Bob Maconel (Christian Slater) is the ultimate outsider; he has no friends and hates everyone, except for his secret crush, Vanessa (Elisha Cuthbert), but she doesn't know he's alive. The only one who talks to him (besides his goldfish) is the office bully who makes his life miserable. A man who is just as crazy as Bob suddenly starts mowing down his co-workers, including the lovely Vanessa, but then Bob takes action. I loved this movie. It was sad, funny, and unique. Christian Slater is virtually unrecognizable as the meek, middle-aged pencil-pusher whose fantasy life is the only life he has. Kudos to him for taking on a complex and mature role. Elisha Cuthbert gives a fine performance as the unattainable office beauty who loves life more than she ever could have imagined. The movie goes beyond the typical alienated-man-against-the-world story and is quite really remarkable in its sensitivity and raw emotion. This is an unusual movie and an unforgettable one, and may cause you to look twice at that quiet guy in the corner cubicle. Highly recommended. I don't know that I've ever seen an actor's performance hailed as implosive (as opposed to explosive), but I think Variety really nailed it on the head when they used that word to describe Christian Slater's performance in this film. Elisha Cuthbert doesn't exactly embarrass herself, either, in a fairly challenging role opposite the most uncommon of film protagonists. I can't truly say that I love He Was a Quiet Man just