The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Garbage bag; Weaver casting; De Niro nomination; Randy; Tiffany’s manipulation; accents
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:28Read transcript
- The garbage bag is disliked as another embarrassing Philadelphia image and its usefulness is questioned; a pickle-juice alternative is joked about.
- Jacki Weaver is called good in the role but questionable casting because the mother could have supplied a convincing Philadelphia accent; Melissa Leo is proposed instead.
- De Niro’s Oscar nomination and comeback narrative are questioned even while his performance and renewed engagement are appreciated.
- Randy’s behavior is considered implausibly tolerated: a Cowboys fan flirting with Pat Senior’s wife and threatening the family’s livelihood would face confrontation.
- Tiffany is provocatively compared to the Joker for manipulating Pat through the forged letter and promise of his estranged wife’s presence.
- The characters feel psychologically Philadelphian without sounding local; avoiding accents has defenders, while a genuinely local actress is imagined and Nikki’s actor is identified as being from Philadelphia.