Ten Inch Hero

Plot synopsis:
The story revolves around a group of people who work at a sandwich shop (that sells ten inch heroes/the sandwiches). The main cast of characters are:
Piper, a young art student who has just moved to Santa Cruz. She has a secret: 8 years earlier she gave up her daughter for an open adoption, and all she knew was that the mother planned to name the child Julia and the father's name was Noah. The adoptive parents cut off contact with Piper when Julia was two, leaving a hole in Piper's life. When she read in an art newsletter about an 8 year old talented art student named Julia who bore a slight resemblance to Piper, she moved to Santa Cruz to see if she could meet Julia to see if she was OK. She gets a job in the sandwich shop.
Jen, a shy, plain-looking, kind-hearted girl who is a tech nerd at the sandwich shop and runs their website. She has an email romance with a stranger known to her only as Fuzzy22. She is afraid to meet him in person and is a late bloomer who has never dated.
Tish is a bold, outspoken woman who works at the sandwich shop. She is very beautiful and uses manipulative techniques to attract men, leading to brief, emotion-free flings with many of them—she cuts off contact if she feels they're getting emotionally involved.
Priestly is the cook at the sandwich shop. He is a free-spirited punk who uses humor, as well as numerous body modifications, to create a barrier between himself and others, and to hide his own emotions, thoughts, and true self. He wears T-shirts with hilariously inappropriate sayings, has numerous piercings, wears thick eye makeup, dyes his hair in bright colors and styles it into mohawks, has elaborate facial hair, and many tattoos.
Trucker, the restaurant owner, who is a laid back surfer child and hippie of the '60s. He's secretly in love with Zo, a spiritual woman who owns a shop across the street.
Tadd, an arrogant, wealthy, superficial but handsome man who dates Tish.
Shortly after Piper begins her job, she sees 8 year-old Julia with her father Noah at the beach. The three meet and Piper introduces herself as "Anna", in case Noah remembers her distinctive name from the adoption process. She quickly bonds with Julia over their shared love of art and drawing, leading to Julia asking Piper to become her art tutor. Piper also immediately hits it off with Noah, and she learns that Julia's mother is not in their lives anymore, though Noah is vague about the circumstances. Meanwhile, Tish has met Tadd, and greatly enjoys her time with him, though she thinks it odd that he is almost inseparable from his friend Brad.
Fuzzy22 has asked Jen to meet him in person, to which she reluctantly agrees, though Jen is very nervous—she and Fuzzy22 had agreed to not exchange any identifying information, so she has no idea how old he is, what he looks like, or if he is male or female.
Before the trip, Noah asks Piper out on a date, to which she agrees, although she says she has some things to tell him first. Piper, Tish and Jen go on their trip to meet up with Fuzzy22, but after they finally arrive at the meeting point, Jen sees that Fuzzy22 is an extremely handsome young man. She balks and runs away without meeting him, and she confesses to Piper and Tish that someone like Fuzzy22 could never like someone like her, because she is according to herself not very attractive. She asserts that the very conventionally attractive Tish and Piper don't know what it feels like to always be ignored and pushed aside because she's not pretty. She cares a great deal about Fuzzy22, and feels that a man as attractive as he is would, upon seeing her, become disappointed and uninterested and she could not bear that from him. Although the two friends try to convince Jen to go back and meet with him, she refuses, so they drive back to Santa Cruz.
Piper goes out on a date with Noah, and she prepares to tell him the truth about herself, but he first wants to share something: the reason he has been reluctant to talk about Julia's mother is that she lives on the east coast and severely abused Julia, leading to divorce and a court order that the mother is not allowed to contact Julia until her 18th birthday. During this conversation, Piper finds out that Julia is not adopted, and that Noah and his ex-wife are Julia's birth-parents. Realizing that Julia isn't the daughter she gave up, she runs away, upset, leaving behind a very confused Noah.
