☆★☆★☆★☆★
Four stars; praised as a fearless, intelligent love story.
Ebert praises the performances and character focus while criticizing Top Gun’s avoidance of a real relationship.
In the discussion (4)
- The review gives the movie four stars and calls it rare for dealing fearlessly with real people rather than special effects.
- The review says the film gives its two leads their best acting opportunities and that both make the most of them.
- The review calls it a warm-hearted, intelligent love story and one of the year’s best movies.
- The review criticizes Top Gun for avoiding a real relationship in favor of airplanes.
New Year’s Eve; the breakup; Thanksgiving and the bathroom fight; opening monologue.
Those are the final choices; many other scene proposals are retained in the findings.
In the discussion (15)
- The opening conversation is proposed for its vulgar rhythm and immediate setup of the friendship and hard-R tone.
- The softball game and first bar sequence are grouped as a rewatchable run.
- The first Mothers sequence is praised for the flirting, jokes, and sense of a crowded dating scene.
- The double date is praised for the exchanges between Bernie and Joan.
- The falling-in-love date montage is proposed.
- The move-in sequence and its transition into another montage are proposed.
- The post-fight montage, fitted-sheet beat, and ensuing sex sequence are proposed.
- Thanksgiving dinner and the bathroom fight are proposed as a gripping relationship-collapse sequence.
- The kindergarten scene and Christmas-party confrontation are proposed.
- New Year’s Eve is a final choice.
- The breakup is a final choice and is praised for feeling like a real breakup.
- The post-breakup diner, one-night stand, Mothers, and rainy confrontation are proposed as a rewatchable aftermath run.
- The final softball game is proposed as a strong ending.
- The opening is a final choice because its monologue catches attention before the images begin.
- Thanksgiving and the bathroom fight are a final choice because the relationship deterioration is gripping.
Workplace affairs; period names and technology; Air Jordans and the Wrigley shirt.
The discussion retains several specific markers of 1986.
In the discussion (5)
- Workplace affairs involving both leads’ bosses are proposed as especially 1986.
- The names Debbie, Joan, and Pat are proposed as period-specific.
- Double headphones, the stereo system, and indoor smoking are proposed.
- Danny’s Air Jordans and the no-lights Wrigley Field shirt place the movie in a narrow mid-1980s window.
- A lithium joke, a Blade Runner reference, and looking someone up in the phone book are proposed as period markers.
Themed dinner nights; 1980s Chicago movies; softball scenes.
Three separate pleasures are proposed.
In the discussion (3)
- Themed dinner nights, especially sandwich night, are enjoyed as a dependable shared ritual.
- Chicago movies set in the 1980s are proposed.
- Softball scenes in movies and television are proposed, with several examples discussed.
Title use; structure; Chicago; friendships; montages; meeting people in person.
Performance details, comedy, and lived-in production detail are also retained.
In the discussion (9)
- Repeated use of the movie title is praised because it works each time.
- The rom-com structure, Chicago setting, and best-friend relationships are praised.
- Megan Mullally’s brief performance is proposed.
- Bernie’s worried reaction when Danny unravels is praised.
- The first self-cooked Thanksgiving and the relationship montages are praised.
- Meeting romantic partners in person before dating apps is proposed as nostalgic and enduring.
- Small costume and prop details make Bernie feel lived-in.
- Several of Bernie’s lines are proposed for their lasting comedy.
- The breakup improvisation story is introduced with “not positive this is true,” and the reaction is described as possibly genuine.
Rooftop pan to Wrigley; rubber duck in the black bathtub.
Two shots receive support.
In the discussion (2)
- The rooftop pan toward Wrigley Field is selected.
- The bathtub shot focused on a yellow rubber duck against the black tub is selected.
New Year’s Eve shots; Joan’s dinner; Thanksgiving turkey.
The drinks and two food beats are debated.
In the discussion (3)
- The double shots and boilermakers on New Year’s Eve are proposed.
- Joan eating dinner slowly is proposed.
- Debbie handling the Thanksgiving turkey in the sink is proposed.
Bernie Licko; Swallow if establishments qualify.
The person and establishment choices are kept distinct.
In the discussion (2)
- Bernie Licko is selected as best character name.
- Swallow is proposed if establishments are eligible, including its double meaning.
Mothers; steam baths as an alternative.
Mothers is the clear favorite.
In the discussion (2)
- Mothers is the clear location choice.
- The steam baths are offered as an alternative.
The bounty-on-her-head exchange.
The exchange is selected for its biting comedy.
In the discussion (1)
- The exchange saying there would be a bounty on the character’s head is selected.
