Kevin James nearly steals the movie from Will Smith.
The dance lesson is the central example; Tom Arnold in True Lies supplies the proposed category name.
The panel proposes a new category here.
In the discussion (2)
- Kevin James is proposed as nearly stealing scenes whenever he appears with Will Smith.
- The dance lesson is offered as the clearest example because Smith plays straight man while suppressing laughter.
☆★☆★☆★☆★
2.5 stars.
Roger Ebert calls it pleasant and undemanding but unnecessary, and says the third act runs on autopilot; the panel disputes his severity.
In the discussion (3)
- Roger Ebert’s two-and-a-half-star rating is reported.
- His review calls the movie pleasant and undemanding but questions its necessity and third act.
- The panel argues the third act does not lag badly and wants him to enjoy the movie more.
Dance lessons and first date; Albert attacking Hitch; opening principles; bar; jet skis; wedding.
All major set pieces are retained, with the dance-advice sequence receiving the strongest consensus.
In the discussion (26)
- The opening montage of Hitch’s principles is proposed.
- The broom metaphor is accepted as fine.
- The claim that communication is 30 percent tone and 60 percent body language is doubted.
- The rule that a woman’s best friend must approve is endorsed and debated through personal examples.
- The bar conversation and flashback are proposed.
- Michael Rapaport’s single-scene role and unclear brother-in-law connection are separate observations about the bar sequence.
- The Paula Patton bar appearance and her star potential receive extended praise.
- Albert quitting in the boardroom while Hitch coaches from behind a door is proposed.
- Hitch rescuing Eva Mendes’s character from Chip is proposed as a classic smooth entrance.
- The walkie-talkie invitation is proposed.
- The Sunday timing is praised as a calculated way around Friday and Saturday refusal.
- Hitch is said to use the walkie-talkie partly because Sara’s coworkers will hear and react.
- The Hudson River jet-ski portion of the date is proposed.
- The Ellis Island reveal is proposed for its surprising butcher joke and Hitch’s planning failure.
- The early dance montage is proposed.
- The allergy scene is proposed; later, the food-allergy material is said not to work.
- Albert’s Knicks date and attempted kiss are proposed.
- The apartment food fight is proposed.
- The food fight is separately criticized as aggression that would not play the same way now.
- Speed dating is proposed.
- A reported post-pandemic speed-dating resurgence undercuts the idea that the activity is purely a 2005 relic.
- Will Smith and Eva Mendes are compared to two hot aliens placed among the speed-dating losers.
- Hitch pleading for Albert on Allegra’s boat is proposed.
- The wedding and end-credit dancing are proposed.
- Hitch pleading Albert’s case before Albert attacks him is selected as the funniest moment.
- The dance lesson intercut with Albert’s first date is the consensus selection.
Jet skis on the Hudson River.
The New York imagery is praised as fresh and post-9/11 restorative.
In the discussion (1)
- The Hudson River jet-ski sequence is selected for its view of New York.
Stephon Marbury at a Knicks game; a thriving gossip tabloid; Michael Rapaport as the rom-com buddy.
Dating across large attractiveness gaps and Rapaport’s reduced role are additional period markers.
In the discussion (3)
- Stephon Marbury in a Knicks uniform is selected.
- Michael Rapaport as the rom-com friend is proposed.
- Men being coached to pursue women presented as far out of their league is proposed as a mid-2000s dynamic.
Will Smith being smooth; Vance Munson; a rom-com playing inside the rom-com.
The smooth rescue of Sara, the villain’s purity, and Jerry Maguire are retained separately.
In the discussion (3)
- Will Smith’s smooth moments, especially rescuing Sara from Chip, are selected.
- Vance Munson is selected as an enjoyably pure villain.
- Sara watching Jerry Maguire inside this romantic comedy is selected.
Vance Munson.
The name fits the character’s immediate villainous presence.
In the discussion (1)
- Vance Munson is selected.
Jeffrey Donovan; Hitch’s respectful advice; teaching people to interact; camera phones.
The walkie-talkie gambit and intentionally corny aphorisms receive divided reactions.
In the discussion (6)
- Jeffrey Donovan appearing in a romantic comedy is praised.
