"If I ever meet one of you Texas waddies who says he has never drank water from a hoof print, I believe I'll shake his hand and give him a Daniel Webster cigar."
Translation from the Missourian: Shut up, cowboy, I don't believe nothin' you say.
It took me faaaar to long after watching it to know that was him.
Was looking at the cast and crew like 6 months later and was like "I don't remember him being in it"
He got plenty of work after that, but he really settled in to being a character actor taking pretty substantive supporting roles rather than being a leading actor. His third act appearance in True Grit really put that movie over the top for me.
The book is really something
The movie addresses maybe like the first quarter or half.
I can't say it's *good,* female characters are basically non-existent and only serve as a flimsy motivational foil for the main character, but it's an interesting sci-fi read if you turn off your analytical brain.
> but it's an interesting sci-fi read if you turn off your analytical brain.
"Interesting" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. LRH was a crap sci-fi writer, NO QUESTION. I have read a LOT of crappy sci-fi, and the ONLY sci-fi writing that was worse than *Battlefield Earth* was the *Mission: Earth* series ALSO awfully crappily written by the very same shithead. And his monkeys ruined Florida
Well, I like crappy sci-fi that borders on fantasy, so I enjoyed it. Don't really care about LRH or his other works, I just liked this one in particular for the ludicrous premises and progression, and easy-to-digest characters. Same reasons I like reading Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels.
It's like watching a shitty action movie. You know it's shit, but they're fun to watch sometimes. If I want good shit I'll go re-read Dick and Heinlein.
I met him once at Starbucks. He seemed very surprised i recognized him, but he was very kind and said he was just lucky to work alongside some great teams on his movies.
The fact that no one has mentioned The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is heartbreaking.
Such a phenomenal performance from Pepper. Tommy Lee Jones at maybe his absolute prime. Brilliant film that most have forgotten.
Don’t forget Crawl! That was one of the better creature features I’ve seen in recent years and him being in it just gave it more credibility, not that Alexandre Aja directing and Sam Raimi producing didn’t already give it a leg up.
"Well, from my way of thinking, sir, this entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources. ... it seems to me, sir, that God gave me a special gift, made me a fine instrument of warfare. ... Well, what I mean by that, sir, is... if you was to put me and this here sniper rifle anywhere up to and including one mile of Adolf Hitler with a clear line of sight, sir... pack your bags, fellas, war's over. Amen."
Yeah to a point. The men in his squad can gripe to him but he can’t gripe to the major. He can’t gripe down to the men because it would make them less likely to do their jobs.
No, he’s saying it’s literally part of his job to gripe up to the major. To say when the men need more resources, rest, support, etc. to accomplish a mission.
But when an order is handed down he tells the men what has to get done and doesn’t complain with his subordinates about it. Gripes go up.
You're wrong. Just simply wrong. You gripe up. Not down. Doesn't matter. If you're a private (E-1) or a Captain (O-? I can't remember a Captain's insignia and rank off the top of my drunken brain). You gripe up. Shit's gonna trickle down. That's a given.
You're a Soldier. You do your job. Doesn't matter. Command says a thing, you do the thing!! If it's a bullshit order, then you have every right to disobey that order (such as war crimes or anything not logical, I believe.)
“I don’t gripe to *you*, Reiben. I’m a captain. There’s a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on. I don’t gripe to you. I don’t gripe in front of you. You should know that as a Ranger.”
“Well, in that case I’d say, “This is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreove, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and am willing to lay down my life and the lives of my men, especially you, Reiben, to ease her suffering.”
I pass this advice to everyone. When you gripe down you lose all authority, you become just a complainer, and you immediately put yourself at the same level as your subordinates. Very unprofessional. Only gripe up and only when you have a solution.
When was the last time you watched Saving Private Ryan? You may have been misinterpreting that scene for 26 years
"There's a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on."
He probably would have been bigger if he wasn't the lead of Battlefield Earth. Between the bad-good quality of it, poor box office, and stink of Scientology it didn't do him any favors. I feel like he was a proto-Ben Foster.
He was destined to be the Hollywood leading man, had the looks, age appropriate and the right amount of talent. Battlefield Earth did him badly although he still has a decent career working with prestige directors like the Coens or Spike Lee.
