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Crazy, Stupid, Love poster

Crazy, Stupid, Love

year 2011decade 10sdirector Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Ryan Gosling Jacob
Emma Stone Hannah
Lio Tipton Jessica
Marisa Tomei Kate Tafferty
Kevin Bacon David Lindhagen
Jonah Bobo Robbie Weaver
John Carroll Lynch Bernie Riley
Josh Groban Richard
Joey King Molly Weaver
Beth Littleford Claire Riley
Julianna Guill Madison
Crystal Reed Amy Johnson
Dan Butler Cal’s boss
Mekia Cox Tiffany
Reggie Lee Officer Huang

Crazy, Stupid, Love | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Van Lathanguest Mina Kimes
Explore episodeClose episode

Producer credits not yet identified.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Better chemistry than La La Land; Stone’s inevitable rise; marriage halftime disputed

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:17:49Read transcript
  • Mina’s early hottest take is that Gosling and Stone have better chemistry here, and a better romantic scene, than in La La Land.
  • An early hottest-take discussion treats Stone’s rise as visibly inevitable, comparing early Streep, Roberts and Cruise breakthroughs; Superbad is defended as an immediate star signal.
  • Van’s hottest take asks whether marriage needs a halftime. The others challenge the analogy because cheating was not mutual consent and one partner might prefer separation; nine partners makes reconciliation harder.
  • The marriage-halftime debate also considers Cal’s complacency and contrasts the film’s reunion with real-life returns after disappointing dating experiences.

The Craig Century Club

About eight to ten minutes shorter

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:47Read transcript
  • Craig judges 118 minutes about eight to ten minutes too long, suggesting trims to Robbie/babysitter material and the school-speech setup; two simultaneous romances justify some extra length.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

Pickup artistry; cast career moment; metrosexual style; babysitter transport; Twilight; phones; photo plot

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:00Read transcript
  • The pickup-artist character is treated as a period marker. Mina argues his approach is less harsh than The Game, while others point to explicit negging; the disagreement remains.
  • Most-2011 choices include the cast’s career moment and Jacob’s metrosexual styling; the reversal of fashion makes Cal’s original loose clothing more current.
  • Driving the teenage babysitter home is proposed as a 2011 marker, with rideshare as the current alternative; a personal callback follows.
  • Further 2011 markers are Twilight alone, the Moore/Kutcher text, an older phone, answering machines and the babysitter-photo plot.

What’s Aged the Best?

Divorce loyalties; Century City Mall; Los Angeles; performances; Scarlet Letter and pole-dancing jokes; slang

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:11Read transcript
  • Jacob’s account of his parents explains his behavior and why Cal reminds him of someone, praised as an effective interlocking script rather than forced exposition.
  • Choosing sides after a couple’s divorce ages well and prompts a proposed game-show idea.
  • Westfield Century City Mall is strongly praised as aged best, alongside the film’s Valley/Los Angeles setting; the attraction ranking is not a complete top-ten list.
  • Jonah Bobo’s performance, Bacon’s romantic-antagonist skill, the Scarlet Letter complaint and the pole-dancing line are aged-best choices.
  • The use of cuckold and bang and the small jokes age well, while saying nobody uses cuckold anymore ages poorly.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:48Read transcript
  • Ebert’s three-star review is explicitly stated; budget and box office are reported before a mixed-segment ad break.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The Dirty Dancing romantic sequence