- The walkie-talkie trick is praised even while acknowledged as implausible now.
- The lie-steal-cheat-drink aphorism is enjoyed as intentional corniness by one side and rejected by another.
- Camera phones are praised for becoming vastly more capable.
- A movie about teaching isolated people to interact is judged more relevant now.
- Hitch’s advice is praised for respecting women and countering hostile dating ideology.
Usher’s Yeah!; Amerie’s One Thing; Motown opening songs.
The soundtrack’s early-2000s songs and the director’s access through Will Smith are praised.
In the discussion (4)
- Usher’s Yeah! is selected.
- Amerie’s One Thing is praised as an important soundtrack choice.
- The opening Motown songs and John Legend cover are proposed.
- Will Smith personally obtaining Usher’s clearance is reported.
Hitch.
The working title The Last First Kiss is rejected.
In the discussion (2)
- The Last First Kiss is reported as the working title and rejected.
- Hitch is affirmed as the perfect title.
Michael Rapaport as a likable friend; extravagant courtship; assaults; tabloid office; pacing and allergy sequence.
Several objections are debated, including whether the gestures depend on attraction and whether the movie means its corny lines.
Flex pick · Mina Kimes
In the discussion (10)
- Michael Rapaport playing a likable friend is selected by Mina under an explicitly cued flex. — Mina Kimes
- The luxurious, unrealistic tabloid office is criticized.
- Hitch’s elaborate first-date planning and walkie-talkies are criticized as potentially creepy now.
- The response is defended as depending on whether the recipient already likes the man.
- The seven o’clock meeting time is judged stranger than the jet skis.
- Women striking men and the food fight are criticized as conduct contemporary movies would avoid.
- Hitch choosing Sara rather than the Paula Patton character is criticized.
- The middle of the movie drags when Kevin James is absent.
- The food-allergy comedy is criticized.
- The extreme portrayal of Albert as a man who could win Allegra is judged less believable now.
The brownstone stoop used for Albert’s attempted kiss.
A story that the filmmakers knocked on Sarah Jessica Parker’s door is repeated and doubted.
In the discussion (3)
- The brownstone stoop used in the kiss lesson is selected.
- The director’s story that Sarah Jessica Parker answered the door and allowed filming is reported.
- The panel openly doubts that story.
Will Smith and Eva Mendes’s chemistry; the extended kiss lesson.
The first is contrasted with stronger pairings, while the second is defended as iconic; others find no weak link.
In the discussion (6)
- Will Smith and Eva Mendes’s romantic chemistry is criticized as merely adequate. — Van Lathan
- Their chemistry is compared unfavorably with Smith and Margot Robbie and with Mendes and Ryan Gosling. — Van Lathan
- Will Smith and Kevin James are judged to have the movie’s strongest chemistry.
- The extended kissing lesson is criticized as overlong.
- The kissing lesson is defended as iconic and not bothersome.
- Another view says there are no weak links because the core actors are solid.
A thriving gossip tabloid and its luxurious office.
The newspaper business and physical newsroom are treated as period artifacts.
In the discussion (1)
- A thriving tabloid gossip operation is proposed as distinctly 2005.
Hitch is Will Smith’s fourth-best film; it may be his purest star performance; Eva Mendes should have remained in Fast & Furious.
Focus over Hitch and several franchise alternatives are argued separately.
In the discussion (6)
- Hitch is ranked as Will Smith’s fourth-best movie behind Men in Black, Independence Day, and Bad Boys.
- Focus is ranked above Hitch by another participant.
- Hitch is proposed as Will Smith’s best or most representative pure movie-star performance.
- Eva Mendes leaving the Fast & Furious series after 2 Fast 2 Furious is called its biggest mistake.
- Replacing Michelle Rodriguez with Mendes from the first film is proposed and disputed.
- Keeping both women in the franchise is offered as the preferred alternative.
Patton Oswalt as Albert; Alexander Skarsgård’s cut role; Ali Larter as a fictional celebrity.
Each is presented as reported casting or production history.
In the discussion (3)
- Patton Oswalt is reported as the second choice for Albert and rejected by the panel for this role.