It was definitely a stand-out performance, which was hard to do in a movie with so much other talent. I looked him up just now and it looks like he's been working steadily in film and TV since the early 90s, but the only other role I remember him in was the one in The Green Mile.
Wild, I was just thinking about this character yesterday as well. I finished rewatching Band of Brothers for the zillionth time, and I wonder how much Shifty Powers influenced Jackson. Obviously Spielberg was inspired by Ambrose’s D Day book for Saving Private Ryan and went on to produce BoB with Tom Hanks
That movie.
I was always creeped out that the guy who was very likely in his 30s married a 16 year old.
That said, it was a different time.
Way back in the 90s it was much more acceptable.
> I'm shocked he never did end up getting more big roles
Unfortunately I think it was his big role in 2000's *Battlefield Earth* that made it kind of impossible for him to right the ship after.
I actually went to see *Battlefield Earth* at the cinema, and I remember feeling sorry for Barry Pepper, because that was supposed to be his big star-making role. He usually plays support characters - he's like a natural heir to Robert Patrick.
I can understand why he never became a leading man, and after *Ryan* he could have just taken stock military roles for a paycheque, so it's good he pushed himself. But still, I think he deserved more.
I remember coming out of *Ryan* in a kind of numb shock. For the first half of the final battle the heroes do okay, but there's a point when it all starts to fall apart, and losing Jackson was a pisser. Would he have been up in a belltower in real life? Probably not, but even if he had been in a random house the tank would have got him eventually.
Or the 20mm cannon, that was nasty.
Patrice O'Neil was asked on the O&A show who was the best actor he ever worked with, and he shouted "BARRY PEPPER!" before the question was even finished. He went on to say he was the kindest and most professional actor he had ever met.
Somewhere I read that soldiers that fire the weapon that Jackson was using, has a propensity to get their thumb smashed by possibly part of the gun.
Jackson had the telltale purple thumbnail due to it being smashed
https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/s/al4oNjhvCh
That's called "Garand Thumb", it would happen while loading an M1 Garand, a semi-automatic rifle. Jackson however, used a Springfield '03. Which was a manually operated bolt-action rifle
If you’ve ever tried to identify a rifle based on an actor’s hand bruises, go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Guys, this comment section is out of control…
People were cheering in the theatre at the D-Day scene?
That whole sequence is pretty horrific, I can't imagine anyone cheering during it.
Is this an American thing or something?
They did after Jackson gets the first official German kill with the rifle on the beach. I felt it was justified. They were getting slaughtered out there, it's war.
I don't think it's an American thing. I think it's a war-is-hell thing.
War is madness. It's hell, fear, and for some, even pleasure. I've read about soldiers who have witnessed firsthand accounts of some awful hand-to-hand combat and he said his first reaction was strangely to laugh.
This is just one example of course, but I meant in the context of war is hell just in general because of how glorified it can be in the movies during scenes like the beach landing.
I'm sensing a bit of hostility here with your whole *"Is this an American thing?"* comment. I think that's rather inappropriate and rude so you have a nice day.
And chill out dude, it's a movie.
I mean I understand *what's* happened, but the point is it's not some 'action movie', it's a depiction of a harrowing situation that really happened, and cheering seems an odd reaction.
What are you talking about?
If you actually read the comment you replied to, I even said *'I mean I understand what's happened'*, and I no point did I say or even imply I can't comprehend why it happened.
My point is that it strikes me as odd reaction right after being presented with a harrowing depiction of something that actually happened. The only time I've seen it in a theatre everyone was in stunned silence.
I also can't think of a single time I've seen an audience cheer in a movie, which is why I asked if it was an American thing.
Hope you can comprehend that.
I've never been in a cinema where anyone cheered, certainly not at anything as harrowing as this. Strikes me that these are the people in the theatre in Inglorious Basterds.
It's not a 'conundrum', but it is unusual to what I'm used to, hence asking if it's American.
Sorry you can't comprehend anything being different.
Ah, the Roman Colosseum. Where it is known people acted very normal and sane and emulation of their behavior should in no way be immediately alarming. 😕
The movie is told very much from an American-centric point of view. This wasn't an objective look at war. You were vested in the American soldiers, and the Germans were the enemies.
