‹ All movies

Overrated roast chicken

Roast chicken is overrated, especially the ordinary home-cooked version; great restaurant or Ina Garten versions are allowed exceptions.

Mina Kimes: More genres should feature leads over fifty because seasoned actors and lived-in characters are compelling.

The film

It's Complicated (2009)

Directed by Nancy Meyers · Comedy

121 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Everything from the episode

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

9:36

The Amanda Dobbins Award for Best Piece of Real Estate

Jane’s house

Jane’s house

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:36Read transcript
  • Meyers interiors favor high ceilings, open sight lines, neutral colors, wood, and lived-in knickknacks. — Bill Simmons
  • Jane’s beautiful kitchen nevertheless lacks storage and space, defending her desire to expand it. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Jane’s house is the clear real-estate choice. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The children’s bungalow is also admired. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The house’s real Thousand Oaks location is surprising. — Amanda Dobbins
11:27

Picking Nits

Household plausibility; Harley’s secrecy; video chat; body double; croissant preparation

Household plausibility; Harley’s secrecy; video chat; body double; croissant preparation

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:27Read transcript
  • The bakery owner’s luxurious Santa Barbara house seems difficult to afford; her divorce from a lawyer and successful bakery offer possible explanations. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The unrealistic house is defended as wish fulfillment, comparable to impossible John Wick action. — Mina Kimes
  • A modern version could make Jane a wealthy bakery mogul with social-media reach and worldwide sales. — Bill Simmons
  • Open shelving looks good but creates dust, maintenance and storage problems. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The large vegetable garden would require frequent workers and protection from wildlife.
  • The original divorce and Jake’s decision to marry Agness seem puzzling given his chemistry with Jane. — Bill Simmons
  • Agness’s own affair and Pedro not being Jake’s son make audiences less sympathetic to her and less troubled by Jake leaving. — Mina Kimes
  • Harley would probably tell his fiancée immediately about the hotel encounter; disagreement concerns whether he would relish gossip or disclose it sensitively.
  • Jake ought to notice the open video-chat screen before exposing himself. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The hairless body double is visibly inconsistent with Baldwin’s body hair. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Chocolate croissants are usually square, unlike the rolled pastries here.
  • Croissant dough normally requires advance preparation rather than immediate late-night baking.
  • Already-prepared dough could explain the short preparation time. — Amanda Dobbins
  • The dough seems handled too much, which might toughen it; this is qualified as nonexpert opinion. — Amanda Dobbins
15:59

What’s Aged the Worst?

Adam’s characterization; the smiling youngest son; Baldwin’s later baggage

Adam’s characterization; the smiling youngest son; Baldwin’s later baggage

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:15:59Read transcript
  • The adult children are implausibly jobless, available, and eager to climb into bed together.
  • Baldwin’s briefly mentioned presence and Adam’s loser-like characterization; Bill Murray is proposed as Adam, then questioned because Jane might need to care for him.
  • The youngest son’s constant grin seems unnerving rather than natural. — Bill Simmons
25:44

Recasting Couch

Sam Shepard, Tommy Lee Jones or Tom Hanks as Adam; Adam Brody as Harley; early Chris Pratt as a child

Sam Shepard, Tommy Lee Jones or Tom Hanks as Adam; Adam Brody as Harley; early Chris Pratt as a child

Flex pick · Mina Kimes

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:44Read transcript
  • Nicholson or Harrison Ford might make viewers demand a romantic reunion, unlike Baldwin’s charming but unsuitable Jake. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Sam Shepard is favored for Adam’s sensitive charisma; Dennis Quaid and Cruise are rejected.
  • Tommy Lee Jones could play a blue-collar contractor; Dustin Hoffman offers a Kramer vs. Kramer callback but is judged too odd and insufficiently competitive romantically. — Mina Kimes
  • Recasting was the flex already used. — Mina Kimes
  • Michael Douglas is floated as Adam, with concern that his sexual charisma would overpower the role.
  • Hanks is proposed as Adam and encouraged to take supporting romantic-comedy roles again.
  • An early-career, funny Chris Pratt could improve one child role, although adding another NBC sitcom star might overload the cast.
  • Adam Brody replacing Krasinski gains agreement; the earlier, charming Krasinski is nevertheless preferred.
26:41

