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Mr. and Mrs. Smith poster

Mr. and Mrs. Smith

year 2005decade 00sdirector Doug Liman

120 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Brad Pitt John Smith
Angelina Jolie Jane Smith
Vince Vaughn Eddie
Adam Brody Benjamin Danz
Keith David Father
Chris Weitz Martin Coleman
Rachael Huntley Suzy Coleman
Elijah Alexander Marco Racin
Theresa Barrera Janet - Associate #3
Simon Kinberg Investment Banker #1

Mr. and Mrs. Smith | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Amanda Dobbins theme Wait, This Movie Made HOW Much Money? Month
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Producer credits not yet identified.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Budget and gross; knife skills; expanded Vaughn role; therapy premise; Bogotá objections; Fight Club shirt; reused helicopter shot; 50 drafts; TV pilot and sequel ideas

In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:49Read transcript
  • The stated budget is $110 million, possibly more, against a $487 million gross.
  • Jolie reportedly brought knife skills and her own collection to the production.
  • Vaughn’s Eddie reportedly expanded from a cameo-sized part.
  • Kinberg reportedly developed the premise after friends described marriage therapy as aggressive and mercenary.
  • Colombians and their president reportedly objected to the film’s depiction of the country.
  • Brody wears a Fight Club T-shirt during the interrogation.
  • A helicopter shot over Bogotá was taken from Clear and Present Danger and modified with CGI.
  • The script reportedly went through 50 drafts, with writers including Terence Winter, Akiva Goldsman, and Carrie Fisher.
  • A 2007 ABC pilot written by Kinberg and directed by Liman starred Jordana Brewster and Martin Henderson; it was pitched as Married with Children with guns and was not picked up.
  • Subsequent sequel ideas are described as eventually becoming Keeping Up with the Joneses, with uncertainty about whether Pitt and Jolie would have participated.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Aniston benefited; leads too beautiful to be erotic; ugly kitchen tiles; divorced-spies sequel

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:59Read transcript
  • The triangle is proposed as a long-term career benefit for Aniston because it sustained public attention and sympathy.
  • The leads may be so extraordinarily attractive that their chemistry feels less relatable and less erotic; Original Sin is compared to watching beautiful otherworldly figures.
  • The kitchen tiles are called exceptionally ugly, beyond the much-discussed curtains.
  • A sequel starring Pitt and Jolie as divorced spies is proposed, while the ugliness of their split is acknowledged as a major obstacle.
  • The divorced-spies sequel could use different actors; one version ends in death or divorce, while another imagines a comedy of remarriage.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:31Read transcript
  • Ebert gave the film three stars, valuing the stars’ chemistry over plot mechanics and objecting to celebrity gossip displacing discussion of movies.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Paired assassination night (two choices); tense dinner with peas and wine

In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:38:17Read transcript
  • The marriage-counseling scenes are singled out as especially hot, with a wish that more of the film followed that approach.
  • The counseling opening is praised for its improvised-feeling patter and unexpectedly intimate, self-aware tone.
  • The Colombia flashback and carnival game make the scene list, despite objections to its depiction of Bogotá.
  • The paired assassinations—her dominatrix disguise and his poker game—are selected as the favorite by two participants.
  • The tense dinner with peas, salt, dropped wine, and knives is the other final choice.
  • The house shootout, physical fight, and ensuing sex are nominated.
  • The basement fuel-oil explosion and escape are praised for their filming.
  • The climactic store shootout with yellow glasses is nominated.
  • The second tango scene is nominated for the stars’ appearance.
  • The car chase is praised for the couple trading confessions about their fabricated backgrounds and wedding guests.
  • The elevator explosion scene is another nomination.

What’s Aged the Best?