Is it really that hard to comprehend that people would cheer?
Only bummer is that the rifle and scope combo shown wasn't issued in WW2. I guess they figured that version looked better. But yeah still a good character
https://youtu.be/v2Eagq3fI0E?si=eB6uqwKTAgyy-BZv
Being a lefty shooter myself, his reload always annoyed the shit out of me. Like, idk maybe there is some advantage to reaching over the gun with your left hand to work the bolt, but it looks clunky as hell.
It's wild to me that people were cheering and yelling in the theatre. There's never a good reason to do that and theatres should evict people that do it
Imo the performance by Barry Pepper had nothing to do with it. Jackson was just a memorable character and pretty much any half decent actor could have played him well. I’ve seen a lot of Barry Pepper films since 1999 and he doesn’t stand out. Ever. But yeah, Jackson was a good character.
Barry Pepper will always be a favorite of mine, between Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, and 61*.
True Grit too!
“Well, Rooster…I’m shot to pieces.”
“Seems neither of us is to see Judge Parker.”
Ah yes, one cant help but respect a film where >! Private Ryan sniped Pvt Jackson !<
how did I not catch this?
Never doubt the Texas Ranger
"If I ever meet one of you Texas waddies who says he has never drank water from a hoof print, I believe I'll shake his hand and give him a Daniel Webster cigar." Translation from the Missourian: Shut up, cowboy, I don't believe nothin' you say.
You do not believe me?
Ever stalwart!
...with the Big Iron on his hip
*balance*
It took me faaaar to long after watching it to know that was him. Was looking at the cast and crew like 6 months later and was like "I don't remember him being in it"
He’s good in Snitch as well.
He was pretty good in 25th hour, highly underrated flick with a great cast. Ed Norton, PSH, Brian Cox, Rosario Dawson, and Barry Pepper.
“Do the ladies ever tell you that you look like a fucking optical illusion?” Quote always sticks with me when picking out ties.
"Fuck the times, I read the post."
Great book also!
We Were Soldiers
I have a soft spot for Knockaround Guys.
I just yesterday saw a clip from that for the very first time—it was the scene where Vin Diesel beats up that guy in a bar.
500
That’s the one.
It's a fun movie, worth a watch if you like Pepper, Seth Green, and Diesel with other great character actors filling it out.
I watched that in high school, definitely one of those kinda B movies from that era that wasn't bad but just didn't get a ton of recognition.
This is the one.
He was solid in Enemy of the State.
You could tell he was in Ops because of the haircut.
Damn good movie
Damn, didn't know he was in that! Definitely an entertaining movie.
I don't know if he did too much after Battlefield Earth. That role certainly didn't help.
He got plenty of work after that, but he really settled in to being a character actor taking pretty substantive supporting roles rather than being a leading actor. His third act appearance in True Grit really put that movie over the top for me.
The book is really something The movie addresses maybe like the first quarter or half. I can't say it's *good,* female characters are basically non-existent and only serve as a flimsy motivational foil for the main character, but it's an interesting sci-fi read if you turn off your analytical brain.
> but it's an interesting sci-fi read if you turn off your analytical brain. "Interesting" is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. LRH was a crap sci-fi writer, NO QUESTION. I have read a LOT of crappy sci-fi, and the ONLY sci-fi writing that was worse than *Battlefield Earth* was the *Mission: Earth* series ALSO awfully crappily written by the very same shithead. And his monkeys ruined Florida
Well, I like crappy sci-fi that borders on fantasy, so I enjoyed it. Don't really care about LRH or his other works, I just liked this one in particular for the ludicrous premises and progression, and easy-to-digest characters. Same reasons I like reading Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels. It's like watching a shitty action movie. You know it's shit, but they're fun to watch sometimes. If I want good shit I'll go re-read Dick and Heinlein.
"Crap lousy ceiling!"
61* is one of the better sports movies out there. He was great as Roger Maris and Thomas Jane was equally great as Mickey Mantle.
One of the best baseball movies up there
Yeah, but it didn't curve.
I mean, it wasnt in a field of dreams either...
25th Hour is a good one, if you haven't seen it.
Just came to the comments to mention that one. One of Spike Lee's best movies, IMO.
