‹ All movies

The Rewatchables ·

Before Sunrise

year 1995decade 90sdirector Richard Linklatergenre Romancegenre Drama
host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Sean Fennessey
All 36 categories

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award · 1:09:41

Jesse anticipating live streaming

Bill Simmons: Jesse's proposed 24/7 public-access feed is compared to YouTube, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.

Bill Simmons: A host argues that ordinary indie films should have character crossovers rather than leaving shared universes to comic-book movies.

The film

Before Sunrise (1995)

Directed by Richard Linklater · Romance

101 minutes

IMDb Letterboxd Find on JustWatch Rotten Tomatoes
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ethan Hawke Jesse
Julie Delpy Céline
Andrea Eckert Wife on Train
Hanno Pöschl Husband on Train
Karl Bruckschwaiger Guy on Bridge
Tex Rubinowitz Guy on Bridge
Erni Mangold Palm Reader
Dominik Castell Street Poet
Harald Waiglein Guitarist in Club
Bilge Jeschim Belly Dancer

Everything from the episode

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

35:27

Roger Ebert's review
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:27Read transcript
  • The podcast explicitly states that Roger Ebert gave Before Sunrise three stars. — Bill Simmons
  • Ebert calls the story a nicer, sweeter, gentler version of a scenario that has happened millions of times. — Bill Simmons
  • Ebert frames the film as a Generation X love affair whose leads stand outside their generation's insistence on boredom. — Bill Simmons
  • Ebert describes Julie Delpy as beautiful, warm, and matter-of-fact. — Bill Simmons
  • Ebert says Linklater is interested in ordinary time, people crossing paths, conversation, and uncertain philosophies.
  • Ebert’s age of 53 prompts discussion of whether an older critic would grasp this Gen X romance; it is said to work for older viewers now. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More Roger Ebert's review answers
37:14

Perfect Age to See This Movie

After freshman year of college; 24; 23

After freshman year of college; 24; 23

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:14Read transcript
  • The summer after freshman year of college is proposed, before having too much travel experience to criticize Jesse’s choices. — Chris Ryan
  • Age24 matches the characters; seeing it at14–15 supplied a useful romantic playbook but is not called the best age. — Sean Fennessey
  • Age23 is the remaining choice, balancing idealism with developed conversational moves; the film still works for older viewers. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Perfect Age to See This Movie answers
38:57

Most Rewatchable Scene

Listening booth (two choices); first train conversation (one choice)

Listening booth (two choices); first train conversation (one choice)

In the discussion (16)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:57Read transcript
  • The opening argument between an older couple works as a thematic introduction to the series. — Bill Simmons
  • The translation reveals that the couple are trading accusations about alcohol and marriage. — Bill Simmons
  • Jesse's time-machine pitch persuading Celine to leave the train is praised as smart and funny. — Bill Simmons
  • The hosts report that Delpy helped shape a pitch she believed would actually get Celine off the train. — Bill Simmons
  • The long one-shot bus conversation about souls is praised both for Jesse's theory and the uninterrupted staging.
  • The listening booth is selected as a winner because the wordless scene lets the actors' glances carry the attraction. — Bill Simmons
  • Linklater reportedly withheld the song so Hawke and Delpy would hear it for the first time during the take. — Bill Simmons
  • The Ferris wheel and amusement-park material, including the kiss, are nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • The fortune teller and the question of love versus excelling at one thing are praised.
  • The street poet and his poem are nominated as a sweet, effective encounter. — Bill Simmons
  • The imaginary phone calls are praised as a charming device that should not work but does.
  • Jesse talking the bartender into giving them a bottle of wine is nominated despite practical questions.
  • Celine's idea that intimacy grows from knowing another person's habits is highlighted as idealistic wisdom. — Bill Simmons
  • The goodbye, park sequence, trains, and empty locations revisited at dawn form another leading ending choice. — Bill Simmons
  • The first train conversation is selected for its naturalistic progression from awkwardness to connection. — Sean Fennessey
  • The cutaway that leaves sex unresolved, followed by the harpsichord window and imagined photograph, is a smaller final nominee. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More Most Rewatchable Scene answers
53:35

What’s Aged the Best?

Train settings; Jesse’s conversational bits; Hawke–Linklater collaboration; actor co-writing; Vienna; French-girl arc...