Celebrity magazines; contract-killing premise; Jolie’s chair balance; insults; zip lines; counseling; Pasadena house; Washington; Brody; weapons stove; tracksuits; Monaghan; Vaughn; party outfit

In the discussion (14)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:33Read transcript
  • The paparazzi and celebrity-magazine era inspires nostalgia despite its cruelty.
  • A contract killing is praised as a reliably effective movie premise.
  • Jolie balancing on a chair while adjusting drapes demonstrates the character’s dexterity and grace.
  • The exchange of “Chicken shit!” and “Pussy!” is praised.
  • The film’s two zip-line exits are praised as an underused action device.
  • The marriage-counseling scenes remain a highlight.
  • The Pasadena house becomes a dream home, surpassing Father of the Bride for one participant, though its TV area seems small.
  • Having both Jolie and Kerry Washington in the film is celebrated.
  • Young Adam Brody captures a particularly 2005 moment.
  • The hidden weapons stove is praised as an appealing kitchen gadget.
  • The matching Jesus Rocks tracksuits are funny.
  • Michelle Monaghan’s brief appearance is singled out as an early-career cameo.
  • The Liman–Vaughn reunion and Vaughn’s mid-2000s rise are celebrated.
  • Jane realizing she is still wearing fishnets and thigh-high boots at a Christmas party is praised as a good bit.

The Great Shot Gordo Award for Most Cinematic Shot

Jane’s hotel descent; slide across the foyer with a gun

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:07Read transcript
  • Jane descending from the hotel with her purse is nominated.
  • Jane sliding across the foyer with a gun during the house battle is the other choice.

The Vincent Chase Award: Are We Sure This Character Is Actually Good at Their Job?

Doug Liman’s scheduling bets against Soderbergh

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:17Read transcript
  • Doug Liman is the off-label choice: betting the shoot could finish before Ocean’s Twelve reportedly added $26 million when Pitt had to leave.
  • Liman reportedly made the same scheduling mistake with Damon on The Bourne Identity before Ocean’s Eleven, making the repeated bet against Soderbergh especially absurd.
  • The criticism is qualified by praise for Liman’s enjoyable, visually exciting films despite stories of chaotic productions.

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

Overlong third act after the couple teams up

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:54:37Read transcript
  • The third act loses the couple’s cat-and-mouse tension once they team up and becomes a prolonged generic action film.
  • The final set piece is still liked, despite narrative confusion over who is attacking them.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Unclear opposing agencies; newspaper delivery; cut sex scene; Liman’s indiscreet comments; Pitt–Jolie breakup

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:30Read transcript
  • The third act leaves the opposing agencies unclear; deleted material reportedly explained more of the plot.
  • Waiting outside in a bathrobe for a delivered newspaper now feels dated.
  • A steamy sex scene was reportedly cut to secure PG-13, a commercial decision the discussion questions.
  • Liman’s comments about casting chemistry and contemplating the value of paparazzi photographs are criticized as indiscreet.
  • The unhappy later course of Pitt and Jolie’s relationship is acknowledged.

Is There a Better Title for This Movie?

Couples Therapy; existing title also defended

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:29Read transcript
  • The existing title is defended; “Couples Therapy” is the alternative, distinguished from Couples Retreat.

Casting What-Ifs

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:48Read transcript
  • Pitt and Nicole Kidman were originally cast; after Kidman left and Pitt dropped out, Depp and Will Smith were approached.
  • Reported possibilities include Depp with Cate Blanchett and Will Smith with Catherine Zeta-Jones; Gwen Stefani says she came close.
  • Liman reportedly wanted Gwyneth Paltrow because she and Pitt were exes; the idea of exploiting that baggage is criticized.
  • Liman ultimately described using Pitt and Paltrow’s past as too much manipulation; Blanchett was unavailable because of The Aviator.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:17Read transcript
  • Vince Vaughn is the selection, with his shouting at his mother compared to Will Ferrell’s work during the same period, explicitly stopping short of an accusation of stealing.
  • Vaughn’s performance feels improvised without enough purpose or memorable material, although his presence is still welcome.
  • A shorter office cameo might have worked better than giving Vaughn the third-largest amount of screen time.

Recasting Couch

Dave Chappelle for Vaughn; Owen Wilson and Bradley Cooper alternatives

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:15:41Read transcript
  • For Vaughn’s role at the time, Owen Wilson and 2005 Bradley Cooper are considered, with Cooper bringing an angrier edge; Byron Mayo is jokingly floated.
  • Dave Chappelle becomes the preferred replacement for Vaughn.
  • Ghosted’s Chris Evans and Ana de Armas are offered as a modern comparison but dismissed as lacking chemistry; Anyone but You inspires more anticipation. Tom Holland and Zendaya are floated as the biggest current couple, followed by a joking on-set breakup scenario.

