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The Rewatchables ·

Along Came Polly

year 2004decade 00sdirector John Hamburggenre Comedygenre Romance
host Bill Simmonshost Sean Fennesseyproducer Craig Horlbeck theme Shart Week
All 32 categories

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:11:53

Mike Myers as lead

A hottest take prefers another lead: Rudd is considered too handsome or insufficiently anxious, Bateman more plausible, and Mike Myers the final preference in the vein of So I Married an Axe Murderer rather than his disguised characters.

Sean Fennessey: A second hot take prefers Messing's appeal to Aniston's in this film, especially the wedding and return scenes; swapping their roles is considered but doubted.

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson · 1:43:18

Enjoy the ride

Sean Fennessey: Enjoy the ride, from the father's speech, is the life lesson.

The film

Along Came Polly (2004)

Directed by John Hamburg · Comedy

90 minutes

IMDb Letterboxd Find on JustWatch Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ben Stiller Reuben Feffer
Jennifer Aniston Polly Prince
Debra Messing Lisa Kramer
Hank Azaria Claude
Bryan Brown Leland Van Lew
Alec Baldwin Stan Indursky
Michele Lee Vivian Feffer
Bob Dishy Irving Feffer
Missi Pyle Roxanne
Jsu Garcia Javier
Masi Oka Wonsuk
Kym Whitley Gladys
Cheryl Hines Catering manager
Todd Stashwick Security officer
Mitch Silpa JCS director
Christine Barger Mary Magdalene

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

28:38

Roger Ebert's review
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:38Read transcript
  • Ebert gave two stars but singled out Hoffman favorably; his discomfort with broad comedy is used to explain the panel's disagreement. — Sean Fennessey
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35:28

Most Rewatchable Scene

Art-gallery shart into basketball

Art-gallery shart into basketball

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:28Read transcript
  • The wedding entrance is a rewatchable scene: Sandy's pratfall, frosting consumption, former-child-star recognition and claim of an E!True Hollywood Story establish Hoffman's willingness to do anything for a laugh. — Bill Simmons
  • The wedding's risk assessment and Baldwin introduction are praised. The honeymoon discovery is another scene nominee, including Lisa's immediate attraction to Claude, the scuba equipment hitting the boat, her disheveled explanation and Claude driving Reuben to the airport. — Bill Simmons
  • Reuben urinating beside his boss is a rewatchable scene, with the long pee, fart and blunt judgment of Lisa. Baldwin's accent and comic persona anticipate The Departed and 30 Rock, with Outside Providence an earlier example. — Sean Fennessey
  • The gallery shart sequence flowing into basketball is called the winning seven-minute stretch: Sandy's art-world introduction, awkward walk, boasts, misses and refusal to switch defenders are highlighted. — Bill Simmons
  • Sandy preparing greasy pizza with fingers in the pepper jar and pouring grease between slices is a rewatchable-scene choice. — Bill Simmons
  • The Moroccan dinner date is nominated for Reuben's sweating and refusal to disclose IBS despite avoiding unfamiliar food being the obvious choice.
  • The bathroom disaster is considered funny but derivative and weaker than There's Something About Mary or Dumb and Dumber; preferences distinguish juvenile from gross humor. — Sean Fennessey
  • The salsa date and more basketball are additional scene mentions; a longer unedited Hoffman basketball cut is wished for. — Bill Simmons
  • Polly discovering the list supplies drama, while the disastrous Jesus Christ Superstar performance leads to the father's speech as a late scene nominee. — Bill Simmons
  • The father's advice to enjoy the ride unexpectedly supplies genuine wisdom. — Bill Simmons
  • Sandy handling the insurance meeting is the final scene nominee: the expected romantic chase gives way to his redemption, his hand lands on the wrong man's shoulder, and child-star recognition closes the deal. The performance evokes Affleck in Good Will Hunting. — Bill Simmons
  • The art-gallery shart into basketball wins most rewatchable scene; hypothetical seven-minute movie compilations are brainstormed, not a completed ranked list. — Bill Simmons
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41:36

What’s Aged the Worst?