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:51Read transcript
  • Scene candidates include the divorce/car exit and Jacob meeting Hannah. Lady Bird is compared to the car exit; Jacob’s confidence under rejection divides interpretation.
  • The friends choosing sides in divorce and John Carroll Lynch’s breakup scene are praised as an underexplored social dynamic.
  • The male makeover montage is praised for humor, effective styling and Cal’s renewed self-respect; other makeover films are compared and the already-attractive-woman trope criticized. Carell changing weight is explicitly speculation.
  • Scene candidates include pickup training, Robbie raising Bacon’s chair, Tomei’s bar encounter and the teacher reveal. Tomei receives a playful long-term-crush honor.
  • Hannah returning to Jacob’s house is praised for the Dirty Dancing lift, humor, surprising vulnerability and a believable connection built in minutes; whether they have sex remains inferred rather than shown.
  • The actors’ chemistry prompts discussion of on-set relationships and spouses, including Mr. & Mrs. Smith as a comparison; speculation is not film fact.
  • The converging backyard fight and Bacon’s arrival are praised. The graduation speech is rejected by one host as too sweet, with other school-ending films discussed.
  • The romantic Dirty Dancing sequence wins the scene majority, with a dissenting preference for the backyard fight.
  • A late scene candidate is Cal’s nighttime phone call while looking through the window; Talking Heads during lawn watering is an additional needle-drop choice, with no song title stated here.

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

The Time of My Life; Talking Heads during lawn watering

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:32Read transcript
  • The Dirty Dancing song The Time of My Life wins needle drop before an ad break.
  • A late scene candidate is Cal’s nighttime phone call while looking through the window; Talking Heads during lawn watering is an additional needle-drop choice, with no song title stated here.

Van Lathan Award for Did This Movie Need More Black People?

A Black David Lindhagen

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:42Read transcript
  • Van says the film needs a Black David Lindhagen. Idris Elba and Taye Diggs are deemed too handsome, Ice-T rejected, and Keenen Ivory Wayans and Giancarlo Esposito proposed.
  • Esposito is disputed as too sinister; Underwood, Haysbert and Chris Rock are considered, with age and scene-dominance objections. Bacon’s ordinary likability is defended.

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

The Wingman; The Makeover; How to Pick Up Women; original title defended

Flex pick · Mina Kimes

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:27Read transcript
  • Mina explicitly selects the better-title flex, criticizing the title and misleading poster. Carell’s reported objection and working title The Wingman are discussed.
  • Van defends the title’s narrative progression. Alternative titles are The Makeover and How to Pick Up Women, the latter a double meaning for the lift.

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

Babysitter plot; the shared pickup bar

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:47Read transcript
  • Weak-link choices include the babysitter plot and the shared bar where Hannah never encounters Cal; the mixed-age pickup setting is doubted.
  • Van and Bill describe discomfort being older than colleagues at bars, reinforcing objections to Jacob repeatedly using the same venue.
  • Phoenix is proposed as a more plausible recasting city. The babysitter’s photos and crush on unkempt Cal are criticized, with the historical framing and online consequences discussed.
  • The hosts discuss changes in dating, fear of public rejection and social-media exposure, while Mina gives a qualified nostalgic defense of Jacob’s approach.

Recasting Couch

Phoenix; Scottsdale; Irvine

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:07Read transcript
  • Phoenix is proposed as a more plausible recasting city. The babysitter’s photos and crush on unkempt Cal are criticized, with the historical framing and online consequences discussed.
  • No Casting What-Ifs were found. Tomei clearly wins Dion Waiters. Phoenix, Scottsdale or Irvine are proposed recasting locations, with warm-weather shopping as a constraint.

Top Five List

1. Billy Dee Williams in Lady Sings the Blues; 2. Pitt in Legends of the Fall; 3. Smith in Hitch; 4. Gosling in Drive; 5. Tate in Love Jones

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:11Read transcript
  • Van’s Damn He Got It list has five ranks: Larenz Tate in Love Jones fifth, Gosling in Drive fourth, Will Smith in Hitch third, Brad Pitt in Legends of the Fall second and Billy Dee Williams in Lady Sings the Blues first. Other Pitt roles are alternatives, not his selected entry.
  • Redford and Clooney are additional examples; a debate compares Clooney’s fame and film choices with Gosling’s, then discusses late-blooming actors.
  • Van recalls his father admiring Billy Dee Williams; the hosts discuss men openly acknowledging other men’s attractiveness and remember Colt 45 ads.

