‘It’s Complicated’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Mina Kimes

21:52Right, and this is the same time. 30 Rock's happening. Right, yeah.

21:56Bill Simmons:And he's kind of like an A-lister again, like in a real way. Are you guys 30 Rock people? Yeah. I never was. Okay, but you've seen, you're familiar with it. Yeah, I know it is. is he just playing Jack Donaghy in this movie? Pretty much. And it's not a bad thing. I would argue he almost runs away with this movie. He is incredibly funny. We're going to get into it. But he is basically just like a character. Yeah, I guess I think of it. Softer, softer Jack. Like a more likable. Well, it's like, I think of this Alec Baldwin as there's 80s, there's working girl Alec Baldwin, speaking of, you know, rewatchables.

22:32And then, and he's handsome. and kind of a dirtbag. Are we doing the phases of Alec Baldwin? Yeah, well, that's how I think... Because don't forget about

22:38Bill Simmons:Malice Alec Baldwin. Sure, right, where he's... I guess I do kind of forget about that. Like Malice Getaway, like Leading Man, kind of a dirtbag, or The Edge. Right, but then... He's a nice run with those. He reinvents himself, and in my head, he's like half Josh Donaghy and half Jake from It's Complicated, but they are all just kind of rich, charming blowhards with, you know, various degrees of connection to the world. But a little bit irresistible, or at least they're supposed in the movies. Totally. I don't know if you two would have found a marriage. He's way more, he's, we'll like. Yeah, we'll get there.

23:10Yeah. In this movie, they're extremely like electric together.

23:16Bill Simmons:Yeah. I've always liked him in movies and TV shows. Yeah. For a long, long time. And I think his run actually exceeded how long it probably should have gone. Like he had a 30 plus year run even into the 2020s until all the recent stuff. pretty long run compared to some of his contemporaries. You look at the people he's competing against in like 87, 88, 89. All those people are gone. That's true. And he hung around three plus decades. But I think he's so fucking funny in this movie. He's amazing. I don't even know who else would have played that part well. I don't know who you could have put in.

23:54She has talked about... Like pick an actor. How she really does write her characters with actors in mind. Yeah. And she did that for... she's talked about it with Jack Nicholson. Right. She was like, I can't believe I got him to do this. And I have to think she wrote this role for Alec Baldwin. Like it is so specific to him. Yeah. And his abilities and his like physical comedy and like being.

24:16Bill Simmons:The home sweet home is so fucking funny. My favorite part of the movie. We lost it rewatching it. He's just so good. I'm able to, I don't, I know he's got a little weird the last couple of years, but I don't think about it when I watch older movies like that. I just I'm trapped in the moment. I do it with sports, too. I don't I don't carry the baggage. So I OK, I actually put myself back in the headset of when I first saw this movie in 2009. I saw it in the theater. I wish we were friends back then. I know. We did start dating Zach. No, 2011 is when we met. I know. I think I saw it alone in New York.

24:50That's sad. I saw it over Christmas with my family. You could have come. My dad loved it. It would have been great. And I was like thinking, what did I think about Alec Baldwin at the time? And I remember then being like, I don't know about this guy. And then I looked back and the voicemail scandal was pretty close to when this movie came out. Oh, when he was yelling at his daughter. That was a tough one. That was bad. So I was thinking like, oh, actually, back then he was also fresh off of a sort of miniature scene.

25:15Bill Simmons:He was a little bad boyish because I know they thought about that with 30 Rock, whether it was a good idea to bank on him for a five-year TV show. Yeah. So like four weeks ago, my dad was in town. As you know, I'm a child of divorce. and in the morning my wife wanted to put something on because we were like well let's watch a movie it's like 8 30 in the morning we're having coffee and she put this movie on he'd never seen it yeah he was dying and and we were making fun of him we were like was this what you're hoping would happen with me and my mom like for the last 30 years but um and he couldn't believe he'd never seen it but yeah i think this movie hits the most age ranges of all the nancy myers other than father of the Bride, which is like an internal movie.

25:57Bill Simmons:Father of the Bride will be passed on for as long as we're having children before AI takes over. I think you're probably right. I think Parent Trap is much bigger with Craig's generation and mine too. My dad wouldn't watch Parent Trap. Maybe Something's Gotta Give. Something's Gotta Give hits. They both hit a lot of the same sort of keys and mainly Jack Nicholson and Ackbarth and Driss both being so funny. I feel like if you'd put on And there's a lot of similar laugh lines. So Nicholson could have potentially been a version of the Baldwin. It just would have been a different performance. Yeah.

26:32A little less oily. And you kind of, and you maybe then root for it to end in a different way. This is the hard part about recasting is, like with Baldwin, he's great and steals the movie. But also, we all understand how it needs to resolve to be responsible and we're okay with it. Like if you put, say, Harrison Ford in that role, it's like, no, no, no. They actually do. Or Jack Nicholson. You're like, no, no, no. They need to be together.

27:01Bill Simmons:$75 million budget. It made$219 million. That is right. That's what I'm saying. Third biggest Nancy Meyers movie. Roger Ebert. Two and a half stars. Yeah. Said Meyers created, quote, a cottage industry of movies about romantically inclined middle-aged people. Oh, sorry, Rod. Yeah. It's a rearrangement of the goods in Nancy Meyers' bakery. And some of them belong in the day old shelf. Raj. Yeah. Lashing out. He wasn't feeling it. You know? Okay, so I read a few reviews, not just of this movie, but of a lot of her movies. And they kind of made me angry. Yes. Because a lot of them are pretty similar in tone to that.

27:42And I'm not saying this is Deer Hunter. And there's obviously issues with it. But so many of them I feel like are, they're treating these movies as being much more cliche than they are. and they're also not identifying the things that make them great personally. Yeah, and they're also, I think that if...

28:00Bill Simmons:You can say I heard Amanda so you can feel that pain in her eyes. No, I agree with her. I mean, it's annoying. There is a certain line of film criticism that is not practiced here on the Rewatchables, I'm happy to say, where certain skill sets, like say the ones used in horror movies, are acknowledged as actual filmmaking accomplishments. but the skill sets that Nancy Meyers uses are, you know, are just silly or puffery instead of. Right. But it is actually, it's really hard to write something this well and also make something look this good as literally every other Netflix ripoff can, will show you, you know, there's a reason they don't work.

28:40Bill Simmons:That's the key point. Yeah. So first of all, a movie like this, you almost have to grow into it. It's like, you have to see it like three foot, you really start to appreciate it on the fourth, fifth time. but then there's been so many bad versions of these i think it elevates movies like this where you're like oh here's actually a good version of these movies yeah which i feel that way about some action movies too because there's so many bad action movies yeah right that when you see like like even when they die her with a vengeance like the first hour 20 died with a vengeance is so good yeah you know and then it falls apart but um there was one critic who liked it you've both met him.

29:18I couldn't find his review.

29:20Bill Simmons:His name is Wesley Morris. Where was it on the internet? I tried to find it because it was linked on... It's my job as the host of Rewatchables. He gets it. He wrote, the most emotionally sophisticated of all Myers' fantasies. A made-for-Meryl film. Yeah. Streep to plays all her best moves. She's irresistible. It's complicated unleashes an unabashedly, desperately romantic side of Baldwin that we haven't seen before. What a king. He doesn't steal this movie so much as Grant Allstreep's fluttering and twirling and hand fanning. Zuber and counterweight. Yes. Our guy. Yeah. Gets it. I knew he would like this movie.

29:56Yeah, of course.

29:57Bill Simmons:I'd probably have talked about it. All right, we're going to take a break. Do the categories. Propel Fitness Water. With Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar, and vitamins. Propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self. What propels you? Propel with Gatorade electrolytes. Hey Chicago, class it up with Crocs. You know back to school is coming in fast. So why wait to find your new fave footwear? Step into a local Crocs store and step into your new look. Try it, style it, make it yours. Because the right pair doesn't just show up, it shows off.

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30:45Bill Simmons:most rewatchable scene. Okay. I wouldn't necessarily put these two in as a most rewatchable, but I really liked the first two scenes of the movie and how they set everybody up. The anniversary party. Yeah. You see the slow-mo Lake Bell coming in. Belly first. And you just see how it changes Meryl Streep's demeanor. You know, it's like, oh, okay, I get what's going on here. Yeah. And then getting to meet all the kids. They just do a good job of introducing all the characters in the plots in like six minutes. That's so fucking hard to do. Yes. She's a really smart movie. All right. My first one.

31:18Bill Simmons:Jane has dinner with her friends the first time. The first time. The vagina closed up story. But just the four together. You're so lucky Steve is dead or whatever. Yeah. The roast chicken. Four friends just really enjoyed each other. But that's another thing Myers could at. But Rita Wilson. She's back. Another buddy rom-com. She's really fun. Stop spot for her. You know? She seems like I would have wine with her. Is she? Judy Greer. Rita Wilson like the pantheon of great rom-com friends who are not leading ladies. Rosie O'Donnell's gotta be in there. Rosie O'Donnell. She's had a couple good ones.

31:53Bill Simmons:Hey, do you know what Rosie O'Donnell's up to on And Just Like That? The Sex and the City? I can't. I cannot believe you're still watching this show. I'm actually two episodes behind but I did see the one where she's a celibate nun so I honestly thought she was very good on the show and they could use more star turns like Rosie O'Donnell. Yeah, that's so would you say Rita Wilson and Judy Greer. Judy Greer. Judy Greer has the belt, I think. She's been in like six of these. Being the friend. The bar dinner scene. Yeah. When they run into each other at the bar, to the home sweet home. I like that you've foregone bikini waxes.

32:32Bill Simmons:You've gone native. It wasn't so dumb. And FYI, I like that you stopped getting bikini waxes. You've gone native. I was into it. it's just like an SNL sketch everything about it is so good she's good they're just like they just have it they have like electricity they do he also says the Pilates are paying off don't forget that every line delivery he has that was my favorite scene is so funny so funny family graduation dinner scene the oh god it's official we're having an affair I think this is very French of us I have that one Jane tells her friends about the affair. Oh, yeah. I'm having an affair with Agnes Adler's husband.