Racquetball; communal bar snacks; E!True Hollywood Story; Stiller running

Racquetball; communal bar snacks; E!True Hollywood Story; Stiller running

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:41:36Read transcript
  • Racquetball is an aged-worst candidate potentially replaced by pickleball, though it is defended as fun when both players are good; others emphasize injury and fighting risks. — Bill Simmons
  • Communal bar snacks have given way to individually served trays at many bars. — Sean Fennessey
  • E!True Hollywood Story is dated yet nostalgically valued, and the joke that Sandy hired the crew remains excellent. Stiller's running is another aged-worst candidate. — Bill Simmons
  • Hamburg reportedly recalled Hoffman being frustrated that strangers recognized the basketball/shart role after his more prestigious achievements; the discussion distinguishes enjoying broad comedy from disliking public attention. — Bill Simmons
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46:26

Picking Nits

Honeymoon decision; disastrous date; chemistry; no Knicks scene; expensive loofah

Honeymoon decision; disastrous date; chemistry; no Knicks scene; expensive loofah

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:26Read transcript
  • Going upstairs to a tiny apartment while expecting bowel trouble is a major nitpick; its bathroom would provide no privacy. — Bill Simmons
  • Leaving Lisa with the conspicuously attractive scuba instructor is nitpicked; leopard-print speedos provoke a comic detour. — Bill Simmons
  • The disastrous bowel-trouble date should end the relationship, and the couple's basic attraction is considered implausible despite Polly's insistence it is genuine. — Sean Fennessey
  • The absence of a Knicks scene is a major nitpick given both actors' fandom; a hypothetical 2003–04 team scene and Anthony Mason jersey for Sandy are imagined. — Bill Simmons
  • Polly's$200 loofah seems inconsistent with a waitress's finances, but poor spending choices and the illusion of wealth from cash tips are offered as defenses.
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46:56

Apex Mountain

Hippo monologues

Hippo monologues

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:56Read transcript
  • IBS is tentatively proposed for Apex without a firm conclusion. — Bill Simmons
  • Apex rejects Stiller, Aniston, Hoffman and spanking; Meet the Parents is favored for Stiller, and Capote/Mission: Impossible III for Hoffman. Messing receives a probable yes during her Will & Grace era. — Bill Simmons
  • Apex rejects Komodo dragons, Stiller bathroom mishaps and White Chocolate in favor of Jason Williams; throw pillows are only a possibility. — Bill Simmons
  • IBS remains only possible Apex; salsa and ferrets are rejected, while hippo monologues receive a probable yes and direct agreement. — Bill Simmons
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52:12

What’s Aged the Best?