Tish and Tadd are in bed together, when Brad shows up and attempts to turn the coupling into a threesome. Tish becomes very upset and Tadd speaks of her contemptuously. The two men try to coerce her into having sex with them, and a now frightened Tish tries to run away but is held back by Tadd. They scuffle, and this leads to Tish hitting her head on a dresser. She runs away and appears the next day at work with a bandaid on her forehead to conceal the bruise. Tadd shows up to take her out, and she confronts him about what he did to her, but he is scornful and unrepentant. Tish asserts that he and Brad are gay, but will not admit it to themselves so they use the pretense of a threesome to have sex with each other. This infuriates the homophobic Tadd, and he hits her. Priestly attacks Tadd and is injured. The normally laid-back Trucker then arrives and subdues Tadd with heretofore undisplayed advanced fighting techniques, contradicting Trucker's surfer hippie laid-back persona.
Trucker takes everyone back to his home and admits that he was never a surf child who went to Woodstock, but that actually he was a very macho guy who served three tours in Vietnam, where he killed more people than he could count and learned deadly fighting skills. He then returned to the United States and was lost and traumatized, until he met surfers and decided to live a peaceful lifestyle. He vowed never to commit any violence against a human being again. He shows Piper, Jen, Tish, and Priestly his high school yearbook, demonstrating that he was captain of the football team and class president. When he's talking with Tish, he asks her to start dating nice guys, but Tish, quickly glancing at Priestly, says that good guys don't ask girls like her out. Jen, leafing through Trucker's yearbook, excitedly calls everyone's attention to a photo of Zo. Trucker realizes he doesn't have to hide his past from Zo because she already knows who he really is. He finally works up the courage to ask her out, to which she happily agrees. She has had a crush on him since high school, when she was a shy freshman, and even though it is decades later, she says that many still carry high school within themselves, so she could never show Trucker how she felt despite now being a confident and secure woman.
Piper and Noah have another talk, and he forgives her for lying and asks her if she still wants to be a part of the family. She happily agrees. At the shop, a homeless man comes in and tells Jen that he thinks she's really pretty, and that she's exactly who he had hoped she'd be. He then removes his homeless disguise and reveals himself to be Fuzzy22. He introduces himself to Jen and they happily hug. Priestly reveals that when Jen forgot to log off the computer one night, he talked to Fuzzy22 and told him the situation and how to meet Jen.
The next day, Priestly comes to the shop and is almost unrecognizable, dressed in Banana Republic khakis and an Oxford shirt, piercings removed, his hair parted down the middle with bright colors washed out, tattoos mostly hidden, and no punk makeup, and finally asks Tish out. He had been hinting throughout the movie that he was interested in her, but was frustrated because she seemed to never notice him and she was wasting her time with shallow relationships with guys she could manipulate, rather than seeking emotional intimacy. She agrees to go out on a date with him but only on the condition that he tell her his first name, which turns out to be Boaz. She then reveals that her first name is actually Platisha. The movie ends with all the new couples at the beach for Zo and Trucker's commitment ceremony to each other, at which they arrive riding horses, naked.

Tags: paranormal

Review:
If you are looking for a funny, touching, insightful, feel-good movie then Ten Inch Hero is for you.
It's a story about four young friends and their older, hippie dude boss at a sub shop searching for love and learning to see past outer appearances and let go of preconceived notions.It's a deceptively simple movie.
You believe in this sandwich shop and the diverse people that inhabit it and you become involved in their lives.If you have ever attempted love or been to High School and lived within the confines of cliques, you can enjoy and empathize with these characters.
There is no clock watching or restlessness, just an engrossing, satisfying movie.The script by first time screenwriter Betsy Morris is refreshingly realistic; it is not overly dramatic or contrived.
I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time to see this movie at the Phoenix Film Festival and I absolutely loved it.
Because at film festivals cast and crew and their families and friends often turn up, I was tempted to ask her if she knew the actor, such were her expressed feelings of seeming familiarity with him.
However, I was pleasantly surprised at the snappy dialog, good plot, fun characters, and genuine emotion that this film registered.
Ten Inch Hero is a touching, elegant and sweet movie about people not quite so ordinary, and the masks they wear for each other without even knowing, without even wanting to.
The dialog is witty and sharp, the plot elegantly constructed and absorbing, the music masterful (and funny, because it perfectly mirrors the plot and - surprisingly - brings comic relief in a few carefully chosen places), the filming beautiful and professional, and the actors good, funny and entirely believable.Clea DuVall is, as usual, a quiet but very intense presence on the screen, yet the filmmakers don't let her steal the show entirely.