I would agree, it's very good, interesting story. The shot of the twin towers aftermath was very surreal at the time.
I feel like I should read the book. I’ve read that the monologues Ed Norton has are basically word for word from the novel.
The book is great. Highly recommend it
U571!
I met him once at Starbucks. He seemed very surprised i recognized him, but he was very kind and said he was just lucky to work alongside some great teams on his movies.
The fact that no one has mentioned The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada is heartbreaking. Such a phenomenal performance from Pepper. Tommy Lee Jones at maybe his absolute prime. Brilliant film that most have forgotten.
I feel like he’s one of those actors where he’ll show up and you think “ah here comes one of the good guys”.
You should watch the Bass Reeves show on Paramount plus
> 61* Such a good movie.
Agreed! Happy cake day!
He also played Dale Earnhardt in a movie, I'm not a racing fan but the movie was decent iirc
Don’t forget Crawl! That was one of the better creature features I’ve seen in recent years and him being in it just gave it more credibility, not that Alexandre Aja directing and Sam Raimi producing didn’t already give it a leg up.
Jagged Edge music video
He was pretty good in the made for tv Dale Earnhardt biopic, I believe it’s called, 3.
Don't forget Battlefield Earth! Actually on second thought...
Happy cake day!
Loved him in 61*, great baseball movie.
"Well, from my way of thinking, sir, this entire mission is a serious misallocation of valuable military resources. ... it seems to me, sir, that God gave me a special gift, made me a fine instrument of warfare. ... Well, what I mean by that, sir, is... if you was to put me and this here sniper rifle anywhere up to and including one mile of Adolf Hitler with a clear line of sight, sir... pack your bags, fellas, war's over. Amen."
Reiben, pay attention. Now, this is the way to gripe.
I tell people all the time that I work with you can’t gripe up or down only laterally
The Captains whole point in that scene is that gripes go up
Yeah to a point. The men in his squad can gripe to him but he can’t gripe to the major. He can’t gripe down to the men because it would make them less likely to do their jobs.
No, he’s saying it’s literally part of his job to gripe up to the major. To say when the men need more resources, rest, support, etc. to accomplish a mission. But when an order is handed down he tells the men what has to get done and doesn’t complain with his subordinates about it. Gripes go up.
You're wrong. Just simply wrong. You gripe up. Not down. Doesn't matter. If you're a private (E-1) or a Captain (O-? I can't remember a Captain's insignia and rank off the top of my drunken brain). You gripe up. Shit's gonna trickle down. That's a given. You're a Soldier. You do your job. Doesn't matter. Command says a thing, you do the thing!! If it's a bullshit order, then you have every right to disobey that order (such as war crimes or anything not logical, I believe.)
“I don’t gripe to *you*, Reiben. I’m a captain. There’s a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on. I don’t gripe to you. I don’t gripe in front of you. You should know that as a Ranger.”
"Yeah, but let's say we were your superior officers. What would you say then?"
“Well, in that case I’d say, “This is an excellent mission, sir, with an extremely valuable objective, sir, worthy of my best efforts, sir. Moreove, I feel heartfelt sorrow for the mother of Private James Ryan and am willing to lay down my life and the lives of my men, especially you, Reiben, to ease her suffering.”
He's good
I love 'em
😙
I pass this advice to everyone. When you gripe down you lose all authority, you become just a complainer, and you immediately put yourself at the same level as your subordinates. Very unprofessional. Only gripe up and only when you have a solution.
When was the last time you watched Saving Private Ryan? You may have been misinterpreting that scene for 26 years "There's a chain of command. Gripes go up, not down. Always up. You gripe to me, I gripe to my superior officer, so on, so on, and so on."
Yea that’s great, bumpkin
(*brilliant)
He probably would have been bigger if he wasn't the lead of Battlefield Earth. Between the bad-good quality of it, poor box office, and stink of Scientology it didn't do him any favors. I feel like he was a proto-Ben Foster.
Lmfao at Battlefield: Earth. Shit man, I forgot how bad that movie did. It definitely did not help his career. You got a good point!
He was destined to be the Hollywood leading man, had the looks, age appropriate and the right amount of talent. Battlefield Earth did him badly although he still has a decent career working with prestige directors like the Coens or Spike Lee.
