Ebert, called the show's guy, is said to have been over the moon, giving the film four stars.
A quoted passage says the film's achievement is not answering the mystery of the assassination, which it does not, but marshaling the anger gnawing at the national psyche since 1963.
His Great Movies essay on the film is called one of his best pieces; the hosts say he named it the year's best and one of the top ten films of the decade.

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:31:04Read transcript

Stone is said to have sent the script to Costner, Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford.
Gibson is argued as a great, wild-eyed Garrison who would better represent Stone's mind, and who later made Conspiracy Theory; another questions casting an Australian.
Harrison Ford doesn't make sense but is a big what-if, with a wish he had more movies like this.
Don Johnson tried hard for Garrison and has post-Miami Vice appeal, but doesn't read smart enough to be the district attorney.
Jeff Bridges would have been amazing; 'Hank' (as transcribed) might work but may be two years too young and too aw-shucks.
Will Patton is suggested as David Ferry; Stone wanted James Woods, but Woods wanted to play Garrison.
Frank Whaley was going to be Oswald, and after the part went to Oldman he was made the imposter.
Willem DeFoe (as transcribed) and John Malkovich turned down the Ferry role; Malkovich in the red wig would have been mind-boggling.
Stone considered Marlon Brando for Mr. X, joked to need SNL monologue-style cue cards.
Origin: Stone met Warner Brothers about a Howard Hughes film, but Warren Beatty had the rights, so JFK was the backup pitch; jokes follow about carrying three pitches and a Doug Collins 1972 Olympics pitch.

Denzel Washington as David Ferrie or Mr. X; Sally Field; Madeleine Stowe; Gary Sinise as David Ferrie

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:39:48Read transcript

Since the movie makes things up anyway, Denzel Washington as David Ferry is suggested; Denzel as Mr. X is called insanely great, with doubt about him as Ferry.
Recast Sissy Spacek because she is too good an actress for a crummy part, freeing her for a better role.
Sally Field is suggested for the part; pushback says Costner and Spacek do not fit together.
Madeline Stowe is suggested for 'Renee Rousseau' (character name as transcribed) and called perfect.
Gary Sinise would have killed as Ferry; whether Oldman and Sinise ever had a showdown is asked.

Lead researcher; Mr. X source; Garrison cameo; Tommy Lee Jones's gold paint

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:41:17Read transcript

Stone hired a lead researcher, named as Jane Riscone (as transcribed); Stone read two dozen assassination books and the researcher 100 to 200, a range mocked as imprecise.
The hosts say Stone's source for X was Colonel Leroy-Fletcher Prouty (as transcribed), who once worked in the Pentagon, but that his stories have a lot of holes.
The real Garrison appears in the film as Earl Warren.
Tommy Lee Jones deciding to paint himself gold is the favorite research item; another participant had not come across it.

Skipped

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:49:44Read transcript

Picking Nits is waved off because the entire movie has already been picked apart.

Did Oliver Stone invent QAnon?; Who killed JFK?

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:50:43Read transcript

Did Stone invent QAnon, popularizing today's conspiracy culture? One argues 9/11 mattered more; another cites post-Vietnam revelations like the LSD experiments.
The CIA's documented misdeeds are called not conspiracy theory because the papers are public.
Stone tapped into obsessively studying footage (the Pruder film as transcribed, 9/11, January 6) and seeing what you look for; it is clarified that January 6 was a conspiracy, not a conspiracy theory.
9/11 is described as a known conspiracy with witnesses and video that stayed secret while planned, which might refute the idea that a conspiracy would come out.
The danger is that disempowered people seek answers where none exist, as Stone worked through trauma via art; Willie O'Keefe is called a white supremacist who would later vote for Trump.
Who killed JFK: the first participant asked says 'Oliver Stone', turns to how the film is not about JFK's ideas, admits not knowing, and is ruled out.
One answer: the intelligence community, active or ex-CIA.
Another answer: the mob and the CIA together, as American Tabloid has it; agreement follows, and the trigger man is said to be dead.
The participants agree Oswald was in on it and none thinks he was completely innocent, and the Jack Ruby killing is called bizarre.