Train settings; Jesse’s conversational bits; Hawke–Linklater collaboration; actor co-writing; Vienna; French-girl archetype; aging-with-the-characters sequels; Cemetery of the Nameless; June 1994 setting; lines about loss and connection

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:53:35Read transcript
  • Train travel and Jesse's rehearsed conversational theories are praised as central pleasures.
  • Jesse's childhood story is connected to the later Boyhood, making Hawke and Linklater's collaboration feel continuous. — Chris Ryan
  • The European train-pass experience is recommended as an enduring form of travel. — Sean Fennessey
  • Casting actors who can write and letting them shape the characters is described as a sophisticated filmmaking method. — Sean Fennessey
  • Vienna in summer and the film's French-girl archetype remain appealing.
  • Sequels that let characters age in real time are praised as a rare, still potent device. — Bill Simmons
  • The Cemetery of the Nameless is praised as an evocative place and idea. — Chris Ryan
  • The story's June 16–17, 1994 dates place the farewell on the day of the O. J. Simpson chase, World Cup opener, Knicks-Rockets Game 5, Rangers parade, and Arnold Palmer's final U.S. Open round. — Bill Simmons
  • The line about realizing how little an ex thinks about you is singled out as painfully universal. — Bill Simmons
  • The film's claim that magic lies in trying to understand another person is treated as its central wisdom. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More What’s Aged the Best? answers
57:59

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Céline in Jesse’s lap; Jesse against Vienna architecture; wet cobblestone descent; ending

Céline in Jesse’s lap; Jesse against Vienna architecture; wet cobblestone descent; ending

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:59Read transcript
  • Celine with her head in Jesse's lap before the Archduke Albrecht statue is nominated.
  • Jesse sitting on the railing against the building is nominated for the composition.
  • The wet cobblestone descent is praised for its Michael Mann-like texture.
  • The ending is also nominated.
Share this discussion More The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot answers
58:47

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

Kath Bloom’s listening-booth song

Kath Bloom’s listening-booth song

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:47Read transcript
  • The Kath Bloom song in the listening booth is selected immediately. — Chris Ryan
  • The closing sonata and several classical pieces are alternatives. — Chris Ryan
Share this discussion More The Slow Ride / Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness Award for Best Needle Drop answers
59:00

Sean Fennessey Award for Stealth Homage That Gives Every Movie Nerd a Criterion Orgasm

The Third Man’s Prater Ferris wheel

The Third Man’s Prater Ferris wheel

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:00Read transcript
  • The Vienna Ferris wheel is identified as the same landmark used in The Third Man. — Bill Simmons
  • The listening booth is proposed as another film-history echo. — Bill Simmons
  • A later Mission: Impossible listening-booth scene is discussed as an echo forward from Before Sunrise.
Share this discussion More Sean Fennessey Award for Stealth Homage That Gives Every Movie Nerd a Criterion Orgasm answers
1:00:07

Chest Rockwell / Brock Landers Award for Best Character Name

Céline

Céline

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:07Read transcript
  • Celine is the immediate and unanimous answer. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Chest Rockwell / Brock Landers Award for Best Character Name answers
1:01:37

Jesse in Before Sunrise Award for the Character Who Should Have Smoked but Didn’t

Jesse; probably Céline too

Jesse; probably Céline too

The panel proposes a new category here.

Flex pick · Chris Ryan

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:37Read transcript
  • Chris explicitly selects the category as his flex after Bill invites him to restore a cut category. — Chris Ryan
  • Chris remembers Jesse as a smoker and argues that Hawke's real-life smoking makes the omission puzzling. — Chris Ryan
  • The 1995 European setting and the smoking poet make the absence of cigarettes especially conspicuous.
  • The lack of smoking now makes the movie feel unexpectedly modern.
  • Julie Delpy is also proposed as someone who would plausibly smoke. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Jesse in Before Sunrise Award for the Character Who Should Have Smoked but Didn’t answers
1:03:37

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

Closing song — tentative

Closing song — tentative

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:37Read transcript
  • No actor is identified as a weak link, and two participants say they have none. — Bill Simmons
  • Bill considers whether the closing song could have made the film feel more specifically 1995. — Bill Simmons
  • The Jayhawks' “Blue” and Green Day's “Good Riddance” are rejected alternatives. — Bill Simmons
  • The Innocence Mission's “Bright as Yellow” is Bill's proposed replacement. — Bill Simmons
  • Bill concedes that the original song helps keep the movie timeless and that his answer is forced. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film answers
1:05:02

What’s Aged the Worst?

