Real-life Titanic hero Fr Thomas Byles (portrayed by James Lancaster) was all too brief since he was mostly a background character in the Rose-Jack story. Did anyone else besides me wish that Byles' role in the ship's story had been fleshed out more?

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• I had actually been awed and inspired by Fr Byles' story before I saw the 1997 movie (I haven't seen the earlier movies at all). I thought James Lancaster was OK as Byles' but I felt like he sort of just got a "cameo." The real Fr Byles had gone and helped get the third-class out and into lifeboats and had refused to leave the ship if any soul was on board (which pretty much meant he'd never leave the ship), and prayed with them and listened to confessions and gave absolution and comforted so many. He was as much a part of the story as, say, Molly Brown. I guess I was biased from the start. I know this was a story mostly about the fictional Rose and Jack, but I wish there had been something more on Fr Byles. -- Plus I wish they hadn't had Murdoch kill himself, because no one saw that happen in real life.

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  by Orangy on January 1st, 2007

• Yes with brave souls like that and all the movie cares about is "Oh no Leo might die!" and then "Oh no Leo did die!" But awww he sacrificed for his one true love, the fictional rich chick that he had only known for like 2 weeks.

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  by Valparaiso on January 1st, 2007

• Yeah, and it's not like Rose and Jack did a whole lot of helping others get on the lifeboats themselves or comfort them. There was that one little boy that was snatched back by his father. But beyond that, Jack and Rose pretty much just looked out for themselves, forget anyone else!

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  by Orangy on January 1st, 2007