He Was a Quiet Man
Encyclopedia
He Was a Quiet Man is a 2007 serious-drama film, written and directed by Frank Cappello
. Produced by Jason Hallock and Mike Leahy. The film stars Christian Slater
, Elisha Cuthbert
, Jamison Jones
and William H. Macy
.
" and shoots up the office before Bob does. Bob stops the shooter's plans by killing him with the gun he planned to use on the others, and in the process saves Venessa's (Elisha Cuthbert
) life. The former invisible nobody is suddenly thrown into the spotlight of public notice, he is considered a hero by those he wished to murder, promoted by a grateful boss to "VP of Creative Thinking" and given all the perks of higher management. Meanwhile, he saves the object of his desire only to have her ask him to end her life; her injuries have left her a quadriplegic
.
Venessa asks Bob to let her roll down a subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Bob debates whether or not to go through with it, scrawling "should I finish what Coleman started?", on a piece of paper. Bob doesn't go through with it and he stops her just before she reaches the train. They then discover that she can wiggle her little finger, providing hope that she may recover. Soon, Bob and Venessa become romantically involved. However, Bob is still trapped by the demons of his past, and has insecurities that as soon as Venessa recovers, she will leave him.
However at the very end of the movie, it is revealed that Bob has been hallucinating all of the events since just before the initial shooting. This time, he is in the same position as his coworker was, only instead of killing his coworkers, he shoots himself in front of Venessa. The last scenes show police searching his house to find a note that reads "you may ask why I did what I did... but what choice did you give me? How else could I have gotten your attention?" In the news with reporters interviewing his neighbors, they say that "he was a quiet man."
In a first alternate ending, the lead-up to the shooting reveals that Bob is indeed the shooter and intends to shoot Venessa (due to his frustration that she does not know he exists), but before he can fire a shot, Bob is himself shot several times in the chest. The scene reveals Coleman to be the hero in this ending, having shot Bob through the cubicle wall. As Bob's lies on the floor and his vision fades to black, he sees coworkers standing over him, with Venessa being the last coworker, mouthing the words "I love you" before he dies.
In a second alternate ending, all events of the first alternate ending come to pass. As Bob's vision fades to black and he sees Venessa mouth the words "I love you," a faint beeping sound is heard. The scene then flashes to Bob, sitting in his cubicle, going through a normal day with the shooting having never taken place. Venessa walks by his cubicle and comments on the hula-dancing figurine on Bob's desk. Bob removes a notebook from his desk drawer, and notes that today, Venessa loved his hula girl. The image pans out to reveal a meticulously detailed log of all inconsequential events and interactions with Venessa over the course of months (or even years). The book then closes to the end credits.
Frank Cappello
Frank A. Cappello is a screenwriter, film producer and director. His credits include writing the screenplay for Constantine and writing, directing and producing He Was a Quiet Man.-Filmography:As Writer:*Suburban Commando *No Way Back...
. Produced by Jason Hallock and Mike Leahy. The film stars Christian Slater
Christian Slater
Christian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
, Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
, Jamison Jones
Jamison Jones
Jamison Jones is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is best known for his work with Christian Slater and William H Macy in He Was a Quiet Man, as a regular cast member on General Hospital and in the FOX series 24. He originated the title role in the world premiere of Roberto...
and William H. Macy
William H. Macy
William Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
.
Plot
Bob Maconel (Slater) is a disillusioned office worker with ideas of murdering his co-workers. However, on one particular bad day, Bob crosses the line from potential killer to inadvertent hero – fellow co-worker Coleman "goes postalGoing postal
Going postal, in American English slang, means becoming extremely and uncontrollably angry, often to the point of violence, and usually in a workplace environment....
" and shoots up the office before Bob does. Bob stops the shooter's plans by killing him with the gun he planned to use on the others, and in the process saves Venessa's (Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Cuthbert
Elisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
) life. The former invisible nobody is suddenly thrown into the spotlight of public notice, he is considered a hero by those he wished to murder, promoted by a grateful boss to "VP of Creative Thinking" and given all the perks of higher management. Meanwhile, he saves the object of his desire only to have her ask him to end her life; her injuries have left her a quadriplegic
Quadriplegia
Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury to a human that results in the partial or total loss of use of all their limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms...
.
Venessa asks Bob to let her roll down a subway platform in front of an oncoming train. Bob debates whether or not to go through with it, scrawling "should I finish what Coleman started?", on a piece of paper. Bob doesn't go through with it and he stops her just before she reaches the train. They then discover that she can wiggle her little finger, providing hope that she may recover. Soon, Bob and Venessa become romantically involved. However, Bob is still trapped by the demons of his past, and has insecurities that as soon as Venessa recovers, she will leave him.