Baldwin; New York; Aniston; child-star premise; Risk Master; comic details

Baldwin; New York; Aniston; child-star premise; Risk Master; comic details

In the discussion (12)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:12Read transcript
  • Baldwin's accent and Indursky are aged-best choices; his character is imagined as an older Glengarry Glen Ross shark. The discussion's contemporaneous Rust remarks are distinguished from Craig's association of Baldwin with 30 Rock.
  • The film is praised as an underrated New York movie, especially recognizable downtown restaurants and galleries. — Sean Fennessey
  • Aniston's career arc looks stronger in hindsight after later hit comedies; Hoffman is also an obvious aged-best choice. — Sean Fennessey
  • A child actor permanently defined by a ten-year-old success is an aged-best concept, illustrated by school memories. Hamburg reportedly drew on wondering how life would have changed had he won an audition for The Champ. — Bill Simmons
  • The nature of Crocodile Tears remains uncertain: a family comedy, childhood tragedy or Bad News Bears-style film is debated, and the bagpipe scene's content is unknown. — Bill Simmons
  • Polly's graphic children's novel about losing an arm is praised as comedy that now resembles some real children's books. — Bill Simmons
  • St. Barts and vacation settings are aged-best choices, with pandemic family movie-watching used as virtual travel. — Bill Simmons
  • Risk Master and Reuben's constant calculations fit his profession; an actuary spouse supports the characterization, though the stated subway-grate and car-accident odds are questioned. — Bill Simmons
  • Bryan Brown's presence is celebrated through Cocktail references and a proposed repeat episode; a seven-minute bar-showcase compilation is imagined.
  • Jesus Christ Superstar rehearsals with Sandy claiming both Jesus and Judas are aged-best, as is Reuben's aversion to communal bar snacks; individual modern snack trays are a contrasting aged-worst observation. Impromptu base-jumping is praised as dependable movie excitement. — Bill Simmons
  • Reuben counting down to delay orgasm and shouting 50 is praised, as is Polly's later conversation about it. His broken Spanish confrontation with Javier fits Stiller's foolish persona. — Bill Simmons
  • Leland Van Lew's name is an aged-best addition, and his jump building is identified as the AT&T Tower at 611 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, qualifying the assumption that all filming was in New York. — Bill Simmons
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57:34

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Hoffman’s basketball; origin of shart; bathroom scenes and reviews; Crocodile Tears

Hoffman’s basketball; origin of shart; bathroom scenes and reviews; Crocodile Tears

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:34Read transcript
  • The nature of Crocodile Tears remains uncertain: a family comedy, childhood tragedy or Bad News Bears-style film is debated, and the bagpipe scene's content is unknown. — Bill Simmons
  • Hoffman's actual basketball ability is an unanswerable question, with coordination here and a Love Liza scene suggesting competence rather than proving it. — Sean Fennessey
  • Whether Hamburg coined shart is unresolved; the panel's view is that the act and probably the term predated the film, but the film popularized it. — Bill Simmons
  • Hamburg's theory that bathroom scenes harm reviews is debated against the acclaimed There's Something About Mary; actual feces is proposed as the critical dividing line. — Bill Simmons
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1:03:52

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

St.Barts; New York restaurant alternative

St.Barts; New York restaurant alternative

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:52Read transcript
  • St. Barts is the location choice, with grimy New York and the recognizable restaurant an alternative. — Bill Simmons
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1:04:01

The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop

Lost Cause; other soundtrack choices

Lost Cause; other soundtrack choices

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:01Read transcript
  • Lost Cause by Beck is the principal needle-drop choice; Black Eyed Peas, salsa and the Staple Singers' Let's Do It Again are additional mentions. — Sean Fennessey
  • The Moroccan dinner is initially selected for food and drink, but pizza grease replaces it as the agreed final answer. — Sean Fennessey
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1:04:50

The Big Kahuna Burger Award for Best Use of Food and Drink

Pizza grease

Pizza grease

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:50Read transcript
  • The Moroccan dinner is initially selected for food and drink, but pizza grease replaces it as the agreed final answer. — Sean Fennessey
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1:07:04

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Sasquatch’s sweaty stomach in slow motion

Sasquatch’s sweaty stomach in slow motion

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:04Read transcript
  • The overhead gallery shot is initially chosen for most cinematic shot, but Stiller pressed into Sasquatch's sweaty stomach in slow motion becomes the agreed answer. — Bill Simmons
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1:07:31

The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film

Risk-assessment list repeats Friends

Risk-assessment list repeats Friends

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:31Read transcript
  • The risk-assessment comparison of Polly and Lisa is the weak link because it repeats a Friends pros-and-cons-list plot with Aniston again finding the list. — Bill Simmons
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1:10:30

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Ben Stiller’s salsa dance

Ben Stiller’s salsa dance

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:30Read transcript
  • Stiller's salsa dance is the overacting choice and disliked as too exaggerated.
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1:11:05

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Sorry About Your Wife

Sorry About Your Wife

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:05Read transcript
  • Sorry About Your Wife was reportedly the original title and is preferred as more accurate, though less commercial; Along Came Polly sounds sweeter than the movie and recalls There's Something About Mary. — Bill Simmons
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1:11:53

