☆★☆★☆★☆★
The hosts discuss Roger Ebert’s four-star review and its description of the film as smart, funny, of its time, and a metaphor for 1980s avarice.
In the discussion (4)
- Ebert awarded the film four stars.
- The quoted review calls the movie smart and funny.
- The quoted review says Hollywood functions as a metaphor for 1980s avarice.
- The quoted review calls it the movie The Bonfire of the Vanities wanted to be.
Chevy Chase and John Travolta were considered for Griffin, and several cut cameos and cast relationships are discussed.
In the discussion (5)
- Chevy Chase wanted to play Griffin, but Warner Bros. rejected the idea.
- Robert Altman reportedly considered John Travolta for Griffin.
- The panel prefers Robbins and notes his early-1990s career run.
- Jeff Daniels golfing in surgical clothes and Patrick Swayze doing karate were filmed and cut.
- Greta Scacchi and Vincent D’Onofrio were in a relationship and had a daughter.
Robert De Niro for Fred Ward’s role is the strongest recasting proposal, alongside multiple ideas for Bonnie.
In the discussion (8)
- Robert De Niro is proposed for Fred Ward’s security-chief role.
- Jennifer Jason Leigh is proposed for Bonnie.
- Mary McDonnell is considered for Bonnie.
- Holly Hunter is considered for Bonnie.
- Joan Cusack is considered for Bonnie.
- Annabella Sciorra is considered for Bonnie.
- Glenn Headly is considered for Bonnie.
- Lisa Kudrow is considered for Bonnie.
Production accounts cover the actors’ boundaries, improvisation, and Altman’s rationale for the film’s nudity.
In the discussion (4)
- Greta Scacchi reportedly negotiated limits on nudity.
- Burt Reynolds reportedly improvised material during the opening shot.
- Altman reportedly explained Cynthia Stevenson’s nude scene as part of exposing Hollywood’s power imbalance.
- A Paul Newman anecdote is quoted to illustrate performers negotiating exposure and control.
The panel raises visibility, investigation, postcard, drug-use, and motive problems.
In the discussion (7)
- June seemingly fails to recognize Griffin through a window despite having seen him.
- David Kahane appears unusually informed about studio operations.
- The objection is partly withdrawn because trade coverage could explain his knowledge.
- Details of the murder appear to circulate implausibly quickly.
- The threatening postcards stop for roughly a year without a satisfying practical explanation.
- The movie is said to contain too little cocaine for its Hollywood setting.
- The blackmailing writer’s motive is unclear: credit, acknowledgment, a screenplay sale, or cosmic justice.
The formal question asks whether Altman saw the future of movies, leading to a broader discussion of recurring industry crises and artistic risk moving to television.
In the discussion (6)
- Did Altman see the future of movies?
- The panel answers yes and cites Griffin’s transparently hollow gala speech.
- The panel notes that declarations of cinema’s death recur across decades.
- Recent movies are defended as good even as viewing shifts toward home platforms.
- The Underground Railroad is cited as ambitious work that struggled to break through.
- Television is described as a place where established creators can take larger swings.
Roger Ebert's review