# Examples of responsible gun use by citizens in modern movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113 "2009-06-17T21:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/21 "2009-06-19T06:08:43Z")
The Unit has an opposite of that. The highly trained spy is undercover. His cover involves being a rich Dutch guy who’s looking to buy some RPGs. The weapons dealer takes him out shooting and notices that he’s handling the gun better than someone with no experience should (he’s pointing it at the ground instead of up towards the air when not in use, etc). That effectively blows his cover. ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/22 "2009-06-19T07:15:21Z")
If hunting counts, there are more examples. I was watching an episode of Poirot the other day where Hastings goes out hunting with some friends of his. It’s not graphic, but there is a shot of the whole line of them shooting (they’re hunting grouse, I think, so they just kind of hang out and have their servants scare up the birds). Interestingly, somebody does get shot, but it’s in the hand, and a minor injury. The hapless city-boy who does the shooting is roundly chastised for being a damn fool. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/23 "2009-06-19T07:20:37Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > _Grand Torino_. It’s quite reasonable that Clint Eastwood’s character would have those old guns. I was thinking about _Grand Torino_, but given that Clint is basically a reluctant Jesus who martyrs himself in a hail of gangland gunfire I think he’s definitely in the archetype “hero” category. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/24 "2009-06-19T10:26:35Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Yeah, you’re probably right. I don’t remember - did she already have a gun, or did he bring it with him? Regardless, she should have shot him as soon as she could, before he had a chance to surrender. I believe he brought it with him. In her situation, she really should have had a gun, but I don’t recall that she did. > [@](#): > > **Reservoir Dogs** , when Mr. White & Mr. Orange carjack the woman and she shoots Mr. Orange. Sure, she got shot herself in return, but she was clearly defending herself from armed attackers. I don’t know if that refutes the OP. There’s a similar situation in **Boogie Nights**. Buck, Don Cheadle’s character, is in a donut shop when it gets held up. A good ol’ boy sitting in a booth quietly draws his gun and shoots the robber – after he gets the money. But the robber stays upright long enough to shoot the good ol’ boy, who then fires two wild shots, the second of which hits the cashier in the back of the head. Then Buck takes the bag of money and leaves. (This was in 1983 or '84, so no security cameras.) I would have to classify both of those as mishaps, along the same general lines as the gun jamming or being dropped. In the first incident, the woman was fatally shot, so she didn’t defend herself effectively. And the second incident ended up worse than it had to be (except for that last bit). If the character is worse off for having used a gun, they’re not a hero or villain. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/25 "2009-06-19T12:53:53Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > It’s a sitcom, but HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER nevertheless plays it fairly straight with the news anchor who (a) gets shown shooting targets at the practice range, and also (b) effectively stood up to crooks by pointing her gun at 'em in a “home defense” situation where nothing went wrong. Don’t forget, she also used her Beretta to drive out a gang of hippies who had been squatting in her apartment and keeping her up all night with their drum circle. She didn’t actually discharge it, but would you blame her if she did? Robin’s gun ownership isn’t exactly portrayed as being normal - not many 30ish Manhattan yuppies own guns - but it’s also seen as nothing worse than a harmless eccentricity. The other characters are surprised to learn about it, but no-one judges her. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/26 "2009-06-19T13:19:59Z")
Incidentally, another example of responsible gun use by civilians can be found, surprisingly, in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam - see around 5:40 in [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffu7ry7vBe0)clip. ---
**Author:** ![Erasmus\_Darwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@Erasmus\_Darwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erasmus_Darwin)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/27 "2009-06-19T15:01:02Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Robin’s gun ownership isn’t exactly portrayed as being normal - not many 30ish Manhattan yuppies own guns - but it’s also seen as nothing worse than a harmless eccentricity. The other characters are surprised to learn about it, but no-one judges her. Not just that, but a _Canadian_ Manhattan yuppie. Owning a handgun in Canada requires jumping through a lot of hoops which means it has even less casual cultural acceptance than in the U.S. And while Robin’s gun ownership isn’t portrayed in an particularly negative light, I vaguely seem to recall that they make her look like a bit of a nut. Though that seems to be done for simple comedy rather than out of any sort of political agenda or bias on the part of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/28 "2009-06-19T17:23:56Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Incidentally, another example of responsible gun use by civilians can be found, surprisingly, in Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam - see around 5:40 in [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffu7ry7vBe0)clip. Firing into the air in the middle of the city? Not so much. ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/29 "2009-06-19T20:05:55Z")
In the first season of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Dennis and Mac acquire a gun to defend the pub against would-be thieves. And Charlie finds the gun can also make a very persuasive case in convincing his landlord to stop hassling him about his rent. Oh, wait, you said “normal people.” Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/30 "2009-06-19T20:21:43Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > _King of the Hill_ had an episode where Hank and Bobby enter a target shooting contest. Wasn’t Bobby a rifle-savant? I recall him quickly become very adept at it–better than Hank. I also recall Dale once saying that, if he had to be put down, he wanted Bobby to do it as he knew Bobby would do it in one shot. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/31 "2009-06-19T20:24:28Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > No. The people on Firefly are not normal. Jayne Cobb is not normal. Those characters are _heroes,_ in a sci-fi/adventure context. In no way do they fit the description of an average everyday person the way I meant it in the post that I wrote. I’d also point out that, in the series at least, giving Kaylee or Simon guns is a terribly bad idea; in Simon’s case it’s merely an creative way to waste ammo, and in Kaylee’s it’s worse. ETA: Not that it matters. Kaylee is not expendable personnel and shall be evacuated from any combat area. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/32 "2009-06-19T20:26:07Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Wasn’t Bobby a rifle-savant? I recall him quickly become very adept at it–better than Hank. I also recall Dale once saying that, if he had to be put down, he wanted Bobby to do it as he knew Bobby would do it in one shot. Been a long time since I saw the episode, but I think you’re right. Hank wasn’t very good, but Bobby was a crack shot. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/33 "2009-06-19T20:50:45Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’d also point out that, in the series at least, giving Kaylee or Simon guns is a terribly bad idea; in Simon’s case it’s merely an creative way to waste ammo, and in Kaylee’s it’s worse. > > ETA: Not that it matters. Kaylee is not expendable personnel and shall be evacuated from any combat area. One nice gun moment in the series, though, is when River grabs one of the guns. She’s a hero (of sorts), but the crew doesn’t know that, and she’s also entirely mad. Everyone in the crew is scared absolutely shitless, desperate to get the gun away from the mentally disturbed kid before she hurts herself or someone else - and that’s a very realistic little scene. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/34 "2009-06-19T20:55:30Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > One nice gun moment in the series, though, is when River grabs one of the guns. She’s a hero (of sorts), but the crew doesn’t know that, and she’s also entirely mad. Everyone in the crew is scared absolutely shitless, desperate to get the gun away from the mentally disturbed kid before she hurts herself or someone else - and that’s a very realistic little scene. Yes. I also liked it when Kaylee–all gung-ho to go rescue her beloved captain–completely frozen and panicked when put to the test. Though, honestly, I think Zoe not only should but would have sent her and River along with Inara to keep them out of harm’s way. It bothered me a little that Kaylee was shown as being firearms competent in the movie, but perhaps she went to Zoe, Jayne, or Book sometime between the end of the series and the movie to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/35 "2009-06-19T22:27:50Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > It’s a sitcom, but HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER nevertheless plays it fairly straight with the news anchor who (a) gets shown shooting targets at the practice range, and also (b) effectively stood up to crooks by pointing her gun at 'em in a “home defense” situation where nothing went wrong. I’ll second this. I’m no particular fan of guns, but I’ve been impressed that there’s never a _message_ about guns when the topic comes up. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/36 "2009-06-19T22:48:17Z")
How about Thelma and Louise? That was a perfectly good case of self defense, or at least it would have been if they hadn’t panicked and ran. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2009, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/37 "2009-06-19T23:20:02Z")
**Friday Night Lights** has a scene where a couple of the football players are out in a field with a shotgun skeet shooting dirt clods. It’s been a while but IIRC they handled the weapon safely and the fact that they were shooting had nothing to do with the scene; it’s just something teenagers in a small Texas town might do. If it was set in the suburbs they might be playing video games or tossing a frisbee. **Walk The Line** shows Johnny Cash’s in-laws running off a drug dealer at gunpoint. They don’t shoot him but husband & wife come out toting shotguns and make it abundantly clear that he is not to come around the Cash residence in the future. I wouldn’t necessarily call it “responsible” but certainly “understandable” and nobody gets hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/38 "2009-06-20T18:01:38Z")
What about the scene in Penn and Teller Get Killed where Teller gets mugged? He is armed, as far as anyone knows the gun is loaded, and yet he makes the decision that his money is not worth shooting the muggers over. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2009, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/39 "2009-06-20T21:38:40Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > Wouldn’t a lot of the counter-examples be invisible? > > The entire cast of characters of _Friends_ (just to pull something out of the air) could be carrying concealed, but if none of the stories ever have them clear their weapon then how would you know? Dude, it’s NYC. Good luck getting a CCW there. Came in to mention Gran Torino. Doesn’t he have a accidental discharge though when he confronts Thao in the garage? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113/40 "2009-06-21T04:50:15Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Dude, it’s NYC. Good luck getting a CCW there. > > Came in to mention Gran Torino. Doesn’t he have a accidental discharge though when he confronts Thao in the garage? True, but as far as mishaps go, that one was (relatively) minor. I don’t recall if that was because of a finger on the trigger or just the gun hitting the ground when he fell (slipped on something on the floor), but no horrible random person shot dead mishaps. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-responsible-gun-use-by-citizens-in-modern-movies/500113.md?page=3)