Living Inside My Heart; So Far, So Good.
Five montage songs are considered, with these two receiving explicit preference.
In the discussion (4)
- Five montage songs are offered as candidates.
- Living Inside My Heart is selected by one voice and receives agreement.
- So Far, So Good is another preference because it accompanies the fitted-sheet and pasta montage.
- The songs are praised for describing each stage of the relationship.
Rob Lowe in the breakup scene.
Jim Belushi is the other finalist.
In the discussion (2)
- The category narrows the candidates to Jim Belushi and Rob Lowe.
- Rob Lowe in the breakup scene is the stated choice because of the dangling cigarette.
Joan’s affair with Gary; the Swallow City Diner subplot.
Both character logic and plot machinery are criticized.
In the discussion (2)
- Joan’s affair with the married Gary is proposed because his New Year’s Eve behavior is implausible.
- The Swallow City Diner subplot is proposed as thin machinery for Danny’s redemption and future.
Danny’s stalking; the clothes.
The final-scene overalls receive a divided response.
In the discussion (4)
- Danny’s stalking phase is proposed.
- Debbie’s clothes are proposed as badly dated.
- The men’s fashion is proposed as especially dated.
- Debbie’s overalls in the final scene receive a divided response.
Danny’s boss; Gus.
Both supporting performances are proposed.
In the discussion (2)
- Danny’s boss is proposed for his exaggerated bird reaction.
- Gus at the diner is also proposed.
Oral sex; masturbation beats; Bernie and Joan at Mothers.
Several distinct additions are proposed, led by a Bernie-and-Joan scene.
In the discussion (4)
- More explicit oral sex is proposed because the question recurs in the movie but remains unanswered.
- A Bernie masturbation beat during the move is proposed based on the stack of magazines.
- A Debbie masturbation scene is proposed around the bed-sheet and perfume montage.
- A Bernie-and-Joan sex scene at Mothers is the principal proposed addition.
Yes.
Visible detail and protective-garment discussion support the answer.
In the discussion (2)
- A close-up visible detail during a bed scene prompts a yes vote for better intimacy coordination.
- The discussion mentions wearing a cock sock and then says yes to an intimacy coordinator.
Rob Lowe reportedly injured his knee during a sex-scene take.
The production-memoir account and the panel’s reaction are retained separately.
In the discussion (3)
- A cited production memoir reports that filming the sex scenes was lengthy, technical, and uncomfortable for the crew.
- The memoir reports that Rob Lowe injured his knee during an athletic take and continued until the director called cut.
- The panel initially misreads the setup as a different kind of mishap, then recognizes the knee injury as the anecdote’s punch line.
Bring back relationship-centered rom-coms; do not root for Danny and Debbie.
Demi Moore’s full commitment is also proposed as a model.
In the discussion (4)
- Modern romantic comedies are criticized for relying on high concepts instead of simply showing a relationship.
- Demi Moore’s willingness to commit physically to the role is proposed as a model later romantic comedies did not follow.
- One take rejects rooting for Danny and Debbie or wanting them together at the end.
- The objection is that Danny is attractive but otherwise has few visible qualities or interests that explain Debbie’s attachment.
Bill Murray and Nick Nolte; alternate director and Debbie contenders.
Reported casting history is retained with uncertainty where the transcript signals it.
In the discussion (4)
- Bill Murray and Nick Nolte are reported as having been attached before a disagreement ended the pairing.
- Jonathan Demme is reported as attached before another commitment.
- Melissa Leo and Mariel Hemingway are reported as serious screen-test contenders for Debbie.
- Phoebe Cates is discussed as another rumored Debbie possibility, with uncertainty about the report.
Robin Thomas; diner owner and Danny’s boss also considered.
Robin Thomas emerges as the likely choice.
In the discussion (2)
- The diner owner and Danny’s boss are proposed.
- Robin Thomas, identified through another role, is selected as the likely winner.
Megan Mullally.
Catherine Keener is mentioned only as an unspotted cameo.
In the discussion (2)
- Megan Mullally’s bar character is treated as the obvious heat-check winner.
- Catherine Keener is mentioned as an unspotted waitress cameo rather than a supported winner.
Keep the director, city, and principal cast.
A suggestion for one more friend for Debbie is raised but not adopted.
In the discussion (2)
- The released director, city, and principal cast are left unchanged.
- A suggestion to give Debbie another friend is raised but not adopted.
Demi Moore and Rob Lowe’s uncertain dating history.
The panel cannot reconcile the retrospective accounts.
In the discussion (1)
Rob Lowe near this period; several subject-specific debates.
