Films about humble loners
February 6, 2015 6:53 PM   Subscribe

Which films feature humble, quiet, loners with a grand project or rich inner life? Think The Shawshank Redemption or Zodiac. Bonus points if it's available on Netflix.
posted by phrontist to Media & Arts (40 answers total) 30 users marked this as a favorite
 
The Elephant Man
posted by zagyzebra at 6:59 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


Razor's Edge, Larry
posted by jennstra at 7:03 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


Little Voice.
posted by cecic at 7:12 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


The Station Agent
posted by nickggully at 7:25 PM on February 6, 2015 [10 favorites]


Lars and the Real Girl
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:34 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Amélie
posted by drlith at 7:37 PM on February 6, 2015 [7 favorites]


Amélie
Tracks
Safety Not Guaranteed
True Grit
Short Term 12
The Lookout
posted by acidic at 7:47 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Dancer in the Dark

How about supporting cast? Ricky in American Beauty
posted by beccaj at 7:49 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Whisper of the Heart
Blue Is The Warmest Color (on Netflix)
5 CM Per Second (on Youtube)
3-Iron
posted by thischarmingirl at 7:57 PM on February 6, 2015


Synecdoche, New York
posted by dilaudid at 8:07 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Marty
posted by rhizome at 8:17 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


Still Life (2013)—I don't know about Netflix.
posted by she's not there at 8:31 PM on February 6, 2015


In the Realms of the Unreal, a doc about Henry Darger.
posted by brujita at 8:34 PM on February 6, 2015 [2 favorites]


Le Rayon Vert (Summer) - Maybe the main character, Delphine, lacks a grand project. The movie afterall is about her inability to find somewhere to go for her summer vacation. But for a quiet, humble, shy person she seems to me to have some inner strength of character. Takes on the whole table about not eating meat and maybe lettuce having feelings anyway.

Man of Flowers - This guy is a bit bent, but he knows what he likes.

Paris, Texas - Saw this recently on TCM after not having seen it since it came out. Great movie.
posted by TimTypeZed at 8:38 PM on February 6, 2015


Peacock
posted by extramundane at 8:45 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


The Conversation
posted by TimTypeZed at 8:46 PM on February 6, 2015


I suppose Being There could be included.
posted by bonobothegreat at 8:46 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


The Science of Sleep is kind of a play on this trope.
posted by bleep at 8:55 PM on February 6, 2015 [1 favorite]


Local Hero has the old recluse astronomer in his shack on the beach.
posted by nicwolff at 9:17 PM on February 6, 2015


The Lives of Others (well, he is a humble loner with a rich someone else's life)
Blue Ruin (humble loner with a big plan)
posted by GrumpyDan at 9:50 PM on February 6, 2015 [4 favorites]


Don't sleep on Short Term 12, which is just a fabulous, stunning, beautiful movie. (Props to acidic for mentioning it first.)
posted by incessant at 10:31 PM on February 6, 2015


I'm going to Nth every suggestion above.

Giving special props to Dancer in the Dark.

I actually thought of the Tarantino Kill Bill series.

Also Edward Scissorhands.

And because no one ever "gets" this film, Cloud Atlas so fits your criteria. In spades. But only if you get it.
posted by jbenben at 11:12 PM on February 6, 2015


Brazil.
"Moon"
posted by yoyo_nyc at 1:39 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


I found Choking Man charmingly engrossing.
posted by LuckySeven~ at 1:40 AM on February 7, 2015


The World's Fastest Indian is the (mostly) true story of the New Zealander Burt Munro who spent 25 years cooped up in his workshop, rebuilding and tuning a 1920 Indian motorcycle... a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.
I recommend this movie, I liked it a lot.
posted by Too-Ticky at 3:39 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


Year of the Dog--it's on netflix, too
posted by shortyJBot at 4:55 AM on February 7, 2015


Into The Wild
Grizzly Man
posted by humboldt32 at 5:18 AM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


The Fountain, kind of
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 9:25 AM on February 7, 2015


Also Pi from the director of The Fountain.
posted by mkb at 11:30 AM on February 7, 2015


Zero Effect with Bill Pullman and Ben Stiller.
posted by marsha56 at 12:26 PM on February 7, 2015 [3 favorites]


Maybe Kick-Ass
posted by rhizome at 12:52 PM on February 7, 2015


Eastern Promises
posted by invisible ink at 1:16 PM on February 7, 2015


Let's throw Ghost Dog in here, too.
posted by rhizome at 1:38 PM on February 7, 2015 [1 favorite]


High Noon (Cooper is married but still alone)
Jerimiah Johnson
Man in the Wilderness
The Game (not humble, though)
Frailty (wait for it, you'll see)
posted by trinity8-director at 2:33 PM on February 7, 2015


Box of Moonlight?

It's been a long time since I've watched it but I believe the character John Turturo's character meets would fall in this category.
posted by JenMarie at 3:24 PM on February 7, 2015


Similar to the Henry Darger, Finding Vivian Maier
posted by ifjuly at 5:00 PM on February 7, 2015


Ikiru
posted by Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam at 5:48 PM on February 7, 2015


And sort of, I mean he's well revered on the one hand by those in the know, but on the other not really and even so he lives humbly for sure, Bill Cunningham New York.
posted by ifjuly at 8:39 PM on February 7, 2015


Tom, in "Millers Crossing."
posted by mmiddle at 2:29 PM on February 8, 2015


Malcolm
posted by HiroProtagonist at 4:50 PM on February 8, 2015


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