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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsWhat are your favorite sleeper films?
Flims that never made it big at the box office, but were really great otherwise.
My nomination is "Saving Grace"
Synopsis:
After being unexpectedly widowed, respectable and reserved housewife Grace Trevethyn (Brenda Blethyn) discovers that her late husband ran up significant debts and left her facing foreclosure and numerous repossessions. Well liked around Port Isaac, the coastal fishing town she lives in, Grace is given emotional support by the town's inhabitants, particularly her loyal, pot-smoking gardener Matthew Stewart (Craig Ferguson), his girlfriend and the town's fisherwoman Nicky (Valerie Edmond), and their friend Dr Martin Bamford (Martin Clunes). Despite wanting to help Grace, none of the residents are able to find a way to get her out of her dire situation.
Eventually, Grace's financial situation reaches the point where she is unable to pay Matthew, but the gardener steadfastly insists that he will continue taking care of her property. In exchange he asks Grace to take a look at some plants he is having difficulty cultivating, as Grace's remarkable talent with horticulture is well known throughout town. Arriving that evening to examine the plants, Grace is surprised to discover a sickly-looking grove of marijuana. Despite her initial disgust at Matthew's actions, Grace nevertheless takes one of the plants back to her home, unable to leave a "sick plant" unattended. Within 24 hours she is able to not only restore the plant to health, but has it producing small buds, much to Matthew's amazement.
Grace's life is further disrupted when a property appraiser arrives at her home, informing her that it is forcibly being put up for auction. She later learns that her husband's debts were worse than she thought, totaling more than £300,000, most owed to Rampton's, a London investment firm. The next day Grace asks Matthew the approximate value of the marijuana plant she rescued; when he informs her that, "ounce-for-ounce the really good stuff's worth more than gold," she proposes a partnership. Matthew will help her grow and sell marijuana, and after accumulating enough cash to pay off her debts the rest will be split evenly. Matthew accepts, and that evening returns to Nicky, eager to share the good news. Nicky is less than pleased, convinced the plan is reckless and fearing that Matthew will be caught and arrested. Now unsure of her relationship with him, Nicky holds off on telling Matthew that she has just discovered she is pregnant.
Grace and Matthew quickly start up a large and successful hydroponic grow operation in Grace's greenhouse. Sometime after Grace meets Honey Chambers (Diana Quick) placing flowers at her husband's grave, the act confirming her long-held suspicion that her husband was having an affair, based on letters he tried to have her send to an address in London. The next day she asks Matthew to guide her in smoking pot for the first time, and thoroughly enjoys the experience. While the two are high, Matthew asks her what made her decide to grow marijuana; Grace cryptically replies with Honey's London address.
As the time to harvest the marijuana approaches Grace has a chance encounter with Nicky, whose evasion of her makes her curious. The two finally talk, and Nicky asks Grace to ensure that her boyfriend won't get arrested. Moved by Nicky's plea, Grace tells Matthew that he won't be going to London to find a buyer, and subsequently sneaks off there herself. Grace's efforts to locate a dealer prove unsuccessful, and she ultimately has to be rescued from a police station by Honey after venturing into a seedy pub. At Honey's home, Grace manages to convince the other woman to call her dealer, Vince (Bill Bailey), to try and sell the marijuana. Vince is impressed by the quality, but lacks the money necessary to buy the full 20 kilograms Grace is offering. After some pleading, Vince agrees to take the two women to someone who has enough money. Back in Port Isaac, Matthew discovers that Grace has gone to London from Dr Bamford, and follows her to Honey's house accompanied by Bamford, remembering the London address Grace told him earlier. The two arrive in time to see Vince, Honey, and Grace.