Demi Moore is rejected here; other peaks include breakup scenes, movie bars, and Chicago softball.
In the discussion (8)
- Rob Lowe is supported near this period, while peak West Wing is raised as the alternative.
- Demi Moore is rejected for this film.
- Jim Belushi is placed around the later run of According to Jim.
- Before Midnight is selected as the peak breakup scene.
- Elizabeth Perkins is placed at Big or shortly afterward.
- When Harry Met Sally is favored for New Year’s Eve romantic-comedy scenes.
- Mothers is placed high among movie bars.
- Chicago softball and Chicago around 1986 are supported, while Chicago movies as a whole are rejected.
Tom Cruise.
Cruise is also proposed as a plausible Danny.
In the discussion (1)
- Tom Cruise is selected and is proposed as a plausible Danny.
Keep About Last Night.
Sexual Perversity in Chicago is judged too strong for this adaptation.
In the discussion (1)
- About Last Night is preferred because Sexual Perversity in Chicago overstates the film’s perversity.
Rob Lowe: later West Wing or Parks and Recreation era; Demi Moore: Indecent Proposal leads a divided field.
G.I. Jane, The Substance, and Disclosure are also proposed for Demi Moore; selectors remain unknown.
Flex pick · Picker not identified
In the discussion (4)
- For Rob Lowe, this movie is rejected because of the 1980s hair; older appearances in The West Wing or Parks and Recreation are preferred.
- For Demi Moore, G.I. Jane, The Substance, and Indecent Proposal are proposed.
- Indecent Proposal receives the strongest support.
- Disclosure is added as another Demi Moore candidate.
Pat friendship; apartment painting; light continuity; diner financing; character ages.
Additional sports, wardrobe, and workplace objections are retained in the findings.
In the discussion (9)
- Debbie continuing to socialize with Pat after Pat pursues Danny is challenged.
- Danny’s hostile reaction to Debbie painting the apartment is challenged.
- The breakup scene’s light continuity is challenged.
- Danny’s ability to finance and open the diner is challenged.
- Danny’s claim to have spent his life in restaurant-supply sales is challenged because he is about 24.
- A sentimental cloth left on the kitchen table is criticized as an implausible place for an item that must stay clean.
- Danny’s wardrobe and narrow Chicago-sports interests are questioned.
- The omitted basketball game is identified as a missing chance to establish Danny and Bernie’s playing roles.
- Debbie’s boss pursuing her so openly is challenged as inconsistent with her response.
The 2014 all-Black remake already exists; a later-life reunion is proposed.
A divorced-coparents setup is suggested for the reunion.
In the discussion (2)
- The category acknowledges that an all-Black remake was released in 2014.
- Past efforts to reunite Danny and Debbie are reported, followed by a proposed divorced-coparents story.
Did Bernie see the Cubs win? Were his stories true? Where are the four leads from?
The panel answers tentatively while preserving each question.
In the discussion (3)
- The panel asks whether Bernie lived to see the Cubs win the 2016 World Series and concludes he likely did not.
- The panel asks whether Bernie’s stories were real and answers no.
- The panel asks whether all four central characters came from Chicago or nearby.
The diner fails or Danny’s former partner calls with consequences.
Two hypothetical aftermaths are proposed.
In the discussion (2)
- The diner failing and its former owner retaliating are proposed.
- Danny’s former partner calling with a pregnancy or sexually transmitted infection is proposed.
Mothers softball jersey; original Air Jordans.
The Jordans are treated as the valuable choice.
In the discussion (2)
- A Mothers softball jersey or other Mothers item is proposed.
- Danny’s original Air Jordans are proposed as the most valuable choice.
Don’t ever lose your sense of humor.
The line is selected directly.
In the discussion (1)
- Do not lose your sense of humor is selected as the best lesson.
St. Elmo’s Fire.
Two voices choose it for the same leads and close release date.
In the discussion (1)
- St. Elmo’s Fire is selected by two voices because it also features Demi Moore and Rob Lowe and was released close in time.
Jim Belushi; a possible Demi Moore choice remains unclear.
Two machine-transcript choices support Jim Belushi; the possible Demi Moore choice is not counted without recording verification.
In the discussion (2)
- Two machine-transcript choices select Jim Belushi.
- The answer following “Who won the movie?” is unclear in the machine transcript; possible candidate Demi Moore is not counted.
Podcast choices
The sex montage begins.
The extended sequence is also defended as story support.
In the discussion (2)
- The start of the sex montage is proposed as the moment the movie goes up a notch.
- The intense lovemaking is defended as helping the story because the pair love having sex.
Roger Ebert's review
