Can you recommend movies featuring touching interactions between non-alpha types?
August 31, 2010 6:32 AM Subscribe
Can you recommend some good romantic movies that feature people who might be considered by some to be 'losers' or, if not that harsh, people who would be considered generally unattractive due to looks or lifestyle or any other reason that would make one not alpha? Other necessary qualities are an excellent soundtrack and definitely a script that rises above the cliche. Any genre is fine, so long as there is something touching about the romantic link between the protagonists.
I recently watched 'Eagle vs Shark' which I loved. It really got to me, although I can imagine it would be a fairly polarising film. After it finished, I caught the last half of 'Harold and Maude' which has been one of my favourite films since I was 13. I started trying to think of other movies that fit into the category that I'm trying to describe and came up with 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'Leaving Las Vegas', 'Look Both Ways' and 'Monkey Grip'.
I'm sure there's many more, so your recommendations would be welcome.
I recently watched 'Eagle vs Shark' which I loved. It really got to me, although I can imagine it would be a fairly polarising film. After it finished, I caught the last half of 'Harold and Maude' which has been one of my favourite films since I was 13. I started trying to think of other movies that fit into the category that I'm trying to describe and came up with 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', 'Leaving Las Vegas', 'Look Both Ways' and 'Monkey Grip'.
I'm sure there's many more, so your recommendations would be welcome.
Dog Fight - I don't know if this counts because one of them is alpha and the other isn't. The whole premise of the movie is that the guy is stooping to date an ugly girl.
posted by John Cohen at 6:40 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by John Cohen at 6:40 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
To be honest, almost every teen movie fits this mold. Not being one of the cool kids (or at least not considering yourself one) is so nearly universal of a teenage experience that the protagonist of pretty much every teen movie is explicitly uncool.
Off the top of my head: Superbad and Ten Things I Hate About You come to mind
Also, there's Zack and Miri make a Porno
posted by 256 at 6:42 AM on August 31, 2010
Off the top of my head: Superbad and Ten Things I Hate About You come to mind
Also, there's Zack and Miri make a Porno
posted by 256 at 6:42 AM on August 31, 2010
I think the story of the Portuguese housekeeper in Love Actually would fit that, but it's one of my favorite movies so maybe I'm biased.
posted by inmediasres at 6:43 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by inmediasres at 6:43 AM on August 31, 2010
Best answer: There is a fair amount of cliche in it, but I love Lukas Moodysson's Tillsammans, a sort of group love story set in a commune in Sweden in the 1970s. Filled with outcasts who live happily ever after. Soundtrack by Abba.
Great fun.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:46 AM on August 31, 2010
Great fun.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:46 AM on August 31, 2010
This nails pretty much nails just about Woody Allen's entire (realist) oeuvre: Play it Again, Sam, Annie Hall, Manhattan, etc.
posted by griphus at 6:48 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by griphus at 6:48 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This is pretty much the theme of The Baxter; the main character is the ordinary guy who gets left behind at the altar when The Protagonist runs in to stop the wedding and tell The Girl his true feelings. A Baxter enjoys pajamas & accounting and lives in a railroad apartment.
posted by bcwinters at 6:54 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by bcwinters at 6:54 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Lucas
Possibly Lars and the Real Girl (if you can stretch to consider an inanimate object a "loser" and "romantically involved")
posted by JJtheJetPlane at 6:56 AM on August 31, 2010
Possibly Lars and the Real Girl (if you can stretch to consider an inanimate object a "loser" and "romantically involved")
posted by JJtheJetPlane at 6:56 AM on August 31, 2010
Uh, you just described High Fidelity. Duh! :D
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:02 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:02 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
The People vs. Larry Flynt... not a romantic movie but I found the portrayal of the relationship between Larry and Althea to be rather touching.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:04 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
The People vs. Larry Flynt... not a romantic movie but I found the portrayal of the relationship between Larry and Althea to be rather touching.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 7:04 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you're okay with some light kink, definitely Secretary.
posted by WidgetAlley at 7:09 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by WidgetAlley at 7:09 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Punch-Drunk Love starring Adam Sandler in an actual acting role.
posted by flipper at 7:10 AM on August 31, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by flipper at 7:10 AM on August 31, 2010 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: I'm favouriting the ones that I've seen that fit the description, and best answering the ones that I haven't seen that sound good. Thanks guys, keep them coming!
posted by h00py at 7:21 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by h00py at 7:21 AM on August 31, 2010
Best answer: Swingers, featuring one of my favourite breaking-up truth bombs.
posted by caek at 7:44 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by caek at 7:44 AM on August 31, 2010
I find the relationship between Earl (Tom Waits) and Doreen Piggott (Lily Tomlin) in Short Cuts to be touching in an extremely non-syrupy, "it's complicated" sort of way.
