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Sam Rockwell (1 Viewer)

Seth Paxton

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Well, Vickie wanted to talk about Sam but of course she mentioned it in the train wreck that was the Green Mile thread.
But it's definitely a subject for the moment with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind on the way and Sam having an apparently excellent role in the film.
I agree that he showed some strong range going from Green Mile to Galaxy Quest. Not only that but I thought he had many of the funniest lines in GQ. "Is there air out there? You don't know!" :laugh:
I also thought he was one of the stronger points in Charlie's Angels (a film I enjoyed in it's cartoony ways for the most part). His Eric Knox is fun and colorful in a way that makes you remember he was there.
But then he comes back with his effort in Made, and to me that really shows his stuff. That character is again highly different from Knox. And then you lay all 4 roles side by side and you see very little overlap between them. Even the less confident characters from GQ and Made are different in how they are weaker personalities. One is the whiny jerk while the other is really just trying to be nice and do his job well.
We derive humor from Fleegman getting put in his place while we are highly discomforted to see that hotel clerk get pushed around like that.
I can't remember what I thought of him in Heist to be honest.
And now comes what looks to be a role with incredible range and personality. I have to tell you that when he puts on the hat in the trailers, I see Chuck Barris in his behavior. Granted that Barris has a very imitatable (not a word) personality, but still it represents yet another unique character for Rockwell.
I suspect that Confessions is going to make Rockwell a semi-household name come January/Febuary. Even more so if he's in the running for an Oscar nom. He certainly will be on the press junket hitting all the major talk shows, etc.
 

cafink

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Carl Fink
I loved him in "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." It was a relatively small part but he really made the most of it!
 

MickeS

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I wonder if he'll ever really "break" in a big way. He's always praised by critics and us "fans", but he never seems to get much attention beyond that.
I really noticed him for the first time in the wonderful little mid-life crisis drama Box of Moonlight, and have kept an eye on him and his career since then. I've enjoyed everything I've seen him in, and always think "this will be his big break", especially after the enormously entertaining "Galaxy Quest", but nothing really seems to happen. Not that it matters much as long as he'll keep making good movies. :)
/Mike
 

TheLongshot

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Jason
I think his problem is what makes him so good. He tends to disappear into his roles, which is good for the part, but it is hard on getting recognition. I mean, until you told me that his parts in Galaxy Quest and Charlie's Angels are by the same person, I wouldn't have known.

Jason
 

RobertW

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yeah, me either. i assume he was "crewman #6" in galaxy quest? he looks nothing like his role in charlie's angels.

i thought he was terrific in galaxy quest.
 

Vickie_M

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I don't even remember him in Charlie's Angels! I only saw it once, and didn't think much other than "that was somewhat fun." What was his role?

I haven't seen Made or Heist yet, they're on my list.

I agree with you Seth, I think Sam had many of the best lines in Galaxy Quest (and after him, Tony Shaloub). Yep, he was "Crewman #6" ("I'm the guy in the episode who dies to prove how serious the situation is!" and "Did you guys ever WATCH the show?") and even had great lines spoken about him! Gwen: "Let's get out of here before one of those things kills Guy!"

I can't wait to see Confessions, for several different reasons, Sam being one of the main ones.

I'd love to see him and Steve Zahn in a movie together.


===
[The crew is on a shuttle descending to an alien planet.]
Guy Fleegman: I changed my mind. I wanna go back.
Sir Alexander Dane: After the fuss you made about getting left behind?
Guy Fleegman: Yeah, but that's when I thought I was the crewman that stays on the ship, and something is up there, and it kills me. But now I'm thinking I'm the guy who gets killed by some monster five minutes after we land on the planet.
Jason Nesmith: You're not gonna die on the planet, Guy.
Guy Fleegman: I'm not? Then what's my last name?
Jason Nesmith: It's, uh, uh---I don't know.
Guy Fleegman: Nobody knows! Do you know why? Because my character isn't important enough for a last name, because I'm gonna die five minutes in.
Gwen DeMarco: Guy, you have a last name.
Guy Fleegman: DO I?! DO I?!?! For all you know, I'm "Crewman Number Six"!
===

I love that movie!
 

chung_sotheby

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Sam Rockwell and Steve Zahn were in a movie called Safe Men together. Rather amusing, not quite on the level of Sam's work in Galaxy Quest, or for that matter, Made. Also, Mark Ruffalo has a part in Safe Men.
 

Brett_B

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Vickie,
You should have one more line in the dialogue at the end of your post. :)
Sir Alexander Dane: Are we there yet?
 

Vickie_M

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Safe Men? I hadn't heard of that. Thanks! (Vickie goes off to add it to her Tivo Wishlist)

Knox...knox...I guess I'll have to see the movie again just for him. I don't even remember the plot or the client or much of anything really. It's a popcorn movie that I guess I literally did forget as soon as I walked out of the theater. It doesn't help that I'm now picturing them in a big truck driving over a dam with bad guys on both sides shooting at them, then going over the edge and...oh, something to do with a helicopter coming out of the back of the truck and Bernie Mac saying he's against it and...it's fading, fading...
 

RobertW

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even better than his lines was just the expressions and physical acting he did in galaxy quest. like when they first transport and he's just standing there screaming. or the way he looked when he said(approximately)"i'm just jazzed to be on the show".
 

Qui-Gon John

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Luis, yes, (mentioned above), he was Wild Bill, (William Wharton or Billy the Kid, as he preferred).
 

Qui-Gon John

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"Oh he's frying now!"

"A french-fried cajun anmed Delacroix".

I loved it when Percy picks on Del and then says "I was only playin'". Then right after Bill attacks Percy and says "I was only playin'".

I'm gonna have to watch this one again real soon.

"We goin for the ride now Boss?"
 

Seth Paxton

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Mike, I think the lead role in Dangerous Mind WILL be a role that can help him take a step up.
Seems like when actors make it they often have a nice run of character bits in which people become familiar with them by face but don't yet think of them as stars or remember their names.
Then they get that starring role in a film that is at least semi-high profile, do the interview circuit, get talked about on E! and Entertainment Tonight and break through as people begin to tie this "new star" back to those other roles they enjoyed them in.
Rockwell certainly has had good exposure thanks to the films I listed, he just needs this starring role. Of course Dangerous Mind can go either way, either staying low profile as an arthouse film, or go big as a Clooney production/direction film (which I think will get the film discussed in the mainstream).
Now if Oscar comes knocking he will really be riding the wave. :)
 

Ruth_F

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or go big as a Clooney production/direction film (which I think will get the film discussed in the mainstream).
with national board kicking off award season giving a special award to clooney for this film today, i'm guessing folks will know who rockwell is soon.
 

Ray H

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I remember him from some tv movie where he played some drunk driver.:D (IMDB has it as some HBO series)
Looks like he's having a good career.:)
 

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