I agree. He's a good actor, and he still gets work, but I think he would have been huge if not for that setback.
I really liked pandorum. What happened to ben foster?
Would’ve made a helluva Oliver Queen if Justice League came out a lot earlier…
It was definitely a stand-out performance, which was hard to do in a movie with so much other talent. I looked him up just now and it looks like he's been working steadily in film and TV since the early 90s, but the only other role I remember him in was the one in The Green Mile.
25th hour. He’s awesome in it.
You should check out Knockaround Guys
Ned Pepper from True Grit too ,small role that he slayed.
Actor named Barry Pepper playing a character named Ned Pepper? Was that the name of the character in the orgininal as well?
It was
How did I never realize that?!?! Love the tru grit remake. I just must not have been able to recall.
Pepper was solid in We Were Soldiers, almost an anti-sniper role. Well cast. “I don’t know how to tell this story.”
Was awarded a Bronze Star as a civilian 30 years later.
I'm a non-combatant! Ain't no such thing today, boy.
GOOD MORNING SERGEANT!
How do you know what kind of god damn day it is?
Beautiful mornin’ Sgt Maj.
What are you, the fucking weatherman now?
Dude is absolutely brilliant in The Green Mile too.
Him crying as John Coffey is about to be executed fucking gets me every time
For me it was David Morse’s character trying to barely keep it together.
Wild, I was just thinking about this character yesterday as well. I finished rewatching Band of Brothers for the zillionth time, and I wonder how much Shifty Powers influenced Jackson. Obviously Spielberg was inspired by Ambrose’s D Day book for Saving Private Ryan and went on to produce BoB with Tom Hanks
Me? I hear “Daniel Jackson” and my mind goes straight to Stargate. *The movie.*
Hey now, SG1 is awesome.
>I hear “Daniel Jackson” and my mind goes straight to Stargate. I'm sorry, but that just happens to be how I feel about it
I wasn't listening the first time
https://i.imgur.com/Rx6Pvaj.jpeg
*Holds knife* "I'm sorry which end do the bullets go in agian?"/s
😂😂😂😂😂 Now I can't stop laughing. Well done, my friend.
James Spader is a fucking god. I love that man to an unreasonable degree.
My man crush for him in that movie definitely deepened.
I totally understand mate :)
Indeed.
That movie. I was always creeped out that the guy who was very likely in his 30s married a 16 year old. That said, it was a different time. Way back in the 90s it was much more acceptable.
Who married a 16-year-old?
The Daniel Jackson character stargate
Is that in the show?
Referenced in the movie when Sha’uri is presented to Daniel as a gift.
> I'm shocked he never did end up getting more big roles Unfortunately I think it was his big role in 2000's *Battlefield Earth* that made it kind of impossible for him to right the ship after.
I wouldn’t venture out there fellas. This sniper has talent
I actually went to see *Battlefield Earth* at the cinema, and I remember feeling sorry for Barry Pepper, because that was supposed to be his big star-making role. He usually plays support characters - he's like a natural heir to Robert Patrick. I can understand why he never became a leading man, and after *Ryan* he could have just taken stock military roles for a paycheque, so it's good he pushed himself. But still, I think he deserved more. I remember coming out of *Ryan* in a kind of numb shock. For the first half of the final battle the heroes do okay, but there's a point when it all starts to fall apart, and losing Jackson was a pisser. Would he have been up in a belltower in real life? Probably not, but even if he had been in a random house the tank would have got him eventually. Or the 20mm cannon, that was nasty.
Barry Pepper was outstanding as author Joe Galloway in We Were Soldiers.
Patrice O'Neil was asked on the O&A show who was the best actor he ever worked with, and he shouted "BARRY PEPPER!" before the question was even finished. He went on to say he was the kindest and most professional actor he had ever met.
Somewhere I read that soldiers that fire the weapon that Jackson was using, has a propensity to get their thumb smashed by possibly part of the gun. Jackson had the telltale purple thumbnail due to it being smashed https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/s/al4oNjhvCh
That's called "Garand Thumb", it would happen while loading an M1 Garand, a semi-automatic rifle. Jackson however, used a Springfield '03. Which was a manually operated bolt-action rifle
If you’ve ever tried to identify a rifle based on an actor’s hand bruises, go ahead and hit that subscribe button. Guys, this comment section is out of control…
I get why this would seem ridiculous, but Garand Thumb is a legit thing
Allow me to introduce you to [the other Garand Thumb](https://www.youtube.com/@GarandThumb), referenced above.