Apex Mountain

Jolie; Pitt, qualified; 21st-century celebrity culture; fighting spy couples, tentative; Brody; on-set romances for this century, disputed

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:28Read transcript
  • Jolie is an affirmative choice.
  • Pitt is an affirmative choice based on becoming perhaps the world’s most famous actor, while Moneyball and the intervening run remain alternatives.
  • Twenty-first-century celebrity culture receives agreement.
  • Fighting spy couples receives a tentative yes, but assassins or hit men more broadly do not.
  • Vaughn is rejected and The Bourne Identity is preferred for Liman.
  • Brody receives an emphatic yes because this film coincided with his O.C. fame, recalling hopes he could become the next Tom Hanks.
  • Marriage-counseling movies receives a no without a clear alternative.
  • On-set romances is disputed: Taylor and Burton are preferred overall, while Pitt and Jolie are defended at least for the twenty-first century.

Picking Nits

Missed bullets; Bogotá climate; unclear agencies; urinating stance; undiscovered marriage; meal deliveries; low bounties; secret weapons installations

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:28Read transcript
  • The couple avoids every bullet despite scores of attackers in the final store battle.
  • The hot, tropical-looking Bogotá hotel conflicts with the city’s altitude and climate.
  • Brief remnants of the deleted bosses’ storyline leave the agencies, assignments, and moral stakes underexplained.
  • Jane identifying John from his urinating stance is questioned, with the leg kick offered as the identifying detail.
  • The agencies discovering the marriage only after six years strains belief; deep cover is suggested but questioned given the couple’s ordinary social life.
  • The I-Team’s nightly meal deliveries supposedly never crossed paths with John coming home at seven.
  • The $400,000 bounty per person seems low relative to the destruction and the couple’s expensive lifestyle.
  • Both spouses secretly building separate weapons storage into the house seems implausible, though it works as a metaphor for marital noncommunication.

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

All-Black cast; Glover–Erskine series; unrealized Pitt–Jolie sequel

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:31:57Read transcript
  • An all-Black cast is welcomed as a possibility.
  • The planned Amazon version with Donald Glover is discussed: Phoebe Waller-Bridge departed, and Maya Erskine is identified as her replacement after an initial claim of limbo.
  • Jolie reportedly said in 2010 that she and Pitt wanted a sequel but could not find a story; a sequel is considered potentially good for their careers.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Kathryn Hahn on I-Team; Wayne Jenkins; Byron Mayo as counselor

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:32:45Read transcript
  • Kathryn Hahn on the I-Team is the straightforward addition.
  • Wayne Jenkins is imagined reacting to Jane drinking a full bottle of scotch, in a comic impression.
  • Byron Mayo is suggested as the couples counselor.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Weapons-stove installation; unequal agency resources

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:34:25Read transcript
  • Who can install a weapons stove, how complicated is the work, and how much would it cost?
  • The contrast between Jane’s skyscraper team and John’s shabby garage raises the question of agency status; her greater kill count and resources support her being the more successful assassin.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Tracksuits; house, disputed; Mercedes station wagon; hidden knife shelf

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:37:23Read transcript
  • The tracksuits are selected.
  • The Pasadena house is desired, then challenged because it was destroyed; Jane’s Mercedes station wagon is an alternative.
  • The secret knife shelf inside the oven is selected.

Who Won the Movie?

Brad Pitt, final agreement after Brangelina and Aniston alternatives

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:07Read transcript
  • The concept of Brangelina is the opening selection, allowed as a joint choice despite the relationship’s eventual end.
  • Aniston is selected for her enduring success and highly paid work on The Morning Show.
  • Pitt is proposed because he escaped being cast as the villain and began an excellent career run; the closing response accepts him as the answer.
Podcast choices
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Brad Pitt

