Are we led to believe the woman falls for him when they break into the house at the end? Flagged for unanswerable questions.
Can you really leave diamonds in a fish tank without the chemicals harming them? It seems a stupid hiding place compared to a panel in the house.
A joke says Rosillo hides his diamonds, not in a fish tank; a reply says 'I keep mine on me at all times.'
Could the ending have had the federal agent help the man she loves escape instead of arresting him? Fast and Furious later did that.
A question for Bill Lawrence: why has no one nailed a prison sitcom? Oz is raised, and the answer offers to put a laugh track on an episode of Oz.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:47:04Read transcript

Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars and wrote that Clooney has never been better, that handsome young actors need miles before the full flavor emerges, and that Clooney at last looks like a big screen star.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Hotel bar scene; trunk scene

In the discussion (28)

Approx. transcript time · 00:47:27Read transcript

The trunk scene is introduced as the candidate that is going to win.
Snoopy's prison shakedown of Albert Brooks's Ripley, ending with the goldfish killing, is praised as an amazing four-minute scene with a beginning, middle and end.
The ending is loved for being so mean: Clooney's character gives Ripley a prison education in being a mark, and the price rises from two grand to three.
Killing the fish is a signpost that the character is truly bad, like Dennis Freena threatening Charles Groden in Midnight Run, and it gives the movie jeopardy.
The earlier kidney shank after a thrown fight felt like 'just prison'; only the goldfish made him the bad guy.
Albert Brooks plays the shakedown like a pawn-shop haggle, and the Bauschen Lom mispronunciation is great comedy.
Michael Keaton's one scene is a candidate that won't win; Tarantino allowed his Jackie Brown character in the movie as a crossover, and Lopez wears a Marino jersey.
A speaker who puts actors from earlier shows on the next one recalls a Cougar Town and Community crossover with Danny Poody working as an extra.
Keaton reportedly took no money and liked that viewers might see the character as a real cop; Tarantino had to clear the cameo across two studios.
Keaton's uncomfortable laugh when Dennis Farina confronts him only lands if you have seen Jackie Brown; it may be the only movie with two Batmen.
Asked for a favorite crossover, the answer recalls a Facts of Life and Different Strokes connection. — Ryen Russillo
The favorite crossover offered is Coolidge from The White Shadow appearing as a janitor on St. Elsewhere and greeting Salami in an elevator.
Next candidate: the hotel bar scene, which cuts between the sex scene and its foreplay like Don't Look Now and ends with Clooney's "what if" speech, called as good as an actor's monologue gets.
Detroit glows in the background, and the uninteresting guys from New York City who hit on her set up Clooney as the hero.
Parts come straight from the book; the lines are not written to show off, and the stranger-connection idea is relatable because people just keep walking.
The scene is not awkward or uncomfortable, and on rewatch there is nothing in it that could not be shown in a PG movie, yet it is still one of the sexiest love scenes.
Free-pass anecdote: the speaker's wife, Krista, named George Clooney as her free pass and was later found sitting beside him on the Warner Brothers lot, where the Drew Carey and ER stages were next to each other; she still finds this scene sexy.
Bottle Rocket's hotel scene under the sheet is named a favorite sex scene for its restraint; a Requiem for a Dream answer is a joke.
The aftermath, where Lopez's character walks out angry at Clooney out of shame, plays like an actual couple.
The trunk is the famous scene, but the hotel bar chemistry between the two actors is rare.
Candidate: the ending at Albert Brooks's house with double staircases, White Boy Bob accidentally killing himself and Lopez debating whether to shoot Clooney, a very 90s 15-minute stretch.
Candidate: the Sam Jackson cameo and the realization of why she put them in the car together.
The trunk scene was shot 45 times but none of those takes were used because a test audience disliked one long take, so it was reshot.
One speaker thinks the hotel bar scene is better while the trunk is more important for its uniqueness, and personally goes with the hotel bar scene.
The trunk sets up the hotel bar by forcing a conversation that would never happen otherwise, so it is probably more important; the changing distance between the actors in the hotel bar shots is questioned as a trick or bad editing. — Ryen Russillo
Asked 'Bill, trunk or hotel bar?', the reply goes trunk, starting from Clooney emerging from the escape hole and the chaotic shootout seen from Lopez's point of view.
The Three Days of the Condor exchange in the trunk becomes clever on rewatch, since she doubts a quick romance and then does it herself.
Clooney's character misquotes Network, and she is annoyed but doesn't call it out because they just met.

What’s Aged the Best?