Vince takes Grace and Honey to a yet-to-be-opened aquatic-themed rave club where they meet with French businessman Jacques Chevalier (Tchéky Karyo). Grace impresses Chevalier by instructing him on improving his casting with a fishing rod in French, and is progressing towards a deal when Matthew and Dr Bamford arrive, nearly causing an incident when Chevalier's bodyguard China MacFarlane (Jamie Foreman) mistakes their appearance for an ambush. The situation is quickly calmed, and in a private office Chevalier and Grace negotiate a deal for the marijuana, Grace almost crying with relief when the businessman accepts. Grace, Vince, and Dr Bamford head back to Port Isaac; Chevalier secretly instructs China to take Vince and follow them to Grace's home.
Arriving back in Port Isaac to harvest the marijuana, Grace discovers that the Women's Institute is preparing to have a luncheon at her house, and that Rampton's adjuster Quentin Rhodes (Clive Merrison) is heading to the house as well to discuss the foreclosure. Grace and Matthew's friend Harvey (Tristan Sturrock) stay to harvest the marijuana while Matthew returns to town to reconcile with Nicky. At the dock, Matthew apologizes and proclaims his love to Nicky, who responds by telling Matthew that she is pregnant. The two joyously celebrate momentarily, before being informed by local barkeep Charlie (Paul Brooke) that two men have been asking about Grace; Matthew quickly identifies them as Vince and China, and returns to warn Grace while Nicky tells local Police Sergeant Alfred Mabely (Ken Campbell) that the two are actually salmon poachers, prompting him to keep an eye on the two.
At Grace's house, Grace, Matthew, Dr Bamford and Nicky all frantically attempt to dismantle the grow operation while Harvey keeps Quentin distracted in the house. Vince and China arrive at the home; when Harvey leaves to warn Grace, Vince and China slip in and confront Quentin, believing he is another buyer of the marijuana. Sergeant Mabely arrives and discovers Grace's grow operation, but rather than arresting her explains that he was well aware of her activities and decided to turn a blind eye. However, he warns her that he's called in other police officers to follow his supposed salmon poachers and leaves. Fearing their imminent discovery, Grace decides to burn the dried marijuana rather than facing possible jail time, but as she holds a lit match over the pile China arrives, holding Quentin at knifepoint and demanding Grace put the match out. Before she can it burns her fingers, and she drops it into the pile. At the same moment, a woman from the local WI arrives, surprises China, but then flees at the sight of China wielding a switchblade. China chases her, only to run into the rest of the arriving women, who beat him into submission with their handbags. The police arrive shortly thereafter, attempting to break up the riotous mob. Grace and her friends flee in the confusion while the huge marijuana pile burns inside the greenhouse.
Inside her house, Grace is surprised to find Chevalier. She confronts him over his betrayal, but he responds that he sent China to follow her not to steal from her, but to protect her. He goes on to express a budding romantic interest in her, which after some hesitation Grace accepts. Back outside, Dr Bamford is unable to resist the opportunity and opens the door to the greenhouse, releasing a huge cloud of marijuana smoke that envelops him and the rioting townspeople. The riot quickly turns into a pleasant, carefree celebration.
CatMor
(6,212 posts)ghostsinthemachine
(3,569 posts)IMO, Woody Allen's funniest film. The ORB!
Crutchez_CuiBono
(7,725 posts)braddy
(3,585 posts)Ohiogal
(31,975 posts)ZZenith
(4,119 posts)Which added a lot more whimsy and slapstick, but is a lot of fun to watch.
Saw the series before the movie, so the change in tone was a bit jarring but it was an excellent movie.
A sleeper I really liked was Big Night, about two Italian brothers trying to make it in the restaurant biz.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Very good series!
ZZenith
(4,119 posts)And of course, Port Isaac plays a starring role.
Rustynaerduwell
(663 posts)1968. The horror film as social statement. In it a black hero justifiably kills a white man in his own home. Equally at home in a drive-in movie theater and in a film class. So far ahead of its time.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)"Hot Fuzz" I am a huge Simon Pegg/Nick Frost fan. This was one of their best. Highly recommend it.
