What’s Aged the Worst?
Married-star casting; thin mystery; later divorce; medical competence; tame party; no male nudity; harassment criticism withdrawn
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:37Read transcript
- The harassment by the fraternity-like group is called a poorly aged scene.
- The street harassment criticism is withdrawn after its purpose is explained as further undermining Bill’s sexuality; the scene’s execution remains questioned.
- Casting an actual married couple is both fascinating and painful because their insecurities become material for the film.
- The secret-society mystery is considered insufficiently interesting or developed for the long running time; the defense is that it serves the marriage crisis rather than a solvable puzzle.
- Cruise and Kidman’s divorce two years later is nominated.
- Bill’s medical competence is mocked: the overdose response is minimal, he constantly displays his doctor ID, and he falsely invokes confidential test results to obtain information.
- The masked party seems tame by contemporary standards even in the uncut version; censorship and added obscuring bodies are acknowledged.
- The absence of male full-frontal nudity is criticized given the volume of female nudity.