The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award More assassins; Roberts miscast; possible CIA conspiracy; awkward Washington jogging In the discussion (4) Approx. transcript time · 00:53:16Read transcript Washington’s jogging looks awkward and effortful despite his athleticism. Mattiece should be able to hire more and better assassins, especially after the replacement loses to bouncers. Roberts is considered miscast and insufficiently allowed to use her charisma; Sandra Bullock and Jennifer Jason Leigh are suggested alternatives. The unresolved CIA presence inspires a speculative theory that it engineered the plot and used Mattiece and Darby as decoys.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink Khamel’s popcorn and chocolate In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 00:54:54Read transcript Khamel’s popcorn and his chocolate during Verheek’s murder are the choices.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location New Orleans/Riverwalk; Mount Vernon In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 00:55:08Read transcript New Orleans, especially the Riverwalk, and Mount Vernon are selected.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job? Coal; officials and editor broadly; Gray disputed In the discussion (3) Approx. transcript time · 00:56:00Read transcript Coal is the initial choice for failing to contain a disastrous presidential scandal. The FBI, CIA, Verheek, president and editor are broadly condemned as incompetent; even Gray’s competence is questioned. The editor’s wish to send Gray to campaign coverage instead of investigating two judicial assassinations is especially implausible.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief What’s Aged the Worst? Scandal response, disputed; runtime; Culp casting, disputed; dated media; Callahan; frightened whisper; Morgan search In the discussion (8) Approx. transcript time · 00:57:26Read transcript Diminished public capacity for scandal is proposed, but others argue the killings would still dominate coverage. The 141-minute runtime and repeated surveillance shots are excessive. Robert Culp’s presidential casting divides opinion: more prominent alternatives are proposed, while his television persona is defended as appropriate. Floppy disks and expandable files mark the film’s dated technology. Porn theaters have largely disappeared. Callahan’s conduct as a professor is criticized. Darby’s sustained frightened whisper becomes a one-note performance choice. The Curtis Morgan search takes too long and its intermediate steps feel far-fetched.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film Khamel’s unexplained death In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 00:59:46Read transcript Khamel’s unexplained death is confusingly staged and its explanation delayed so long that the sequence loses coherence.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Ron Burgundy Flute Award for the Best Time for a Pee Break Opening eight minutes In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 01:02:34Read transcript The opening eight minutes could be skipped, including the long pelican credits.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief Is There a Better Title for This Movie? No: The Pelican Brief In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 01:08:06Read transcript The existing title is preferred; The Brief is floated but the repeated full title is part of the appeal.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief Casting What-Ifs Roberts was Grisham’s choice In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 01:14:29Read transcript Grisham wanted Roberts for Darby, a choice treated as unsurprising given her popularity.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief Pete Berg Award for Underacting, a.k.a. the Ambien Award for the Sleepiest Actor Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington The panel proposes a new category here. In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 01:15:33Read transcript A new Julia-and-Denzel underacting variation is proposed for both leads, with Darby’s car-bomb reaction acknowledged as an exception.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award Anthony Heald In the discussion (2) Approx. transcript time · 01:16:06Read transcript Anthony Heald is the automatic choice. James Sikking, William Atherton and Jake Weber are additional candidates; Sikking’s television fame complicates eligibility.
The Pelican Brief · The Rewatchables ·December 12, 2023 The Pelican Brief The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance Sam Shepard; Stanley Tucci In the discussion (1) Approx. transcript time · 01:16:38Read transcript Shepard and Tucci split preferences; Lithgow is also nominated, and Shepard’s eligibility is defended by his brief screen time.