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Mike Myers as lead; Messing’s appeal over Aniston

Mike Myers as lead; Messing’s appeal over Aniston

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:53Read transcript
  • A hottest take prefers another lead: Rudd is considered too handsome or insufficiently anxious, Bateman more plausible, and Mike Myers the final preference in the vein of So I Married an Axe Murderer rather than his disguised characters.
  • A second hot take prefers Messing's appeal to Aniston's in this film, especially the wedding and return scenes; swapping their roles is considered but doubted. — Sean Fennessey
  • No casting what-ifs were found by the host. — Bill Simmons
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1:14:41

Casting What-Ifs

None found by the host

None found by the host

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:41Read transcript
  • No casting what-ifs were found by the host. — Bill Simmons
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1:14:41

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Missi Pyle

Missi Pyle

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:41Read transcript
  • No casting what-ifs were found by the host. — Bill Simmons
  • Missi Pyle wins that-guy for a small but memorable friend role; Hart, Hines and Friedlander are recalled as then-less-famous faces.
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1:15:19

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:19Read transcript
  • Dion Waiters nominees include Azaria, Baldwin, Brown, the waitress and Reuben's mother. The mother's restaurant misunderstanding is initially favored, then Baldwin becomes the agreed final choice. — Bill Simmons
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1:16:47

Recasting Couch

Michelle Williams as Polly; alternatives considered

Michelle Williams as Polly; alternatives considered

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:47Read transcript
  • For Polly, recasting considers Paltrow too polished, Ryder plausible, and a younger Meg Ryan or Geena Davis a natural fit. Holmes is floated but rejected while her missing romantic-comedy career is lamented. — Bill Simmons
  • Heather Graham is considered almost too striking; Michelle Williams is the final preferred replacement and a chance to give her happier material. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is plausible but possibly too old, Courteney Cox rejected, and Kudrow plausible but also too old. — Bill Simmons
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1:22:47

What Would Tony Romo’s Director’s Commentary for This Movie Sound Like?

Cris Collinsworth; Tony Romo

Cris Collinsworth; Tony Romo

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:47Read transcript
  • Cris Collinsworth is imagined narrating the toilet and basketball scenes, and Tony Romo the flushed cloth and honeymoon boat discovery. — Bill Simmons
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1:23:48

Half-Assed Internet Research

Ferret bites; jump location; Baldwin coaching; sweat gag

Ferret bites; jump location; Baldwin coaching; sweat gag

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:48Read transcript
  • The ferret reportedly bit Stiller during production; the thought of using it as toilet paper successfully alarms a viewer. — Bill Simmons
  • Leland Van Lew's name is an aged-best addition, and his jump building is identified as the AT&T Tower at 611 West 6th Street, Los Angeles, qualifying the assumption that all filming was in New York. — Bill Simmons
  • Hamburg reportedly rewrote the boardroom speech the night before; Hoffman struggled until Baldwin talked with him at lunch, after which the finished performance emerged. — Bill Simmons
  • The basketball sweat gag reportedly used glycerin, a trampoline and twelve takes of the man's chest hitting Stiller's face. — Bill Simmons
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1:29:04

Cruise or Hanks?

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:04Read transcript
  • Cruise versus Hanks distinguishes a funnier imagined Cruise version from the better-fitting Hanks performance; Hanks wins, with the running series score disputed.
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1:31:15

Best Race Horse Name from This Movie

Crocodile Tears; Al Hafez

Crocodile Tears; Al Hafez

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:15Read transcript
  • Crocodile Tears is the favored name across racehorse, band, wrestler and fantasy team; Al Hafez is an additional suggestion. — Bill Simmons
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1:36:14

Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake

All-Black remake

All-Black remake

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:14Read transcript
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1:37:08

Is This Movie Better With…?