- Alexander Skarsgård’s scenes as Allegra’s boyfriend were reportedly cut, leaving only a photograph.
- Ali Larter reportedly supplied images for the fictional celebrity.
Jeffrey Donovan; Joe Lo Truglio.
Donovan is the main selection, while Lo Truglio’s speed-dating appearance is also proposed.
In the discussion (2)
- Jeffrey Donovan is selected.
- Joe Lo Truglio is proposed for his speed-dating moment.
Chip; Vance Munson; Paula Patton.
Chip receives the strongest immediate support.
In the discussion (2)
- Chip is selected for the brief bar performance.
- Vance Munson and Paula Patton are proposed as alternatives.
Stanley Tucci as Sara’s boss; Will Ferrell or other comic actors as Albert.
Ferrell’s height and star size are objections; the existing cast is repeatedly defended.
In the discussion (4)
- Stanley Tucci is proposed as Sara’s editor.
- Will Ferrell is proposed as Albert.
- Ferrell is criticized as too tall and already too large a star for the part.
- The existing Kevin James casting is defended as the right balance.
Benadryl through a straw; Rice to Riches pudding.
The first is selected despite questions about safety, and the real Soho shop is remembered fondly.
In the discussion (3)
- Hitch drinking Benadryl through a straw is selected.
- The panel asks how much Benadryl someone could sip before passing out or suffering harm.
- Rice pudding at Rice to Riches is proposed and the real shop is remembered.
Ellis Island ancestry; Smith’s inability to swim; Eva Mendes in Miami; soundtrack; proposed Jets stadium.
Production accounts and period New York details are retained separately.
In the discussion (5)
- Will Smith reportedly resisted Ellis Island because Black Americans generally did not enter there; his producing partner’s family record changed his mind.
- Smith reportedly could not swim and wore a large life vest for the jet-ski work.
- Eva Mendes appearing in the Miami music video and Smith not remembering her are reported.
- The soundtrack’s Amerie and Beyoncé comparison is discussed as music lore.
- Albert’s reference to the proposed West Side Jets stadium is retained as period research.
Eva Mendes, Kevin James, Amber Valletta, and post-9/11 New York; not Will Smith, jet skis, Ellis Island, or waxing scenes.
Benadryl and several movie devices receive debated or negative answers.
In the discussion (9)
- Will Smith is placed below his late-1990s apex.
- Eva Mendes is placed at or near her apex.
- Kevin James is placed at his breakthrough apex.
- Benadryl is debated and rejected.
- Jet skis are rejected in favor of Eastbound & Down and Miami.
- Amber Valletta is selected.
- Hair waxing is rejected because The 40-Year-Old Virgin did it better the same year.
- Ellis Island is rejected.
- Post-9/11 New York comeback movies are proposed, with Spider-Man as competition.
Tom Cruise as Hitch; Tom Hanks as Albert.
Cruise as Vance Munson is added as a short cameo possibility.
In the discussion (3)
- Tom Cruise is selected for Hitch.
- Tom Hanks is proposed for Albert and challenged as too handsome or tall.
- Cruise is proposed for a two-day Vance Munson cameo.
Own being the date doctor and defend the good it creates.
Van argues that helping produce relationships, weddings, and children is more constructive than gossip reporting; the others reply that this defense still loses the woman.
In the discussion (4)
- Van says he would admit directly that he is the date doctor because the work supports him. — Van Lathan
- He would defend the work by pointing to relationships, weddings, and children it helped create. — Van Lathan
- He would attack the gossip reporter’s work as intrusive and negative. — Van Lathan
- The other speakers object that the defense does not solve the relationship problem and still loses the woman.
Whether Hitch continues as the date doctor; how Albert earns money.
Exposure could bankrupt Hitch, or produce a lucrative book, media, and podcast business.
In the discussion (4)
- Whether Hitch continues his business after exposure is questioned.
- One answer predicts he is broke and his relationship fails.
- The counterargument predicts a book advance, television appearances, and a lucrative advice brand.
- How Albert continues earning money after quitting is questioned.
Albert’s coordination; repaired shirt; Sara attending the wedding; the newspaper staff; whipped cream.