More from the conversation

The film is introduced as the third installment of the box-office-surprise theme.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:10Read transcript
The roughly $487 million gross seems unexpectedly large to one view and surprisingly modest to another given the leads’ extraordinary fame.
Approx. transcript time · 00:02:49Read transcript
The release aligns with peak tabloid power, paparazzi interest and an emerging online gossip culture before social media dominates.
Approx. transcript time · 00:03:44Read transcript
The discussion reconstructs filming interruptions, Pitt’s marriage separation and the April 2005 Kenya photographs, correcting an initial 2004 date.
Approx. transcript time · 00:05:28Read transcript
Team Aniston and Team Jolie merchandising embodies the polarized press narrative around the relationship.
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:12Read transcript
The W magazine domestic-life photo shoot and Aniston’s sensitivity-chip remark become central moments in the publicity story.
Approx. transcript time · 00:09:00Read transcript
The romance is compared with Taylor/Burton, McQueen/MacGraw and Proof of Life, but its particular star triangle creates exceptional attention.
Approx. transcript time · 00:10:08Read transcript
Emerging gossip sites and movie websites give audiences more frequent behind-the-scenes information than print magazines had supplied.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:21Read transcript
Chaotic production reporting and Pitt’s Ocean’s Twelve break make the finished film and his overlapping screen personas especially striking.
Approx. transcript time · 00:11:53Read transcript
The tabloid narrative blaming Aniston over children is criticized as unfair and invasive.
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:16Read transcript
Jolie’s charisma is compared with Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct presence; this film is considered an especially effective use of her star persona.
Approx. transcript time · 00:13:18Read transcript
Jolie’s career after Girl, Interrupted moves toward action films, with Alexander a major failed swing and limited opportunities for varied smaller roles.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:07Read transcript
Her unconventional public persona and prior relationships fit the press’s good-girl/bad-girl framing of the triangle.
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:56Read transcript
Jolie seems naturally suited to weapons and danger but less comfortable playing domestic normalcy, while Pitt projects surprising everyday relatability.
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:27Read transcript
The film is enjoyable despite thinly explained agencies and plot mechanics because the central chemistry carries it.
Approx. transcript time · 00:18:44Read transcript
The later By the Sea is contrasted with the electricity of this pairing, and the marriage-comedy premise is defended.
Approx. transcript time · 00:20:06Read transcript
A retrospective interpretation sees two extraordinary stars pretending to be frustrated ordinary suburbanites, mirroring the film’s marketing.
Approx. transcript time · 00:21:12Read transcript
Performing intimacy on isolated film sets is considered a plausible source of real relationships, though some convincing screen couples dislike each other.
Approx. transcript time · 00:22:02Read transcript
Liman’s dismissal of Proof of Life’s romance premise is challenged as moralizing from a film about attractive killers.
Approx. transcript time · 00:23:23Read transcript
Jolie’s later interviews describe falling in love during the film and anticipating showing it to their children, while other quoted remarks deny intimacy with a married man.
Approx. transcript time · 00:24:11Read transcript
Jolie’s difficult relationship with her father and Aniston’s public restraint form additional context for the press narrative.
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:39Read transcript
Aniston’s post-Friends film career is considered less notable than her enduring commercial persona; sympathy and graceful public conduct strengthened that persona.
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:48Read transcript
Friendly public exchanges between Aniston and Pitt keep reunion speculation alive, including a pandemic table read and an awards-show encounter.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:05Read transcript
The Morning Show prompts disagreement about its quality and jokes about its stars sharing scenes.
Approx. transcript time · 00:28:45Read transcript
Pitt’s recent films are reviewed to argue that he had not been carrying comparable hits alone; Ocean’s Twelve divides the discussion.
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:53Read transcript
The triangle’s enormous public attention is compared with hypothetical modern celebrity combinations.
Approx. transcript time · 00:32:10Read transcript
Social media is thought likely to have reduced the mystery surrounding the relationship.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:04Read transcript
Contemporary discussion of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce illustrates how celebrity relationships become ongoing public narratives.
Approx. transcript time · 00:34:48Read transcript
Dobbins recalls identifying with Team Jolie in 2005 and discusses the force of Jolie’s beauty alongside other actresses she finds compelling.
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:33Read transcript
Flora and Son prompts a detour into Eve Hewson, Bad Sisters, and watching films alongside basketball.
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:25Read transcript