Opening bank robbery; 1990s Detroit; robbing banks without a gun; Dennis Farina and Jennifer Lopez scenes; nicknames; Catherine Keener; Ving Rhames; David Holmes score; one-last-big-score line

In the discussion (12)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:05Read transcript

The opening bank robbery, 1990s Detroit with the Cronk Jim and Emmanuel Stewart, and the color changes have aged well.
Clooney's strategy of robbing banks without a gun is admired.
The Dennis Farina and Lopez scenes: as her father he adds color without cliche, is too important for the Joey Pants award, and immediately knew she was into the guy.
Great nicknames: Dick the Ripper for Albert Brooks's character and Snoopy the boxer, who hates the name.
Catherine Caner is great in a couple of scenes, part of a 1998-99 run of Out of Sight, Your Friends and Neighbors, 8mm and Being John Malkovich.
Ving Rhames's 93-98 run (Dave, Pulp Fiction, ER, Kiss of Death, Mission Impossible, Rosewood, Conair, Out of Sight) is called automatic and compared to Ray Allen; his later commercial voice work now takes one speaker out of some line readings.
Rhames can be really scary yet also Clooney's believable loyal best friend.
A speaker's father repeated the 'get medieval' line for about a year.
The DJ David Holmes score is really good.
Clooney's line asking whether anyone has done one last big score and gone on to live the good life holds up; only Fast and Furious pulled that off.
No additional aged-best pick. — Ryen Russillo
Agreeing on the last-score line: even on the big score the crew is dumb, one robbing steaks and White Boy Bob tripping and shooting himself; Cheddar Bob is joked to be his younger brother.

Picking Nits

Back-and-forth chronology; fantasy set in the real hotel room; the report she couldn't have written; Foley going back for the maid; Ripley bragging about diamonds

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:14:27Read transcript

Never seeing the scenes of Clooney's loyal buddy calling his sister, only hearing about them secondhand, is flagged as a picking-nits item.
The back-and-forth chronology was a little confusing on first viewing, though time stamps might have broken the flow.
Lopez's bathtub fantasy cheats by being set in the exact hotel, in the same color scheme, where Clooney and Rames are actually staying, though she has never been there.
A high-angle hotel shot after the Lompoc flashback signals the return to the present; the Mad Men fever dream is cited as a delicate case.
One speaker is anti-dream sequence and anti-narrator unless proven to work.
A nitpick read online: when did she write the report her boss is reading if she was unconscious after the crash?
Would Jack Foley really go back for the maid? He is fundamentally not a good guy, so the moment may not be earned.
Why would Albert Brooks's titan-of-industry character tell these guys about $5 million in diamonds?
Returning to the maid point: the movie takes pains to show Foley won't hurt anyone, knocking out the guard with a vase rather than killing him.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Karen Sisco spinoff; Albert Brooks's bald cap; character name Adele

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:16:29Read transcript

The Karen Sisko spinoff on ABC, because of stock in Carla Gugino, who never found the right thing.
Albert Brooks's bald cap looked wrong, like a rushed sketch-show wig from 1968 rather than 1999.
How fake Clooney was running a pick in the pickup game because he didn't want to stink at basketball is offered.
A counter-reading says he was meant to look older and tired on his second stay; the original speaker calls that a good point.
One more wish for 75 more seconds of pickup basketball.
A character named Adele (said to be Viola Davis's) now evokes the famous singer, who wasn't famous then.

Casting What-Ifs

Sandra Bullock as Karen Sisco; Barry Sonnenfeld as director; Danny DeVito or Garry Shandling as Ripley

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:18:47Read transcript

Sandra Bullock was supposed to play Karen Sisko; a quote from the director says she and Clooney had great chemistry but for the wrong movie, not Elmore Leonard energy, so they landed on Lopez; the pair later made Gravity.
The film was offered to Barry Sonafield first; he dropped out to do Men in Black, and his Get Shorty shows how different the tone would have been.
Luck matters: a different director can make a movie great, and Eddie Murphy almost got fired from 48 Hours.
Chemistry screen tests are explained as a last hurdle in couple-driven romantic comedies; rumor says Lopez's test was shot at Clooney's house, and TV shows sometimes rewrite when leads lack chemistry.
Danny Davidow and Garris Shandling were considered for Ripley; Shandling as Ripley is an intriguing what-if, though he might have glanced at the camera and needed a different edge for the office scene.
Shandling never found the right movie part; his Mike Nichols movie was a legendary disaster.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Keith Loneker as White Boy Bob

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:24:32Read transcript

Best That Guy has to be White Boy Bob; the speaker didn't know the actor's real name but recognized him from many 90s and 2000s movies.
It was one speaker's first Louis Guzman sighting; another notes he was already in Boogie Nights.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Steve Zahn