Screenwriting-credit and pay disputes

Screenwriting-credit and pay disputes

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:02Read transcript
  • Julie Delpy's later dispute over screenwriting credit is the only serious negative raised. — Bill Simmons
  • A pay-gap discussion is acknowledged but not treated as a flaw in the movie itself. — Bill Simmons
  • The phone-free wandering and asking strangers for help would unfold very differently now. — Sean Fennessey
  • The lack of navigation apps makes the movie feel more fantastical today than in 1995. — Sean Fennessey
  • A younger viewer finding the movie too talkative is offered as a contemporary reception example, not a settled defect. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More What’s Aged the Worst? answers
1:07:50

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

No strong choice; poet and palm reader tentative

No strong choice; poet and palm reader tentative

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:50Read transcript
  • The hosts initially say the movie has no overacting candidate.
  • The street poet and palm reader are floated, then defended as appropriately distinctive.
Share this discussion More The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award answers
1:08:14

The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location

Prater amusement park and Ferris wheel

Prater amusement park and Ferris wheel

Flex pick · Sean Fennessey

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:14Read transcript
  • The Vienna amusement park and Ferris wheel are identified as the scene-stealing location. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More The Den of Thieves Benihana Award for Scene-Stealing Location answers
1:08:28

George Ellerby “Two Weeks with Pay” Award for Character Who Should Have Been Fired

Bartender

Bartender

Flex pick · Sean Fennessey

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:08:28Read transcript
  • The bartender gives away a bottle because Jesse promises to send money later. — Sean Fennessey
  • Jesse never receives the bartender’s address needed to repay him.
  • The bottle is assumed to be cheap and possibly twist-off because Jesse has no opener. — Bill Simmons
  • The borrowed glasses raise an additional hygiene objection.
Share this discussion More George Ellerby “Two Weeks with Pay” Award for Character Who Should Have Been Fired answers
1:09:41

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Jesse anticipating live streaming; Gen X indie crossover universe; more romantic than Casablanca, Gone with the Wind ...

Jesse anticipating live streaming; Gen X indie crossover universe; more romantic than Casablanca, Gone with the Wind or Titanic

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:41Read transcript
  • Jesse's proposed 24/7 public-access feed is compared to YouTube, Instagram Reels, and TikTok. — Bill Simmons
  • A host argues that ordinary indie films should have character crossovers rather than leaving shared universes to comic-book movies. — Bill Simmons
  • Grover from Kicking and Screaming is imagined passing through Vienna after Prague. — Bill Simmons
  • Characters from Singles and Barcelona are offered as more Gen X crossover possibilities.
  • A White Shadow/St. Elsewhere crossover is recalled as a television example. — Bill Simmons
  • Before Sunrise is called more romantic than Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, and Titanic because it needs no life-and-death stakes. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award answers
1:12:23

Casting What-Ifs

Jennifer Aniston; Gwyneth Paltrow; Sadie Frost; Michael Vartan

Jennifer Aniston; Gwyneth Paltrow; Sadie Frost; Michael Vartan

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:12:23Read transcript
  • Jennifer Aniston and Paltrow are reported as auditioning for Celine. — Sean Fennessey
  • Michael Vartan was the other finalist for Jesse opposite Ethan Hawke.
  • Sadie Frost is identified as the other female finalist. — Bill Simmons
  • Vartan is judged blander than Hawke and less suited to the role's strong personality. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More Casting What-Ifs answers
1:13:36

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Street poet (two choices); palm reader (one choice)

Street poet (two choices); palm reader (one choice)

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:36Read transcript
  • The two men inviting Jesse and Celine to their play are nominated. — Bill Simmons
  • The palm reader, street poet, and benevolent bartender complete the candidate list.
  • Two responses choose the poet, praising the poem and its effect on the couple. — Chris Ryan
  • Another chooses the palm reader and notes the actress's long Austrian career. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance answers
1:13:36

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

No choice

No choice

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:13:36Read transcript
  • No That Guy is identified because the Vienna cast is unfamiliar. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award answers
1:14:08

