George Buckman

George Buckman is a major character who appears in the 2021 Disney+ original film Flora & Ulysses.
==Background==
George is Flora's father and Phyllis' husband who lives with the Buckman family. He is shown to be a comic book writer who uses his creativity in making his own characters in his comics - namely the Mighty Condor, Shobo the Homeless Warrior, and the Amazing Incandesto - each having their own unique power and story. However, when George was unable to publish his stories, he lost his stories and ever since his wife tried to get his courage back, there was no one who could save him from quitting his job as a comic book artist. In spite of this, he understands Ulysses' power of what makes him unique as a squirrel when he performs actions that no other squirrel can do, which reminds him of Incandesto. Despite the challenges he faced, he even was able to reunite with his wife, especially when it comes to saving Ulysses.
==Role in the film==
George is first seen in a flashback where his wife Phyllis told him to put more effort and courage in himself when illustrating an Amazing Condor story, much to George feeling uncomfortable about this after he was unable to get his stories published. He later appears working at Binders Keepers where he approaches Chad, his manager, telling him to put extended warranties on the printers. Flora approaches her father, telling him of how she saved a squirrel and named him "Ulysses" and as she shows him a bag of nuts for him, George agrees, telling his daughter that employees get a three percent discount; the conversation becomes interrupted when Chad approaches George, telling him to get back to work.
The next day, George approaches his wife in her house, who tells him to fix the doorbell, which George recaps that he no longer lives in this house, as well as explaining that he fixed the doorbell, causing it to sound different just before entering the house. Flora runs past her parents hiding Ulysses under, but ignores them, just before Phyllis gives her husband a box to place the squirrel and get him out of the house. Just as George drives on his car, Flora tells him that Ulysses is a superhero trying to explore his powers, which her father thinks that his life is full of magic and wonder, but they do not exist just like Incandesto while trying to figure things out how to get things right. Later, George feels hungry and stops at the Giant Donut Diner planning to order a bacon omelette from Rita, much to his daughter interrupting in adding donuts to the order. Just as Ulysses frightens Rita and the other people inside the restaurant who later gains his super powers, George and his daughter both leave the restaurant via car. Impressed by Ulysses' powers, George offers his daughter to get the light bulb in his apartment, which Ulysses may be of a help.
Arriving at the Blixen Arms Apartment, George and his daughter get past a cat named "Mr. Klaus" just as the two run away from the cat who is unable to pounce on them. Just as he approaches Dr. Meescham, she tells George and his daughter that Ulysses is fine just as he impresses George with his "poetry" skills. As he returns home, George introduces himself to William Spiver just as he thinks of a place to hide Ulysses so that his wife wouldn't know where he was just before Phyllis arrives. George claims that he "got rid of the wasp's nest" so that his wife wouldn't know just before he goes back to work at Binders Keepers.
Later when Flora approaches her father who is at work warning him about Ulysses in danger, George tells his manager that he quits his job, resulting him to be fired just as George leaves with his daughter and William. Later at the apartment, he tasks his daughter and William to act natural while he faces Miller just as he tricks Miller about his claim about Ulysses, just before Mr. Klaus pounces on him, constantly attacking him across the apartment. Just as they arrive, George escapes using his car while his daughter and William follow along while being chased by Miller who confronts him to hand over the squirrel. Seeing that he was tranquilized, Ulysses helps him lose Miller throughout the chase just before he returns home.
George later approaches his wife where he tells her to get ready for an interview with Marissa as well as giving Ulysses a chance, being a special squirrel just he also recaps that he quit his job at Binders Keepers. That night, George shares his story with his daughter that it would be easier to draw a superhero than act like one.
The next day, George and his wife approach a journalist where Phyllis shows her the story that she is writing using her typewriter which is a poetry story about departure just as she worries that her interview is incomplete. George later returns to Dr. Meescham at his apartment where he approaches her and warns her that Miller is urging him to hand over the squirrel, which Meescham replies that she skipped bowling for tonight, offering him to have a private conversation with her. During a conversation with her, Meescham recaps that when she met the other Dr. Meescham, her country was at war and each day was uncertain just as she shares her story about the importance of having a moment for the person that needs him the most (in this case Phyllis, his wife). George later returns home and approaches his wife who tells her that he forgot to turn back like what Dr. Meescham just before hearing a thunderstorm outside, reminding him of his daughter.
George and his wife later approach Flora at the remains of the Splash Rapids water park while Phyllis holds Ulysses who is safe just as Flora happily reunites with him just before reconciling with her mother. However, after Miller finally captures Ulysses, the squirrel he was looking for and planning to euthanize him, this leads Flora, her family, and William to rescue Ulysses from the animal control.
Furthermore, George, his wife, Flora, and William walk across the animal control facility where they attempt to find Ulysses within this facility. After seeing that William is able to see properly, George and his family alongside William arrive at the employees only area and as they pass by many cages of animals, George presses a red button that opens the cages and doors of cats, dogs, goats, an owl, and even Mr. Klaus, the cat himself. Finally finding Ulysses, Miller halts the heroes just as Flora distracts the squirrels with M&Ms, causing the other squirrels to attack just before Phyllis, William, and Flora escape.
George later faces Miller as he uses a nail clipper to open the cage where Ulysses was caged (which Miller doesn't see) whom George later rescues just before Mr. Klaus approaches Miller and pounces on him again as Ulysses finally reunites with Flora. Having escaped, Miller continues attacking George who confronts him for setting the squirrel free just as he fires more tranquilizer darts at him. George almost falls off the building, but Ulysses saves him just before George reunites with his family. Afterwards, the Buckmans and William decide to take Ulysses back to the wild, which they were able to as Flora bids a farewell to Ulysses who is happy that he is back home where he wanted to be.
Sometime later, George, his family, and William began working on a comic book about Ulysses based on their adventures at the Comic Cave store, inspired by the squirrel that helped them throughout their lives.
==Trivia==
*Ben Schwartz, who played Miller, also voiced Dewey from the DuckTales reboot. Danny Pudi, Bobby Moynihan, and Kate Micucci, who participated in Flora & Ulysses, also voiced Huey, Louie, and Webby respectively in said series.
*The antenna figurine on George's car is a figurine of the Great Gazoo from . This may imply that George is a fan of The Flintstones or that Gazoo is his favorite character.
*George's orange tiger key chain that he uses is a reference to the comic strip (which his actor Ben Schwartz was obsessed with) with Hobbes himself ironically being a tiger.
Category:Flora & Ulysses characters
Category:Males
Category:Disney characters
Category:Canadian characters
Category:Adults
Category:Live-action characters
Category:Parents
Category:Spouses