33:18I am having an affair with Agnes Adler's husband. I am having an affair with Agnes Adler's husband. That is genius.

33:28Bill Simmons:Yeah. A lot of screaming and shrieking. It's a good meme. Has it been memed reaction shot? I think I always think of it in my head of everyone being like, all at once. Steve Martin dinner date with... Jake stalking leading to the Jake seduction and the bathtub scene. Right, yeah. Bathtub scene is really nice. Jake has a heart attack. Sure. Another classic trope. Talking about Flomax. Yeah, I like a lot of sperm. I prefer a lot of semen. I always have. Yeah, that's right. Jane gets everyone stoned is really funny. Yeah. The chocolate croissant scene. The laptop nudity scene. Sure, yeah. And then Jake and Jane realize it's not going to happen.

34:09Yeah.

34:10Bill Simmons:So what do you have? probably the croissants are the single most. Well, no, no, no. Or the, I never get prepared for this. I already said the plastic surgeon scene I think about a lot. The hotel. I have hotel bar leading into the home sweet home. Oh, the hotel, that one. That whole bar scene. That stretch is awesome. Okay. But I also, I like the second one when he has the heart attack and then Krasinski's in the lobby being like, I don't know what's going on. And then I have always liked a lot of semen. It's pretty good. And then they have the emotional thing at the end. Maybe I do that one. Maybe I pick the second hotel.

34:42You change your mind seven times.

34:43Bill Simmons:What do you have been there? For me, it's the dinner at the bar leading into them having sex because of the lines we talked about because they're so funny. And I guess I should just say this now. I understand they couldn't be together. The breakup made sense or whatever you want to call it. The resolution of the film made sense. But they just have such better chemistry than her and Steve Martin. Oh, yeah. And I struggle with it in this movie. and how it ends up. And it's all stemming from that scene. Like everything about those two actors, they look like they're having the time of their lives.

35:17I mean, this is like sort of the whole movie. All the actors seem like they're having the time of their lives. But in that scene and in the bedroom scene, it is just two actors at the top of their games to me. Yeah.

35:27Bill Simmons:Do you ever, are you ever in the same room with your parents together? Or were you after the divorce or not really? I was telling this story the other day. The first time I was supposed to be was my college graduation. And there was like a department breakfast beforehand. But then I got too drunk and I slept through it. And so then my professors had to introduce my parents. I don't know if I... Sorry about that, everyone. So I don't think that they've ever been in the same room. Look at one of two ways. Like they don't interact at all or they actually do. Because I had the opposite. And when my dad and my mom are together, it's like absolutely the most fascinating thing.

36:07Yeah.

36:07Bill Simmons:And then as my kids got older, they became fascinated by it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When my dad was here, my two kids went out to lunch with them and they were just like, you know, they could have made it. Like, it was like one of those. Like, you can see it. It's still, there's some sort of chemistry still there. It's really funny. I have a question for you guys. My husband talked about this after we watched a movie. How often do you guys think divorced couples hook up years later? Oh, interesting. I don't think it's a very common thing. No. I don't know any. No one in our eight, there's not that many divorced people, but like in our cohort, I don't know if it's happening.

36:42Yeah.

36:43Bill Simmons:It's happened with celebrities where people have gotten divorced and then gotten back together. Right. Like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. But if it happens, they are just like, no, we're getting back together. Don Johnson and Dakota and Melody Griffith. Yeah. If it happens, you find out about it because they're like, well, I guess we're just doing this again. I mean, the worst is J-Lo and Affleck. Yeah. Or the best. Yeah. Or the best. But that one, yeah. So, you know, if the spark's there, the spark's there sometimes. Yeah. All right. What's the most 2009 thing about this movie? I have two, but do you have any?

37:21Normal size John Krasinski?

37:24Bill Simmons:Oh, that's a good one. And or just John Krasinski in general. Yeah, yeah. So I had John Krasinski being the seventh lead of a movie. I like this version of him more. Yeah, it is very the opposite. Like charming, you know? Yes, he's very... It takes me back to a time. Breaking the fourth panel kind of, yeah. The answer is actually being sad about having nobody to watch The Hills with, which is the thing said during the movie. That just traps you in 2009. Ah, this is exciting. The Amanda Dobbins Award for Best Piece of Real Estate. Even though we've already covered it, we have to do it. I mean, it is the house, right?

37:58But then I was trying to think of like secondary things because we all know it's the house.

38:02Bill Simmons:No, I'd say we can skip over. You just had to give it because you're here. The kid's bungalow is pretty nice. Yeah. I just, they don't have a job, but they have a guest bathroom, you know? How do you feel about the house being in Thousand Oaks in real life? I'm surprised to hear that one. I did as well. I mapped it out and it's like, it seems like the address is Thousand Oaks, but it's kind of down in the wilderness, sort of, in a way that seems less settled. So I'm okay with that. It's good to find - Craig, you're surprised by Thousand Oaks being in the location? Yeah, because it also just doesn't look like it's 100 degrees, which it would be in thousands.

38:34Bill Simmons:Right. Yeah, I was surprised. What's age the best? There's good tidbits in the early part of this movie showing that she's kind of lonely. Hmm. She's doing a nice job. She's in the elevator, and she watches the couple together. Right. But Nancy Meyers is good at that. Yeah. I'm not going to tell you about what this part, but I'm just going to give you five, six little tiny things. Yeah. I have a literal one, which is Meryl Streep, because she looks like beautiful in this movie and like just has literally aged gorgeous. And this is, again, a hallmark of Nancy. Everybody looks great in her movies.

39:11And it's their movies about adults for adults. And she makes, you know, our cinematographer who I don't know who it is, if she has the same people that she always works with. But everybody's shot like just so gorgeous. I say this. as a compliment to the technicians at work. But like you can see that when Meryl gets like her special light, you know, and they cut from especially from Baldwin, who's supposed to look a little haggard, back to Meryl. And it's beautiful work. And it is like a Renaissance painting. And that is everyone doing their job well.

39:46Bill Simmons:This would be this would have been a good ASPAN segment. Got to bring them in. Meryl Streep doesn't get enough credit for being beautiful. dating back to Kramer versus Kramer in Manhattan but she's certain movies like I think in Kramer versus Kramer like she's just beautiful in that movie but she's in Devil Wears Prada in this where they just feel like two different people but you would just you would immediately notice some of it also is like the performance we talked about at the beginning how it's kind of she's not really like this in any of other movies it's happy giggly Meryl Streep And this is what I love about Nancy Meyer's female characters is so often with rom-coms, it's the uptight trope, right?

40:30The uptight woman. Yeah. Even a movie as great as Sweet Home Alabama, it's a cliche character. And there's a million other examples of that. I think that's the first time the sentence, a movie as great as Sweet Home Alabama has been said on this podcast.

40:41Bill Simmons:I fully support it. And I am really happy to be here. I mean, this is a safe space for that take for a million reasons. But like her whip, Diane Keaton is the same way in Something's Got a Gift. Like she is successful. Maybe she has put her life or, you know, chosen work at the expense of other things. But she's like kind of chill. Yeah. She kind of rolls with the punches. She laughs a lot. She's quick to smile. I always enjoy that about her characters. They don't feel like stereotypes. Yeah. They enjoy life. That's the thread to do with any good rom-com or they go sideways because the trope is always this person's a mess.

41:18Bill Simmons:They can't find anybody. Right. they've got to bring a date to the wedding and oh my god they can't find anyone and it's just their life's just a rollercoaster in this one it feels like a realistic rollercoaster it's like I get it threw herself into her career got her shit together whether she'd be attracted to Steve Martin as a whole in this movie the Steve Martin version of this movie I have some doubts but we can talk about that later any movie but especially any rom-com where there's a smoking hot bitchy second wife. It's a home run. It's never not worked. It's true. And it's like most of the female characters are older and then you have this other one and he just sucks.

42:03Bill Simmons:The scene where she's in the elevator and notices her tiger tattoo for the first time kills me, like Belle's tiger tattoo. I don't speak Pedro. It's just really funny. Caitlin Fitzgerald. Yeah. Not giving a lot to do in this film. Not a lot to do, but now you get to watch this movie with the library of her as Roman's girlfriend for like 15 succession episodes where she's so funny in that movie. And I just wish that character had been in this movie because she's basically a blank slate. Blonde child number three. I don't really understand anything about does she work? Yeah. What's going on with her and John Krasinski?

42:42Bill Simmons:Why does he treat her like an eight-year-old child? Why don't they have adult conversations? how old is she supposed to be is she 18 is she 30 yeah what is she but i was excited to see her it's still it i know her primarily from this movie so every time i saw her on succession i was just very weirded out i was like what are you doing here that's not if this doesn't make sense to me apparently joanna robinson is a big she says there's a whole library of work like masters of sex like she's she's like she's definitely one of those who hasn't been in the right situations. Hunter Parrish, who was in Weeds.

43:18I don't know what else he's...

43:19Bill Simmons:That's the youngest one. Yeah, the boy who graduates. I have a couple categories for him later. None of these kids have anything to do in this movie. And then Zoe Kazan, who I went to college with. I never interacted with her in college. Marlboro School, LA. That checks out. Yeah. She, I feel like, has done mostly more serious movies than this. But she doesn't have much to do in this one either. I don't have... I did all my other What's Sage the Best if you want to move on. The title. Can I throw that one in? What? They don't say the title verbatim. No. They say like it's gotten complicated, but nobody says like it's complicated.

43:57You don't think it's a good title? No. This is the only thing I don't like about Nancy Meyers movies is some of the titles are really bad.

44:05Bill Simmons:So what do you think the title should be? I guess you can't put divorce in the title because that turns people off. Faking it up? where she talks maybe something like second bake when she so bad um home sweet home yeah home sweet home is a great title isn't that actually what was the name of the movie that her daughter the one with Reese Witherspoon directed yeah home again home again is what that one was called something's gotta give is like an objectively perfect movie with a terrible title honestly Mina you nailed it home sweet home is a great title that's fucking hilarious I just you know Craig, are you down with that?