Recasting Couch

Boston

Boston

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:08Read transcript
  • The category is explicitly reframed as recasting the city. — Chris Ryan
  • A Boston bartender would reject Jesse's request for free wine and the O. J. chase would be on television.
  • The pair would be stranded by Amtrak and walk from Back Bay through Beacon Hill. — Bill Simmons
  • The imagined Boston version visits the North End, Newbury Comics, and the Middle East. — Bill Simmons
  • The date ends with an argument and Jesse being punched by a former college football player. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Recasting Couch answers
1:15:25

“OK, Motherfucker” Award for When the Movie Goes Up a Notch

Listening booth

Listening booth

Flex pick · Bill Simmons

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:25Read transcript
  • The newly introduced category is explicitly selected as a flex choice. — Bill Simmons
  • The listening-booth scene is the winner and is called a successful test drive for the category. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More “OK, Motherfucker” Award for When the Movie Goes Up a Notch answers
1:18:23

Half-Assed Internet Research

Lead characters’ books; real encounter; Cemetery of the Nameless; San Antonio draft; final train shot; Kath Bloom; Ul...

Lead characters’ books; real encounter; Cemetery of the Nameless; San Antonio draft; final train shot; Kath Bloom; Ulysses parallels

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:23Read transcript
  • Celine's book is attributed to an author transcribed as George Bastille or Gertr Batea, while Jesse reads Klaus Kinski's memoir All I Need Is Love. — Bill Simmons
  • Linklater reportedly based the movie on a 1989 night walking around Philadelphia with a woman whose name is transcribed as Amy Lairthopped. — Bill Simmons
  • The woman died in a motorcycle accident before the movie’s release, and Linklater did not learn of her death until 2010. — Bill Simmons
  • The cemetery is identified as Vienna's Cemetery of the Nameless. — Bill Simmons
  • An early version was set in San Antonio and centered on a film-obsessed man; River Walk is interjected as a joke. — Bill Simmons
  • The final train shot had to be synchronized precisely and reportedly succeeded on the planned take. — Bill Simmons
  • Kath Bloom's appearance helped produce renewed attention and later album releases. — Bill Simmons
  • Before Sunrise and Ulysses both unfold on June 16 during a journey through one city. — Bill Simmons
  • Jesse's real name James, graveyard visit, European wandering, and the Kath/Molly Bloom echo are presented as further Ulysses parallels. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Half-Assed Internet Research answers
1:21:54

Apex Mountain

Eurail trains; Austrian palm readers; littering; Kath Bloom; Cemetery of the Nameless; listening booths disputed

Eurail trains; Austrian palm readers; littering; Kath Bloom; Cemetery of the Nameless; listening booths disputed

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:54Read transcript
  • Hawke's apex is debated as Reality Bites followed by a re-apex at Training Day. — Bill Simmons
  • Boyhood and the Purge/Sinister period are proposed as a third Hawke wave strengthened by his public storytelling. — Sean Fennessey
  • Julie Delpy's apex is placed at Before Sunset. — Sean Fennessey
  • Eurail trains, Austrian palm readers, and the film's conspicuous littering are easy answers. — Sean Fennessey
  • Vienna is compared with The Third Man and a Billy Joel song as a cultural apex.
  • The first date is compared with Neil and Eadie in Heat and Colin Farrell and Gongley in Miami Vice.
  • The film is called a powerful date movie that can expose a weak relationship.
  • Gen X is placed around 1994–95, with Reality Bites and Kicking and Screaming as reference points. — Bill Simmons
  • The listening booth is compared to Philip Seymour Hoffman hearing jazz in The Talented Mr. Ripley. — Sean Fennessey
  • Kath Bloom and the Cemetery of the Nameless receive direct apex answers. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Apex Mountain answers
1:26:26

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise (two choices); Hanks (one choice)

Cruise (two choices); Hanks (one choice)

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:26Read transcript
  • Cruise is favored for his motor-mouth energy and is imagined making the Vienna night hilariously intense.
  • Cocktail and Jerry McGuire are cited as evidence that Cruise could handle extended romantic conversation. — Bill Simmons
  • Hanks is proposed as a plausible young alternative but judged less neurotic than Jesse.
  • The final tally is two votes for Cruise and one for Hanks.
Share this discussion More Cruise or Hanks? answers
1:29:22

Scorsese or Spielberg?