Half-Assed Internet Research

Reported budget and gross; retained accidental kiss; nude double; New York filming

Reported budget and gross; retained accidental kiss; nude double; New York filming

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:41Read transcript
  • A reported $75 million budget returned $219 million . — Amanda Dobbins
  • An unplanned kiss during Jane’s phone call caused a line mistake that was retained. — Bill Simmons
  • Baldwin reportedly used a nude double; much of the movie used New York interiors, with Thousand Oaks and Santa Barbara-area exteriors. — Bill Simmons
30:58

Most Rewatchable Scene

First hotel bar and bedroom; second hotel encounter

First hotel bar and bedroom; second hotel encounter

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:58Read transcript
  • The opening anniversary party efficiently introduces the cast and Jane’s reaction to Agnes. — Bill Simmons
  • The first friends’ dinner is admired for convivial chemistry; Wilson and Greer prompt a discussion of great rom-com friends.
  • The hotel bar through “Home sweet home” showcases chemistry and comic deliveries. — Bill Simmons
  • The graduation dinner and confession to friends are highlighted, including the Agnes Adler line and reaction shots.
  • Other candidates include the stalked dinner date, bathtub, heart attack, getting stoned, croissants, laptop nudity and final separation. — Bill Simmons
  • One preference changes from croissants to the hotel bar and finally the second hotel encounter with the heart attack; it remains a qualified choice. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Another choice favors the first hotel bar and bedroom because the performers’ chemistry surpasses the Steve Martin pairing. — Mina Kimes
37:40

The most 2009 thing

Supporting-player John Krasinski; The Hills; Facebook-era relationship status

Supporting-player John Krasinski; The Hills; Facebook-era relationship status

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:40Read transcript
39:00

What’s Aged the Best?

Jane’s loneliness conveyed visually; Streep’s beauty and performance; relaxed adult women; the second-wife comedy

Jane’s loneliness conveyed visually; Streep’s beauty and performance; relaxed adult women; the second-wife comedy

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:00Read transcript
  • Small visual details establish Jane’s loneliness without exposition. — Bill Simmons
  • Streep’s beauty, flattering lighting and relaxed happy performance; Meyers writes successful, easygoing women rather than rigid rom-com stereotypes. — Mina Kimes
  • The hostile glamorous second wife and tiger tattoo work comically; FitzGerald is more recognizable after Succession but has little characterization here. — Bill Simmons
  • Streep still looking great without much apparent surgery is praised; her anti-surgery reputation is explicitly uncertain.
43:37

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

Adam; the adult children

Adam; the adult children

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:43:37Read transcript
  • The children’s talented performers have little to do. — Mina Kimes
  • Steve Martin’s Adam is underwritten and cannot compete with Baldwin’s charisma. — Mina Kimes
  • The adult children appear unrealistically undamaged and too invested in their divorced parents reuniting; a contrary reading that they oppose reunion is argued down.
  • The children’s group-bed scene, excessive graduation celebration, local residence and expensive bungalow are implausible; their oddness is also defended as funny and peripheral to the adult story.
44:04

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Home Sweet Home; The Other Woman

Home Sweet Home; The Other Woman

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:04Read transcript
  • Home Sweet Home gains agreement after rejected baking puns; It’s Complicated is also defended as a Facebook-era relationship-status time capsule.
  • The Other Woman is a late title suggestion; the later film of that name is clarified in a cast discussion.
45:48

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

Croque monsieur; chocolate croissants

Croque monsieur; chocolate croissants

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:48Read transcript
  • Croque monsieur leads, chocolate croissants are another choice, with lavender ice cream and chocolate cake also tempting; lavender ice cream receives a dissent.
47:42

