For a light entry before this Flexeril really kicks in and I fall into blissful slumber, I was going to post the five greatest double-takes in film history.

Unfortunately, even though I could have sworn I had a bunch of 'em in mind, right now I can only think of four, and two of 'em barely count as true double-takes. So I'm gonna edit my premise a bit and say these are the Greatest Moments of Sudden Realization in Movie History (or, as I like to call 'em, "Oh Shit" Moments). Every movie, play, and show should have at least one moment where somebody Suddenly Realizes Something and Nothing Is The Same.

Anyway, here's what I got for now. I'll talk around the spoilers, but still...spoilers. (But they're old spoilers, because I'm old.) And except for one or two entries, my list avoids mysteries and movies about people detecting things. But I'd love to make this sucker ongoing, so if you make with the comments, I'll make with the editin'. 

1. Tootsie
The Moment: Charles Durning realizes who's sitting next to him at the bar.

This here's my favorite double-take in film history, because it's so unusual - it's a slow-burn, rather than a quick, bug-eyed take. And it's masterfully done by an incredible actor. I could watch this on a loop.

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Moment: "You're Welcome."

Jack's face: priceless. 

3. Almost Famous
The Moment: He's HOW old??

Rock star Russell is on the phone with William's mother, thinking he can charm his way into calming her down. William's mother reveals William's age. Russell's reaction is great - his eyes are filled with surprise, and you can see the wheels turning as he processes the information. And best of all, once he hangs up the phone, we realize Russell has decided he doesn't really care how old William is - it's a non-issue. (Maybe that makes his girlfriend's age a non-issue as well? Let's hope so.)

Not that you asked, but Almost Famous is my favorite movie of the 2000s. 

4. Real Genius
The Moment: "Think about it."

The look on Val's ketchup-smeared face as Uncle Rico tells him what he's done gives me chills. Sure, Val built something that will be used for evil, but there's another layer: he suddenly realizes he was so caught up in innovation he didn't even consider the possible application of his creation. That the movie doesn't spell that second part out for you is a testament to its own genius. Oppenheimer probably went through the same thing. 

5. Usual Suspects
The Moment: Hey! That was my favorite mug, dude!

So over-the-top. So great anyway. 

6. The Godfather, Part 2
The Moment: "Johnny Ola told me about this place"

All Michael does is move his eyes. It's enough.

7. Diggstown
The Moment: <adjusts tie>

It's tough to be conned by a Big Reveal these days. We know all the tricks and the clues. We've seen The Sting. But Diggstown - a brutal, smart, shameless, wonderful little movie that deserved a much bigger audience than it found - succeeds in conning us, and it is beautiful. And it works because it plays fair. We shoulda seen it coming. We didn't. 

8. The Crying Game
The Moment: Oh, stop. You know what moment I'm talkin' bout.

Might not be fair to include this one - Stephen Rea doesn't exactly figure out the twist so much as have it shoved in his face (literally). But Rea does wonderful work here. On our first viewing, we're probably a little too stunned to notice (I accidentally learned the reveal before seeing the movie, so I can't say for sure, but I'm pretty sure I would have been fooled), but imagine everything Rea's character is going through at that moment, and note how well Rea conveys it all by downplaying. 

9. Jackie Brown
The Moment: Ordell figures it out

I'm cheating, because there's no reveal, and the realization isn't sudden. But I'm including it because Tarantino shows us something we never see in a movie: a character taking a moment to think. Ordell, framed so we less than half his face, turns his head and closes his eyes for 20 seconds before coming up with his answer. Ordell's tendency to think he's smarter than he actually is gets played for laughs in most of the movie; here, it turns out he's just smart enough. (Skip to 2:50 to see the moment.)

10. Primal Fear
The Moment: Heeeeeey. Wait a minute.

This one barely made my list. The twist is nifty, but the moment of revelation deserves a bigger impact than the movie provides. The problem is Norton's giveaway line. It's a little too giveaway - the audience processes the twist before the bulb goes off over Richard Gere's head, and that's all wrong. But the style is just so shameless - there's a close-up of Gere literally stopping in his tracks - that we allow it to work anyway. How can we be mad at a movie so eager to please us a great "oh shit" moment? 

So that's what I got. But I know I'm forgetting some great ones. Whadda YOU got, Wonders?