The Waits factor connects that film to Ironweed, which covers similar ground.
posted by drlith at 7:48 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
The Waits factor connects that film to Ironweed, which covers similar ground.
posted by drlith at 7:48 AM on August 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Me and You and Everyone We Know
It has one of my favourite bits of dialogue ever:
C: [seeing his bandage] Whoa, what happened?
R: You want the short version or the long one?
C: The long one.
R: I tried to save my life but it didn't work.
C: Wow. What's the short one?
R: I burned it.
I'd also recommend 500 Days of Summer though the two main characters are quite normal but definitely not alpha types.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:57 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
It has one of my favourite bits of dialogue ever:
C: [seeing his bandage] Whoa, what happened?
R: You want the short version or the long one?
C: The long one.
R: I tried to save my life but it didn't work.
C: Wow. What's the short one?
R: I burned it.
I'd also recommend 500 Days of Summer though the two main characters are quite normal but definitely not alpha types.
posted by slimepuppy at 7:57 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Wristcutters: A Love Story
When Harry Met Sally might fit the bill, too.
posted by puritycontrol at 8:03 AM on August 31, 2010
When Harry Met Sally might fit the bill, too.
posted by puritycontrol at 8:03 AM on August 31, 2010
Benny and Joon.
posted by mollymayhem at 8:23 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by mollymayhem at 8:23 AM on August 31, 2010
Best answer: Scott Pilgrim Versus the World? It's highly culture and generation specific, though.
posted by cmoj at 9:50 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by cmoj at 9:50 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of my favorite movies, Better Off Dead.
posted by BiffSlamkovich at 9:56 AM on August 31, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by BiffSlamkovich at 9:56 AM on August 31, 2010 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Any interesting twist on this exact sort of genre is The Shape of Things.
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:00 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by Lutoslawski at 10:00 AM on August 31, 2010
Bridget Jones?
posted by purpletangerine at 10:15 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by purpletangerine at 10:15 AM on August 31, 2010
Circle of Friends. The book by Maeve Binchy is better, of course, than the movie. I think it's her best of all.
posted by jgirl at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by jgirl at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Crossing Delancey? Realistic New York apartments! Soundtrack: meh, kind of 80s, but not bad.
posted by Erasmouse at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by Erasmouse at 10:34 AM on August 31, 2010
I paid my five dollars solely to come in here and recommend Marty. Trailer with bonus Burt Lancaster!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:30 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Snarl Furillo at 11:30 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Wait, we're 30+ comments in and nobody's mentioned Knocked Up? It's about an alpha+loser relationship that begins for about the worst possible reason. Some of the humor is pretty crass (it's a Judd Apatow movie, duh), but overall it's surprisingly touching.
posted by AkzidenzGrotesk at 11:36 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by AkzidenzGrotesk at 11:36 AM on August 31, 2010
No joke, Revenge of the Nerds.
posted by phelixshu at 11:38 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by phelixshu at 11:38 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: For a real life version (sorry, no great soundtrack or script), the documentary Sherman's March is about a "loser" looking for love.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:41 AM on August 31, 2010
posted by burnmp3s at 11:41 AM on August 31, 2010
Best answer: The Good Girl, though I don't remember if the soundtrack was great or not.
posted by magicbus at 12:11 PM on August 31, 2010
posted by magicbus at 12:11 PM on August 31, 2010
Best answer: I just saw Beeswax the other night, and loved it. Not much of a soundtrack, but there is an alternate audio track with some interesting score, apparently.
Also
Some Kind of Wonderful.
Can't Buy Me Love.
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
Let the Right One In.
Those last two don't really have soundtracks that I recall, but deserve to be mentioned.
posted by teekat at 2:05 PM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also
Some Kind of Wonderful.
Can't Buy Me Love.
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.
Let the Right One In.
Those last two don't really have soundtracks that I recall, but deserve to be mentioned.
posted by teekat at 2:05 PM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Good Dick
Bark
Happy Accidents
Show Me Love
Two Lovers
Broken English
Ira & Abby
Management
Outsourced
and especially Pizza
(All Netflix streaming, I believe…)
The Other Sister
Cherish
posted by dpcoffin at 5:52 PM on August 31, 2010
Bark
Happy Accidents
Show Me Love
Two Lovers
Broken English
Ira & Abby
Management
Outsourced
and especially Pizza
(All Netflix streaming, I believe…)
The Other Sister
Cherish
posted by dpcoffin at 5:52 PM on August 31, 2010
Response by poster: Thank you so much, everyone. I have an outstanding list of movies to try and track down. I really appreciate it.
posted by h00py at 6:52 PM on August 31, 2010
posted by h00py at 6:52 PM on August 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
For a much better film, though, there's Amelie. She's very pretty, but definitely not "alpha."
posted by SugarAndSass at 6:37 AM on August 31, 2010 [1 favorite]