MovieChat Forums > The Gift (2001) Discussion > Giovanni Ribisi's Scene With Keanu

Giovanni Ribisi's Scene With Keanu

posted 18 years ago by tmojoman
46 replies | jump to latest

The scene where Keanu's character drives by the house and starts harrassing Kate Blanchet's son and says his mom is a witch. When Ribisi comes over and starts bashing in the truck's window until Keanu pulls a gun out, that part when Ribisi grabs the gun, puts it to his own head and starts screaming, "SHOOT ME, MOTHERF&^%*@, SHOOT ME!!"

The line, his voice and his delivery...one of the great underrated movie moments right there. I couldn't stop laughing when I saw that in the theater and it still cracks me up to this day. Great stuff!

"No escaping...from those haunting...empty words..."-1995.

[–] RogerBorg 18 years ago

Yup, Ribisi is one of those journeymen actors who absolutely makes a scene or a movie without generally receiving the credit for it. It occurs to me that while Reeves does turn in a surprisingly convincing performance, it's in large part due to the reactions of the other actors in his scenes. They're not carrying him, just making him raise his game up to their level.

[–] Dreamcatcher9000 18 years ago

Yeah,it's a hillarious scene!I bet they had a lot of fun doing it!I wonder how many takes it took them.If I was in Keanu's place,I couldn't hold myself.

[–] shutterslut 18 years ago

How exactly do you guys find that scene funny..?

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[–] tmojoman 18 years ago

It is funny because off all the reasons I listed about Ribisi, and also because it is a fictional film. I wouldn't find it funny at all in real life if I saw it happen, but it didn't. It was a movie and he delivered it brilliantly.

"No escaping...from those haunting...empty words..."-1995.

[–] missmelissa80 18 years ago

im glad to come on here and see that i'm not the only one who was cracking up after this part.

[–] BeOneOfUs 9 years ago

I agree, it's a great scene but I don't understand why it is funny either lol.

[–] HypnocraticGoat 17 years ago

I am constantly amazed by what people on IMDB find "funny."

[–] TheJesusAndMaryChain 17 years ago

I am constantly amazed at how self-righteous people are on imdb.

I remember the first time I saw it, I laughed hysterically too.

[–] HypnocraticGoat 17 years ago

Self-righteous? Because I'm perplexed that people laugh at a scene that's not funny and wasn't meant to be?

[–] happynoodleajay 16 years ago

While I understand your confusion, sometimes scenes or movies are unintentionally funny, something just makes you laugh...and knowing that it wasn't meant to illicit laughs makes you laugh harder. When I saw that scene I was really impressed, Ribisi gave an amazing performance. But I will admit, once the truck drives off and he's just kind of standing there, after my initial "wow", I laughed at the situation. This is an amazing film with great actors giving great performances, but I think his was the best.

[–] triton53 14 years ago

I agree happynoodleajay. Sometimes something just strikes that nerve.

I thought Buddy's character (and acting style) reminded me a lot of Karl/Billy Bob Thorton (Sling Blade). It is amazing how similar their roles are--parental abuse during upbringing (though not identical but equally pivotal), isolation, and unwavering protection of a newfound friend. I just wish his ending was done better. I thought it odd his behaviour at the end--i.e. how he sat in the car (compared to when he was driving Annie in his truck) and how he stared at her as she went into the police station.

[–] noirgirl 14 years ago

This was a great scene, but my favorite part was only a few seconds...this nervous, frightened, shambling wreck asks Miller if he's all right, Miller repeats Donnie's threat, and then you see Buddy absolutely still and concentrated in his truck, merely saying, "Oh, he did?", and then gets out and picks up the crowbar. Mind your own businesss...."I intend to, Donnie". One of the greatest deliveries I've ever seen, when all this steel came out of nowhere.

[–] noirgirl 14 years ago

Another comment to the "why is it funny" questioners...it's funny because this poor creature made such a fool out of big bully Keanu, who ended up looking like an absolute jerk, against the weakling of the town. Very enjoyable, and I'm sure deliberately staged to get that reaction.

[–] activista 13 years ago

Heck,yeah---just saw this film,which turned out to be a little more understated then your usual horror flick, pretty good,and genuinely kind of creepy in some parts---and when I saw that scene, I was like, "Damn, that mother****** is crazy as hell! He really didn't give a *beep* about Donnie's a**!" I knew when Buddy saw Donnie threatening the little boy that some s*** was about to jump off when he got out of his car with that crowbar, so what he did was no big surprise, but it was still a trip watching him actually do it. It was wrong as hell,but he did it to prove a point. Plus Donnie's mean,abusive a** deserved it anyway for harassing the psychic and her kids to begin with. And yes, both Ribisi (this the 3rd film I've seen him in where he plays a sick, disturbed person) and Reeves killed it in that scene. It;s also one of the few times I've seen him (Reeves)play a truly despicable character to begin with, and he was actually scary as hell in this flick. Also, Ribisi played an intense gangster type in a really good but barely seen drama called 10TH AND WOLF,and an honest to God weirdo in another great drama called the THE DEAD GIRL, which is also worth seeing. Plus he's good-looking in a strange sort of way--it's those genuinely creepy eyes that have probably kept him from ever getting the lead or normal parts in films, but he's still an interesting actor to watch.

I

[–] noirgirl 14 years ago

"I just wish his ending was done better. I thought it odd his behaviour at the end--i.e. how he sat in the car (compared to when he was driving Annie in his truck) and how he stared at her as she went into the police station."

SPOILER

This is because he was a ghost, and at peace, and all his nervousness and torment was gone. He was looking at her with intense love.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] taxidriver8989 12 years ago

I think they actually found the scene crazy and bit disturbing. Instead of cringing in fear they laugh it off. But it no way discredit the seriousness of the situation in that scene.

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[–] HypnocraticGoat 12 years ago

Yeah, I understand that. I just didn't get that impression from the posters I was responding to. I could be wrong though.

Thing is, I've encountered more than a few creepy types, on IMDB and in real life, who would laugh at something like that for all the wrong reasons. That was the vibe I was getting from those posts. Again, I could be wrong!

[–] predawnlight 17 years ago

Regardless of which emotions it evokes, that is one unforgettable scene.

Maximus: Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

[–] deadpan_diva 17 years ago

This was an unforgettable scene and one of my favorites in the film.

Filthy sounds stumbling, ugly and cruel
Between the lips of your beautiful mouth

[–] KP-Nuts 17 years ago

Yes this scene is great and one of the best in the entire movie.

I think Ribisi is quite under-rated.

Better to regret something you did, than something you didn't do!

[–] BaronVictor 17 years ago

That was a brilliant scene but it wasn't even the slightest bit funny

[–] koffeenkreame41-1 11 years ago

That was a brilliant scene but it wasn't even the slightest bit funny.

^^This. I didn't find it funny at all, it was a pretty intense scene. I mean if we're talking how Ribisi scared off Keanu's character, anybody would be taken back by someone who WANTS you to kill them when you put a gun to their head and that's after they smashed the windows with a crowbar. Both Ribisi & Keanu were really really good in this film.

"I am the ultimate badass, you do not wanna `*beep*` wit me!"- Hudson in Aliens.

[–] HunterSVonnegut 11 years ago

That was a brilliant scene but it wasn't even the slightest bit funny

That says it all for me.

[–] smidget28 (805) 5 years ago

same. he was so tormented....so sad, really.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] krisluvkev 17 years ago

Giovanni can even make Keanu look good. Keanu was by far the weakess link in this movie but I have to admitt he did a good job.

[–] 17 years ago

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