44:43Bill Simmons:Home Sweet Home? Yeah, yeah, it's great. Maybe It's Complicated is another, like, what's the most 2009 thing about this movie? Yeah, like the generic. Well, also the Facebook of it all. Yeah. Because that is still when we were, you know. It's complicated. It's a good time capsule. You know about this, Bill? What? It's complicated. So when around this time, because Facebook had just launched, you could put your relationship status on Facebook, and one of the options was it. So I always thought that's what it was. So in that sense, I'm like, oh, what a nice snapshot. Maybe that's the most 2009 thing.

45:12What were you going to say, Craig?

45:13Bill Simmons:You know what else is aged the best is Meryl Streep not getting a ton of plastic surgery in real life after this movie. True. Because she looks like a mess. It is a great note. Because she famously is anti-plastic surgery. I don't know if that's true, but she still looks great. That's why she's our queen. Yeah. Yeah. The Big Kahuna Burger Award for best use of food or drink. It's obviously the croque monsieur. I can't speak. What about the croissant? I thought he was going to say croissant. It was like a little bit of there. The whole scene where they go. Say it for me. Croque monsieur. Croque monsieur.

45:44It's hard. I mean, I also, I had a problem with auteur, or like the R's and the multiple values.

45:50Bill Simmons:You can go chocolate croissants here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But when she's, everyone is so excited about her croque monsieur. Sure. No, it's true. It really made me like, I even asked my wife, you just got to make these. You're doing the thing when I, I can't say French words either, Bill, and I just say them really fast and hope nobody notices. I don't really like this. One of the reasons I don't like the French. Remember the chain? Au bon pain. ABP ABP whenever we have to go there I'd be like do you want to go to because I couldn't say it I also in this movie when Steve Martin has to say he does he does like the full thing I'm actually no I'm with you because while watching that scene where she makes the croquemont sauce and the lavender ice cream I literally I was like I want both of these things right now the lavender ice cream does also stick in my head because then when Alec Baldwin shows up and he's like oh you can't asleep, you're making lavender ice cream again.

46:43I will also do honorable mention for the chocolate cake, which I just want a piece of, you know? So.

46:49Bill Simmons:So the lavender ice cream, that's not something I would be like, oh, cool. They have lavender ice cream. Right. What does that taste like? I mean, I think it's mostly sweet with hints of lavender. I don't know. Olive oil ice cream, similar vibe. No, thanks. Oh, it's olive oil. What would you have for that one, Craig? What made you the hungriest as you watch this movie? Um, probably the croque monsieur. I would say it's basically just cheese bread right? No it's got ham Oh ham on it? Ham and cheese croissant Yeah The lavender The lavender ice cream is like some salt and straw bullshit You don't need that Alright well you know what Salt and straw is another place you should probably cut a check Nancy Meyers but that's okay Turkey and gravy with real turkey Salt and straw like lavender and pears Go cheese Yeah go cheese Yeah Great shot Gordor or most cinematic shot so after the daughter moves out this is what I have Yeah and everybody leaves and Jane's in her house alone and it's just like a good wide shot where you can see the whole house but she's also like oh I'm alone I like that one what do you have the second time that they have sex he comes over he convinces her it smash cuts to the sprinkler I literally have the sprinkler on the lawn written down as well it's good smash cuts back and it's Alec Baldwin laying back she's like not again she's like moaning and he's got the shit-eating grin on his face.

48:11Just a perfect transition. Yeah.

48:14Bill Simmons:Kid Cudi pursued happiness when we're at Best Needle Drop. I can give you Tom Petty, Don't Do Me Like That. Yeah. Or I can give you the Fine Young Cannibals. Good to hear from them. I have Tom Petty, Don't Do Me Like That or Benny and the Jets when she's stoned. Hmm. None of the Beach Boys? Dancing to the Beach Boys. I got Tom Petty. From the moment when they realize everyone's kind of looking at each other and like what's going on here. R.I.P. What do you have for the Chess Rockwell on Brock Lander's award for best character name. I like that the little kid was named Pedro. And she just wasn't acknowledged.

48:43Exactly.

48:44Bill Simmons:I don't speak Pedro. Agnes with two S's, the second wife. Agnes was good. Oh, is it two S's? Oh, I missed that. I don't know if that's explained in the movie or if it's just Nancy Meyers writing, but it's a very funny, like a generational contrast to, you know, Jane, Jake, Adam, and then Agnes with two S's. We should have given the Nancy Meyers backstory of how she had the writing partner that directed the movie she wrote. and then they got divorced. Her husband. Oh, her husband. Yeah, Charles Shire. So did he, do you think he married an Agnes? I wonder how much real life shit's in there. I don't know.

49:18She wrote Modern Love, but I think it's after this movie, right? Yes. About they, like, going on a road trip with Charles Shires, who died last year, and they, and, like, it was an it's complicated type vibe of remembering what was, like, good about him, but it was different because it was a nice thing. but she didn't get into the specifics of whether he married, um, an Agnes Adler who has a big job in marketing.

49:46Bill Simmons:Amanda, you have a flex category. I do. What are you doing? Um, so I think that I'm going to go with Lake Bell. Okay. Well, there are two categories here and it's either. Yeah. Lake Bell can't be a category. I know, I know, but she's the answer to two categories. It's either the person in their own movie. Oh, that's a good one. Who do we name that one after? It's at the very bottom of the dot. Judd Nelson? Oh, that's the Judd Nelson. Oh, we never get that one out. Yeah, I think that Bella's just in a different movie. She's not bad. Judd Nelson in New Jack City. He's just in his own, he's filming his own thing.

50:24She's just in a very different, aggressive movie. That's a really good one. Yeah. So that's my flex category. She's wearing boy shorts the entire movie. Right. Just little 2009 underwear. Yeah, her styling in general is... hard. You know, just what, why is she living in Santa Barbara and dressing like that? And also what is her big job?

50:45Bill Simmons:And what does she do in Santa Barbara? She, so she is in marketing and the joke is that she's markets for like KY, but I think it's supposed to be like a radio station, which is, yeah. Do we think it's funny that Nancy Meyers basically cast Lake Bell's Wario, Amanda Peet in the similar movie? Yes. In the same, not kind of the same role. I don't know who's who's Wario, actually. I texted you. I was like, who's the poor man's version of him? But they're literally playing the same. I feel like you discounted Amanda Peet. Yeah. So maybe Lake Bell's her Wario. I think Lake Bell is her Wario. She is a better character.

51:21We respect Amanda Peet in this house, if only because Amanda's need a win, just generally. She's one of our leading Amandas.

51:29Bill Simmons:Also, just when you think she's ready to give up the steering wheel, you're friends and neighbors. the college episode happens and she just takes the mantle back for another couple years. Lake Bell, though, we'll say this. Yeah. You know Dave Jacoby. Yeah, of course. Her and How to Make it in America was her all-time favorite Dave Jacoby-Parrick. Yeah. And she was really good on that show. Yes. And I actually feel like that was probably her best performance, right? She's been in a bunch of stuff, but I think that was probably my favorite version of her. Butch's Girlfriend Award weak link of the movie.

52:07Bill Simmons:I'll let you go first. Okay, this is kind of... I wonder if we all have the same one. I was going to do recasting, which is part of this conversation. I know where you're going and I agree completely so I came up with something else to save it. Is this time to talk about Steve Martin? Let's do it. Is that not where you guys thought I was going with this? That's where I thought you were going. I came up with something else just for Variety's sake. I don't think it's his fault. No. I think his character is a little bit underwritten. I think he is going up against a juggernaut in Alec Baldwin, who is just so charismatic and so funny.

52:45But I do question my I was going to do one of my flex one was the recasting. I was going to throw out the idea that if he was played by a more charming, charismatic man, we would there'd be a little bit more energy to the rivalry.

52:58Bill Simmons:Yeah, like nerdier, charismatic, maybe. No, I think you got to go away from nerdy and steer towards sensitive. So it's, you know, so there's a balance. Who are you giving me? Sam Shepard. Oh, that's not fair. Women love Sam Shepard. Well, come on. Baldwin can't compete with that. Well, he could compete. You always throw Sam Shepard in these things. That's not fair. But I think it's good. Baldwin's not fighting Sam Shepard. He's losing. But he's not supposed to, ultimately. You know? But there's a little more of a there there. Could you do like a Dennis Quaid? No. No? No. I had two ideas. Cruise?

53:37No, sorry. A lot of girlfriends. We watched the first half of Top Gun Maverick again last night at my house. Did you get to the bedroom scene? No, because we only made it as far as like the first Penny encounter in the bar. When she's like, don't give me that look. He is not giving a look. Yeah. He's just.

53:57Bill Simmons:There's no looks being handed out. Okay. One is a guy who's actually been in a romantic comedy with Meryl. Yeah. And that man is Tommy Lee Jones. Interesting. Going for a little more of a blue collar. Not as handsome as out. Maybe he's a contractor instead of an architect. Maybe he's in there fixing stuff for her. Little gruff. I'm not opposed to it. The other one, I alluded to this earlier, but what if, like as a callback and kind of a meta joke within the movie, being about divorce. What if we brought back Dustin Hoffman from Kramer vs. Kramer? But this time... The callback. Is that too weird?

54:40They also famously hated each other.

54:42Bill Simmons:Has he ever had a normal rom-com relationship? Yeah. He's too weird, right? He's been in some, actually. It is funny that they do their movie night. They watch The Graduate, speaking of. That's true. But here's the thing. I vote no on Dustin Hoffman. I don't think that you're rooting for him over. You need someone who you can actually root for over Ali Baldwin. Yeah. Okay. Or to be okay with. I think I did great work. I think Sam Shepard really balances his head. Pretty good. Okay, thank you. Here's my weak link of the film. The kids aren't damaged enough. They're children of divorce. We need one of those kids needs to be slightly fucked up in some way.