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Jane alone in the house; sprinkler smash cut

Jane alone in the house; sprinkler smash cut

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:42Read transcript
  • The wide shot of Jane alone in her house after the children leave. — Bill Simmons
  • The sprinkler smash cut between sexual encounters. — Mina Kimes
48:28

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

Don’t Do Me Like That; Fine Young Cannibals; Bennie and the Jets; Beach Boys

Don’t Do Me Like That; Fine Young Cannibals; Bennie and the Jets; Beach Boys

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:28Read transcript
  • Don’t Do Me Like That, Fine Young Cannibals, Bennie and the Jets and the Beach Boys are nominated without a settled choice.
48:54

Chest Rockwell / Brock Landers Award for Best Character Name

Pedro; Agness

Pedro; Agness

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:48:54Read transcript
  • Pedro; Agness with two S’s as a generational contrast to Jane, Jake and Adam.
49:42

The Teddy KGB Award for the Actor in a Completely Different Movie

Lake Bell

Lake Bell

Flex pick · Amanda Dobbins

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:42Read transcript
  • Lake Bell seems to inhabit a different, more aggressive movie; her wardrobe and behavior stand apart. — Amanda Dobbins
1:01:51

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:51Read transcript
  • Streep, affectionately: excessive laughter, quivering and the pot scene, where both leads seem more intoxicated than marijuana would explain.
1:03:28

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Overrated roast chicken; more older leads; Santa Barbara’s screen weather; Reeves in Something’s Gotta Give

Overrated roast chicken; more older leads; Santa Barbara’s screen weather; Reeves in Something’s Gotta Give

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:28Read transcript
  • Roast chicken is overrated, especially the ordinary home-cooked version; great restaurant or Ina Garten versions are allowed exceptions.
  • More genres should feature leads over fifty because seasoned actors and lived-in characters are compelling. — Mina Kimes
  • Santa Barbara’s relentlessly sunny screen image is challenged by coastal fog; others defend its beauty, retirement appeal and surrounding destinations.
  • Keanu Reeves is better in Something’s Gotta Give than The Matrix; the closing discussion again supports funding Meyers while questioning the reported $180 million budget.
1:10:59

Casting What-Ifs

Unverified Jake candidates: Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks

Unverified Jake candidates: Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:59Read transcript
1:13:05

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Nora Dunn; the anniversary-party husband; the hotel clerk

Nora Dunn; the anniversary-party husband; the hotel clerk

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:05Read transcript
  • Nora Dunn; the unnamed anniversary-party husband recognized from To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday. — Bill Simmons
  • The New York hotel clerk, recognized as Ravenhead from Succession, is offered as the stronger answer. — Bill Simmons
1:14:39

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Pedro

Pedro

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:39Read transcript
  • Lake Bell is eligible with four scenes, but Pedro’s funny interruptions become the favored answer.
1:16:32

Hottest Job for a Male Love Interest in a Romantic Comedy

Architect

Architect

Flex pick · Craig Horlbeck

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:32Read transcript
  • Architect, pediatrician, journalist, chef and a grounded rich heir are attractive romantic-comedy jobs; architecture combines creativity and practicality. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Advertising evokes Don Draper’s womanizing; lawyer, businessman and widowed stay-at-home dad are considered, but unemployment is a barrier.
  • Chef, vet, urban planner and sports doctor are considered; plastic surgeon is too vain. Architect remains favored, with oil billionaire dismissed.
  • Realtor and marine biologist are added; marine research risks romantic unavailability.
  • Female sportswriter examples lead to sideline reporter as the best ESPN rom-com job; Trainwreck’s sports-doctor role enabled comic athlete interactions. — Mina Kimes
1:20:07

Apex Mountain

Alec Baldwin; this kitchen (disputed)

Alec Baldwin; this kitchen (disputed)

