Chris Rock, the star of the new movie Spiral, gives a monologue about Forrest Gump in the movie that was inspired by the 1992 film Reservoir Dogs. Rock plays an undercover detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks in the ninth installment of the Saw film franchise series, starring alongside Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, and Samuel L. Jackson, about an investigation into deaths that replicate those of the deceased Jigsaw Killer. The horror film is a first for Rock, who has spent a long career in stand-up comedy, appearing as a main cast member of Saturday Night Live, going on to later star in numerous comedy films like Head of State, I Think I Love My Wife, and The Grown Ups movies.
Throughout his career Rock has continued to lend his comedy talents on the screen, voicing the character of Marty the zebra on the Madagascar film series and hosting the Academy Awards twice. But Rock over the years has expanded his horizon, appearing on Broadway in the dramatic play The Motherf**ker with the Hat by Stephen Adly Guirgis and his recent starring role in Fargo season 4. Regardless of the genre or the medium, Rock still provides comedic moments and ideas with his projects he is involved in.
Per IndieWire, Rock was inspired by Quentin Tarantino's first feature film, Reservoir Dogs, to help create a humorous monologue in Spiral about Banks mentioning Forrest Gump from the film title of the same name. The line comes in the character's opening scene where Banks talks about Forrest's childhood friend and love interest, Jenny, being an antagonist in the movie and not sleeping with Forrest until she is diagnosed with a terminal illness. In an interview, the director of Spiral, Darren Lynn Bouseman, reveals that Rock came up with the idea from the opening diner scene of Reservoir Dogs, where a group of gangsters argue about the meaning of Madonna's hit song "Like A Virgin". Bouseman went on to state:
“Originally the script has Chris’ [sic] introduction very different. He was introduced busting a weed dispensary. He came to me maybe five days before shooting and said, ‘I gotta do better, it’s the introduction of my character.’ Chris is a big fan of ‘Reservoir Dogs’. This was like his homage. He came to me the next day after we talked about the opening, handed me his pages, and said, ‘It should be something like this.’ What’s great about Chris is that he’s very opinionated and will make off-handed comments about movie characters that make you go, ‘Fuck, he’s right,’ Jenny is a villain!”
The opening scene of Reservoir Dogs is not only one of the movie's best, but it is also one of the most memorable scenes due to its introduction to the eight gangsters discussing a casual topic, painting them as regular people before the violent and tragic events of the movie. It is a great way to present characters' thoughts and mindsets, which is what Rock was trying to do with Banks in Spiral. The comment about Jenny from Forrest Gump does offer a different perspective on the character than how the movie presents her, but the scene more importantly offers insight into Banks' thought-process.
The inspirational idea shows the importance of collaboration on a film project, with people offering different ideas to make it the best it can be. By helping to craft his character's introduction, Rock has found yet another way leave his mark on the successful horror franchise. Time will tell if Spiral is regarded as one of the franchise's better installments, but in casting Rock, the filmmakers got talented collaborator in addition to performer.
Source: IndieWire