Casting What-Ifs

No alternatives found

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:23:47Read transcript
  • No Casting What-Ifs were found. Tomei clearly wins Dion Waiters. Phoenix, Scottsdale or Irvine are proposed recasting locations, with warm-weather shopping as a constraint.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Lift double; Stone’s injury; similar actor ages; Valley locations

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:21Read transcript
  • Research reports Stone’s childhood injury causing panic during the lift, requiring a double, her near-identical age to the babysitter actor and multiple Valley filming locations.

Apex Mountain

Singles bars; car exits; vodka cranberries; Dirty Dancing homages; Gosling qualified

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:34Read transcript
  • Gosling’s apex is disputed among the 2011 double, La La Land and Barbie; Stone is assigned a later peak, with La La Land suggested. An annual multi-film acting MVP is proposed.
  • Moore and Carell are assigned earlier peaks. Singles bars in recent films, car exits and vodka cranberries as a plot device receive affirmative apex answers; a claimed Carell Sunshine nomination remains a podcast claim pending correction.
  • Drink preferences interrupt apex. Dirty Dancing homages get a yes, while Century City Mall is assigned its current peak rather than 2011.

Cruise or Hanks?

Cruise as Jacob; Hanks as Cal

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:56Read transcript
  • Hanks is the initial choice, but young Cruise as Jacob wins support; a combined Cruise/Jacob and Hanks/Cal casting is accepted.

Best Hang / Worst Hang

Best: Hannah; worst: babysitter

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:35:41Read transcript
  • Spielberg is preferred; Hannah is best hang and the babysitter worst hang.

Picking Nits

Shared bar; babysitter necessity and crush; Emily’s hypocrisy; lift double

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:09Read transcript
  • Nitpicks revisit the shared bar, question why an eighth-grader needs a babysitter and doubt her crush on Cal; childcare norms and Mina’s babysitting experience offer context.
  • Further nitpicks are Emily’s hypocrisy and the visible lift double. Prestige television is considered viable, with a concern it would work better as a film and The Burbs series as a comparison.

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

Prestige television, with reservations

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:57Read transcript
  • Further nitpicks are Emily’s hypocrisy and the visible lift double. Prestige television is considered viable, with a concern it would work better as a film and The Burbs series as a comparison.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Skipped

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:09Read transcript
  • Better With is explicitly skipped because no usable idea was prepared; Stephen A. entering the set was considered but abandoned, not a completed selection or permanent category retirement.

Just One Oscar

Screenplay; Carell; Gosling

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:00Read transcript
  • One-Oscar choices split between the script/Carell and Gosling. Gosling is argued stronger than some contemporary supporting nominees, with comedy bias criticized.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Babysitter photos; character ages; Jacob’s job, wealth, routine and physique

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:50Read transcript
  • Unanswerable questions revisit the babysitter photos and confusing character ages. The hosts distinguish Robbie’s plausible crush from the implausible photo gift and debate what the script needed for the fight.
  • Jacob’s job, inherited wealth, daily routine and heavy drinking versus physique are questioned; workout and trust-fund explanations remain speculative.

Best Double Feature

Crazy, Stupid, Love poster
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Poster unavailable
La La Land

Picked by Mina Kimes

Poster unavailable
Pretty Woman
Poster unavailable
Focus
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:46:45Read transcript
  • Mina chooses La La Land for double feature to compare the leads’ chemistry.
  • Pretty Woman is another double-feature choice, with its shopping scene and a Wonder Man callback discussed.
  • Focus is a double-feature choice based on the directors and chemistry; a debate considers Will Smith’s career and the film’s modest reception.

Who Won the Movie?

