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The Nice Guys poster

The Nice Guys

year 2016decade 10sdirector Shane Blackgenre Comedy thriller

116 minutes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Russell Crowe Jackson Healy
Ryan Gosling Holland March
Angourie Rice Holly March
Matt Bomer John Boy
Margaret Qualley Amelia Kuttner
Yaya DaCosta Tally
Keith David Older Guy
Beau Knapp Blueface
Kim Basinger Judith Kuttner

The Nice Guys | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Chris Ryanhost Rob Mahoney theme_run CR Month
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Producer credits not yet identified.

Most Rewatchable Scene

Opening crash, the first confrontation and bathroom comedy are nominated.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:25:42Read transcript
  • The helicopter view and car tumbling through the house launch the movie effectively; the crash visible behind the child is admired.
  • Jackson beating up March, the shut-up game and failed cookie-jar gun retrieval are an early personal favorite.
  • March cutting his wrist while breaking a window and his high-pitched fracture scream are celebrated.
  • The bathroom gun/cigarette/pants business and Holly asking Healy to beat up Janet are nominated.

Most Rewatchable Scene

The porn party is the final shared scene choice.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:29:36Read transcript
  • The little kid on the bike bragging about his big dick is an early most rewatchable scene choice.
  • The party combines mermaids, soundtrack, fight, death, the fall down the hill and inability to speak; multiple participants choose it.
  • Dropping the body onto dinner, shooting through the hot tub and the elevator retreat are additional favorites.
  • The Nixon story and callback, fake porn film and auto-show finale are enjoyed before agreement on the party.
  • The child’s exchange among the ashes of the house remains an illustration of the film’s special comic tone.

The most "year the movie came out" thing

John Boy is the1977 choice; R-rated comedies evoke2016.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:21Read transcript
  • Gas shortage, killer bees, Tower Records, Comedy Store and smog rallies are candidates, with the mole-bearing John Boy chosen.
  • Men shaving in their cars are another period nomination.
  • The abundance of R rated comedies in2016 is contrasted with their present scarcity.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Action comedy is beloved but exceptionally hard to make well.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:35:15Read transcript
  • Getting the leads and chemistry right is considered essential; Pineapple Express and Hot Fuzz join this film as successful examples.

What’s Aged the Best?

Seedy seventies Los Angeles, running jokes and the actors endure.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:12Read transcript
  • The period setting, young Qualley, the and-stuff correction and memorable lines are praised; the Crowe/Basinger reunion means little to one participant.
  • Crowe’s reported claim of gaining weight for the role prompts joking comparisons with athletes returning overweight.
  • Dive bars, adult theaters, bookstores and the airport hotel’s multiple bars create an appealingly seedy setting.
  • The running jokes about Janet and her sister are enjoyed, especially Gosling talking to kids like adults and the daughter driving.
  • Hannibal Burris as the killer bee in the back seat while the driver sleeps is great.
  • Suspicion of corporations remains timely. The automaker conspiracy is questioned as overcomplication but defended for the smog-related comedy it enables.
  • Gosling’s subsequent rise strengthens appreciation of the performance.

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

Disputed: Holly’s familiar child role or Basinger

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 00:46:08Read transcript
  • Holly’s savvy child-with-a-heart-of-gold trope and presence on every adventure are questioned despite praise for Rice; her restraint on Healy supplies the story’s heart.
  • Her desire to save men who nearly killed her is considered odd.
  • Basinger feels outside the film’s comic register, especially beside Tally’s better-fitting performance.

What’s Aged the Worst?

Basinger’s tone and Atlanta standing in for Los Angeles.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:47:32Read transcript
  • Basinger’s tonal mismatch is nominated.
  • The film mostly holds up, but narrow streets and foliage sometimes expose Atlanta locations rather than Los Angeles.

The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Sequels should exist; Crowe’s peak and unrealized career

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:42Read transcript
  • A third installment ought to be approaching; early-eighties Hollywood or Mexico would offer settings, and Gosling’s present stature is thought sufficient to revive it.
  • One participant calls this Crowe’s best performance, with The Insider the main rival, because he combines action, comedy and emotional warmth.
  • Others debate Gladiator’s irreplaceable star presence versus a conventional role overshadowed by Joaquin; The Insider remains a strong counterexample.
  • Crowe is compared with Shaquille O’ Neal: an early dominant peak, later conditioning/career frustrations and this film as a strong sidekick championship.

Apex Mountain

Proof of Life is offered as Crowe’s apex.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:56:21Read transcript
  • A participant invokes the previously held Proof of Life apex preference while responding to the Nice Guys claim.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

The child on the bicycle is the final heat-check preference.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:59:55Read transcript
  • Misty Mountains and Blueface are considered, but the one-scene child performance is called a legendary heat check; the spoken performer name is incomplete.

Apex Mountain

Gosling’s2016 case leads a broad set of qualified apex arguments.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:02Read transcript
  • Crowe is an apex only for the participant defending that personal preference.
  • Nice Guys plus La La Land support Gosling’s2016 apex, challenged by post-Barbie stature; a post-apex comeback interpretation is offered for Barbie.
  • 1977 itself is praised as a great year, with Star Wars and Reggie Jackson cited.
  • Keith David’s fight-scene apex remains They Live; a momentary Avery Brooks confusion is corrected.
  • Black’s apex is rejected here: Iron Man3 is floated, then writing Lethal Weapon is preferred.
  • Rice and Qualley are too early to judge; father-daughter movies and Basinger are rejected. The auto show receives support, while John Boy belongs to The Waltons.
  • Window-breaking going wrong and the red1967 Mustang receive support.
  • Retro porn is rejected in favor of Boogie Nights.

Cruise or Hanks?

Hanks

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:08Read transcript
  • Cruise is imagined as John Boy with a bad wig and few lines, or as Shattuck.
  • Hanks as Healy is floated, then late-eighties Hanks as March is preferred; the explicit official lead-role answer is Hanks.

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

The original partnership should return in Mexico or periodic television adventures.

In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:10:22Read transcript
  • A Mexican Detectives sequel reportedly wanted by the leads is endorsed; occasional three-episode returns like Sherlock are another proposal.
  • Anchorman and Austin Powers illustrate possible delayed commercial growth; Crowe’s age is a concern but the characters’ decline could accommodate it.
  • Retiring Crowe and adding a younger partner is raised and rejected as losing the essential pairing.

Is This Movie Better With…?

Zane Lowe interviewing John Boy.

In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:45Read transcript
  • An exaggerated interview praises John Boy’s mole and identity; the impression drifts toward a South African accent and a Blood Diamond hybrid is suggested.

Just One Oscar

Gosling’s performance

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:47Read transcript
  • Gosling is chosen, with screenplay second; reactions, eyebrow raises and delivery elevate lines beyond what is on the page.
  • The2016 acting field prompts hypothetical Gosling replacements and a confused discussion of double nominations. Same-category eligibility is not established by these guesses.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie?

Secret-handshake props include the hat, cow notes and agency ad.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:40Read transcript
  • Misty Mountains or How Do You Like My Car Big Boy posters are possible recognizable choices.
  • The navy-blue mesh Dodgers hat is a personal favorite; whether it was custom-made remains unknown.
  • Pink cow sticky notes are wanted for marking travel information.
  • An enlarged detective-agency advertisement is another choice.