Ordinary guy in action movie?

[GKelly]

I'm trying to think of movies where an average guy (not a cop, or soldier, or spy, or ex-special forces, or criminals, or archeologist-with-a-whip) is in an action-driven thriller (no sci-fis). The best examples I can think of are The Fugitive, North by Northwest, and The Man Who Knew Too Much (although Hitchcock's aren't very action driven.) Can you think of any others?

[Adam Isaac]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Nick of Time

True Romance

[ylekot43]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Run Lola Run

Enemy of the State

Signs

War of the Worlds

Matrix

[Republic of Stephen]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Thomas Anderson in The Matrix.
Sarah Conner in The Terminator.
Ripley in Alien.
The cast of Armageddon.
Lincoln Six Echo and Jordan Two Delta in The Island.

[Jakkal]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Kurt Russell's character in Breakdown

[writerman]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Anthony Hopkins in The Edge

[elephant1978]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Samuel L. Jackson in Die Hard With a Vengeance.

Ele...

[Furious Anjel]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Ordinary gals in action movies:

"Double Jeopardy"
"Flight Plan"
"Red Eye"

[Cycstorm]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Edward Norton in Fight Club
Michael Douglas in Falling Down
Michael Douglas in The Game
Michael Douglas in Romancing The Stone and Jewel of the Nile
Whoopie Goldberg in Jumping Jack Flash
Martin Short in Inner Space
Kiefer Sutherland in The Vanishing
Colin Farrel in Phone Booth

[writerman]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Bruce Wayne

[GKelly]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

A lot of sci-fis, but I'm not really looking for sci-fis...

The Edge is good. Enemy of the State is good -- even though the lawyer is helped by an ex-spy. Breakdown -- also excellent. Furious Anjels -- very good. And Cycstorms...

I just thought of Silver Streak... And The DaVinci Code... And Arabesque (which I just ordered).

[Pull Back Reveal]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Stephen -- you mean Ripley in Aliens, right?

Ed and Beth Horman in Missing

Max in Mad Max and Road Warrior

Bruce Wayne in Batman and Batman Begins

Luke in Star Wars

Peter Parker in Spider-Man

Walker in Cliffhanger

Frodo

Marty McFly in Back to the Future

The Narrator in Fight Club

and you've really got to watch North by Northwest again if you think it's not very action-driven, it's the grandfather of modern action pics.

[earlyman75]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

I think everyone is overlooking the obvious one here:

Paul Reubens in Pee Wee's Big Adventure.

[Pull Back Reveal]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

Thelma Dickerson and Louise Sawyer in Thelma & Louise

T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia (probably not the Hitchcockian ordinary guy you're talking about)

Dr. Richard Kimble in The Fugitive

Thomas Levy in Marathon Man

Everyone in The Towering Inferno and Poseidon Adventure

Robin Hood in The Adventures of Robin Hood

Karen Silkwood in Silkwood

The Goonies

but Pee Wee wins hands down.

[dexter]

Re: Ordinary guy in action movie?

John Travolta in BLOW OUT (1981)

Harrison Ford in FRANTIC (1988)

still thinking...