55:22Bill Simmons:It's so funny. These are the happiest divorced kids that have ever been in a movie or a TV show. I'd be happy if my mom had a$10 million house and made amazing food all day and bankrolled my lazy existence. These kids were all teenagers during this divorce. There's no way they're all just doing great. That's true. One of them is fucked up. One of them is like, uh-oh. No, it's true. I've been in college seven years. It's really funny, and I think it's revealing of our respective divorce experiences, where I watched this and I was like, they're way too invested in their parents getting back together, in my opinion.

55:56They're all just like sitting there like sad babies. Yeah, they're just sitting there being like, you and daddy need to get back together. And I'm just like, what? Your parents have put you through hell for 10 years. That's not the reaction.

56:08Bill Simmons:The reaction would be like, mom, what the fuck are you doing? What's going on? That's a cat. Yeah, I read it as they didn't want them to get back together. Maybe this is where life experiences are. No, they're disappointed. When Zoe Kazan gives this speech at the post-graduation breakfast, she's like, I just want to say it's nice. just us. Like all of us together. The original five. No, it seems like they want them to get back together, which is insane. But then at the end they're like, this was really hard on us. The kids make no sense. This is the point. The kids don't make any sense. Bizarre trio.

56:43But I think even when they find out...

56:45Bill Simmons:It's a trio plus Krasinski who has no job either. He's just hanging out. He's the interpreter. Do they all sleep in the same bed together without Krasinski and Krasinski was like I'll just be on the couch tonight No I think that they were just like the next morning They gathered They were all like gathering Under the covers Yeah Okay Listen Yeah It's one of the reasons this movie's fun to rewatch It's not a bad thing It's not a negative for the movie It's actually hilarious how weird the kids are in this Yeah And how happy they all are Like that I mean Why are they so happy the kids graduate in college They're acting like he's fucking landed from Mars I know and they're all like Like in front of a NASA mission And he's like photoshopped into the big screen and they're like wow he's graduating from university they're screaming no I agree it's nice that the like they don't make sense but also the movie doesn't care about the kids which I sort of appreciate you know it's like well they'll be fine you know we actually can just talk about divorce through the eyes of the grown ups there's no chance they'd be living in Santa Barbara either like if you no chance no chance and definitely can't afford that bungalow with two bathrooms even in 2009 and a nine.

57:53Bill Simmons:Well, I guess they don't have jobs. Yeah. In between. And they're either 13 years old or 30. Yeah. I don't know. Very strange. What's age the worst? We mentioned an incredibly likable Al Baldwin. It's kind of weird. I wrote down, are we sure Steve Martin isn't a loser in this movie? He is a loser. He's veering too close toward Loserville. Are we surprised he agreed to do the movie? Right. Because, you know, she gets another thing that's great about Nancy Meyers. She gets these, the movies are about women and she gets A-list men, which is not always an easy thing to do to sort of subsume themselves to these great actresses.

58:33But Alec Baldwin gets this great meaty role. Jack Nicholson had this great meaty role. If I'm Steve Martin, I'm reading this and I'm like, I don't know. This is really a lot here for me to do. Maybe he wants to, Steve Martin like has tried to be serious Steve Martin in movies like once every 10 years or so.

58:51Bill Simmons:it's been more than that he does it a couple times a decade and he like clearly he has a side of him that's not just being the funniest person in the world all comedians have to do it there's more to me here I'm a serious guy too and who doesn't want to be an architect that's a pretty I mean it's the classic romantic comedy job the man's always an architect what about Bill Murray as Adam? what was Bill Murray in around that time? Steve Martin's part. So it'd be like five years after Amanda's favorite movie, Lost in Translation. Right. Lost in Translation, Broken Flowers around that time. He's like a quirky, goofy architect.

59:31Yeah, but he has a little... I worry that she's going to have to do too much taking care of him. You know? And that's... You know, you want her to be living her own life.

59:43Bill Simmons:Yeah, I don't love Steve Martin in this movie. Yeah, I don't think any of us do. I do like Steve Martin. Of course. Yeah. And then I have for what's age the worst... The youngest son, you mentioned the kid from Weeds. I don't know what he's doing in this movie. Talk about being in your own movie. This kid is like a smiling serial killer. He's just grinning mania. He's a sociopath. If he became American Psycho, that would American Psycho 2. Maybe he is. I'd be like, that totally makes sense. He's moving to Wall Street. He's going to just start killing people. I have no idea what he's doing. Why he is so happy all the time.

1:00:16They kind of remind me of Meryl Streep's real life kids. at least the two who are actors who I know what they look like. Oh, right. The Gummer, Mamie, or what are her kids' names? Louisa and Mamie. Oh, one... One is in the Gilded Age. Yes, the youngest. And she was also in The Materialists for one scene. Really? Yes. And then Mamie is older and was on a Shonda Rhimes show with QB1. She was on The Good Wife, too. She played like a mean lawyer, I think. From Matt Saracen. What was his real name? Zach Gilford. Yeah. Yeah. They were on that show for like half a season. That's all. That's what I know.

1:00:54Because Meryl Streep, you know, she's got like three or four blonde children.

1:00:59Bill Simmons:You would think like the acting gene gets passed down. There's some sort of performance acting thing that I would think it's almost like sports. That's why when people get mad about the Nepo baby stuff, I'm always like, it makes sense to me that Meryl Streep's kids would be good at acting. At some point, there's got to be something in your DNA. Jack Quinn's a good actor. But sometimes Meg Ryan just takes over his body and it works. But I'm like, oh, yeah, I get it. This was handed down. He's a good example. He's a good actor. But both of his parents were actors. What are the odds he's going to be a good actor?

1:01:30Bill Simmons:Like probably half decent. He grew up around the game. It's like Kyle Shanahan. March Manning. Immersed in the play calling. Ruffalo Hannah Rubinick Partridge overacting word. Is it Beryl Streep? I was going to say. Are we 10 laughs too heavy in this? Not that I'm arguing. Wow. That cake is good.

1:01:53I get it.

1:01:55Bill Simmons:She's deliriously happy in this movie. Except for when she's having emotional revelation, in which case just a lot of quivering, but there is a lot of movement. When she announces the affair to her friends, she does like a twirl, the hair's in front of her face. Yeah, it's true. Do you feel like she overacted the pot smoking scene? Do you poke smart? Please don't think that I'm weird or out of line or anything, but do you by any chance poke smart? Do I what? I mean, do you smoke pot? Yeah, like maybe they both did. It's the only time. One pull? It's the only time that Steve Martin comes to life in the movie.

1:02:35like she was on acid. I know. It is true. Also, we believe like rich white people in California have gone this long without smoking a lot.

1:02:44Bill Simmons:Yeah, in 2009. It was definitely out there. No, it's true. Yeah. It's a funny scene though. I liked it. I enjoyed it. It could be, can it be Meryl but in a good way? That's, I was a compliment. I love her in this movie. She just dials it up a couple times. I agree. Meaning you have a flex category. You're prepared for it or you're in it? Well, I was doing the recasting. I could do some other ones though. My Steve Martin hate. I feel like Steve Martin hate. Well, I don't know. Criticism. Yeah. All right. You already did yours. Yeah. Well, this is exciting. The CR thinks Luke Wilson could have been Harrison Ford, hottest take award.

1:03:18Bill Simmons:A category I think we've added since the last time you've been on. Or at least... Mine is fairly low stakes because like Steve Martin is the obvious... But it's... Steve Martin's not a hot take. It's a cold take. So I have a more like Nancy Meyers universe. Oh, I have a lot about Nancy Meyers. Hot take. But it's not... I think someone else should go first. No. Okay. Mine is that roast chicken might be the most overrated food in the universe. Wow. When it's really good? Even when it's really good. The problem is it's often bad and dry, but when it's good? And listen, Nancy Meyers believes in this, and that's Jake's favorite meal.

1:03:56She kind of gets her recipe and her belief from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, who I also really respect.

1:04:03Bill Simmons:Chang would lose his fucking heart. And I'm just like, you know, it's good. And that's fine. And you put vegetables or potatoes or whatever. And then you have like some chicken. It's fine. It's fine. There are many, many really good ways to prepare chicken and many other things you can roast. There we go. Isn't that like Ina Garten's thing? Yes, I just said that. I know she is. I know, I know that I am disrespecting like the women who came before me, you know, I get it. But like, it's fine. I like it the most when it's when the juices are crazy or when there's like a focaccia bread situation with it.

1:04:45Bill Simmons:Totally. When like they roast the chicken, but it's on top of a bread thing. Yeah. Absolutely. Like with the croutons and it's absorbed. So you're saying like, I'm just serving you a roasted chicken. You're not that impressed. Just listen, if Ina Garden herself is making it for me. Yeah. then it's one of the best things in the world. That's never happened. I'm very open to that opportunity. Also, if you go to a really fancy restaurant and they're like, this is our specialty, it is pretty good. But like me at home, the average person at home, you know, we can move on. I like it. It's a good hottest take.

1:05:19Bill Simmons:Thank you so much. Because it made me mad. Thank you. I've a lot. Okay. Here's one. I think Nancy Meyers' movies in general, but this movie being an example, are proof that old people should be in more stuff. Yeah. Like, we need more movies of all genres, action, spy, romance, comedy, where the leads are all over 50 years old. I agree with this. The characters are more believable as having lived interesting lives. The actors tend to be better. Maybe this is me aging, but I felt this way when I saw this movie in 2009. I was just out of college. And I loved it. So I feel like her oeuvre is a strong case study for making more movies like this.

1:06:10Bill Simmons:I don't even know if that's a hot take. That was a good one. But why don't we have that? Great take. I'm going full hot. Yeah, go. Santa Barbara. Oh boy, here we go. Biggest disparity between movies in real life of any location. Speak on it. Go. Like good or bad? The sun doesn't come out till like 2.30 in Santa Barbara. It's just a fact. I'll fact check. It's a fucking fact. On this Sunday morning, because I went to Santa Barbara for one night this weekend. I don't believe it. It came out at 10. And I know because I took - That's a miracle. And it was. And it was cloudy and very - That's like the sun coming out in Seattle.

1:06:44And I was worried about my son like getting frostbite from the ocean when we went to the beach at 9 a.m. And by 10, the sun was up.

