# She/He Stole The Movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 8, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952 "2010-07-08T12:57:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/61 "2010-07-09T08:29:54Z")
Levon Helm as “Mr. Rate” in [Shooter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/). He had one short scene but between the crackling character writing and his perfect delivery, it’s the best part of the entire film. > [@](#): > > Mr. Rate: That’s how a conspiracy works. Them boys on the Grassy Knoll, they were dead within three hours, buried in the damned desert, unmarked graves out past Terlingua. > > Nick Memphis: You know this for a fact? > > Mr. Rate: Still got the shovel… It’s only while looking up his name that I discovered his musical career with The Band. Interesting guy. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/62 "2010-07-09T08:59:38Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I haven’t even seen the movie yet but everyone seems to be in agreeance that **Chloe Moretz** stole the show in **Kick-ass**. Not quite, since the character also “steals” it in the original graphic novel; the story jumps into her hands and what she had to do was not drop it. She is not the title character but she’s the star of the story in the sense that without her it would have been completely run-of-the-mill. Hers is the one character that can’t be neatly dropped into a pre-existing, used-a-zillion-times mold. I loved her work, but partly I loved it because she’s doing exactly what she should be doing. Nicholson is the kind of guy who goes into any movie with Ill Intent; when he does not steal them, it’s because the rest of the cast have specifically stopped him from doing so. For some reason, this seems to work better for actresses. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/63 "2010-07-09T09:29:23Z")
re: Chloe Moretz: Imho, it’s not that she stole the show. The other two main characters (Kick-Ass and Big Daddy) were so poorly handled that she became the star by default. It reminded me in a way of Titanic, where the first half of the movie (simple rom-com) and the 2nd half (action movie) totally reversed tone. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/64 "2010-07-09T09:49:35Z")
Again, _that is how the characters are in the graphic novel!_ ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/65 "2010-07-09T11:51:03Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > IIRC, Anthony Hopkins is only on-screen for maybe 15 minutes in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, but he won Best Actor instead of Best Supporting Actor for a reason. It’s hard for me to see this as “Stealing the Movie” – the character of Hannibal Lecktor (spelled that way) _did_ steal the show in Michael Mann’s film **Manhunter**. He’s hardly on screen at all, yet his appearances were clearly the highlight of the movie. Brian Cox did a heckuva job in the role. It was clear that **Silence of the Lambs** (first as a novel in 1988, two years after **Manhunter** , then in 1990 as a film) was written to give the character of Lector (respelled) more “screen time”, and that he was clearly the “star” of the film from the get-go, despite having less actual time on screen that Jodie Foster’s character. When I first saw **Silence of the Lambs** , knowing nothing about it, and heard Lector’s name, I knew I was in for something good. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/66 "2010-07-09T12:30:54Z")
> [@toofs](#): > > **Romany Malco** in _The 40 Year Old Virgin._ You know, [this guy.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_DrLRJ_5dc&feature=related) “Aim High Willis, Aim High!” Awww man that was great, I forgot about that scene. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/67 "2010-07-09T13:17:06Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I thought all of the smaller characters in True Romance (Brad Pitt, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, etc.) stole the movie from the two leads. This was my first thought and I still think it’s one of the better examples. Five, actually: Oldman, Pitt, Hopper, Walken and Gandolfini. After reading the thread, I’ll add a bit-part scene-stealing: J.T. Walsh in Outbreak. [Youtube clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ6zQZ9GGTY) - such a great scene, though he starts getting chewy at the end. ---
**Author:** ![BlakeTyner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@BlakeTyner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlakeTyner)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/68 "2010-07-09T13:55:06Z")
Okay, this is a case of probably not stealing the entire movie, but Joe Pesci in _JFK_ has to qualify for the thread. [Pesci as Ferrie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_40kJlo9P4g) ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/69 "2010-07-09T14:16:47Z")
Kevin Spacey at the end of _Usual Suspects_. He goes from being the lowly patsy to the coolest guy ever. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/70 "2010-07-09T15:47:46Z")
> [@TWDuke](#): > > Bloom and Knightley were the romantic leads, but I think Depp was always the “star.” He was a famous, charismatic leading man cast in a flamboyant, larger-than-life role, and the [marketing](http://www.allposters.com/-sp/Pirates-of-the-Caribbean-Posters_i1106541_.htm) of the film certainly doesn’t suggest that he was ever considered a tertiary player. I don’t remember it that way. Depp has been considered a top-notch actor for years, but up until surprisingly recently, he was also mostly associated with smaller films and seen as a character actor. POTC is what turned him into a bona fide _star_. Sure, he was mentioned in the trailers alongside Bloom and Knightley, but the emphasis in the marketing of the first film was absolutely focused on them. Remember that this was during the height of Lord of the Rings hype, and Knightley was also a hot new thing thanks to “Bend it Like Beckham.” The intended audience of POTC was teenagers of