'''''Hesher''''' is a 2010 film starring Devin Brochu, [[JosephGordonLevitt Joseph Gordon-Levitt]], [[RainnWilson Rainn Wilson]], [[NataliePortman Natalie Portman]] and Piper Laurie.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the title character Hesher, a metal-loving drifter who inexplicably inserts himself into the lives of young TJ (Devin Brochu), his father Paul (Rainn Wilson) and Madeleine (Piper Laurie), TJ's grandmother and Paul's mother. The family is reeling after the tragic loss [[spoiler: of TJ's mother/Paul's wife, who appears in a flashback scene to explain how she died.]] Also in the mix is Nicole (Natalie Portman), a grocery store cashier who TJ and Hesher befriend to various degrees.

The film is notable for its selection of Metallica songs that serve as Hesher's Leitmotif, as well as the "lightning curve" font of the original Metallica logo being used in movie posters and on the DVD/Blu-ray cover.

!!Tropes present in this film are:

* AntiHero: Hesher weaves in and out of this trope.
* BeardOfSorrow: Paul wears one [[spoiler: throughout most of the film, but shaves at the end to indicate he's come to terms with his wife's death. He is clean-shaven in the flashback dream of her death]].
* CharacterTitle
* LiteralMinded: Played with. Hesher sets a diving board on fire and then sings to himself, "Jump in the fire!", referencing the namesake Metallica song.
* MetalHead: Hesher.
* NeverTrustATrailer: The trailer made the film look more like a comedy, when it was a drama all along though not really a straight drama as many scenes involving Hesher are played for laughs. Hesher is also a [[spoiler: DecoyProtagonist]].
* NoNameGiven: The following is not revealed in the film: Hesher's real name, what the initials "TJ" stand for, Nicole's last name, [[spoiler: TJ's mother's whole name, or the bully that torments TJ throughout the film (not Hesher).]] The grandmother's name is not revealed until the end of the film.
** TJ is presumably an abbreviation of his first name and middle name, since he's called "Thomas" by [[spoiler: the police when he's fingerprinted for arson.]]
* PlayingAgainstType: YMMV on this. Joseph Gordon-Levitt has played a variety of roles. Rainn "Dwight Schrute" Wilson is not known for drama films. Natalie Portman did a similar understated role in GardenState.
* RefugeInAudacity: A lot.
** TJ, who is probably 11 or 12, swears more than what most people would tolerate in real life. His father doesn't bother to reprimand him on his swearing.
** Hesher attempts to convince TJ to go walking with TJ's grandmother [[spoiler: so that the grandmother wouldn't get raped.]]
** Hesher taunts TJ [[spoiler: for TJ's crush on Nicole, who is closer to Hesher's age than TJ's.]]
** TJ [[spoiler: breaks into the bully's house and threatens to cut off his toes with rusty pruning shears.]]
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Hesher gives one [[spoiler: at the end of the film during Madeleine's funeral]] that he also uses to criticize himself.

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