol on the Stargate itself, helps the military open a portal to another world. When military brass sends a robotic probe through the Stargate, they immediately want to abort the mission because they don’t think they’ll be able to open the gate on the other side for a return trip. But Jackson confidently tells them, “Well, I can do that.” He’s positive that he’ll be able to figure it out. And he eventually does.

What he really wants is an escape from the dreary life he’s been living. This is the chance of a lifetime to do something great, and he grabs it with both hands. That kind of confidence is infectious, and it inspires the military leaders to add him to the team. From my own experience as someone who was out of a job for eight months and only recently got accepted into a new role, I can tell you that there’s no feeling in the world quite like hearing, “You’re on the team.”

My Kinship with Jackson

The entire Stargate movie is engaging to watch. But I find myself being drawn in every time by this beginning sequence. Before a single bullet has been fired or any exciting action sequences have begun, I’m hooked. Why is that? I think it’s because I feel a kinship with him.

One thing I love doing more than just about anything else is sharing my unique perspective with others. I like taking stories and other things that others have looked at a million times and pointing out something they’ve missed. When they see it, they can’t help but say that it was right there in front of them the whole time. Jackson does that several times in his first few scenes.

Sometimes I can get carried away like him. Hopefully I don’t hurt many feelings in my brashness. If I do, just know that it’s probably because I’m carried away by the excitement of discovering something new. I admire Jackson’s confidence in the face of uncertainty. Over the course of the film, he learns an entirely new language and is able to get his team home. He inspires others to do their best work and wins the respect of everyone around him. That’s the kind of man I aim to be. Not a know-it-all, but a do-it-all.

Of course, there is one big difference between Jackson and me. He’s a much better artist than I am. I could never draw hieroglyphics as well as he can.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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