Alice Krige was a wonderful casting choice, and her presence (complimented by the music) transforms the scenes in funny and touching ways.In other words, I want the DVD, and I want it right now!.
The chemistry between all the main characters was great, making it a real feel good movie.
Jensen Ackles stole the show--anyone who watches Supernatural knows he's got great comedic timing--but the other roles were well-played, too (particularly Clea DuVall), and the story/characterization unfolded believably (for a rom-com) and enjoyably.
When the scene end all I could think was wow that's there is a set of real true friends.As far as the ending goes, yes it ended happy but not every thing was turned out like you would have thought.
The dialog was fresh and edgy, and it was the first film that I have seen in a while that felt like it was written and directed by real people, and not vetted by a series of industry drones.
Shot like a TV rom com, acted like it was shot before a live audience by inexperienced actors (ie they stick with entirely average performances rather than work them into something decent), lit for TV, scripted with a "try to please everyone" dumbed-down - syrup coated - hollow - interconnection of not really connected stories.
Each scene ploddingly laid out, each emotional response labored and hollow, no interesting camera work to add any amount of impact, edited in a workman like fashion, nothing has any chance of lifting this movie apart from the slogans on Priestly t-shirts, and only then they provide a passing amusement.
I caught this on cable a few nights ago and, based on the synopsis ("Four friends search for love and happiness while working at a California sandwich shop"), I figured it would fall into the "so bad, it's good" category.
I laughed, gasped, got sucked into the movie and never wanted to leave it.I got to see it at the Newport Beach Film Festival, and was lucky enough to get to meet Jensen, Danneel, and Elisabeth.
Admittedly the reason that I first decided to see Ten Inch Hero was for Jensen Ackles (Priestly) who I must say did not disappoint, the young actor has wonderful comedic timing.
I can't wait the see this film in theater or at the very least on DVD and would love so much to be able to have in my possession the soundtrack of this movie.
All I can say is that I am so glad Jensen Ackles was chosen to play Priestly or I likely would never have seen this film, and that would truly have been a huge shame..
From the start the movie has that feeling that "Reality Bites" or "Empire Recods" once had: friends doing nothing but everything at the same time, discovering who they are and what they want.
I'm a Jensen Ackles follower, so I concentrated on his character (which was amazing in every sense, he can always pull it off, no matter what he's playing) but I was immediately in love with every single one of them.
He's the type of character that everyone loves, doesn't matter if you know Jensen or not; you simply love Priestly.There's something for everyone, and everyone will enjoy it!I recommend this movie, and I hope we get a DVD...
I had been waiting for a good long time to see this movie and finally got the chance at the July screening in LA.
The biggest compliment that I can think to give is that the movie captivated me from the first frame through the last and that it delivered exactly what I had hoped it would (with a few surprises along the way).The cast was fantastic, bringing the witty and touching words of the script to life in a fun, beautiful setting.
Though I had seen bits and pieces about the film through blogs and pictures, seeing it all play out in a theater was fantastic.There is so much more I could say, but I have refrained from even telling my friends the details because this is a movie best watched unspoiled for the first time.
But with Ten Inch Hero, as soon as it was over, I wanted to watch it all over again.I thought this was a sweet and funny film with a real heart.
They are the kind of people I'd love to know, and the kind of friends everyone should have.The film moved smoothly from jokes and fun into sweet and emotional moments and back again.
What I do know is that Hollywood, rumored to be a 'risk taker' is playing it too damn safe with their money sucking sequels and not realizing that, yes, the public likes those movies, but we also want something richly fulfilling and with a meaty heart.
Being a big Danneel Harris fan, she initially sparked my interest in the film, but I genuinely enjoyed each of the characters and their individual story lines.
A lot of the buzz surrounding the film seems to be focused on Jensen Ackles, and while he was quite the scene stealer (with his Crayola-colored mohawk, silly t-shirts and kilt), I thought the whole cast was great and played off one another really well.'The Ackles Factor' alone should have this thing sold - which is not to say that the movie is all about Jensen, of course, but one doesn't have to dig very deep online to see that there are legions of rabid Jensen/"Supernatural" fans around the world clamoring to see this.