Scorsese

Scorsese

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:22Read transcript
  • Scorsese is the first answer based on After Hours and its single-night structure. — Sean Fennessey
  • Spielberg is considered for the movie's sentimentality and spiritualism.
  • The hosts would rather see Scorsese's version because Spielberg's version feels easier to predict. — Bill Simmons
  • They acknowledge that substituting either director is difficult because this is quintessential Linklater. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More Scorsese or Spielberg? answers
1:30:29

What role would Philip Seymour Hoffman play?

Street poet

Street poet

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:29Read transcript
  • The street poet is the immediate and final preferred role.
  • A mid-1990s Hoffman as Jesse is briefly test-driven. — Chris Ryan
  • One of the play actors is a secondary alternative.
Share this discussion More What role would Philip Seymour Hoffman play? answers
1:31:01

Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene?

Knicks–Rockets and O. J. chase; hacky sack; Austrian soccer

Knicks–Rockets and O. J. chase; hacky sack; Austrian soccer

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:01Read transcript
  • Racing to a television for Knicks-Rockets is the first proposed sports scene.
  • Jesse joining a hacky-sack game is the leading period-specific option.
  • A scene where Jesse dismisses Austrian soccer as unlikely to catch on in America is another option.
Share this discussion More Did This Movie Need a Random Sports Scene? answers
1:31:49

Blind Call to Russillo

No answer

No answer

The panel proposes a new category here.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:49Read transcript
  • A proposed recurring segment calls Russillo to ask whether he has seen the movie; the attempt reaches voicemail. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Blind Call to Russillo answers
1:32:22

Picking Nits

Leather jacket in June; body odor; missing bartender address; poor pinball; incorrect Playmate name

Leather jacket in June; body odor; missing bartender address; poor pinball; incorrect Playmate name

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:22Read transcript
  • Jesse wearing a leather jacket in Vienna in mid-June seems too warm.
  • Neither lead showers despite train and hostel travel, coffee, and a night of walking. — Sean Fennessey
  • The hosts debate whether people in the 1990s were simply more tolerant of body odor. — Sean Fennessey
  • Jesse never receives the bartender's address for repayment.
  • Both characters are conspicuously bad at pinball during an intimate conversation.
  • The film names the wrong July 1978 Playboy Playmate; the podcast identifies Karen Morton as the actual Playmate. — Bill Simmons
  • Karen Morton's credits in History of the World, Part I and Tommy Tutone's “867-5309/Jenny” video are reported as supporting research. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Picking Nits answers
1:34:54

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

Existing two sequels

Existing two sequels

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:54Read transcript
  • The hosts point to the two existing sequels as the complete answer. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake answers
1:34:54

Is This Movie Better With…?

Longlegs as palm reader; Wilford Brimley; Tony Romo; Daniel Plainview as poet; Tom Brady

Longlegs as palm reader; Wilford Brimley; Tony Romo; Daniel Plainview as poet; Tom Brady

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:54Read transcript
  • The category introduces a long list of recurring commentary personas and alternate performers. — Bill Simmons
  • Nell and Harley-Maze are included in the rapid-fire roster, but their identities are not safely resolved from the undiarized transcript. — Bill Simmons
  • Longlegs is requested as the fortune teller. — Chris Ryan
  • Wilford Brimley narrates Jesse's failed trip to Spain in the style of The Firm. — Chris Ryan
  • The Ferris-wheel seduction is performed as a football-broadcast call.
  • Daniel Plainview recites the street poem and turns it into a milkshake riff.
  • Tom Brady narrates Jesse's poise and the strength of his romantic offensive line.
Share this discussion More Is This Movie Better With…? answers
1:37:43

Just One Oscar

Richard Linklater — direction or shared screenplay

Richard Linklater — direction or shared screenplay

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:43Read transcript
  • Linklater is the initial answer; directing versus a shared screenplay award is left open.
  • The screenplay would recognize the shared authorship discussed by the hosts.
  • The next two trilogy films are noted as later screenplay nominees. — Bill Simmons
Share this discussion More Just One Oscar answers
1:38:03

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Sex; romantic grand gestures; Jesse’s writing; literary interpretation

Sex; romantic grand gestures; Jesse’s writing; literary interpretation

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:03Read transcript
  • Whether the couple had sex is raised, with the later film said to supply an answer. — Chris Ryan
  • The hosts wonder how many first dates copied Jesse's grand romantic gestures. — Chris Ryan
  • Bill says he made similarly grand gestures when he was younger. — Bill Simmons
  • Jesse becoming a novelist makes it puzzling that he never shows Celine any writing during the night. — Bill Simmons
  • Jesse's distrust of the poet is connected to his difficulty surrendering his own vulnerability.
  • The discussion turns into a question about a participant’s attraction to literary, metaphor-seeking characters despite his resistance to being one. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More Probably Unanswerable Questions answers
1:41:03