Leith
(7,809 posts)It's one of the bloodiest dark comedies that had me in tears laughing. Yeah, I like that type of movie (The Frighteners and Re-animator were hilarious, too). Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk star.
One of the funniest movies I've seen in years.
"Sheriff, we've had a DOOZY of a day!..."
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)John Cusack plays a government trained hitman coming home for his 10 year High School Reunion.
TexasBushwhacker
(20,172 posts)Bayard
(22,057 posts)Cusack is always charming. His sister plays his secretary.
Glorfindel
(9,726 posts)The scene with the two stoned shopkeepers wearing googly eyes and eating corn flakes has me in tears with laughter every time I see it. Another one is "Keeping Mum," starring Maggie Smith and Kristen Scott-Thomas along with Rowan Atkinson and Patrick Swayze.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I have been trying to find it on some kind of streaming source and can't, but I would love to re-watch that movie.
I also love "Hot Fuzz" and "Shaun of the Dead" or anything w/ Simon Pegg and Nick Frost in it.
Stuart G
(38,414 posts)Two individuals are part of a sleep test and are supposed to be sleeping for one year. Something goes wrong, and the two do not sleep for one year, but sleep for 500 years. The two awake, and due to some events that are outlined in the film, the two wake up as the two smartest people in the entire world..The rest of the film discusses events as the two adjust to the situation..
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Upthevibe
(8,035 posts)Mike Judge movies in general. I also really liked Extract with Jason Bateman. I thought it was hysterical!
TexasBushwhacker
(20,172 posts)Think if "Mean Girls" was a drama. A teenager returns to school after being in a psychiatric hospital. She gets bullied by the cheerleaders and jocks, but finds a kindred soul in a substitute drama teacher who works with her on a production of "The Crucible".
It was written, directed and stars 22 year old Quinn Shephard. I was really impressed.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)Thanks for the recommendation!
TexasBushwhacker
(20,172 posts)and I found it for free on Kanopy. Let me know what you think.
https://www.kanopy.com/product/blame
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)I can watch it for free. I am going to sleep now, but I will let you know when I watch it.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)It's about a group of artists in the 19th Century (Judy Davis as George Sand, Julian Sands as Franz Liszt, Hugh Grant as Chopin, Mandy Patinkin as Alfred de Musset, Bernadette Peters as the Countess d'Agoult and a few others) who get invited to the country home of a Duke and Duchess (Emma Thompson as the silly Duchess) for a fortnight because the Duchess wants to bring "culture and art to the country".
Anyway, it's witty, amusing and charming with a great cast and just a fun movie all around. I definitely recommend it. Judy Davis is just great as George Sand.
peekaloo
(22,977 posts)me and 12 other people and we all loved it!
Love Craig Ferguson, too.
rzemanfl
(29,556 posts)Zoonart
(11,849 posts)tonyt53
(5,737 posts)Afromania
(2,768 posts)You know, for kids
unblock
(52,195 posts)jennifer jason leigh was brilliant for that role. actually great casting all around.
so many little things in that movie were just so perfect, like the squeak from waring hudsucker's shoes as he gears up for his job across the boardroom table... and later the sound of the board member slowly squeaking down the window... plexiglass...
Afromania
(2,768 posts)all of the Hollywood golden era movies involving newspapers/journalists.
unblock
(52,195 posts)mikeysnot
(4,756 posts)Quirky British humour...
Young Kate Beckinsale...
cyclonefence
(4,483 posts)SamKnause
(13,091 posts)Kurt Russell
Kelly McGillis
Lloyd Bridges
Amelia Burnette
I was the only person in the theater when I saw it.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)I'll also throw in, for free, the nearly completely overlooked "Cutter's Way" (1981). These two could also qualify for the twist ending thread.
Bayard
(22,057 posts)And, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? Both happen to be Johnny Depp films, and his is excellent in both. But a young Leonardo DiCaprio steals Gilbert with his portrayal of an autistic boy.
Two of my all time faves.