Also from Spinal Tap, two moments from the conversation between the band manager and Fran Drescher. The manager (Ian) asks a direct question about whether or not the executives like the album cover. Drescher immediately answers "no", THEN Ian says "and you can give it to me straight" even though she just did give it to him straight.

The argument is getting heated and Drescher says "Money talks, bulls--t walks," and just on the very edge of the camera Ian scrunches up his face in surprise as if he's never heard the phrase before and has no idea what it means nor can he figure it out, but obviously they don't dwell on this for a second.

Skip this paragraph if you don't want Rocky Balboa sort-of spoilers. Balboa and Dixon are going at it like warriors, it's clearly become one of the best fights ever and we're in round 8 or 9. At one point a huge punch gets thrown and connects and it cuts to the announcers. Max Kellerman raises his eyebrows slightly and looks over at the other announcers in slow-motion. The 2-second shot says it all - "holy [censored], this fight was supposed to be a joke and it's become the greatest [censored] thing I've ever seen in my life."

Oh also, Dead Poets Society when the kids stand up on the desk.

You know what movie had a bunch of neat, subtle things going on? Super Troopers.

This strikes me as a genuine 'subtle moment' in a film.

Most of the others mentioned in this thread: Not so much.

Airplane?

Al Pacino's performances in Heat and Devil's Advocate.

I would have to see it again to be sure but Dids summed up my thoughts on this scene with:
"I'm pretty sure that obvious non-verbal acting isn't really that subtle."

Seriously...Jack Lemmon's character is all happy. He gets informed that his sale is likely no good. Jack Lemmon's charcater is now unhappy.
This does not strike me as particularly subtle.

Jack Lemmon is a god, anything he does must be subtle. But yes, I see your point, non-verbal acting can look pretty hammy when you stare at it for a while.

This is actually a tough question. Otnemem rightly points out that many people are naming favourite moments rather than subtle moments. At the risk of blurring the line again, I nominate the scene in "You Can Count On Me" when there's an exchange of glances between brother and sister Mark Ruffalo and Laura Linney, and it's clear that they're referencing the film's title as something they used to say to each other as kids, but there's no use of the actual words. I thought that was pretty subtle.

[Cue DrewDevil to appear and tell me I suck at liking movies again, I guess.]

Almost every movie thread in OOT is like that. People just relate what they like, even if crappy, it's and more or less ignore the subject. And anything really recent is way over-represented.

It's pretty dopey, but I've learned to expect that going in, and just skim.

No, but that doesn't detract from how good it is.

The scene in Heat where Robert DeNiro, driving through a tunnel on the way to the airport, has a wordless argument with himself as to whether to kill Renfro(? think I got the name right) or go off with the girl and live happy ever after, the disciplined, sensible way he's been at great pains to think of himself his entire hard, lonely life. Does he have the integrity and control over his demons and his pride that he sees as the foundation of his character, or not? No words, just a few seconds. It's not easy to see how subtle but thorough it is the first time around. It just seems like a few decent but fairly unremarkable expressions in a great action flick. That there's actually much of a structure and story to it makes it a wonderfully powerful, compact performance.

Didn't say it wasn't good.
That still doesn't make it subtle though imo.

Bale's fear of his cigarette lighter in The Machinist.

The definition of a "subtle moment" is at question here. Does the moment have to have some deeper significance to the movie that some people may not notice or just any moment that people may not catch on initial viewings?

I'll defend my Major League post... not that it is the focus of the argument but as to guage what people believe is subtle in a movie.

Sheen is off to the side of the shot when Berrenger and Snipes look at him after his comment. The scene is still focused on Berrenger and Sheen's head shake is very quick and by no means the focus of the shot.

His reaction is subtle as it isn't the focus of the shot nor does Sheen exaggerate his movements. It is, in fact, a very real looking reaction.

Just as a starting point... do you all consider this Major League scene a "subtle moment"?

I always liked the scene in "Sid And Nancy" where Nancy tells Sid that they've been in America for days, and he goes out on the fire escape to check it out...

the camera pans around and you can see the sign for the Chelsea Hotel behind Sid. If you know the story, then this is a pretty cool way to introduce the hotel into the movie.

So, anyways, is this subtle or not? It was bugging me at work today.

- Slippy

Yea whatever you probably think it isn't subtle when the plastic bag flies around in American Beauty lol.

You can see a tear on his father's face when he says that. I took it to mean that he realizes that Michael is not going down the path that he wanted for him.

Maybe this whole thread is all people trolling me. That would make a lot more sense than that dude who thought "Let the Wookie win" was subtle.

I was going to say the same about Benicio del Toro. I first remember seeing him in Traffic and loved the end where he's just sitting in the crowd at the ball park as the lights come on...good stuff.

Also, in Sling Blade when Karl was a guest in Woolridge's home, after sitting up all night on the edge of the still made bed, gets up to leave and smoothes the bedspread out with his hand...poetry. Several moments in this film.

Brady Bunch Movie, Alice bends over and gets hit in the ass with a newspaper.
Comes in the house and mike brady asks her whats wrong
alice says, "you better be careful when you bend over, you never know what you'll get"

There's a potential for perverse greatness in this thread, but it's gotta ride a fine line.

His naturalistic acting in that film is just amazing. Even simple things like him asking his girl to pass the cream in the coffeehouse are just brilliant. Him getting to know his girl in that film to me is just soo believable also, and a really refreshing change of pace from 99% of other Hollywood screen romances.

Someone already mentioned Adaptation but I think it has by far the most awesomeness in regards to this thread. Maybe this was obvious to everyone, but in the movie the normal brother was writing the script and couldn't come up with more plot, so he asks his crazy brother for help. And remember, they're writing the script to the movie they're playing in. And as soon as he asks the crazy brother for help, suddenly the movie goes nuts -- people are dying, kidnaps are happening, alligators are attacking ... whereas before it was a nice talky movie, as soon as he asks the brother who says "let's get more action in here!" it suddenly turns to an action movie ... because they're writing their own script.

It astounded me the amount of levels you had to think of to really watch that movie ...

Ferris Bueller's Day Off---as Cameron starts yelling and kicking his dad's Ferrari, and there's a super-quick cut to Sloan and Ferris. She starts to rush forward toward Cameron, and Ferris grabs her arm to stop her.

yeah and ....