Tabloid magazines and browsing newsstands are remembered fondly despite the cruelty and unreliability of the paparazzi era.
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:55Read transcript
The Killer prompts a short discussion of Fincher, watching at home, and the Smiths soundtrack.
Approx. transcript time · 00:45:40Read transcript
Vaughn’s reported relationship with Aniston during The Break-Up is discussed skeptically as a publicity-friendly pairing, without resolving its nature.
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:58Read transcript
The PG-13 versus R distinction prompts questions about theatrical enforcement, commercial calculations, and television edits.
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:30Read transcript
An earlier Mr. and Mrs. Smith television series with Scott Bakula and Maria Bello leads to praise for Bello’s ER run.
Approx. transcript time · 00:57:22Read transcript
Pitt and Jolie’s later breakup, vineyard dispute, and Pitt’s skincare marketing are discussed.
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:41Read transcript
Jolie’s striking appearance is considered both an asset and an obstacle to ordinary-person roles; A Mighty Heart is praised as evidence of greater dramatic range.
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:37Read transcript
The hypothetical Jolie casting exercise considers Marriage Story and Spotlight but questions whether audiences would accept her as an ordinary reporter.
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:37Read transcript
The discussion questions how representation and limited roles constrain actresses, comparing Jennifer Lawrence, Emma Stone, and Jessica Chastain.
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Roller Girl in Boogie Nights is plausible but would change the power dynamics; Kill Bill, Match Point, and Out of Sight are additional possibilities, with an age reservation for Match Point.
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:32Read transcript
Erin Brockovich is tentatively entertained; The Blind Side and The Fighter inspire joking or doubtful responses rather than settled casting recommendations.
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:16Read transcript
Pitt’s later resurgence is illustrated by The Assassination of Jesse James, Burn After Reading, Benjamin Button, Inglourious Basterds, The Tree of Life, and Moneyball.
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:22Read transcript
Jolie’s lack of a comparable movie-star showcase is contrasted with Moneyball and Jerry Maguire; By the Sea and The Tourist are criticized, while her work in Salt is liked.
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:09Read transcript
The post-Smith Jolie filmography is reviewed: The Good Shepherd, A Mighty Heart, Beowulf, Changeling, Wanted, Salt, The Tourist, Maleficent, and By the Sea; later work leans toward animation and Maleficent.
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:04Read transcript
The then-upcoming Maria Callas biopic and Jolie’s philanthropy are discussed alongside concern that younger audiences know her chiefly for her offscreen life.
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:35Read transcript
Four Christmases prompts praise for its dinner scenes and a short comparison with Couples Retreat.
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:40Read transcript
The I-Team is admired as the basis for a better Charlie’s Angels-style movie, prompting renewed disagreement about that franchise.
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:45Read transcript
A speculative modern celebrity-triangle exercise considers Holland and Zendaya, with Rodrigo, Julia Fox, Sweeney, and Dua Lipa as possible third figures; several are rejected as too young or insufficiently famous.
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:59Read transcript
The modern comparison expands to Chalamet and Zendaya, then Butler, Gerber, and Elordi, while noting that none matches the older stars’ stature in 2005.
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Gosling, Stone, and Lawrence form another hypothetical triangle; Gosling and Stone’s screen chemistry is praised.
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Jolie is rejected as a plausible struggling actress in La La Land, while a younger Jolie in The Hunger Games is floated.
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Carrie Fisher’s work in When Harry Met Sally is praised, particularly the Rolodex scene.
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A provocative Liman anecdote about trying to shock Jolie with a proposed sex scene is read aloud and criticized as another example of his indiscretion.
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:22Read transcript
The film’s unexplored I-Team and a possible version following the couple on the run with Brody are considered appealing alternative movies.
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:57Read transcript
The question of recognizing a spouse by posture or gait prompts personal jokes about bathroom habits.
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:39Read transcript
A detour into JFK assassination theories records firm personal beliefs and disagreement with official explanations, without supplying proof.
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:32Read transcript
A closing reflection argues that the film’s 2005 celebrity weight is hard to reproduce in a fragmented social-media culture.
Approx. transcript time · 01:39:17Read transcript
DiCaprio, Stone, and Lawrence are praised for preserving mystery by limiting social-media exposure; a leaked DiCaprio birthday-party clip becomes an example.
Approx. transcript time · 01:40:24Read transcript