The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson

Connection for 24 hours over no connection; human connection as religion

Connection for 24 hours over no connection; human connection as religion

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:03Read transcript
  • A brief but real connection is valued over a life without connection.
  • Human connection is framed as the real religion of the world.
Share this discussion More The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson answers
1:41:16

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Street poem

Street poem

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:16Read transcript
  • The poem is the leading memorabilia choice. — Bill Simmons
  • The Kath Bloom album and wine bottle are additional desired objects. — Bill Simmons
  • The maroon turtleneck is rejected as an unwearable look. — Sean Fennessey
Share this discussion More What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie? answers
1:41:53

Best Double Feature

Before Sunset
Before Sunrise
Before Sunset
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:53Read transcript
Share this discussion More Best Double Feature answers
1:41:53

Who Won the Movie?

Richard Linklater

Richard Linklater

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:53Read transcript
Podcast choices
Share this discussion More Who Won the Movie? answers

More from the conversation

The hosts call Before Sunrise a perfectly aged Gen X classic and argue that it achieved everything it attempted.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:36Read transcript
Singles, Kicking and Screaming, and Reality Bites are grouped with Before Sunrise as 1990s emotional-philosophical hangout films.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:00Read transcript
The pre-internet setting is treated as a time capsule when chance meetings and lost phone numbers made connection feel fragile.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:07Read transcript
The leads' youth, lack of obligations, and ability to wander are presented as essential to the movie's romantic possibility.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:44Read transcript
Ethan Hawke's Reality Bites and Before Sunrise roles are described as central Gen X personas.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:59Read transcript
The episode deliberately treats Before Sunrise on its own while acknowledging the sequels.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:48Read transcript
The ending functions as a viewer test: expecting the reunion marks a romantic, while expecting failure marks a cynic.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:59Read transcript
The movie is praised for depicting awkward transitions after each romantic milestone rather than racing toward one final kiss or sex scene.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:41Read transcript
The ambiguous ending is compared with Kicking and Screaming and a newer film transcribed as “a Nora” (likely Anora, unresolved here).
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:44Read transcript
Jesse and Celine's theories are compared with the conversational philosophy in Slacker, Waking Life, and Dazed and Confused.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:39Read transcript
The film's central theme is described as connection: a life of work without giving oneself to another person remains empty.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:53Read transcript
Slacker, Singles, Reality Bites, Kicking and Screaming, Clerks, Before Sunrise, Mallrats, and Swingers form an unranked core of possible ultimate Gen X movies.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:48Read transcript
Linklater's direction is praised as nearly invisible, with long takes and repeated emotional or intellectual crescendos rather than conventional montage.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:23Read transcript
Before Sunrise, Reality Bites, and Alive are treated as Hawke's young-star foundation before Gattaca and Training Day.
Approx. transcript time · 00:27:11Read transcript
The film reportedly used extensive rehearsal and a screenplay that continued evolving with Hawke and Delpy's participation.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:01Read transcript
Linklater and Kim Krizan wrote the screenplay; Kim Krizan is also identified as the teacher in Dazed and Confused.
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:39Read transcript
The episode lists Before Sunrise among a remarkable 1995 Sundance group including The Usual Suspects, Kids, Safe, Party Girl, Little Odessa, Muriel's Wedding, and Crumb.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:06Read transcript
The podcast reports a $2.5 million budget and $22.5 million gross, while questioning the claim that it was the lowest-grossing movie to receive a sequel.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:09Read transcript
Ideal viewing-age choices are after freshman year of college, 24 and 23; seeing it at 14–15 supplied a romantic playbook but was explicitly not the ideal age.
Approx. transcript time · 00:37:14Read transcript
The listening-booth discussion includes unsupported speculation about the two actors' off-screen relationship; it is not retained as fact.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:32Read transcript
Michael Mann and Heat discussion after the flex category is tangential enthusiasm and not a Before Sunrise category result.
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:07Read transcript
The closing discussion argues that Hawke and Linklater's repeated work has an alchemical quality and that the Before trilogy may be Linklater's signature achievement.
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:53Read transcript