1:06:51Bill Simmons:Santa Barbara's in a lot of movies. It's always a great location. Yeah. It's perfect. It's beautiful. And then when you actually go, Yeah. It's like just cloudy until 1.30. And it's never addressed by any character. It'd be like if you do Seattle movies and it's like, whoa, another nice day here in Seattle. It's like, come on. It is. Pull this leg and plays Jingle Bells. You're making a good point. I do think you're underrating other aspects of Santa Barbara. I'm pro Santa Barbara. I'm just pointing out the sun doesn't come out until 1.30 to 2 in the afternoon. And everybody there knows it and they don't want to admit it because they all talk about how great it is.

1:07:26It's such a strange place for people to live. To me. It is. I mean, I know there's many people who live there and clearly love it, but I can't imagine spending more than three days. It's like the perfect place to spend two days. Yeah. Craig, do you have Santa Barbara thoughts?

1:07:44Bill Simmons:I think Santa Barbara is heaven on earth. I'm kind of with Craig. And I would retire there in a second. Absolutely. So you like when there's no sun until 1.30? First of all, that hasn't been my experience. and my time instead of Barbara. Anywhere on the California coast, you're going to get the fog. An incredible city if you have a ton of money. Yeah, sure. Well, that's the thing. Yeah. I mean, you would have to have it. You like horses. Yeah, I don't think you have to have horses. You like wine country. How many friends do you have who couldn't live there because the wine thing would get out of control?

1:08:19Bill Simmons:I have at least 12. Okay, that's nice. Okay. And all my wife's side of the food group. Who would like to be friends with all of those women? I have a couple of my wife's friends would be dead if they lived there. Like dead for real. How do we feel about Santa Barbara versus Ojai? I really like Ojai. Yeah, we were just talking about that. The cool thing about this is location thing. Santa Barbara's got a lot of options around Santa Barbara. Yeah. Because you can go to all these different, that's the coolest part about it. It's all these different things. But I just think if you're going there and pretending you're going to get an awesome tan, you might be disappointed.

1:08:53Yeah, but maybe you just want to be by the water. Yeah. It's so, like, the mountains. Bring a jacket. Well, sure. Okay, second question. Don't worry about Santa Ana.

1:09:02Bill Simmons:Oh, hi is also 20 degrees hotter than Santa Ana. Oh, hi is hot. Is this the whitest conversation ever held on Rewatchables? We're just giving people a taste of California. I mean, we have given a lot of people a run for their money over the years. Yeah, we did 10 minutes on cereal. How do you feel about Santa Ana River vs. Oh, hi is probably the whitest thing I've ever said out loud. Yeah. Which is, you know, I mean, we're doing a Nancy Meyers. If there's, you know, there's a criticism of Nancy Meyers movies. That is the worst. We're on topic. We are very on topic. Well, that was a perfect segment.

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1:10:16Bill Simmons:Casting what ifs. They said Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas. and Tom Hanks were all considered for the role of Jake. I don't know if I believe that. That's why it's... Some of this stuff's half-assed. There's a Michael Douglas baby. You could see it, but you even... Michael Douglas is the architect. I was just about to say... You were saying that. I was like, what about as the rival? But no, he's... Then you'd just expect him to really be getting it on at some point. Exactly. Like, there's... He turned into a horny Michael Douglas. There's no weakness with Michael Douglas. But he's pretty old at this point.

1:10:492009? No, he's okay. When did... So... Craig sent the question of who's the hottest old guy ever in a romantic comedy when we were talking about this movie. Right. My mind went to Michael Douglas in American President. Yeah. Huge, huge. All time. Early, early Mena Kimes. Yeah. Dream crush right there. It's also the first time that I saw Michael Douglas in a movie just because of how old I am. So then I went backwards and saw. That's 95. But like I didn't see Basic Instinct or Fatal Attraction until after that. So I was. Yeah. Well, I know. but I was a little taken aback. You know, I was a little disappointed in Michael Douglas.

1:11:25Yeah. Hottest old guy. I mean, it's got to be the oldest Harrison Ford was ever in a rom-com. Yeah, I was going to say, if you didn't say Harrison Ford, Mallory's going to come charge you through the wall. Sabrina, he was pretty old. Yeah. I mean, he's older in Working Girl. Morning Glory, he is like the old fuddy-duddy, but then he makes a frittata, you know? Smoking. God love him so much. Pour one out to James Gandolfini and enough said. Oh, that is, That's a very important one. It's really good.

1:11:53Bill Simmons:It's a good movie. Amazing movie. Tom Hanks. Yeah. Is two parts shy of movies like this in the 2000, in the 21st century. He's the Steve Martin recast, right? He should have been. Yeah, but he should have just done two of these. Just to get over yourself, Tom Hanks. I know, but I think he wanted to. Just be like part number three in a rom-com. Like, why not? Because I think he did all the Nora Ephrons in the 90s. I know, I get it. And then he wanted to break out, I guess. Yeah, that's fine. best that guy so the anniversary guy in the very beginning of the movie when he's with Nora Dunn the toast thing well Nora Dunn was that guy for me she's Nora Dunn though yeah but still I was like what's Nora Dunn doing here her husband in the movie is the guy from to Jillian on her 37th birthday oh is it really with my queen Michelle Pfeiffer she's their friend would not have I'm probably the only person who knows that I don't know what that guy's name is yeah I didn't place that that's why yeah my answer was Nora Dunn but same scene when we do the Michelle Pfeiffer Mountain of just the movies where she reaches queen status.

1:12:54Bill Simmons:I think that's Fabulous Baker Boys is here and then we get there. Where's What Lies Beneath? She's just a dead ghost. Do you know what happens in that movie? You know what happens in that movie? I was traumatized by that movie. I saw it in the theaters. It was the first scary movie. What Lies Beneath? No, to Jillian her 37th birthday. Oh, pardon me. I don't think I've seen that. She's married to Peter Gallagher and she dies. Yeah. And he goes to Nantucket the next year. with the whole crew, but he still was still in love with Michelle Pfeiffer that he just wanders on the beach and talks to her ghost.

1:13:26Bill Simmons:Because I would do the same thing if I had been married to her. That's not the answer to the best that guy, though. From Succession, the guy who played Ravenhead, the Hitler-loving anchor, is the New York City hotel clerk in the beginning. Wow. Ravenhead. Another Succession callback. There you go. There you go. I guess the Nancy Meyers to Succession plot line is not the most surprising thing. He had the same name as Hitler's dog for his dog, but it was different spelling. Okay. On Succession. On Succession. I remember that tidbit. Deanne Waiter's a word. Lake Bell eligible. Not in that movie. She's in four scenes.

1:14:05Bill Simmons:Yeah. Pedro, the little kid. He's doing a lot of important work. Pedro's really good. When he's like, why did you take your cell phone? Pedro might be the answer. Yeah, it is a funny moment. And then when Alec Baldwin later says, you know, I've got a five-year-old at home and also Pedro. It's a great laugh line. Recasting Couch Director City. I have Chris Pratt as the youngest son. And it's a good era of Chris Pratt. In 2009, Chris Pratt? Yeah, when Chris Pratt was a little chubby, had a sense of humor, was popping in different rom-coms, brought something to the table. It's in five-year engagement.

1:14:42Bill Simmons:He's in 10 years. But he doesn't have to play. And then he just plays like no, he has no problems. He's just funny. He's getting a couple jokes off. One of these three kids needs to be getting jokes off. I don't think anyone's bringing anything to the table in these roles. These thank-loss spoiled children roles. Who do you have? Well, Chris Pratt plus John Krasinski is like a little bit too much NBC late 2000s comedy night. Fair. Plus Alec Baldwin and 30 Rock, you know, it's, that might overload it. Juliet chimed in because I had to clear with her that we were doing this. Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.

1:15:16Bill Simmons:She's on maternity leave. Just want to make sure she doesn't feel threatened in any way. Loves Nancy Meyers. She said, just make sure you kill Krasinski during the podcast. Yeah, I knew that she would say that. That was her. Did she think he's bad in this movie? I don't think. I think that she has had her fill. Yeah. Of John Krasinski. I think she's had enough. I think she's good. This, to me, It harkens back to a time when I liked him more, and it felt like he was less. I missed this version of John. I was watching this and being like, oh, I found him so charming back then. Adam Brody in that part, maybe?

1:15:49Definitely. Definitely, yeah. Absolutely.

1:15:51Bill Simmons:Same vibe. Craig, you have a flex category. I wanted to go back to, Amanda brought it up earlier, but I wanted to hash out what the hottest job of a male love interest in a rom-com could be. Oh. Because I think. Great topic, Craig. Steve Martin as architect is certainly up there. Architect is a traditional. We have perhaps like a male pediatrician. There's the journalist is always in these movies. Perhaps a chef. How about Delmet Mulroney in My Best Friend's Wedding? Sports writer, but son of the owner of the Chicago Cubs, but also a sports writer. Trying to forge his own way. But he won't take a job.

1:16:28Bill Simmons:Won't take a job with the team. Yeah, so she has to pack for a free degree swing. Grounded rich guy. Yeah, grounded rich guy. Yeah. But still probably going to take a job. Tom Hanks is a grounded rich guy. and you've got mail. Same kind of vibe. The grounded bookstore guy. I mean, he's got the empire. He's destroying small bookstores all over New York. Right, right, right. But now Barnes & Noble is basically a big rep, so it's okay, again, to like it. So you would say Architect is probably on the Mount Rushmore. Yeah, for sure. Architect's a good one. Why? What is it about Architects? Because it's a job that everybody wants when they're like 12.