both sexes, and the vast majority of that demographic was, at the time, barely aware of who Depp was. In the meantime, thanks to their extremely popular supporting roles in LOTR and “Beckham,” both Bloom and Knightley seemed to be one step away from A-list stardom. All they needed, it seemed, were true leading roles in a blockbuster franchise to turn them into this generation’s Tom Cruise. POTC was intended to be that blockbuster, and the marketing reflected that. POTC1 was “Pirates of the Caribbean, starring Legolas and the Hot Tomboy from that Soccer Movie, and co-starring this character actor who you might remember from ‘Edward Scissorhands.’” In fact, the producers of the film state in the commentary that Sparrow was conceived as a peripheral character - someone important to the plot but more of a sideline commentator than an active protagonist. It wasn’t until during filming that they realized that Depp was doing things with the character that they never anticipated, and it wasn’t until the film’s release that anyone realized that Depp’s performance was the clear standout. \*Side note: Geoffrey Rush was fantastic as well, but audiences are used to villains upstaging the protagonists. What was far more surprisingly was that the side character upstaged the protagonists as well. Jack Sparrow is as close to a “Han Solo” as we’ve had in a long, long time. Speaking of which, Han Solo totally stole “Star Wars.”\* Anyway, all of that is a long and rambling way of saying: you’re remembering the POTC1 marketing incorrectly. Jack Sparrow was intended to be on the second tier of POTC stars alongside Barbossa and those two annoying “wacky pirate” characters. His ensuing popularity is evidence of his “stealing” of the movie - and his complete domination of the sequels (which was _never_ part of the original plan) even moreso. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/71 "2010-07-09T16:42:00Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > Alan Rickman in anything, probably. I think his role in Die Hard is one of the greatest of all time. I watched some terrible direct-to-video movie about wine growing in California - they could have just cut it down to the 20 minutes or so Rickman was on screen and saved the few who actually watched it some pain. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/72 "2010-07-09T16:52:30Z")
> [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > I watched some terrible direct-to-video movie about wine growing in California - they could have just cut it down to the 20 minutes or so Rickman was on screen and saved the few who actually watched it some pain. Are you talking about [_Bottle Shock_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914797/)? I saw that in the theater. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/73 "2010-07-09T17:07:37Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Are you talking about [_Bottle Shock_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0914797/)? I saw that in the theater. Ah. My mistake; I’d never ever heard of it before seeing a preview on a NetFlix DVD & adding it to my queue because, hey, Alan Rickman and wine, what could go wrong? The answer was: the rest of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/74 "2010-07-09T18:26:04Z")
> [@Tanbarkie](#): > > I don’t remember it that way. Depp has been considered a top-notch actor for years, but up until surprisingly recently, he was also mostly associated with smaller films and seen as a character actor. POTC is what turned him into a bona fide _star_. Sure, he was mentioned in the trailers alongside Bloom and Knightley, but the emphasis in the marketing of the first film was absolutely focused on them. _He’s in the middle of the poster_. His face is larger than the other three, and his name is listed first. You’re right that he’s a much bigger star after the movies than he was before, but he was a big name before that. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/75 "2010-07-09T18:39:04Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Levon Helm as “Mr. Rate” in [Shooter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/). He had one short scene but between the crackling character writing and his perfect delivery, it’s the best part of the entire film. > It’s only while looking up his name that I discovered his musical career with The Band. Interesting guy. Forgettable movie except for that scene. I did not know it was Levon Helm, as I only listen to The Band and do not watch their movies. He was great. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/76 "2010-07-09T19:00:45Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Levon Helm as “Mr. Rate” in [Shooter](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822854/). He had one short scene but between the crackling character writing and his perfect delivery, it’s the best part of the entire film. > It’s only while looking up his name that I discovered his musical career with The Band. Interesting guy. I didn’t know his musical background, either. First noticed him as an actor in _The Right Stuff_. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/77 "2010-07-09T21:54:46Z")
Whoever played Torgo in Manos: The Hands of Fate. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/78 "2010-07-09T22:05:52Z")
Yes. His gravitas and quiet dignity were perfectly accentuated by the haunting “Torgo’s Theme.” ---
**Author:** ![Rrose\_Selavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bcef8e/32.png) [@Rrose\_Selavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rrose_Selavy)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/79 "2010-07-09T22:17:40Z")
Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet. HAL9000 from 2001 And Huey, Louey & Dewey the three drones from Silent Running Agree about Brian Cox in Manhunter - ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952/80 "2010-07-09T22:23:05Z")
Steve Martin in _Little Shop of Horrors_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/she-he-stole-the-movie/545952.md?page=5)