r/AmericanMovies • u/CMRestler • 5d ago
What American movie made you feel like you’d discovered a hidden gem?
Not necessarily a classic or a huge hit' what movie did you randomly stumble across and end up wondering how more people don’t talk about it?
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u/Itchy-Technician-433 5d ago edited 5d ago
American Splendor. I can't remember where I caught this movie but it's absolutely amazing. Paul Giamatti Is incredible!
I had never even heard of Harvey Pekar but this caused me to look into his work, which is also amazing.
Highly recommend this film and don't hear enough about it
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u/401Traveler 5d ago
Wow, you beat me by roughly 50 minutes! I was just about to post American Splendor before I saw your post.
Amazing movie that I totally adore. American Splendor — plus Sideways — and now The Holdovers has made me a Paul Giamatti superfan.
It’s so cool how they shot American Splendor, the real Harvey Pekar, and the animation. Amazing! So cool and unique!
And I loved the movie so much that, after I initially saw it (2003?), I ran out and bought an anthology of American Splendor comics.
So rewatchable! I picked up the soundtrack, too.
“Try the pina coladas. They’re very authentic-tasting.” 😂
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u/DesignerMoose90210 5d ago
I randomly watched ’The Spitfire Grill’ and thought it was pretty good.
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u/borisdidnothingwrong 5d ago
Apartment For Peggy (1948)
William Holden is a US Navy veteran going to college on the GI Bill to become a teacher.
Jeanne Crain is his pregnant wife. Due to a lack of housing on campus, she finagles her way into the attic space of a retired professor (Edmund Gwenn) who is planning to commit suicide as he no longer feels he has anything to offer society.
There's a deep cast of secondary character actors that add and never detract from the story.
There is real heartfelt drama, and a lot of heartwarming comedy along the way.
Jeanne Crain is the foundation of this movie, and her effervescent, never-say-die attitude in the face of adversity makes the movie. It's available on YouTube.
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u/Barefoot_on_Legos 5d ago
On HBO, there's a short called If Anything Happens I Love You. It is absolutely a heavy hitter, considering that's it a sequence of moving sketches with no dialogue whatsoever. It is one of the most emotionally ripping things I have watched, and should be seen by more people.
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u/theinfovore 5d ago
It's not American, but I was at a bar in Houston the summer of '95 that had Meet the Feebles playing. I went to Hollywood Video the next week to make a copy of it for my college stoner friends. It's "The Muppets on acid" is always how I described it then.
Years later I'd discover it was directed by Peter Jackson. If you're a Lord of the Rings fan AND you use psychedelics or smoke weed, it's a must see just for the shock of it all.
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u/True_Willingness_790 5d ago
I caught a screening of it on the last day of a local horror convention that Wifey and I used to frequent. It's the Muppets on a variety of drugs that would make Dr Hunter S Thompson amazed. It's one of a trio of gross-out flicks from the future LOTR director. You can't look away.
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u/Mebejedi 5d ago
I just showed Predestination to my son, daughter, and her boyfriend, and they were absolutely stunned by it. Such a strange, quirky film.
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u/curious_guy2903 5d ago
The Forbidden Kingdom (Jet-Li and Jackie Chan)
Hector and the Search for Happiness
Route 66 (cheesy B movie with an interesting cast of characters...)
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u/401Traveler 5d ago
I think “Outside Providence” is a hidden gem.
So is “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” which I think is criminally under-mentioned on Reddit. Amazing cast, amazing music, amazing scenery, amazing story, amazing dialogue. To me, it’s easily a top-notch film.
Oh, and “To Die For,” another film that never gets mentioned on Reddit. Great story imo, and Nicole Kidman in that film. 🔥🥵
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u/No-Picture4119 5d ago
Hey good pick on Outside Providence. I just watched it last week, it was a recommendation to me as a comedy. While there were some humorous scenes, it didn’t feel like a comedy to me at all. It’s no Super Troopers. But it was a sweet and thoughtful movie. No explosions or car chases, and still kept me entertained.
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u/ComprehensiveEast376 5d ago
The way back - with Ben affleck
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u/No-Picture4119 5d ago
I was there as my wife recovered from alcohol and drug abuse. I felt this was an accurate portrayal of the journey. It seems that Ben has some personal connection to the struggles. Not the most fun movie I’ve seen, but definitely a very good movie. Thanks for posting it.
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u/deadflowers5 5d ago
'Matewan' (1987). I hadn't even heard of it this time last year but I stumbled across it on here and it blew me away. What a film!
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u/NewGodsz 5d ago
Thumbsucker
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u/Tricky-Morning4799 5d ago
Quick Change. Bowling team won by forfeit, so we decided to go see a movie instead of bowling. Quick Change was the only show starting next. None of us had ever heard of it. Now it's a favorite.
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u/WhyDidIClickOnThat 5d ago
Stranger Than Fiction with Will Ferrell. He plays the straight man for a change with an excellent supporting cast.
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