1:17:00Bill Simmons:It seems creative. It's creative, but still practical. Yes. You're working with your hands a little bit? Yeah. Yes. What about like Don Draper, like running your own ad agency where you get to do pitches to clients? And a wrong place coming in. I do think I think Don Draper has sort of ruined that because Don Draper himself. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like, you know what comes with it, which is womanizing and zoobie, zoobie, zoobie. Defense attorney. I don't know if it's lawyer. Lawyers or businessmen. What about stay at home dad whose wife has passed away? It's got to have a job. Sure. It's very hard to be the male lead of a romantic comedy If you're unemployed Chef I'm trying to think Speaking of some of the classics Chang Grace is great Burnt That's not really a romantic comedy The movie Chef Oh sure What about a vet What's his job in Sleepless in Seattle I think he's an architect That's right I think so How about, well, this isn't totally rom-com, but Campbell Scott and Singles, what's he, like a building planner?

1:18:10Bill Simmons:Kind of vague, yeah. He's planning like a transport, urban planner? Sure. How about sports jam? The sports agent in sports is out? Sports doctor, Bill Hader in train wreck. Sports doctor, that's a good one. Oh, sports doctor, that's a really good one. How about that one, Craig? Maybe a physical therapist. Life balance. I mean, you will have to be on call, but not all of the time. Plastic surgeon? No. Too vain. Then you get too close to this. Science-based. Everything romantic comedies stand for. I think Nancy knew that it's architect, which is why she gave it to Steve Martin's character, because he needed as much help as he could get.

1:18:47Bill Simmons:How about oil billionaire? No. Half-assinant research. In the scene where Jane answers a phone call from her daughter, and Jake kisses her, Jake wasn't supposed to kiss her and she screwed up and said the wrong line and they kept it in the movie because they thought it was funny. I always like that. Baldwin said they used a body double for his nude scene. Yeah, no joke. And then a lot of this movie was filmed in New York. It's kind of depressing. Yeah, what is that about? A lot of soundstage interior stuff. And then they used a wide shot of Thousand Oaks. Probably because Thousand Oaks is 100 degrees.

1:19:30and they did some Montecito in Santa Barbara

1:19:33Bill Simmons:and that's it. Apex Mountain. Okay. It's no for Meryl Streep. I don't know what her Apex Mountain was. She probably just is on top of the mountain just with chilling. Yeah. I don't know if she even had an Apex Mountain. I'm kind of with you on Devil Wears Prada. Yeah. It's like the two versions of her, right? Like early Meryl Streep is like mid 80s and then second career. It's probably. the Tom Brady 20 to 3 game Meryl Streep I mean you could argue she does Devil Wears Prada and then does Mamma Mia which makes like almost a billion dollars leading to this and then to Iron Lady yeah she just I was kind of saying this when you talked about Brady but she didn't have a dead period there's like no skips on her like every decade she has classics she still makes like Don't Look Up which is a flawed movie she's so funny in it in a small role I mean she's just R.I.P.

1:20:28Big Little Lies. She was so good at it. She was so funny. And otherwise, I don't know what happened. But, you know, I literally actually don't remember how it ended. The only thing I remember from the season that you and I recapped is Meryl Streep screaming at the table.

1:20:44Bill Simmons:I missed that show. Did they make a third season or have they just talked about it? They're making it just as different shows that are on Hulu. And then nobody's figured out how to crack it. It's like, what if Nancy Meyers went super dark? Yes. Listen, I would watch all of it, but I still don't actually remember how it ended. All blank. Realtor for best rom-com job? It's not bad. Own your own real estate place? It's not bad. It's no architect. What about corporate real estate? Yeah, like real estate investor. How about that? Building office buildings? Yeah. I got a humdinger here. Ready? Marine biologist.

1:21:20Yeah, but then... Never seen one with a marine biologist. So Sandra Bullock...

1:21:23Bill Simmons:Because you're like animal lover. That's just what kids want to be when they grow up. But that's what these characters are. Two weeks notice starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, I think pretty underrated, even though Donald Trump is in it. They call her boyfriend that she never sees, and it's not a real relationship, is a marine biologist, I think, for like... In two weeks notice. ...seapiece or something. And so he's never around. So that's the thing about marine biologists is they're unavailable. Female job in a rom-com. Sports writer. There's been a few over the years. Oh, yeah. It's happened a few times, which I feel like...

1:22:00Are any of them good? No. At sports writing? Oh, I was thinking of the movies. I don't think there's any good ones. Is Zoe Deutsch in Set It Up? Yes. She wants to be a sports writer? Yes. Right. Good call, I guess. Remember, that's the one with Tom Powell and the fake ringer?

1:22:17Bill Simmons:Yeah. I remember that one. Lucy Liu. That movie, it's one of the best It was fake Grantland, wasn't it? Was it fake ringer or fake Grantland? It was during ringer time, but you know probably with Turnaround it's fake Rattlin they didn't they didn't have podcasts what would be the best ESPN job for a rom-com for the man or the woman like talking head it could be either oh my god could it be PTI co-host rom-com can't find love in Washington sideline reporter sideline reporter is the answer good job yeah for either sex that's the perfect one for either sex you set up so many like funny moments with players this is why Trainwreck I think made him sports doctor for the setup, the set pieces that came out of that, and also to get LeBron James in the movie.

1:22:59I thought LeBron was good in it.

1:23:00Bill Simmons:LeBron was good in that movie. Yeah, I support LeBron's performance. One of the better athlete acting performances. Alec Baldwin, Apex Mountain, it might be. With this and 30 Rock at the same time, and SNL, and he's like, yeah. Steve Martin, no. Steve Martin's Apex was the late 70s when he had The Jerk and the number one comedy album and was selling out arenas everywhere and was the best SNL host. Yeah. Yeah. His and her sinks. Apex Mountain. Oh, well. Has there been more conversation about his and her sinks in a movie ever? I'm literally thinking through the other Nancy Meyers movies. I thought she made a good case about.

1:23:36Yeah. And it makes me feel bad.

1:23:37Bill Simmons:The his sink just makes you feel bad. Yeah. And then Steve Martin says, well, maybe you might want the his. I got to tell you, though. We finally got his and her sinks. They're a must. They're just not waiting to brush your teeth is absolutely. It's the little things, you know, that change your life. are you guilty of the same creep as I am where my stuff is just slowly migrated over and taken over the entire the double sink situation we actually have separate like there's a there's a bake like separate basins and the counter doesn't go no it's but then I do use Zach's sometimes for like other stuff because mine is like full of everything and so then I gotta go over and use his counter space Nancy Meyers I think it's the holiday well the holiday didn't the holiday make like a shitload of money it's gotta be the holiday I thought it did I think that's let's do Nancy Meyers box office really quickly because if I recall I thought the holiday crushed I might be wrong they all make about 200 million well I think that's true but I think the holiday was a little bit lower in domestically and then and Something's Gotta Give also gets more nominations and acting I mean Something's Gotta Give is a better movie I love this movie I'm thrilled to re-watch it but I actually re-watched Something's Gotta Give this weekend as well I'm a completist and that was actually kind of a mistake because when you watch them back to back Something's Gotta Give is slightly better I think I agree with that I mean it is but I enjoy this movie more because it's funnier and there's more stuff to make fun of.

1:25:22Completely. I'm with you 100%.

1:25:24Bill Simmons:We don't get three zombie unemployed kids and something's got to give. Divorce couple movies? Not the apex, but. Where the couple is still, it centers around the couple being divorced but still being together? Yeah. I mean, sorry to be Sean for a second, but then there is like a whole. Well, you go the 50s, 60s. Yeah, the comedy of remarriage. Like His Girl Friday, they're divorced, you know, and then they wind up. I thought the greatest thing you did there was to be sorry to be Sean there for a second, which somehow found insulting, which I loved. I was like, I know she's going to say something pretentious.

1:25:58Yeah. And I don't know what direction. All I said is His Girl Friday. Good movie. I thought you were going to go like some French movie or like A Separation, the Iranian movie about divorce, which is amazing. Yeah, no, just like basically in the 40s and 50s. His Girl Friday, I think Nancy Meyers has said, is like one of her greatest influences as a film. It shows up all over. And all of the screwball comedies. Philadelphia Story. Yeah.

1:26:19Bill Simmons:Krasinski also no no but close it's not The Quiet Place I mean they did that movie that's a great point I forgot about that yeah and marrying Emily Blunt I do like this version of Krasinski I'm good with yeah I didn't like when whatever this new version Chris Pratt ruined him because he saw what Chris Pratt did yeah and then was like I could do that and who's the other guy Camille Nanjiani yeah when he did the superhero movie and then all of a sudden he got buff yeah Anyone who's like, look how buff I am now, you just put a fucking clock on that when that's going to go badly. Nancy Meyers' houses.

1:26:56Bill Simmons:Probably the holiday of that one house in the holiday. Oh, the Cotswolds? Yeah. The British house? Yeah, that's pretty great. Yeah. This is the best kitchen. I agree with that. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Something's got to give kitchen. Guys, come on. This kitchen's great. But this, something's got to give. It's got the island. And then it also has the wraparound counter so you can use the island for cooking plus people can be sitting at the counter. There's more storage space. I don't want to get into it, but there are cabinets, you know? I think it's roomier. It's a little more conventional. Yeah. This is lived in.

1:27:33But she does have an Ikea storage thing. Okay, well now we just have Unlock Your Dream bathroom ads.

1:27:41Bill Simmons:Oh man, look at the internet these days. This is the Something's Gotta Give kitchen we are looking at. Yeah, come on. It's a giant island. I know. Do you know, in real life, Nancy does two kitchen islands. Did you know this? No, I didn't. She has one for cooking and one for stuff. Nancy does love the islands. Well, so do I. You guys, I'm sure, have read or heard her speak about being like having mixed feelings about the fact that people are so obsessed with the interiors in her movies or that. Really? I would think she. Yeah, she doesn't like it at all. She doesn't love it. Because I think she finds it reductive.

1:28:10And I think to the review that Mina or the reviews that Mina was talking about, like it is often discussed as, you know, fluff. It's for chicks. It's for older women. It's escapism. And not with respect for actually.

1:28:26Bill Simmons:Nancy, if you're listening, please don't feel that way. Yeah. Nancy, this is hard work. We love this shit. It's production design. It's like it is actual. It's character development. She has a gift. I feel, again, to go back to like the genre analogy of a genre film, it is like a beautifully choreographed fight. Like it's taking an element of a genre film and cranking it up to 11 and doing it in a better level than anyone else. Yeah. Nancy shouldn't feel that way. It's like my mispronunciations and factual errors that the audience enjoys. Yeah. I embrace it. Okay. I'm super happy that they can share that with me.