Evil Laughing Ramon Raymond as Javier

Evil Laughing Ramon Raymond as Javier

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:08Read transcript
  • Evil Laughing Ramon Raymond is the hypothetical addition in Javier's salsa scene. — Bill Simmons
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1:37:28

Just One Oscar

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:28Read transcript
  • Hoffman is the clear single-Oscar choice; the actual supporting-actor nominees are revisited and space for him is argued, with incredulity at Foxx being classified supporting in Collateral. — Bill Simmons
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1:41:18

Best Double Feature

The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

The Heartbreak Kid (1972)

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:18Read transcript
  • The original Elaine May Heartbreak Kid is the double-feature choice for its shared honeymoon-breakup setup and discomfort; the remake is criticized as misunderstanding it. — Sean Fennessey
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1:41:53

The Andy and Red – Zihuatanejo Award for What Happens the Next Day?

Four more weeks together; Hamburg imagines a family in Costa Rica

Four more weeks together; Hamburg imagines a family in Costa Rica

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:53Read transcript
  • Hamburg reportedly imagines the couple unmarried with children surfing in Costa Rica; the panel instead predicts roughly four more weeks together, possibly followed by Reuben returning to Lisa. — Bill Simmons
  • The game-used Hoffman basketball is the main memorabilia choice; Craig's loofah choice is attributed as a pre-recording comment. — Bill Simmons
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1:43:00

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Hoffman’s basketball; loofah

Hoffman’s basketball; loofah

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:00Read transcript
  • The game-used Hoffman basketball is the main memorabilia choice; Craig's loofah choice is attributed as a pre-recording comment. — Bill Simmons
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1:43:18

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Enjoy the ride

Enjoy the ride

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:18Read transcript
  • Enjoy the ride, from the father's speech, is the life lesson. — Sean Fennessey
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1:43:18

Who Won the Movie?

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:18Read transcript
  • Hoffman is the current winner choice; Aniston is considered a plausible contemporary 2004 winner because the hit established her movie-star potential, but the final answer returns to Hoffman.
Podcast choices
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1:43:50

Producer review

Enjoyable B-level background comedy

Enjoyable B-level background comedy

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:50Read transcript
  • Asked for his review, Craig calls it an enjoyable B-level/background comedy whose repeated cable exposure allowed it to endure, unlike films now buried among streaming catalogs. — Craig Horlbeck
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More from the conversation