However at the very end of the movie, it is revealed that Bob has been hallucinating all of the events since just before the initial shooting. This time, he is in the same position as his coworker was, only instead of killing his coworkers, he shoots himself in front of Venessa. The last scenes show police searching his house to find a note that reads "you may ask why I did what I did... but what choice did you give me? How else could I have gotten your attention?" In the news with reporters interviewing his neighbors, they say that "he was a quiet man."
In a first alternate ending, the lead-up to the shooting reveals that Bob is indeed the shooter and intends to shoot Venessa (due to his frustration that she does not know he exists), but before he can fire a shot, Bob is himself shot several times in the chest. The scene reveals Coleman to be the hero in this ending, having shot Bob through the cubicle wall. As Bob's lies on the floor and his vision fades to black, he sees coworkers standing over him, with Venessa being the last coworker, mouthing the words "I love you" before he dies.
In a second alternate ending, all events of the first alternate ending come to pass. As Bob's vision fades to black and he sees Venessa mouth the words "I love you," a faint beeping sound is heard. The scene then flashes to Bob, sitting in his cubicle, going through a normal day with the shooting having never taken place. Venessa walks by his cubicle and comments on the hula-dancing figurine on Bob's desk. Bob removes a notebook from his desk drawer, and notes that today, Venessa loved his hula girl. The image pans out to reveal a meticulously detailed log of all inconsequential events and interactions with Venessa over the course of months (or even years). The book then closes to the end credits.
Cast
- Christian SlaterChristian SlaterChristian Michael Leonard Slater is an American actor. He made his film debut with a small role in The Postman Always Rings Twice before playing a leading role in the 1985 film The Legend of Billie Jean...
as Bob Maconel - Elisha CuthbertElisha CuthbertElisha Ann Cuthbert is a Canadian film and television actress. Cuthbert is known as the former co-host of the Canadian children's television series Popular Mechanics for Kids. In 1998, she had her first film role in Airspeed. She followed this in 2003 with a role in Old School...
as Venessa Parks - William H. MacyWilliam H. MacyWilliam Hall Macy, Jr. is an American actor and writer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo. He is also a teacher and director in theater, film and television. His film career has been built mostly on his appearances in small, independent films, though...
as Gene Shelby - Sascha Knopf as Paula Metzler
- Jamison JonesJamison JonesJamison Jones is an American actor, screenwriter and director. He is best known for his work with Christian Slater and William H Macy in He Was a Quiet Man, as a regular cast member on General Hospital and in the FOX series 24. He originated the title role in the world premiere of Roberto...
as Scott Harper - Michael DeLuiseMichael DeLuiseMichael Robert DeLuise is an American actor, film director, and film producer.-Early life and career:DeLuise was born in Los Angeles, the second son of actor and comedian Dom DeLuise and actress Carol Arthur, and the brother of actor, writer, director Peter DeLuise and actor David DeLuise.DeLuise...
as Detective Sorenson - Anzu LawsonAnzu LawsonAnzu Lawson, born Cristina Anzu Lawson in Klamath Falls, Oregon and is a Japanese American actress, singer, songwriter, comedian and screenwriter. She has also been credited under the names Cristina Lawson, Cristina Anzu Lawson and Anzu Cristina....
as Nancy Felt - John GulagerJohn GulagerJohn Thompson Gulager is an actor, cinematographer and film director.-Acting career:The production and filming of Feast was the main focus of season three of Project Greenlight. The film, made for Miramax, had a limited theatrical release. The DVD version was released on October 17, 2006. He was...
as Goldie / Maurice Gregory - Frankie Lou ThornFrankie ThornFrankie Thorn is an American actress best known for her role as "The Nun" opposite Harvey Keitel in Abel Ferrara's controversial 1992 film Bad Lieutenant .- Filmography :-External links:...
as Jessica Light - Randolph MantoothRandolph MantoothRandolph Donald Mantooth is an American character actor of stage, film and television. Mantooth is best known for his work in the 1970s medical drama, Emergency!, as Johnny Gage, a Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedic...
as Dr. Willis - Greg BakerGreg BakerGregory Baker is an American television and film, actor and musician. He is perhaps best known for his recurring roles as Elliott, a producer on the show Sports Night, Mr...
as Copy Boy
Awards
- May 1, 2007... BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the Newport Film Festival.
- June 11, 2007... BEST DIRECTOR at the Jackson Hole Film Festival.
- June 5, 2007 ... BEST FEATURE at Seattle's True Independent Film Festival.