1:28:59Croque monsieur. One more time.

1:29:01Bill Simmons:Croque. That might have been my toughest whatever. Monsieur. I think it's I'm not French I think it's like monsieur but it's like even though it's spelled M-O-N I don't know don't write me my first date with my husband I confidently ordered broccoli rabe oh yeah and have gotten shit about that forever forever I thought it was Tame Impala instead of Tame Impala I don't know I don't know I just I didn't hear it said outside for a long time and then I just that's what I thought But anyway, we're all here. The mispronunciation things are so funny. We were in a wedding in Pittsburgh and one of my college roommates, Blue Boy, we drove by Duquesne University and he said, hey, it's Duquesne.

1:29:44Bill Simmons:We still, 30 years later, it still comes up. I can't get enough of it. Lake Bell, Caitlin Fitzgerald, no. Zoe Kazin, no. And we'll go to Cruise or Hanks. I think this is a Hanks movie. Yeah, a thousand percent. I don't want Cruise in this movie. I don't know. No. Hanks is the architect. The architect runs away with it. Totally. It would have been a good one. But then, yeah, but like maybe there's less tension. Scorsese or Spielberg? Spielberg. Oh, I think Scorsese. Give me a gritty version. Give me like... Gritty Santa Barbara? Well, maybe it's not Santa Barbara. Scramer is the gritty version.

1:30:17Yeah, maybe it's New York, but she like doesn't know what to do and she's spiraling out and like the one joint becomes...

1:30:22Bill Simmons:Hot turns into cocaine. Yeah, and it's just like, what do I do? I like fucked up my whole life and now I'm, you know, sleeping with my ex-husband. All of a sudden, simply for the devil's playing. Yeah, then the kids are actually screwed up. does the head bob yeah there we go she's already kind of doing the head bob just for different reasons what role would philip seymour hoffman have played the steve martin part would have been interesting plastic surgeon oh he would be so funny at that he could have also young philip seymour hoffman as the youngest kid sure just as we keep recasting that guy um picky nets why did they break up in the first place i don't know it seemed like that a lot of chemistry i guess he just got a little randy with agnes and then why did he marry agnes it's very confusing and it seems like she and then she cheated on him with somebody else and then yeah yeah yeah yeah it's a little i think they throw that in to not to make us not feel sorry for her not that we should anyways because she is already the other woman but i think that little bit of biographical data is so that we as an audience have total permission to be like, screw that woman.

1:31:30She was complicit in one affair. She had another affair. It's not even his kid. Like if it was his kid, I actually think we would have felt maybe a little bit differently about him skipping out on them.

1:31:41Bill Simmons:There's a lot of moves to make us not like her over two hours in this movie. Krasinski's picking it. Krasinski's definitely telling his wife immediately. I just saw your dad and your mom going up into a hotel elevator and they're about to fuck. And you should know this right now. Nobody's hiding that information. You don't hide shit from your spouses like that. Especially that, because it's not... What's the inside of hiding that? It's not actually, like, bad. Well, I wouldn't be able to wait to tell my wife that this is happening. I was like, you're not going to believe what I just saw. That I don't have any information like this in my real life.

1:32:20But I am thinking a little bit about... I don't know not Patrick Swayze Swayze Swayze just got into the mix he's like he's leaning in Swayze agreed there are some things where to protect the other person it's like do you need to know this thing that's gonna just like freak you out for no reason

1:32:38Bill Simmons:I guess if there's something wrong with her which there might be the way they present it we're drawing a line here yeah which is there's two types of people and Bill and I both love being the purveyors of gossip right yeah oh yeah Yeah. Texting relationship is built on this foundation. I love nothing more than going to the group chat with like a. I mean, sure. I love also having gossip and sharing the gossip. But like she would probably have a meltdown as she eventually does. So does she put pajamas on outside for one minute? Yeah. I don't I guess I would tell the person, but I don't know if I would run.

1:33:15It wouldn't feel like I found out this amazing story about like someone else's marriage or someone else's something. You know what I mean? It would feel a little bit more like, I got to tell you this thing that's going on.

1:33:25Bill Simmons:It's his father-in-law and his mother-in-law sneaking up this elevator to go fuck each other. Like, he's definitely telling his way. Yeah, he is. But I don't think he's going to be like, can you like, you know, it's it's not like the reveal. I would be texting as I'm walking away from them to 20 people. I don't think that I would be Meryl being like, I'm having an affair with Agnes Adler's husband. You know, I would tell my partner. I would tell it as a blind item to people I know who have never met them. You would not know what just happened to me. I'd post a Reddit thread. Any other pick and nits?

1:33:58Bill Simmons:We did a lot already. I have one. Do we think the laptop scene was believable? Like the, like the, whatever they're 2009. Are they like iChatting or video chatting? Oh yeah, it was. They were very quick to, to like Skyping or whatever that you were doing. The computer's open there. He sees it. He's looking straight at it. And he still gets... I didn't understand what he's trying to do in that scene. I guess he's like... Like, the computer's... He's seducing her. Yeah, but it's like a fig leaf. But instead of a fig leaf, it's a computer screen. Even in 2009, surely you would look at the computer screen before putting your junk out of it.

1:34:37I agree with all of that. I have... My nitpick is like two seconds later in that very scene, which is just like the butt double that you mentioned. Like, it's smooth as a baby's bottom. And that's just not very convincing given the amount of body hair that we're seeing on the rest of Alec Baldwin. Yeah. It's a very obvious butt double. I have one more also. Go. Chocolate croissants are usually square. Thank you. They are. And they roll them up. They're like Pillsbury dough things. But when you, I, you know, I bought one yesterday and it was, it was square. It was delicious.

1:35:10Bill Simmons:They're really great. They're so good. They're really, really delicious. There's never enough chocolate for me. I'm always like eating around it. You and my son. I think we've heard in the movie, Rennell Streep's chocolate beer. She gets all the chocolate. I think there's a lot of chocolate in the croissants. Also, it takes like days to make a croissant. Does it? You gotta let the dough sit. You don't just crank the croissant out. Well, then maybe that dough was already there. Do you see them mixing the dough? Yeah, she's running the dough through the thing to thin it out. Well, yeah, but maybe that dough was made and set and then she's thinning it out.

1:35:42They are handling the dough a lot for what I, I'm not an expert.

1:35:46Bill Simmons:For like a midnight croissant, one, it's perfect. You're not supposed to get that handsy with dough, as I understand it. It toughens it up. Anyway. My thing is for the amount of time it takes to make a cookie versus the amount of time it takes to make a croissant. Yeah. The disparity of quality is not worth the extra time. I'd rather just have the cookie. Just have a really good chocolate chip cookie versus like, I'm going to spend three more days making this chocolate croissant. It's a very patient thing for them to do as two high people. I have been almost shunned from my family for having a box of baked goods, taking a chocolate croissant, and just taking out the chocolate part and eating it.

1:36:26Because I don't want to eat the rest of it. You know, there's like a strip in the middle of chocolate. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rip off the other sides of it. I'll do that with the bottom of the croissant because that's where the chocolate and the butter meet the pan. And so the dough is extra chocolatey, buttery. She's making me hungry. I know.

1:36:45Bill Simmons:sequel prequel prestige to be all black cast are untouchable i'd actually be in for the all black cast for this one i think they could run that back i'd be i got kind of excited thinking about it maybe that's what netflix could do i would also watch a prequel that is why they got divorced i mean and it would be gnarly it wouldn't feel as good that's kramer versus kramer it is sort of kramer versus kramer but you know whatever's on the whole santa barbara scene the affair whatever's going on with Lake Bell, I'd watch it. Her movies never really put you in the pain. Yeah. And I think that's part of why they're so enjoyable to rewatch is like I'm never going to feel that bad.

1:37:22The worst I'm going to feel is when at the very end, like, oh, Alec Baldwin's not going to get by. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it.

1:37:28Bill Simmons:Is this movie better with Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Doris Burke, Sam Jackson, Nell, Byron Mayo, Tony Romo, Chris Collinsworth, Daniel Plainbu, Longlegs, or Wilford Brimley in The Firm? since being a star, we got to do football. I think Tony Romo. As you. No, Tony Romo announcing the laptop scene. Oh, yeah. Keep on, let's get in his bed, Jim. He's going for it. I was also thinking football, but what about Chris Collinsworth just at the bakery ordering? Oh, my. Doesn't he seem like in a little quarter vest? Oh, my. You can see it, right? Look at these chocolate versants, Mike. They look so good.

1:38:05Here's a guy.

1:38:07Bill Simmons:Oh, man. He has a little bit of a romantic comedy energy to him. Chris? Chris Collinsworth. You can see him in the mix here. This bakery smells so good, Mike. Football's coming back, Craig. Collinsworth is a sneaky Liz Kelly crush. Really? She thinks he's got a silver fox. We're less than, what are we, eight weeks away now as we taped this on Monday, July 7th? I'm doing Division Previews this week. Holy mackerel. Just one Oscar. Who gets it? Interesting question. He could go bald. He could go bald. It's a classic supporting actor fun one. I'm for it. Do you want to quickly go through the 2010 Oscars?

1:38:46Bill Simmons:Yeah, of course. Who? We go 2000. I'm always so confused with the Oscars. It's like the Super Bowl. There we go. Yeah, like what do we call it? The 2009 season? All right, sporting actor. Wow. Christoph Waltz, some bastards. Yeah, I mean, he should win. Stanley Tucci, Lovely Bones. Yeah, we could replace it. Christopher Plummer in The Last Station. Woody Harrelson and the messenger of Matt Damon and Invictus. What the hell is going on in here? Invictus? Jesus. Baldwin could have snuck in there. Absolutely. Yeah. Glad we did that. Probably an answerable question. Does Jack have a job? What's his job?