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:25:24Read transcript

Steve Zahn is going for it in every scene, dialed up to 11, said out of love.
When Lopez's character lets him go and tells him to run, it could have been the end of Steve Zon's own movie.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Luis Guzmán

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:26:43Read transcript

The candidates are Steve Zon, Louise Guzman, Dennis Farina, Catherine Keener, Isaiah Washington and the White Boy Bob actor.
Cheadle is offered, then hedged as maybe in it too much. — Ryen Russillo
Guzman qualifies because he plays about eight minutes; his arrest and his prison-boyfriend thread are praised; "to me, it's Guzman."
A case is made for Catherine Keener's two scenes, crazy outfits and cigarette clamshell, but that speaker concludes 'I'm with you. I think it's Guzman'; Isaiah Washington gets a shout-out.

Clint Howard Award for the Director Loves This Guy

Wendell B. Harris Jr.

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 01:28:12Read transcript

A pitched new category: the small part where a director or producer put a pal, like a player who stays on a team because the star likes him; the Jack Collinsworth Nepotism Award is floated first.
Sedi Osman under LeBron is written down but rejected because he can play now; the Udana's Haslam Award name is offered and liked.
The example is Lopez's boss, played by Wendell Harris, primarily a director who won a Sundance audience award in 1990 and is guessed to be a buddy of Sotaberg's.
A Scrubs example: the Todd, a basketball-game regular who played a meathead surgeon with a line in most episodes.
Producer Craig thought of James Jones; Mike Miller is too good; Eddie House is floated.
Eddie Murphy's best friend Clint Smith, in many Murphy movies including the 48 Hours prison bunkmate, is a favorite version.

Recasting Couch

Laurence Fishburne as Daniel Burdon

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:31:19Read transcript

Replace Lopez's boss, played by Wendell Harris, with Lawrence Fishburn, who would be formidable at the right point of his career.
The original actor is called the weakest in the movie despite having a lot of lines.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Ad-libbed dialogue; summer release; White Boy Bob callback

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:32:00Read transcript

Per the commentary track with writer Scott Frank, cast members ad-libbed, including Cheeto's line about the high potentiality for the common motherfucker to bitch out.
Many in the industry felt the movie was mismarketed as a summer release when it should have come out in the fall.
Ving Rames tells White Boy Bob he likes to shoot his big mouth off, and later Bob literally shoots himself.

Apex Mountain

Steaks in a fridge

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:33:02Read transcript

George Clooney: no; Ocean's 11 was his pinnacle.
Lopez's Apex probably came about two years later with an album and multimedia stardom.
Soderberg: no. Ving Rames: probably Pulp Fiction.
Elmore Leonard: Get Shorty stands out more from the decade and was more in the zeitgeist, though this is cooler.
Steaks in a fridge: yes.
Detroit: no; its Apex was the mid-80s with Isaiah Thomas, Axel Foley, Tommy Hearns, WrestleMania 3 at the Silver Dome and the Kronk Jim.
Detroit's cold look is compared to The Revenant; the snowy trip to Albert Brooks's house shows stunning suburbs.

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

10-episode Netflix show

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:39:54Read transcript

It would not be made as a movie now but would absolutely be a Netflix show, with an episode for Steve Zon's character, Rhames confessing to his sister, and Guzman's escape and backstory with his boyfriend.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Jennifer Lopez's Marino jersey; the lighter

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:42:33Read transcript

The Lopez Marino jersey, to hang up as game-worn.
The lighter, because you can buy one and tell everybody it is the Clooney lighter as a party trick.
No pick; the lighter is said to have had a much bigger role in the second 45 minutes because it had to be set up for the end. — Ryen Russillo

Who Won the Movie?

Steven Soderbergh

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:44:52Read transcript

The first answers given are Lopez and Soderberg.
Soderberg won because people thought he was a flash in the pan who couldn't make a commercial movie; without it he doesn't get Ocean's 11.
A two-tiered answer: Lopez wins the actual movie with the hardest job, but big picture Soderberg wins, since this didn't lead to the Lopez career that was wanted.
The movie cemented Clooney as a top movie star, yet none of them feel he won; it did the most for Soderberg, and with Sondafeld it would not have been the same movie. 'So Soderberg, we'll go with that.'

Podcast choices

Speaker not identified: Steven Soderbergh
Speaker not identified: Steven Soderbergh

More from the conversation

A Ringer network plug says there are over 175 Rewatchables episodes, all on Spotify, then a trailer cold open plays.

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Ryan Rucill and Bill Lawrence are introduced; Lawrence got the invite as a thank-you for being involved with Ted Lassow, called one of the speaker's favorite shows of 2019.

