The episode states that Roger Ebert gave The Bourne Identity three stars, praised Matt Damon's focused sincerity, and called the film unnecessary but not unskilled.

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:22:52Read transcript

The episode states that Roger Ebert gave the film three stars.
Ebert is reported to have praised Matt Damon as focused and sincere.
His conclusion is summarized as calling the film unnecessary but not unskilled.
The panel treats that phrase as a memorable backhanded compliment rather than agreement with his lukewarm tone.

Casting What-Ifs

Burt Reynolds was attached to an earlier version; Liman later approached Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, and Sarah Polley before the final casting.

This discussion recalls a choice from an earlier episode.

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 00:55:36Read transcript

Universal planned a 1983 version starring Bert Reynolds, but schedule conflicts stalled it.
Doug Liman pursued Brad Pitt, who chose Spy Game instead.
The panel calls Pitt's decision a missed franchise opportunity while acknowledging that his later life and career worked out.
Russell Crowe was approached after Gladiator.
The panel prefers Damon's everyman quality to Crowe's post-Gladiator superhero stature for Bourne.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was approached.
The panel finds Schwarzenegger hard to imagine in the role because of his age.
Tom Cruise declined because he already played Ethan Hunt.
Sylvester Stallone was reportedly considered because the book version of Bourne is older.
Sarah Polley was Liman's preferred female lead, but her career choices favored smaller work and directing over a-list fame.

Recasting Couch

The proposals are Cole Hauser or Casey Affleck for Clive Owen's role, Amy Adams or the transcript-observed 'Chloe 70' for Julia Stiles's role, and Al Pacino for Conklin.

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:02:36Read transcript

Cole Houser is proposed as a Damon-connected replacement for Clive Owen.
Casey Affleck is another proposal for Clive Owen's role.
Amy Adams is proposed as a replacement for Julia Stiles.
The Julia Stiles role is described as thankless, which makes it suitable for a stronger alternate performer.
Chloe 70 is the observed transcript form of the preferred alternate for Julia Stiles because the role seems perfect for her.
Al Pacino is proposed as Conklin during the period when his style was becoming self-parody.
Pacino's ability to tackle Henry Rollins in Heat is used to answer concerns about him physically challenging Bourne.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Research covers Damon's stunts and combat training, the red bag, the death count, Liman's family history, Prague locations, Swiss-bank tropes, and Tony Gilroy's later scripts.

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:04:36Read transcript

Damon performed many stunts after three months of weapons, boxing, and martial-arts training.
He performed the hand-to-hand combat and climbed the safe-house walls.
The red bag later appears as a hanging planter in Marie's scooter-rental shop.
The panel counts eight deaths in the film.
Liman's father served as chief counsel during the Iran-Contra hearings.
Chris Cooper's character was allegedly modeled on Oliver North because Liman's father interrogated him.
Much of the film was shot in Prague while representing Switzerland and Paris.
The panel questions whether Swiss banks are as anonymous and permissive as movie convention suggests.
Tony Gilroy made a one-draft, no-notes, no-rewrites deal for the third film and was paid an amount Damon called exorbitant.
Damon publicly called that draft unreadable and embarrassing while blaming the studio for accepting the deal.
Gilroy later directed the non-Damon franchise entry.
The panel speculates that making the non-Damon entry helped prompt Damon and Greengrass to return for Jason Bourne.
One participant ranks Identity above Supremacy, Legacy, and Ultimatum despite calling Supremacy technically better made.

Picking Nits

The panel questions Bourne's survival and recovery, Paris geography, Marie staying with him, killing Clive Owen's character, and the unrealized chance to make that assassin a recurring rival.

In the discussion (13)

Approx. transcript time · 01:11:00Read transcript

Bourne surviving unconscious in the sea after two back wounds is the first major nitpick.
His rapid recovery and ability to work on the fishing boat and fight assassins are also questioned.
Liman admitted that the Paris car chase uses streets that do not connect logically.
The geographic mistake is compared with illogical Boston routes in Blown Away.
Marie not fleeing a dangerous stranger at the first opportunity is questioned.
Marie is quickly shown on a wanted poster and is aiding and abetting an assassin, making it harder to untangle herself as she falls for him.
The panel asks whether killing Clive Owen's assassin wasted a possible recurring adversary for the franchise.
The alternatives are for the assassin to fake his death, get away wounded, or team up with Bourne to take the whole thing down.
The Carlos the Jackal antagonist from the Ludlum book is offered as a model for an equally powerful recurring assassin.
Karl Urban is described as effectively replacing Clive Owen's assassin function in the next film.
Clive Owen is reported to have been expected to become James Bond.
The Clive Owen discussion broadens into uncertainty about why his apparent path to major stardom did not last.
Inside Man and Closer are cited as evidence of Owen's leading-man ability.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The questions compare Marie's hair lengths, imagine Josh Hamilton's character as Grover from Kicking and Screaming, and ask whether Matt Damon is cinema's best performer of a particular profane line.

In the discussion (5)

Approx. transcript time · 01:18:25Read transcript

Both participants prefer Marie's longer hair, although the shorter style is also praised.
The panel asks whether the movie is more fun if Josh Hamilton's character is secretly Grover from Kicking and Screaming.
The imagined story has Grover stay in Europe after heartbreak and take a data-entry job that leads to Conklin.
A later question asks whether Damon is the greatest actor at delivering the words 'fuck it.'
Examples from Rounders and this film lead the panel to answer that Damon probably is the best at that delivery.