The Fugitive · Movies · RewatchVault

Opening interrogation
Bus fight and bus/train crash
Marshals taking over the investigation
Dam pursuit and jump
Copeland’s capture
St. Patrick’s Day chase
Kimble calling Gerard from Sykes’s apartment
Subway fight
Cardiology-conference confrontation
Final Kimble/Gerard exchange
Mallory favors the dam chase
Chris favors the opening 24 minutes and 20 seconds
Bill favors the opening crash material; the definition of a single scene is debated

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42:08

What’s Aged the Best?

Chicago, Ford, Jones and the ensemble

In the discussion (12)

Approx. transcript time · 00:42:08Read transcript

Chicago as a filming location
Seven-month shoot-to-release turnaround
Helen’s affection for Richard
Corporate-pharmaceutical villainy
Tommy Lee Jones’s improvised lines
Supporting cast, including Joe Pantoliano, Jane Lynch and Julianne Moore
Bearded versus clean-shaven Harrison Ford is debated
Nichols’s early villain cues
James Newton Howard’s score
Keeping Cosmo alive
Sela Ward
Kimble’s acts of kindness

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48:21

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

Mr. Johnson’s egg sandwich

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:48:21Read transcript

Mr. Johnson’s egg sandwich is the clear pick

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48:57

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

The dam; parade also mentioned

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:48:57Read transcript

The dam is chosen as the strongest location
The parade is an alternative

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48:57

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Parade; Kimble entering a dark tunnel

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:48:57Read transcript

Chris chooses the parade
Another pick is Kimble walking into the dark tunnel

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49:26

Mallory Rubin Award: Did This Movie Need a Better Sex Scene?

Mallory proposes brief Helen flashbacks

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:49:26Read transcript

Mallory says yes to the category — Mallory Rubin
She proposes recurring brief flashbacks of Richard and Helen that preserve the film’s pace — Mallory Rubin

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52:17

The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?

Charles Nichols

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 00:52:17Read transcript

Nichols’s failure to neutralize Kimble — Mallory Rubin
Nichols’s denial of knowing a colleague — Mallory Rubin
Pathology approvals dated after Lentz’s death — Mallory Rubin
The implausible no-side-effects claim — Mallory Rubin
Sykes killing the wrong person and failing again — Mallory Rubin
The defense attorney is nominated; his shortcomings are deferred — Mallory Rubin

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54:40

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

The conspiracy’s murder plan

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:54:40Read transcript

Killing Kimble is questioned when professional sabotage or framing might suffice — Bill Simmons
The killer’s connection to the company is too conspicuous — Bill Simmons

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55:33

What’s Aged the Worst?

Defense failures, disguise logic and sequels

In the discussion (11)

Approx. transcript time · 00:55:33Read transcript

Kimble’s legal defense
Forensic/DNA handling is criticized as dated
Failure to show Kimble testifying
Slow parallel prosthetics investigations
Oversized opening credits
Joe Pantoliano’s wig
Pre-CGI concealment of the actor’s arm
U.S. Marshals and later adaptations
Removal of Julianne Moore’s romantic subplot is debated and defended
People failing to recognize Ford’s distinctive face
The final Nichols/Kimble fight

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1:02:26

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Keep The Fugitive

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:26Read transcript

The existing title is unanimously defended
A one-arm pun is floated as a joke

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1:02:26

The Neil McCauley “A Book about Metals” Award for Best Line from the Movie

Ponytail, tunnel exchange and donut order

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:26Read transcript

The advice about Newman’s ponytail
Kimble’s innocence protest and Gerard’s response in the tunnel
Gerard’s coffee-and-donut order

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1:02:53

Casting What-Ifs

Nolte, Baldwin, Hackman, Voight and Richard Jordan

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:53Read transcript

Walter Hill’s proposed Nick Nolte version — Bill Simmons
Alec Baldwin described as an early choice — Bill Simmons
Gene Hackman and Jon Voight considered for Gerard — Bill Simmons
Richard Jordan’s illness and replacement — Bill Simmons
Reshooting the party scene and Ford’s beard differences — Bill Simmons

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1:04:57

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Harrison Ford’s interrogation performance — disputed