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Ted Lassow built slowly and was the speaker's first successful show where social media mattered.

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The guest was asked to send movie choices; Out of Sight, a 1998 favorite, was one.

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Reasons for the pick: a couple sweet spot, a James Garland style romantic comedy where you still feel cool, the speaker's wife loves it, and the first movie where the speaker noticed style such as freeze frames and orange Florida versus blue Detroit.

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For the answer it was Clooney breaking out of ER, Lopez crushing it, a movie you could get a girlfriend or wife to watch, and the Elmore Leonard link after Get Shorty.

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TV stars crossing into movies: Travolta's three-picture Stigwood deal, a star transcribed as a fair faucet, and Caruso leaving NYPD Blue for Jade and Kiss of Death.

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Clooney's early movie run (dust to dawn, One Fine Day, Batman and Robin, The Peacemaker) left the book on him as not a movie star.

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A network president doubted casting Ryan Reynolds in a Fox pilot doing quick wise-ass jokes before he became a movie star.

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The TV-to-film gap has closed; Zach Braff with Garden State and Jason Siegel are cited as late examples.

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Given the choice, a star turn in an awesome streaming TV show beats a good movie; the industry pushes actors that way.

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Iconic TV characters can trap actors, such as Matthew Perry's Chandler and John Hamm's Don Draper; Doug Ross is called one of the best TV characters of the last 30 years.

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The opening bank robbery, with no gun and a smile at the teller, is a movie-star scene only seven or eight actors of the last 30 years could pull off.

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Burt Reynolds charisma movies such as Starting Over are compared; Elmore Leonard protected his bad guys so the audience roots for them.

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Research says Soderberg had Clooney tone down a head-lowering smile move, which Clooney said helped him.

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Clooney's bad-luck background: Facts of Life, five auditions for the Thelma & Louise part that went to Brad Pitt, failed pilots, then ER; he loved Cagney, Bogart and McQueen-type bank robbers.

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Lopez is called amazing; her career was complicated by music, kids, bad scripts and rom-com pigeonholing, and this version of her was never attempted again.

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Believability holding a gun is a barometer; she is believed as a badass marshal navigating men throughout.

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The answer on Lopez: forgot how good she was, and says the others gave no love to The Wedding Planner.

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Her cop father and the Michael Keaton thread make her attraction to a bank robber believable, a delicate thing she pulls off.

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Her path after this, including G-Lee while dating Affleck and Jersey Girl, is called one of the worst career relationships for both; this is called the best role of her career.

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Hollywood Y anecdote: between pickup games Clooney said he was doing a second pilot called ER, while the other player called his new job, Friends, generic.

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Clooney scouting report: all-time good guy, loyal, not Hollywoody, a real ballplayer annoyed he had to look bad at basketball in the movie; Woody Harrelson plays 'actor ball'.

Approx. transcript time · 00:26:20Read transcript

Sexilize and Videotape was overwhelming; after a spotty stretch Soderberg chose to climb out of the 'art house ghetto', turning down a Charlie Coffin movie, Human Nature.

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A John Irving and Garp parallel: 'do what you have to to do what you want' is drawn from Soderberg's career.

Approx. transcript time · 00:31:53Read transcript

Florida is warm and orange while Detroit looks animated blue.

Approx. transcript time · 00:34:10Read transcript

It plays as a prequel to the Ocean's 11 movies in music and shots, and its many storylines and time jumps make the first 15 minutes move.

Approx. transcript time · 00:34:55Read transcript

The cast is a murderers' row: Clooney, Lopez, Bing Rames, Don Cheadle, Michael Keaton, Dennis Farina, Steve Zahn, Albert Brooks, Catherine Keener, Louise Guzman, Paul Calderon, Viola Davis, Sam Jackson and Nancy Allen as the maid.

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The film had Oscar nominations for adapted screenplay and editing and won neither.

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Rum Punch was picked up by its cover in high school, and Rob Harvilla wrote a Leonard piece; Get Shorty, Jackie Brown and this came within four or five years.

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Carl Hyacin was burned by the Strip Tees adaptation; the speaker is adapting his Bad Monkey at Apple.

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Isaiah Washington's menacing character is called the best performance of his career.

Approx. transcript time · 00:45:55Read transcript

Clooney's career took off once his hair started to turn a little gray and he looked older.

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The film had a $48 million budget and made $77 million.

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Closing: asked if he had fun, the reply is that it was so fun; a Garp rewatchables episode is teased, and the movie is on the Stars app.

Approx. transcript time · 01:45:59Read transcript