Shart Week is jokingly adopted as a theme after an initially uncertain slow-burner-month idea.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:47Read transcript
Slow burner is proposed for successful but initially dismissed films whose appeal grows later, distinguished from cult favorites; Miami Vice, So I Married an Axe Murderer, Hardball and Limitless are examples.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:22Read transcript
Hoffman's unusually broad studio-comedy performance elevates an otherwise generic Stiller romance; his early death may also sharpen appreciation of overlooked work.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:11Read transcript
Hoffman is compared with an elite athlete playing an unexpected sport; Jack Black is imagined as the conventional alternative, and Galifianakis in The Hangover another overqualified supporting comedian.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:48Read transcript
His career is praised for moving between eccentric supporting parts and mainstream work, including Twister, Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Red Dragon, Mission:ImpossibleIIIand The Hunger Games, whose final credits make a poignant ending.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:10Read transcript
Sandy's immediate pratfall and frosting eating announce the film's most desirable presence. His boastful but terrible basketball persona remains adaptable across successive social-media platforms.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:34Read transcript
Hoffman's physical grace is compared with a dancer and Chris Farley; even when playing a bad athlete, his movement suggests real athletic ability.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:06Read transcript
Belushi and Carrey illustrate athletic physical comedy; Carrey's Roxbury and lifeguard SNL sketches are recalled as exceptional, though the hosting year is uncertain.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:42Read transcript
Hoffman's comic work in Boogie Nights, Ripley, Almost Famous and Punch-Drunk Love contrasts with later grave roles; Happiness is recalled as a rejected Rock Bottom Month choice, not the current episode's theme.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:57Read transcript
A count of Hoffman's Rewatchables films is corrected from seven to eight after The Big Lebowski is remembered; future possibilities include Almost Famous, Twister, Mission:ImpossibleIII, The Master and Happiness. A ten-film club is imagined, not a formal Top Ten list.
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:12Read transcript
Studio-comedy abundance, DVD dorm-room viewing, date-movie appeal, travel locations and shareable Hoffman clips are proposed reasons for the film's slow-burn growth.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:02Read transcript
Capote's Oscar campaign and Hoffman's later death expanded appreciation of earlier work; his continued preference for supporting and independent roles made this broad comedy seem especially striking.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:18Read transcript
Other best-actor winners hypothetically playing Sandy include March, Brody and Pacino, with Pacino's basketball ability questioned.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:16Read transcript
Stiller's anxious persona and Aniston's familiar casting may have caused fatigue in 2004; Stiller's six releases are enumerated as Polly, Starsky & Hutch, Envy, Dodgeball, Meet the Fockers and an Anchorman cameo.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:38Read transcript
Stiller is described as a polarizing acquired taste despite a strong decade of comedies; a magazine editor once refused to feature him because he found him annoying.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:14Read transcript
There's Something About Mary casts a shadow over the bathroom embarrassment, generationally between the Farrelly and Apatow comedy waves. Stiller's later directing of Escape at Dannemora and Severance is praised as his leading-film appearances diminish.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:13Read transcript
Tropic Thunder is praised as Stiller's ambitious success; Craig explicitly rejects the suggestion that his generation dislikes it.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:31Read transcript
Aniston's commercially successful film run is traced from Bruce Almighty through Polly and later comedies; Office Space and The Good Girl showed range before this final film made during Friends, and her post-Friends fame grew further.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:03Read transcript
The leads' chemistry divides opinion: one view enjoys their connection, especially the pillows scene, while another sees people who would date briefly before becoming friends.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:00Read transcript
The Heartbreak Kid remake is noted as repeating Stiller's newlywed honeymoon breakup premise.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:51Read transcript
Asked directly, Craig prefers weird Stiller supporting turns such as Happy Gilmore and Dodgeball to his straight-man leads. Stiller's Cruise impression is also praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:17Read transcript
Your Friends & Neighbors and the Baumbach films suggest an unproven theory that Stiller wanted an edgier dramatic career; Reality Bites and Greenberg express a more dissatisfied worldview than the mainstream comedies.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:06Read transcript
Hamburg's I Love You, Man is another slow-growing comedy whose younger viewers retain affection; a conversation with Paul Rudd and childhood Tommy Boy viewing illustrate the point.
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:42Read transcript
Anyone But You's timing, marketing and stars are credited with success despite its quality being disputed. The Fall Guy raises hope for renewed studio comedies. Polly's stated budget is$42 million and worldwide gross$178 million.
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:27Read transcript
One reading sees Reuben drawn to messy people as an outlet for anxiety or self-loathing, though the panel recognizes that this may overinterpret the comedy; Ebert's objection is that the romantic motivation is insufficient.
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:40Read transcript
The absent Chris Ryan prompts a travel and possible Heat-remake discussion; the 1986 Burt Reynolds film is distinguished from the Pacino/DeNiro film.
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:07Read transcript
Hamburg's Netflix film Me Time with Wahlberg and Hart is cited as a largely unnoticed modern comparison despite its stars.
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:08Read transcript
Sex and the City's Netflix resurgence prompts debate about a platform's power to revive older work such as The Accountant; that power does not reliably rescue its originals, with Rebel Moon contrasted. Rom-coms, smart action and horror are viewed as especially compatible with home viewing.
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:51Read transcript
The closing explicitly credits Craig Horlbeck. Azaria's remarkable physique is discussed with The Birdcage and Heat comparisons; speculation about how he achieved it remains unverified.
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:43Read transcript