What’s Aged the Best?
The class world, father–son relationship, rigged-reality prescience, character actors, and enduring craft all drew praise.
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:36Read transcript
- The 1950s upper-class circles and outsider seduction were praised.
- The father–son dynamic was praised for communicating weight and deference with little screen time.
- The film’s treatment of rigged reality shows was seen as newly resonant.
- Children wanting to grow up to be Joe DiMaggio was enjoyed as authentic period texture.
- Barry Levinson’s performance aged well.
- Martin Scorsese’s performance aged well.
- The surviving footage of Stempel intentionally missing the answer was praised as revealing source material.
- Paul Attanasio’s decision to make the fixed loss the dramatic climax was praised as screenwriting craft.
- Geritol’s once-ubiquitous brand presence was enjoyed as vanished commercial history.
- Mark Van Doren’s poker-table sucker maxim was praised and recognized as an unconscious precursor to Rounders.
- Goodwin’s line about not knowing which end of an ace is up was praised.