# Great Two-Main-Character-driven movies (not love stories) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 11, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827 "2010-10-11T21:38:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/41 "2010-10-12T20:43:30Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > > [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > > > **'Night Mother** with Anne Bancroft and Sissy Spacek. A daughter discusses her suicide plans with her mother. > > > > **Badlands** Another Sissy Spacek, this time with Martin Sheen. Based on the Starkweather/Fugate story. > > > > **Becket** A tug of war over power by Peter O’Toole and Richard Burton. > > How is BADLANDS not a love story? I think of it more as a crime spree story, but I see your point. One of my favorites though. I love the depiction of apathy in all the character’s lives. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/42 "2010-10-12T20:47:50Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > > [@Chefguy](#): > > > > _Silence of the Lambs_: Foster and Hopkins > > > > _Rear Window_: Stewart and Kelly > > I don’t necessarily see these _character_-driven films. Yes, they involve two strong characters, but the thrust of the films is not the arc of the characters but external plot devices. I suck at these types of threads. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/43 "2010-10-12T20:56:30Z")
[Withnail and I](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/) ---
**Author:** ![smaje1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@smaje1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaje1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/44 "2010-10-12T21:12:14Z")
\*Gerry \*with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck, about 2 men lost and wandering in the desert. ---
**Author:** ![cdsilv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cdsilv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cdsilv)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2010, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/45 "2010-10-12T21:22:26Z")
the Lethal Weapon series (Gibson and Glover) the Back to the Future Series (Fox and Lloyd) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/46 "2010-10-13T04:02:17Z")
_The Town_, with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. Affleck’s love story is secondary to his relationship with Renner, his volatile bank-robbery friend and partner. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/47 "2010-10-13T04:44:47Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > _The Town_, with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. Affleck’s love story is secondary to his relationship with Renner, his volatile bank-robbery friend and partner. I’m very anxious to see this – thanks for the reminder! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/48 "2010-10-13T04:44:54Z")
_Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back_ _M_A_S_H\* _My Fellow Americans_ _Planes, Trains, and Automobiles_ _Spies Like Us_ All of the Hope and Crosby Road movies All of the Martin and Lewis movies All of the Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon movies ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/49 "2010-10-13T04:52:50Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > _Wall Street_ - Michael Caine and Charlie Sheen I think you mean Michael Douglas. I know Michael Caine has done a lot of movies, but _Wall Street_ wasn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![goldmund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a4c791/32.png) [@goldmund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldmund)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/50 "2010-10-13T05:24:30Z")
Paper Moon. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/51 "2010-10-13T05:50:31Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > > [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > > > _Wall Street_ - Michael Caine and Charlie Sheen > > I think you mean Michael Douglas. I know Michael Caine has done a lot of movies, but _Wall Street_ wasn’t one of them. Oooops - yes. I have Michael Caine on the brain with subsequent viewings of several of his films the past few days… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/52 "2010-10-13T07:37:32Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Oooops - yes. I have Michael Caine on the brain with subsequent viewings of several of his films the past few days… If you want to see a great Michael Caine performance check out the original version of _Get Carter_. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/53 "2010-10-13T13:33:21Z")
No love for Rain Man? ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/54 "2010-10-13T13:59:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > > > Oooops - yes. I have Michael Caine on the brain with subsequent viewings of several of his films the past few days… > > If you want to see a great Michael Caine performance check out the original version of _Get Carter_. That was one of the films I watched last week, actually… ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/55 "2010-10-13T15:36:58Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > [Withnail and I](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094336/) You took my answer, but I forgive you due to your impeccable taste. One of the funniest and saddest movies ever. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/56 "2010-10-13T15:53:56Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > > > _The Town_, with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner. Affleck’s love story is secondary to his relationship with Renner, his volatile bank-robbery friend and partner. > > I’m very anxious to see this – thanks for the reminder! You’re in for a treat. I liked it very much. ---
**Author:** ![pinkyvee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@pinkyvee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkyvee)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/57 "2010-10-13T16:38:12Z")
The Lion in Winter 1968 Peter O’Toole and Katherine Hepburn Intense Volatile Just a powerhouse of sensational acting between evenly matched legends. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/58 "2010-10-13T16:40:41Z")
Pinky ~ [I mentioned that already](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13016484&postcount=35)… ---
**Author:** ![pinkyvee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6de8d8/32.png) [@pinkyvee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkyvee)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/59 "2010-10-13T17:08:32Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > Pinky ~ [I mentioned that already](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13016484&postcount=35)… Indeed you did. I concur. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/great-two-main-character-driven-movies-not-love-stories/556827/60 "2010-10-13T17:16:10Z")
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