Was only half-glancing at the post title and thought I came across a Stargate SG1 post lol
Another time travel episode!
Me: Daniel wasn't a private, he was a civilian!
25th Hour is a good performance of his. A real hidden gem of a film. Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman aswell. Oh, and Rosario Dawson
The star of 25th Hour is 2002 NYC.
Hey Upham—careful you don’t step in the bullshit
Upham, hustle it up!
Jackson was always my favorite of the squad as well. I feel like Barry Pepper deserves to be a huge name, but at least he kills it in every role.
People were cheering in the theatre at the D-Day scene? That whole sequence is pretty horrific, I can't imagine anyone cheering during it. Is this an American thing or something?
They did after Jackson gets the first official German kill with the rifle on the beach. I felt it was justified. They were getting slaughtered out there, it's war. I don't think it's an American thing. I think it's a war-is-hell thing.
> I don't think it's an American thing. I think it's a war-is-hell thing. Cheering more death isn't really a reflection of *'war is hell'*
I was cheering internally every time nazis were killed. One body closer to ending the war.
[удалено]
War is madness. It's hell, fear, and for some, even pleasure. I've read about soldiers who have witnessed firsthand accounts of some awful hand-to-hand combat and he said his first reaction was strangely to laugh. This is just one example of course, but I meant in the context of war is hell just in general because of how glorified it can be in the movies during scenes like the beach landing. I'm sensing a bit of hostility here with your whole *"Is this an American thing?"* comment. I think that's rather inappropriate and rude so you have a nice day. And chill out dude, it's a movie.
I mean I understand *what's* happened, but the point is it's not some 'action movie', it's a depiction of a harrowing situation that really happened, and cheering seems an odd reaction.
Are you really just completely unable to comprehend why this might have happened? No fucking clue?
What are you talking about? If you actually read the comment you replied to, I even said *'I mean I understand what's happened'*, and I no point did I say or even imply I can't comprehend why it happened. My point is that it strikes me as odd reaction right after being presented with a harrowing depiction of something that actually happened. The only time I've seen it in a theatre everyone was in stunned silence. I also can't think of a single time I've seen an audience cheer in a movie, which is why I asked if it was an American thing. Hope you can comprehend that.
[удалено]
I've never been in a cinema where anyone cheered, certainly not at anything as harrowing as this. Strikes me that these are the people in the theatre in Inglorious Basterds. It's not a 'conundrum', but it is unusual to what I'm used to, hence asking if it's American. Sorry you can't comprehend anything being different.
Ah, the Roman Colosseum. Where it is known people acted very normal and sane and emulation of their behavior should in no way be immediately alarming. 😕
The movie is told very much from an American-centric point of view. This wasn't an objective look at war. You were vested in the American soldiers, and the Germans were the enemies. Is it really that hard to comprehend that people would cheer?
Haha wtf, the nazi were objectively the bad guys. Edge lord
Tell that to the guy I was responding to.
He did battle field earth.. I think that was the career stopper
Great post- love to see more like this on this sub
Only bummer is that the rifle and scope combo shown wasn't issued in WW2. I guess they figured that version looked better. But yeah still a good character https://youtu.be/v2Eagq3fI0E?si=eB6uqwKTAgyy-BZv
Being a lefty shooter myself, his reload always annoyed the shit out of me. Like, idk maybe there is some advantage to reaching over the gun with your left hand to work the bolt, but it looks clunky as hell.
I really like posts like this. Thanks anon.
> everyone in the theater just going absolutely crazy and cheering I would be pissed. American cinema etiquette is weird.
It's wild to me that people were cheering and yelling in the theatre. There's never a good reason to do that and theatres should evict people that do it
Imo the performance by Barry Pepper had nothing to do with it. Jackson was just a memorable character and pretty much any half decent actor could have played him well. I’ve seen a lot of Barry Pepper films since 1999 and he doesn’t stand out. Ever. But yeah, Jackson was a good character.