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:20:07Read transcript
  • Streep is rejected here; her mid-eighties work and Devil Wears Prada through Iron Lady represent possible peaks, with no real career fallow period.
  • Baldwin possibly qualifies alongside 30 Rock and SNL. — Bill Simmons
  • Steve Martin’s late-seventies success is preferred; his-and-her sinks receive a positive discussion without a firm peak judgment.
  • Meyers’s peak shifts from The Holiday to Something’s Gotta Give based on film quality, nominations and box-office discussion.
  • Divorced-couple romances have earlier screwball peaks, including His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story.
  • Krasinski’s A Quiet Place and marriage to Emily Blunt displace this performance as his peak. — Bill Simmons
  • The Holiday’s British cottage is preferred for Meyers houses; this kitchen receives a best-kitchen vote but Something’s Gotta Give is defended for space, storage and island layout. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Lake Bell, Caitlin FitzGerald and Zoe Kazan receive no Apex endorsement. — Bill Simmons
1:30:27

Cruise or Hanks?

Hanks

Hanks

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:27Read transcript
  • Hanks gains agreement; Cruise is considered disastrous in any role. — Bill Simmons
1:30:42

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Spielberg; Scorsese

Spielberg; Scorsese

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:42Read transcript
  • Spielberg is proposed, followed by a Scorsese dissent for a grittier version. — Amanda Dobbins
  • A gritty Scorsese version could substitute cocaine for marijuana and genuinely damaged children. — Amanda Dobbins
1:31:07

What role would Philip Seymour Hoffman play?

Adam; plastic surgeon; youngest child

Adam; plastic surgeon; youngest child

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:07Read transcript
  • Adam, the plastic surgeon, or the youngest child for an earlier-career Hoffman. — Amanda Dobbins
1:37:21

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

All-Black remake; divorce prequel

All-Black remake; divorce prequel

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:21Read transcript
  • An all-Black remake and a darker divorce prequel are welcomed; Meyers usually avoids prolonged emotional pain.
1:38:11

Is This Movie Better With…?

Tony Romo narrating the laptop scene; Chris Collinsworth at the bakery

Tony Romo narrating the laptop scene; Chris Collinsworth at the bakery

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:11Read transcript
  • Tony Romo narrating the laptop scene. — Bill Simmons
  • Chris Collinsworth ordering at the bakery.
1:39:08

Just One Oscar

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:08Read transcript
  • Baldwin for supporting actor; Waltz still deserves the actual win, but Baldwin could replace a weaker nominee. — Bill Simmons
1:39:57

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Jake’s legal work; Streep’s laugh count; noodle ingredients; ex-spouse affairs

Jake’s legal work; Streep’s laugh count; noodle ingredients; ex-spouse affairs

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:57Read transcript
  • Jake has a law partnership but implausibly plentiful free time; his actual legal practice remains unspecified.
  • Could this set a Streep laugh record? The proposed laugh-per-minute tally is comic speculation. — Bill Simmons
  • The noodle dish’s contents remain uncertain; a pesto pasta salad is suggested. — Amanda Dobbins
  • An affair with an ex is deemed acceptable only when the current spouse was the original affair partner; a blameless later spouse changes the judgment.
1:43:13

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Garden hat; fake joints; bakery sign; no selection

Garden hat; fake joints; bakery sign; no selection

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:43:13Read transcript
  • Jane’s garden hat, fake joints and a possible bakery sign are considered; another response wants nothing. Food, house and cars are excluded.
1:44:20

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

An ex-spouse affair is acceptable when the current spouse was the original affair partner

An ex-spouse affair is acceptable when the current spouse was the original affair partner

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:20Read transcript
  • An ex-spouse affair is acceptable when the current spouse was the original affair partner. — Bill Simmons
1:44:35

Best Double Feature

Kramer vs. Kramer; Julie & Julia; Irreconcilable Differences; Something’s Gotta Give (disputed)
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:44:35Read transcript
  • Something’s Gotta Give is suggested but argued against after a recent back-to-back viewing; Kramer vs. Kramer offers a contrasting divorce double bill. — Mina Kimes
  • Julie & Julia pairs same-year Streep, Ephron and Meyers. — Amanda Dobbins
  • Irreconcilable Differences is suggested despite being difficult to find. — Bill Simmons
1:45:27

Who Won the Movie?

Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:27Read transcript
  • Baldwin is proposed and receives a brief affirmative response. — Bill Simmons
  • A distinct explicit Baldwin choice praises how strongly the comic performance holds up. — Mina Kimes
  • Baldwin is the explicit choice when asked directly. — Craig Horlbeck
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Alec Baldwin
Speaker not identified
Alec Baldwin
Speaker not identified
Alec Baldwin
1:45:59

Producer review

Improves on revisiting; food reveals relationships

Improves on revisiting; food reveals relationships

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:45:59Read transcript
  • The movie improves on revisiting; few later rom-coms match it, and food-centered interactions communicate the relationships.
  • Jake’s indulgence and entitlement toward Jane’s food contrasts with Adam’s behavior; family leftovers, dinner parties and baking make it a great food movie without food as the plot.

More from the conversation

Nancy Meyers qualifies as an auteur through a recognizable visual style, recurring themes, major actors, commercial success, and influence on home design. It’s Complicated is a personal favorite; Something’s Gotta Give is called her best.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:22Read transcript
Jane feels complex and grows beyond her marriage.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:51Read transcript
The frightening description of brow-lift recovery discourages cosmetic intervention.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:16Read transcript
What Women Want remains charming but ranks lower among Meyers films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:32Read transcript
Resistance to funding her new film is criticized alongside her repeated box-office success.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:27Read transcript
Streep’s 2006–11 run combines commercial hits, radically different characters, and awards success.
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:01Read transcript
Jane’s warmth contrasts with Miranda Priestly’s restraint.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:48Read transcript
The Devil Wears Prada is favored as Streep’s most enduring, rewatchable performance; its announced sequel is welcomed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:19:09Read transcript
Streep’s earlier awards run prevents calling the 2000s her unequivocal best; Kramer vs. Kramer is another favorite.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:50Read transcript
Baldwin’s comic reinvention is traced through television and film roles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:26Read transcript
His long career and electric chemistry with Streep are praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:00Read transcript
The role is speculated to have been written for his specific abilities.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:39Read transcript
Prior controversy is discussed alongside memories of seeing the movie in theaters and showing it to a divorced father who loved it.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:12Read transcript
Critics are accused of undervaluing the filmmaking craft of Meyers’s romances.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:23Read transcript
Wesley Morris’s favorable review praises emotional sophistication and Baldwin as a counterweight to Streep.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:11Read transcript
Personal divorced-parent experiences lead to uncertainty about how often long-divorced couples reconnect; celebrity remarriages are distinguished from secret affairs.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:44Read transcript
Meyers’s divorce and later friendly road trip with Charles Shyer prompt questions about autobiographical inspiration, without a claim that the plot occurred.
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:30Read transcript
Bell’s role is compared with Amanda Peet’s similar Meyers casting; How to Make It in America is praised as Bell’s best performance.
Approx. transcript time · 00:51:18Read transcript
A discussion of Streep’s children and Jack Quaid argues that acting skills and immersion can run in families.
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:37Read transcript
Older romantic-lead attractiveness: Michael Douglas in The American President, Harrison Ford in Sabrina and Morning Glory, and James Gandolfini in Enough Said.
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:26Read transcript
Meyers reportedly dislikes interiors overshadowing her work; the hosts defend production design as genuine craft and character development.
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:39Read transcript
Food, band-name and university mispronunciation anecdotes offer comic self-deprecation.
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:41Read transcript
A chocolate croissant is judged not worth its extra labor compared with a good chocolate-chip cookie; personal preferences favor the chocolate-rich middle or bottom.
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:38Read transcript
Streaming rom-com quality is criticized, with Set It Up praised and Anyone But You strongly disliked despite its younger audience’s affection.
Approx. transcript time · 01:48:20Read transcript