1:39:27Bill Simmons:Does he have an office? Where's he going? Does he have time to just drive and hang out at his wife's driveway? Jake? Jake. He's a lawyer, right? He made partner. Did I say Jack? Yeah, you said Jack. Oh, the gas is really starting to get the gasoline in my sleeve. Jake. But Jake, no cases, nothing? He does have a lot of time. Yeah. I mean, what kind of lawyer and what kind of business is the Santa Barbara firm seeing? Like, what? All the people who have money in Santa Barbara, what's it from? Like, oil, airspace? It's probably a lot of, like, real estate disputes. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And, like, trying to sue companies that are trying to build.

1:40:02I have a friend who grew up there with money, and his dad is a lawyer. No, his mom is a lawyer and his dad is a doctor. Oh, okay. I think that's it. I think it's like doctors and lawyers. Oh, wow. And retired people.

1:40:14Bill Simmons:Is this the Meryl Streep laugh record for a movie? I think it has to be. It's like over 120 Meryl Streep laughs. Yeah, probably. Nervous laughs, funny laughs. Like one to two a minute. Uncomfortable laugh. She's like 1.12 laughs per minute in this. I have one more if you guys have any. Either of you have one. I have a really good one. What is it? I mean, I do. It is probably unanswerable questions. I would like to know what's in the noodle thing that they talk about and fight over at the end. I thought it might. They show a pasta salad earlier. And I was thinking maybe. The green one, like the pesto.

1:40:48Yeah, the cherry tomatoes looking in it. All right. Well, it was. Yeah.

1:40:53Bill Simmons:All right. Here's my unanswerable question. Should it be OK to have an affair with your ex-wife? Like, so you're remarried or. I have. should the first wife have territorial dibs for eternity regardless of what happens with future marriages okay so you guys are you're in the this is your lives this is the kind of content we need Craig my take is this kind of connects when we were talking about Lake Bell's character if the second wife is who you left her for green light because that woman Oh, that's okay. Good one. Yeah, yeah, yeah. She knew what she was buying into. Yes. If, however, you get divorced, you met someone else, not cool.

1:41:40Bill Simmons:So it has to be some sort of connection to the first marriage. I think that's it. I think that's a good one. Is that fair? Yeah. Yes. I think I agree with that. I'm okay with it. No one watching this movie feels an ounce of sympathy for Bill's character at any point. And the movie takes great pains. But if he had gotten divorced and he just married some school teacher who's like a kindergarten teacher, then you start feeling bad. Okay, let me refer. Okay, the age factor. What if he was with a woman his age? I still think you made the key distinction, which is if the spouse cheated with the new spouse, then the other person, the third person, is fair game.

1:42:27maybe doesn't have dibs, but it's not bad. You're not a bad person.

1:42:30Bill Simmons:I'm really glad we talked this out. What piece of memorability would you want or not want from this movie? It can't be any of the food because food you can't keep. Or the house. Garden hat? Meryl's garden hat? I thought it looked pretty good. I told you, I'm in the market for a wider brimmed hat. Are you gardening? We're trying. We're doing some great little terrace. Yeah, no, I mean, listen, we already had to get rid of one plant, But listen, they teach the children to garden at preschool now. So my son has a little basil plant that he wants to. So we're trying to keep one thing alive for Knox.

1:43:06Bill Simmons:I didn't have an answer for this one. I wouldn't want any memorabilia from this movie. All right. Couldn't come up with one thing. Cars aren't eligible either, right? I thought like the fake joints they use for this could be fun. Yeah. But I don't know where you would, like, who would I show that to? Right. Like, hey, come into my study. The fake joint from It's Complicated. I don't know. Do you garden? Maybe the sign of the, was there a sign of the bakery she owned? I don't think they show the outside of it ever, only the inside. I don't garden. Okay. But I, you know, I bake, but no gardening.

1:43:37Yeah.

1:43:38Bill Simmons:The Coach Finstock Award Best Life Lesson. I think it's okay to hook up with your ex-husband if she, if he's with the person that, that he had the affair with. I think we've just figured that out. I think that's now a life lesson. Okay, that's good. That's important. Best double feature choice, Mina. What do you have? And is this movie first or second in the double feature? Something's Gotta Give. I would not watch this with Something's Gotta Give, actually. You wouldn't. That is my recommendation. After literally doing that this weekend, do not do it. They're too similar, and this movie does not benefit from the comparison.

1:44:14Good to know. I think Kramer vs. Kramer in this movie would actually be a very funny double feature. That's a good one. I like that. The Meryl Divorce classics. Yeah, that's a good one. I have a slightly lighter weight one, which is Julia and Julia, which is the same year. Also Meryl Streep. You get one lesser but still enjoyable Nora Ephron. One mid-tier but great Nancy Meyers. Okay. Same era. Compare and contrast.

1:44:44Bill Simmons:And have a great time. I'm doing Irreconcilable Differences. Oh, that's a good one. Which is not available anywhere. Yeah, which is impossible to see. God hates us. Who won the movie? Baldwin? Yeah. I think Baldwin won the movie. As good as Streep, as likable as she is in it, I think he's just really great in this. Yeah. Especially like someone whose reputation, like I hadn't seen this movie since 2009 until re-watched, or no, I'd seen it maybe once since then, but it's been a while. Re-watching it, I was shocked by how good he is in it. And I remember thinking at the time, but it's like, oh my God, what a performance.

1:45:20Bill Simmons:Craig, who won the movie? Baldwin for sure. Okay. what do you have for your thoughts I've seen this movie a couple times it's great super enjoyable I think it was better this time than when I had last watched it poor Ebert just didn't know what was coming I mean there was probably only five good rom-coms after this movie since then right true there's just not a lot out there and I think he was a little bit of an embarrassment of riches of rom-coms for a while it was slowing down I think in the 2000s but I also think this movie is like more about food than any movie that's not explicitly about food Like I just, so many of the relationships are surrounded by food.

1:45:55Bill Simmons:I love the subtext of like, and I just noticed this this time, like the way Baldwin's character eats and interacts with her food versus how Steve Martin's character eats and interacts with her food is like very indicative of their relationships and the way they interact with one another. Even like the family, there's just so many, like the late night snacking after the family dinner where they're all at the fridge, like eating the leftovers around the island, the dinner party, her serving everybody the late night ice cream, the drunk croissant. I just think this is one of the best food movies ever and it's not really about food at all.

1:46:24Are you saying it feels like everyone else is like entitled to her food and they expect it to just be around and Steve Martin's not grateful?

1:46:32Bill Simmons:Like, Mom's like a glutton. Where's the noodles? Oh, no, I finished it. Yeah, and how indulgent he is with it. Yeah, yeah. Him like coming over and eating the croque monsieur even though it was like Steve Martin's, he doesn't give a shit. Yeah. Yeah, it's great. It's a mom-com. The youngest son is just smiling like a psychopath as he eats leftover noodles. Yeah, the kids make no sense. Thinks about killing people. I had a title idea. This was actually the title of a rom-com that came five years later, which I never saw. But Meryl Streep in this movie refers to herself now as the other woman, which I thought would have been a good title.

1:47:04Yeah, the other woman is a rom-com that's not as good. That's a good one, yeah. And it is not as good.

1:47:08Bill Simmons:And she calls her her favorite. Yeah, I mean, it's funny. Who's in that one? It's Brooklyn Decker, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What are you talking about? No, Kate Upton? It's Kate Upton. Is it? Yeah, it's Kate Upton. Oh, wow. Okay, well, I apologize. Is it Leslie Mann? Who's the other woman? My wife likes that movie. And Karen Diaz. And The Sweetest Thing is a big favorite for her. Although she likes every rom-com. I don't even know if it's just, she likes all of them. Yeah. It's the biggest casualty of streaming, right? The rom-com. It'll never come back to theaters. They're bad now. They just, they won't.

1:47:42Set it up was really good, I thought. It was. The Glenn Powell. Pre-pandemic. Eight years ago. Jeez. Palm Springs I thought was good. It was good. That was the last good one. Yeah, that was 2020. That's the last good one.

1:47:53Bill Simmons:That's also like a genre. Like that Sidney Sweeney, we love Glenn Powell here in the rewatchables, but that movie was bad. One of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. And I say that as someone who loves rom-coms. So many plot points in that movie hinge on someone overhearing something. Right. Like multiple times. Right. Yeah, it's bad. My daughter loved it and saw it like 10 times. Maybe that's your answer. You know, that's the problem. The other one is they won't give Nancy the money to make her movie. Just give Nancy the money. Give Nancy the money. All of these movies are good. She was getting crazy budgets.

1:48:26Bill Simmons:$80 million for Something's Gotta Give in 2003. That was more than the Matrix budget. Yeah, but then it made... Which movie has stood the test of time? Listen, hydrangeas cost a lot. They were doling it out. Hydrangeas are expensive, and that volume to have on set every day, that's what it costs. It is insane to spend$180 million on a Nancy Meyers movie. Keanu Reeves is also better in Something's Gotta Give than he was in The Matrix. That's my hottest thing. There we go. That's a great one. Absolutely. He's so good in it. He is an incredible performer. The perfect younger man. I can't believe he exists.

1:48:59Bill Simmons:She wanted 180 for her, that's like twice Sinner's budget. Well, but it was Netflix, they were gonna have to pay everyone in advance or something. I think she must have an agent who was just like, I think I can get him to 180. Well, she got big stars. Scarlett Johansson. A lot of it's an actor budget. Yeah, yeah, yeah. thanks to Craig and Jack and Ronik Amanda it's good to have you back in the fold it's really nice to be here Mina Kimes, first time in a while first one in person, you'll do this again with us an honor to talk about the goad oh my god, you texted me do you like it's complicated Nancy Meyers and I was like this is the moment I've been waiting my whole life I know, it's really really exciting when you get one of those texts when I'm like feeling you out for the movie Yeah, but the two I've gotten were Working Girl and then it's complicated in a row.

1:49:47I'm living my dream.

1:49:48Bill Simmons:But I knew you loved Working Girl. I know. That's like your favorite movie. It's really exciting to get to talk about the movies. All right. Good to see you both. Thank you.

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