Ten Inch Hero (2007) – Indie Romantic Comedy with Jensen Ackles: Is It Worth Watching?
Ten Inch Hero (2007) is a lighthearted yet surprisingly warm and bold romantic comedy about love, friendship, and figuring out who you want to be. If you recognize Jensen Ackles from his years playing Dean Winchester on Supernatural, this role alone is a great reason to give the movie a look.
In short: directed by David Mackay, this indie film runs 102 minutes (rated R), holds a solid 7.3/10 on IMDb and an 80% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. The story revolves around a small California coastal sub shop and four coworkers trying to untangle their love lives.
To be honest, this is not Rocky, The Mask, or a loud studio blockbuster – at the time, it had a modest limited release before heading to home video, which made it very easy to miss. Still, it turned out to be genuinely heartfelt: never crude just for shock value, yet candid enough in its dialogue and humor to earn an American R rating.
Plot and Main Cast
Almost everything takes place around a sunny beachfront sandwich shop where an eclectic crew of young adults works side by side. Jensen Ackles looks nothing like a buttoned-up monster hunter here: his character Priestly is an eccentric cook with a mohawk, piercings, and an endless rotation of slogan T-shirts who is secretly in love with his coworker.
- Director and runtime: David Mackay, 102 minutes (1 hour 42 minutes).
- Main cast: Elisabeth Harnois (Piper), Jensen Ackles (Priestly), Clea DuVall (Jen), Sean Patrick Flanery (Noah), Danneel Harris (Tish), Alice Krige (Zo), and John Doe (Trucker).
- Ratings: 7.3 out of 10 on IMDb and 80% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
A Fun Behind-the-Scenes Detail About Priestly and Tish
Here is a harmless behind-the-scenes detail if you enjoy real-life movie trivia. The charming flirt Tish is played by Danneel Harris – and the on-screen chemistry was clearly real. After dating for several years, Ackles and Harris got engaged in November 2009 and married in Dallas, Texas, on May 15, 2010.
That probably explains why Priestly looks so genuine every time he shares a scene with her – playing hopelessly smitten is a lot easier when it isn’t entirely acting. If you are in the mood for an unpretentious rom-com for a relaxed evening without tired Hollywood cliches, Ten Inch Hero is an easy recommendation.