# Favoirte indie films with stars before they were stars **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 7, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238 "2018-08-07T16:55:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/1 "2018-08-07T16:55:29Z")
Something or another recently reminded me of [_Mystery Team_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_Team), which starred Donald Glover and Aubrey Plaza before _Community_ and _Parks and Recreations_. Any other favorite independent/tiny release films starring people who later made it big? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/2 "2018-08-07T16:59:09Z")
_Mad Max!_ ---
**Author:** ![Philliam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/philliam/32/3011_2.png) [@Philliam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philliam)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/3 "2018-08-07T18:44:25Z")
_Safety Not Guaranteed_ > **[Safety Not Guaranteed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safety_Not_Guaranteed)** > > Safety Not Guaranteed is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Colin Trevorrow and starring Aubrey Plaza and Mark Duplass. The picture was screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. The film was inspired by a joke classified ad that ran in Backwoods Home Magazine in 1997. > Darius Britt is an intelligent but disillusioned graduate of the University of Washington who lives at home in Seattle with her widower father and works as an intern at Seatt... ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/4 "2018-08-07T21:32:32Z")
Jennifer Lawrence in [Winter’s Bone](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1399683/?ref_=nv_sr_1). People may forget that even though the film was nominated in four Oscar categories, including a Best Actress nod for Ms. Lawrence, Jennifer Lawrence’s claim to fame when this film opened was playing the mouthy daughter on **The Bill Engvall Show**. And, because Debra Granik is so good at creating famous actresses, I’m going to be the first to call out Thomasin McKenzie in [Leave No Trace](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3892172/?ref_=nv_sr_1). Remember, you read it here first. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/5 "2018-08-07T21:40:30Z")
Not sure if I would call it a “favorite”, but I was watching “Garden State” and recognized a then-lesser-known Jim Parsons…as an odd character (but not quite Sheldon-like). ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/6 "2018-08-07T21:49:59Z")
Never realized that _Winter’s Bone_ played on so few screens. I seem to recall it getting lots of press when it was out. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/7 "2018-08-07T22:15:36Z")
The Wanderers. [The Wanderers (1979) - IMDb](https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0080117/) Ken Wahl and Karen Allen were the big names. The large cast contained many familiar faces. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/8 "2018-08-07T22:26:47Z")
[River’s Edge](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091860/?ref_=nv_sr_1) with Keanu Reeves. [Blood Simple](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086979/?ref_=nv_sr_1) starred Frances McDormand. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/9 "2018-08-07T22:28:53Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > _Mad Max!_ _Gallipoli_ ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/10 "2018-08-07T22:30:57Z")
_The Return of the Secaucus Seven_ had among it’s ensemble cast, future Emmy-winner Gordon Clapp, who would play the well-meaning, likable, not-the-brightest-bulb Det. Medavoy on _NYPD Blue_, and would forever play nice guys who were not so bright, except when the surprise twist at the end of the story was that his “aw, shucks” demeanor masked a serial killer, or something. In _Secaucus 7_, he plays a very sharp, very clever, Senatorial speechwriter and Washington insider, who, in spite of his Boy Scout demeanor, usually has weed. I saw that movies several times, and completely failed to recognize him. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/11 "2018-08-07T22:41:13Z")
[Dazed and Confused](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106677/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_62) - Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/12 "2018-08-07T22:52:13Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > _The Return of the Secaucus Seven_ had among it’s ensemble cast, future Emmy-winner Gordon Clapp, who would play the well-meaning, likable, not-the-brightest-bulb Det. Medavoy on _NYPD Blue_, and would forever play nice guys who were not so bright, except when the surprise twist at the end of the story was that his “aw, shucks” demeanor masked a serial killer, or something. > > In _Secaucus 7_, he plays a very sharp, very clever, Senatorial speechwriter and Washington insider, who, in spite of his Boy Scout demeanor, usually has weed. I saw that movies several times, and completely failed to recognize him. Also [David Straithairn](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000657/?ref_=tt_cl_t9), who has a long list of movie and TV credits afterwards. Another actor from a John Sales movie is Joe Morton from his _Brother from Another Planet_, who became successful as Rowan Pope in _Scandal_. His _Matawan_ had Chris Cooper and Mary McDonnell. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favoirte-indie-films-with-stars-before-they-were-stars/819238/13 "2018-08-07T23:32:39Z")
Of course the _Rocky Horror Picture Show_ with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Meat Loaf!