Each objection receives its own explanation or counterargument where supplied.
In the discussion (12)
- Albert being both clumsy and physically coordinated is questioned.
- Kevin James’s real athleticism is distinguished from Albert’s intended clumsiness.
- Sara returning Hitch’s badly torn shirt fully repaired is questioned.
- Drinking Benadryl like a cocktail is questioned.
- Allegra inviting Sara after the gossip story nearly ruins her relationship is questioned.
- Allegra understanding that Hitch did not manufacture Albert’s appeal is offered as a defense.
- Eva Mendes’s character complimenting Allegra’s bag is jokingly offered as sufficient reconciliation.
- The gossip editor caring about Sara’s personal life and work-life balance is criticized as implausibly benevolent.
- The large newspaper staff’s unclear jobs are questioned.
- The newspaper friend’s actual job or beat is questioned.
- Sara eating whipped cream from a can is criticized as a male-written cliché.
- A daughter doing it as a teenager is offered as a counterexample before the behavior is reframed as childlike.
Hitch 2 with Will Smith returning from retirement.
The contemporary dating climate is offered as the reason the sequel is timely, while Smith’s age is the main objection.
In the discussion (4)
- A sequel with Will Smith is endorsed.
- Hitch being drawn out of retirement is proposed to address Smith’s age.
- The current dating climate is argued to need Hitch’s approach.
- Smith’s post-Oscars career and age are discussed as practical complications.
Ted Levine receiving dating advice from Hitch.
The imagined coaching covers his voice, pit, house, and butterflies.
In the discussion (1)
- Ted Levine is selected as Hitch’s difficult client.
Sexual chemistry; sports as a first date; Hitch’s fee and customer acquisition.
The panel distinguishes sports, estimates a weekly price, and debates whether men would refer friends.
In the discussion (7)
- Whether Hitch has more sexual tension with Sara or Albert is questioned.
- Sports as a first date are debated, with baseball favored, basketball context-dependent, and football rejected.
- A sports date is defended as better after several prior dates.
- Hitch’s 2005 fee is estimated around $1,500 per week after higher guesses.
- Payment terms and lack of guarantees are questioned.
- Word of mouth is identified as customer acquisition, then challenged because clients might hide using him.
- Men referring unlucky friends is defended as plausible.
Hitch’s dating diagram; walkie-talkies; scuba suits; remote-controlled apartment equipment.
The diagram is favored as a large, strange prop.
In the discussion (4)
- The scuba suits are proposed.
- Hitch’s large dating diagram is selected.
- The walkie-talkies are proposed.
- The remote-controlled apartment system is proposed.
True love does not need gimmicks; live deliberately; value breathtaking moments.
The movie’s aphorisms are repeated with mixed enthusiasm.
In the discussion (3)
- Life is measured by moments that take your breath away is proposed and mocked as corny.
- Wake up each day on purpose is proposed.
- True love does not need gimmicks is selected.
Focus; Six Degrees of Separation; Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Each pairing highlights a different Will Smith performance or a companion dating-coach story.
In the discussion (3)
- Focus is selected.
- Six Degrees of Separation is proposed for another charming Will Smith performance.
- Crazy, Stupid, Love is proposed as the closest thematic pairing.
Will Smith; Kevin James is a close second.
The panel repeatedly chooses Smith while crediting James with nearly stealing the movie and gaining more career value.
In the discussion (3)
- Will Smith is repeatedly selected as the winner.
- Kevin James is repeatedly identified as a very close second.
- Smith’s established dominance is contrasted with Hitch serving as James’s breakout.
Podcast choices
Roger Ebert's review
Most Rewatchable Scene
The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot
The most "year the movie came out" thing
Gandolfini Butter on My Ass So It Pops in My Mouth Award
What’s Aged the Best?
Is There a Better Title for This Movie?
The Butch’s Girlfriend Award for the Weakest Link in the Film
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award
The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance
Apex Mountain
Cruise or Hanks?
Sequel, Prequel, Limited Series, or All-Black Remake
Is This Movie Better With…?
What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?
The Coach Finstock Award for Best Life Lesson
Who Won the Movie?