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:32Read transcript
  • Gosling receives the first selection.
  • A second answer also chooses Gosling.
  • A third answer agrees and calls it his movie.
  • His tendency to dominate his films leads to The Big Short as a possible exception, qualified by its ensemble cast and his scene-stealing work.
Podcast choices
Speaker not identified
Ryan Gosling
Speaker not identified
Ryan Gosling
Speaker not identified
Ryan Gosling

Producer review

A defining generational rom-com

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:49:58Read transcript
  • The movie is called the defining romantic comedy of a generation. — Craig Horlbeck
  • The release year is corrected to 2011, which coincided with the reviewer turning seventeen.
  • Gosling’s sunglasses, haircut, clothes, physique and approach to women strongly influenced the teenage viewer; the expensive sunglasses were found but not purchased. — Craig Horlbeck
  • Old fashioneds join the list of influences, followed by enthusiasm for Gosling and Stone as a couple and for La La Land.
  • The enthusiastic response is contrasted with disliking Death Wish.

More from the conversation

Bill introduces Van Lathan and guest Mina Kimes; Van and Mina’s shared meal led to choosing this film.
Approx. transcript time · 00:01:01Read transcript
Mina places Crazy, Stupid, Love among three favorite airplane rewatches with Mean Girls and Edge of Tomorrow, praising scenes that reward attention while allowing breaks.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:53Read transcript
The date-movie and airplane appeal, Gosling/Stone pairing and converging plots are praised; Playing by Heart is a comparison, and Nana dialogue disguises Hannah’s identity.
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:01Read transcript
Fogelman’s writing and Ficarra/Requa’s work prompt recommendations for Paradise and Patriot plus discussion of their recognizable style.
Approx. transcript time · 00:06:37Read transcript
Carell’s career and acting strengths are debated: emotional disorientation, secret handsomeness and innate goodness make Cal credible, while The Morning Show’s villainous role divides opinion.
Approx. transcript time · 00:07:44Read transcript
Craig describes Carell as a defining generational performer; the discussion distinguishes Michael Scott’s incompetence from malice and considers escaping television typecasting.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:49Read transcript
Van describes discovering Gosling through The Notebook and Half Nelson and praises the range culminating in Drive and this film in 2011.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:19Read transcript
Gosling’s chemistry with scene partners and Stone’s early run are praised. Her later Streep-like career and Yorgos collaborations divide preferences; her vulnerability in the romantic scene is singled out.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:22Read transcript
Bill’s Oscar-points system frames Stone’s early achievements and prompts sports analogies, Brady digressions and debate over a future third Oscar; La La Land’s director distinction corrects the Yorgos analogy.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:38Read transcript
Craig calls Stone and Gosling his generation’s Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks and praises Stone’s move from Superbad to Easy A.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:55Read transcript
Tyson’s early volume becomes an analogy for Stone’s many varied roles before Easy A; broad appeal and willingness to look foolish are praised.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:29Read transcript
Stone’s adventurous television and film work prompts a playful Mina/ESPN analogy, then a transition to Cruella.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:13Read transcript
Cruella is praised despite its commercial premise, followed by discussion of Moore’s varied mother roles and The Kids Are All Right.
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:11Read transcript
Tomei’s A Different World role, lasting appeal and career return prompt a Noah Wyle comparison and Untamed Heart recollections.
Approx. transcript time · 00:42:05Read transcript
The idealized bar atmosphere and the movie’s influence on men avoiding straws prompt discussion.
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:02Read transcript
Josh Groban and Karolina Wydra’s smaller parts are recalled, leading to mixed opinions on Pluribus.
Approx. transcript time · 01:51:49Read transcript
A television digression discusses the JFK Jr. show, its styling, portrayal of Daryl Hannah and memories of Kennedy’s celebrity.
Approx. transcript time · 01:52:33Read transcript
Mina’s combine travel and years-long request close the episode. CR Month and Sicario are future announcements, not a theme tag for this episode; producer thanks remain subject to identity evidence.
Approx. transcript time · 01:54:35Read transcript