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:04:57Read transcript

Chris nominates Ford in the interrogation
Bill supports the choice
Mallory objects
The group clarifies that overacting is an admired quality on this podcast

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1:05:47

Dr. Richard Kimble Inappropriate Body Award

Dr. Richard Kimble

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:05:47Read transcript

Ford’s muscular physique is judged unusually impressive for the surgeon character

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1:06:22

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Ron Dean; honorable mentions for the ensemble

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:06:22Read transcript

Ron Dean is selected — Bill Simmons
Daniel Roebuck is an honorable mention — Bill Simmons
Joseph Kosala is identified as the other interrogating officer — Bill Simmons

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1:07:04

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Copeland

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:07:04Read transcript

Copeland the convict is favored — Bill Simmons
Mr. Johnson is another candidate — Bill Simmons
Charles Nichols is rejected as too prominent — Bill Simmons

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1:07:34

Recasting Couch

Ewan McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal and others

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:07:34Read transcript

Ewan McGregor in a London version
Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Reynolds proposed, with objections
Scarlett Johansson proposed
Timothée Chalamet as a young prodigy is joked about
Jake Gyllenhaal receives support
Chris Rock as a 1993 marshal sidekick
Pre-Taken Liam Neeson as Nichols

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1:10:32

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

Tony Romo narrating the dam escape

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:10:32Read transcript

Introduced as a new category — Bill Simmons
Chris performs Romo-style narration of the tunnel and dam — Bill Simmons
A Philadelphia example is a tangent, not a second Fugitive outcome — Bill Simmons

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1:11:34

Half-Assed Internet Research

Ford’s injury, the real train crash and Chicago filming

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:34Read transcript

Ford’s injured knee and incorporated limp — Bill Simmons
Six screenwriters and 25 drafts reported — Bill Simmons
A real train crash with a single practical attempt — Bill Simmons
North Carolina railroad location — Bill Simmons
Chicago locations and the actual 1993 parade — Bill Simmons
Cold conditions during parade filming — Bill Simmons

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1:13:31

Apex Mountain

Tommy Lee Jones and Andrew Davis: yes

In the discussion (12)

Approx. transcript time · 01:13:31Read transcript

Harrison Ford: no — Bill Simmons
Ford playing Desmondo: yes as a joke — Bill Simmons
Ford’s doctor roles compared with Frantic — Bill Simmons
Tommy Lee Jones: yes — Bill Simmons
Joe Pantoliano: disagreement; The Sopranos favored instead — Bill Simmons
Pantoliano’s bad wigs: no — Bill Simmons
One-armed killers: yes — Bill Simmons
Andrew Davis: yes — Bill Simmons
Dutch men named Chuck: raised without a clear verdict — Bill Simmons
Chicago movies: disputed, with Ferris Bueller, Blues Brothers, Thief and The Dark Knight mentioned — Bill Simmons
Fugitives: O.J. Simpson offered instead — Bill Simmons
Characters named Cosmo: a strong year — Bill Simmons

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1:19:06

Producer review

Craig Horlbeck calls it the number-one dad movie

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:19:06Read transcript

Craig says he loves the movie and calls it the number-one dad movie — Craig Horlbeck
He imagines appreciating it even more as a father — Craig Horlbeck

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1:19:40

Picking Nits

Disguise, defense attorney and conspiracy logic

In the discussion (18)

Approx. transcript time · 01:19:40Read transcript

Craig questions Sykes’s security role and corporate fishing trips
Chris questions Kimble’s minimal disguise
Stolen clothes fitting Kimble is debated
Mallory questions the fundraiser’s swimsuit show
Kimble fails to request counsel promptly
Craig questions water falling on the gun
Nichols’s conference patter is missing
Mallory challenges the defense’s handling of Helen’s call and circumstantial evidence
Shaving a large beard with a disposable razor
Craig questions Kimble’s janitor performance
Gerard’s shooting choices in the courthouse
Nichols’s incriminating photos
A rollerblading nurse
Instant train-audio identification
Mallory corrects the earlier podcast’s too-handsome Jon Hamm objection
Craig asks why Kimble does not take the evidence straight to Gerard
Kimble helping patients is defended
Cosmo’s implausibly minor head wound