Combine that with a good number of "One Tree Hill" fans (Danneel Harris ["Rachel"], Elisabeth Harnois ["Shelley the Clean Teen"] and Matt Barr ["Psycho Derek"] all appear in the film, and Bethany Joy Galeotti ["Haley"] contributed three songs to the soundtrack) and the fan bases of the rest of the cast - along with the overwhelmingly positive response from people who have seen the film so far - and it sounds like a winner to me!The screening was a very cool experience that I won't soon forget.
This film is a sweet, adorable, feel-good movie.
The movie is about a quirky, "not normal", group of people who work and/or spend time at a sandwich shop in Santa Cruz.
By the end of the movie you will have laughed, you may have cried, but you will undoubtedly leave feeling a little warmer inside.Verdict: I'll take the movie with the tasty cast, the fresh direction, juicy script, and i'll take it warm, but not corny.Oh. And I want the full Ten Inches..
The dialogue was absolutely hilarious (and sweet) throughout the entire movie and the actors playing the characters were brilliantly cast.
"Ten Inch Hero" NEEDS to be released into theater's so that the rest of the world can see how great Betsy Morris did writing the script, the wonderful acting, and every other little nuance hidden withing..
loving comedy that is like a fun home movie between friends.Think of your normal friend circle and the personalities that come together and make it work.
not everyone loves everyone else, but the dynamics make the group wonderful.should be the next cult classic :) lots of great moments, plenty of relate able characters, lots of quark, and down to earth plot.It's short and sweet, simple and deep.Cast of actors and actresses did wonderfully in portraying every day people and every day situations that fill all of our lives.I completely recommend this.
The story line and plot were appalling at the best!I give this movie two stars for the actor Jensen Ackles who plays Priestly.
I've seen (the start of) a hundred of these sorts of movies --- low-budget indie flick about a quirky group of friends, billed as a comedy but not really many laugh-out-loud moments.
Being a major fan of Sean Patrick Flanery and the chance to meet him and person and chat with him made me want to see this movie because it shows another one of his best attributes, His acting talent!
Also being a fan of Jensen Ackles seeing him play a funny yet heartfelt character such as Priestly really gives you insight to his wit and comedic timing.
I actually watched this movie because I am a fan of Jensen Ackles and I just loved the movie.
Well, the character Priestly might prefer 'challenging' looks (green hair, mohawk, eyeliner) but he is still charming and cute (thank you Jensen Ackles, you played a wonderful part).
If you need further proof to see that this movie is purposefully over-rated, then you may want to check the message boards as well; you will see many post regarding how people are desperately looking to buy the DVD if only it were available nearby, or how you can buy it..
I saw Ten Inch Hero at the Newport Beach Film Festival and I just wanted to say this movie is really cute and I can't wait to see it in the theaters soon.
I'm a huge fan of Jensen Ackles, Sean Patrick Flannery and Clea DuVall so to see them together would be wonderful.I have read many discussions online regarding this movie and I am sure that there is a large demographic that would go to see it.
The curiously titled independent film "Ten Inch Hero" by director David MacKay and screenwriter Betsy Morris follows a young woman (Elisabeth Harnois) into a quirky sandwich shop upon relocating to small-town California.
The ensemble film that ensues involves the young artist Harnois portrays, an attractive nymphomaniac, a tattooed bad boy cook, the quiet "homely" girl, and the hippy boss with a fascination with a weird Wiccan woman.The cast of characters feels a lot like the roster from John Hughes' "Breakfast Club" (brain, beauty, basket case, etc.) and the setting recalls the likes of James Mangold's "Heavy".
It is easy to identify with the characters, leaving you feel like a connection has been made between you and the movie, something that is refreshing in an era were films cover nothing more than war, terror and clichés.
I loved it and would definitely recommend anyone who likes romantic comedies, Jensen Ackles, or wants a great evening for oneself.
If you want to spend a night in and end up feeling good inside and smiling then watch this film.
But if you just want to watch a feel-good film then this is one that won't disappoint..
