he be a quiet man echo the all too familiar news item of irrational killing in public place here and in this country and by seemingly normal indistinguishable people . writer or director frank a. cappello have a good grasp on his subject matter and probably intend the rather slow movement of the film to underline the ordinary situation that in a flash become extraordinary . and he have a fine cast to demonstrate his thought . bob maconel ( christian slater in fine distort makeup ) be a nerd and an ordinary geek who check number form his sterile cubicle in a massive corporation and heckle by the fast guy like scott harper ( jamison jones ) . he loathe his life and his crumby house and unkempt lawn and and most of all the loathes the people with whom he work except for one vanessa ( elisha cuthbert ) who have a mile that light up a room and but pay no attention to the geeky bob . bob be derange and talk to his goldfish at home ( and they answer back . ) and and plan to kill the most offensive of his fellow worker . but in the adjacent cubicle there be a like mind who beat him to the show and one morning open fire kill five people and wound vanessa with a bullet to her spine that leave her paralyzed represent bob serendipitously use his own gun to kill the assailant and become a hero for the corporation . though bob be unchanged in appearance or outlook he be elevate to vp of creative think under the head bos gene shelby ( william h. macy ) . he visit vanessa in the hospital and suffer her tantrum at be a quadriplegic and but finally be call back to her bedside and sweet talk into be her hero life save guardian and more . once bob feel need and perhaps love by vanessa he begin to change and only to have unfortunate reminder of reality enter and alter his life yet again . though the subject matter be rather terrify and cappello elect to present this tale a black humor . in the hand of less competent actor it would like have be a dud and but with christian slater finely nuanced performance the film take on a powerful sheen . the line between madness and normalcy be a thin one indeed and there be many disturb lesson to be gain from watch this small but well do film . grady harp .