What’s Aged the Worst?
The newspaper; Blockbuster and the DVD collection; the BlackBerrys and international calling; the Coffee Bean frappuccino; the decor of the Los Angeles house; Jack Black as a romantic interest
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:42Read transcript
- The newspaper, Blockbuster, the DVD collection and the BlackBerrys have aged the worst, though one host misses her BlackBerry Curve from 2009, great for texting and email and not the internet; BlackBerry peaked in 2008 so 2006 was slightly early.
- The phones raise questions about international dialing rates, especially when Kate Winslet is going between Cameron Diaz and Jude Law on the phone, though these are unbelievably wealthy people in perfect mansions who fly off on a whim; the international plan is seamless now but was not 13 years ago.
- Jack Black handing Kate Winslet a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf frappuccino as the best drink in town, remembered from Mary Kate and Ashley tabloid coverage around 2003 and 2004, is funny now that Coffee Bean has pulled out of many places and people are more health conscious; his two dollops of whipped cream show she does not care either.
- The director's commentary says the Cotswold house was dressed with lots of candy to make Iris warm and less concerned with being a size two, which the frumpy L.A. outfits confirm.
- The decor of Amanda's home has aged the worst: bowls of spray-painted dried artichokes, not pine cones, around the exterior and real artichokes inside, couches like office hotel chic, Pier 1 dressing, built-ins but nothing rich or luxurious, unlike the lived-in house in It's Complicated.
- The commentary confirms the interior was a built set, including a bathroom for the bed-jumping scene (Kate Winslet's idea to jump on the bed) that was never used; the budget was $85 million against about $200 million worldwide, pretty well for a rom-com in 2006.
- The England house is far more memorable: the little staircase, the mini fireplace, the coziness three L.A. residents long for; Cameron Diaz wearing her hat and mittens inside is a very L.A. thing since nowhere is well heated. In general the movie aged well.
- A bomb is thrown in: Jack Black as a romantic interest does not stand in 2019, even if he was having a School of Rock moment and offers something for everybody next to Jude Law.