The film focus on four friends,Tish,Jen,Piper and Priestly who work in a sandwich shop in Santa Cruz, California.The shop is owned by the hippie surfer Trucker who's in love with Zo,a mysterious woman that works across the street.Everyone is hiding something, Jen hides her true self, Trucker hides his past, Piper gets trapped into a big lie and Priestly doesn't feel comfortable in his own skin.The movie explores such themes as honesty,friendship and finding love.You'll probably recognize pretty much all the actors if you watch TV shows.You obviously know Jensen Ackles from Dark Angel and Supernatural plus four of them have been in One Tree Hill and both Clea DuVall and Adair Tishler were in Heroes.They're all accomplished actors.
*drool* My only problem is that i would love to watch a nice, funny movie like this without the sex scenes.
Soon, her life becomes entwined with the rest of the cast as they dole out ten inch sandwiches and pieces of their past.Symbolically, the layers in the sandwich represent the layers these characters try to bury, until at last, they realize the past is the past, and it is the future, which will hold them together, like mayonnaise on a turkey and rye.What I found most amazing about this film was the way the writer, Betsy Morris, entwined laughter with sadness.
In reality, that's exactly what this movie turned out to be - an unexpected surprise and a truly uplifting story - when realistically, the average viewer would have just been satisfied to ogle Jensen Ackles sporting a mohawk.The story of Ten Inch Hero, written by Betsy Morris and directed by David Mackay, is told through the genuine and poignant interweaving accounts of an unlikely group of friends.
The focus of the movie rests mainly on four young characters: a young artist searching for her estranged daughter, a brunette temptress sleeping her way through California one man at a time, the quiet and reserved humanitarian looking for romance on the 'net, and last but certainly not least, the quirky but sensitive punk rocker searching for love and acceptance.Elizabeth Harnois gives an exceptional breakout performance as Piper, the artistic neophyte who introduces our 'Heroes' when she stumbles across the eccentric hippy-run diner and applies for a job on the spot, told "normal people need not apply".
Jen's transformation happens slowly throughout the movie, as she steps out from her sanctuary behind the computer screen to meet her potential true love, a man she has never met outside of a chat room.Finally, Jensen Ackles as hilariously witty and enigmatic Priestly is even more charming and adorable than expected, and well worth the wait.
With a different wonderfully weird hairdo and hilariously outragious t-shirt in every scene, Ackles brings a deadly combination of sensitivity and hilarity to the character, leading up to a delightfully romantic ending that is sure to leave every woman in the theatre staring up at the screen in love-struck awe.Even without a star-studded cast (or anything remotely close), Ten Inch Hero is a diamond in the rough.
Once they leave that set they probably won't interact again, but I don't think this is the case with them and that makes me love the film even more than I already could.I also have to say this really shows off the casts acting skills.
Everyone around me genuinely laughed and clapped and cheered something I also don't see much in movies and a lot of that was when the Priestly character was on screen.I also want to say I didn't know that much about Elizabeth Harnois previously.
I had seen her briefly on One Tree Hill and liked her on there, and also found out she was Alice whom I really loved as a little girl when I watched the Disney Channel but didn't really know exactly what to expect until the movie.
It was so nice to see, and I definitely want to see Elizabeth in more things to come, not to mention she is an incredibly beautiful actress.I also feel the same way about Danneel Harris I thought she definitely played the character of Tish wonderfully, especially considering I had a good 5 min chat with her and she is absolutely nothing like that.
As you're watching the film, it's less about watching characters, and more about watching the lives of people you already know, that you see everyday on the street, as they unfold.Second, the cast.
His character Priestly is very different from any other character I've seen him play before and is, in a way, a visual representation of many of the film's themes - that people are often not who and what they appear, that they are more than what we assume them to be, and that we need to look beyond the immediate.
on ten inch hero..great movie..
I was working a film festival this past weekend and got to see this movie where it was playing at and I so loved it.
I thought each character in this movie was casted very well.
We watch Supernatural and appreciate Jensen Ackles's work there so we were curious about this film.
Only one small spoiler, After watching Supernatural I wanted to see Jensen Ackles in some more roles and had heard about this film.
Although it had its moments in a little bit of funny parts, you can just tell how great I feel about a movie when all I comment on are the actors and what distracted me from the screen.I do admit this movie does cater to others.But, at times I felt it was worth watching just to see Jensen Ackles in a Mohawk and in a kilt and buying tampons.