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The Rewatchables · April 12, 2022

The Player

host Bill Simmons host Sean Fennessey guest Wesley Morris producer Craig Horlbeck

Sequel or remake: A ten-episode contemporary adaptation
Biggest nit: Visibility, investigation, postcard, drug-use, and motive problems

All 17 categories

Who won the movie Robert Altman
Roger Ebert
Dion Waiters Award Whoopi Goldberg
“That Guy” Award Leah Ayres

Most Rewatchable Scene · 32:47

The opening tracking shot

Bill Simmons: The 7:47 opening tracking shot is nominated and ultimately selected.

Bill Simmons: The opening includes Buck Henry pitching The Graduate Part II.

What Piece of Memorabilia Would You Want From This Movie? · 1:41:22

The M poster, Griffin’s suit and Rolls-Royce, the Rialto cinema, and the studio jeans

Sean Fennessey: The M poster is proposed.

The film

The Player (1992)

Directed by Robert Altman · Comedy

124 minutes

IMDb Letterboxd JustWatch Find on Rotten Tomatoes

Cast

Selected cast credits · Film reference

Tim Robbins Griffin Mill

Greta Scacchi June Gudmundsdottir

Fred Ward Walter Stuckel

Whoopi Goldberg Detective Susan Avery

Peter Gallagher Larry Levy

Brion James Joel Levison

Cynthia Stevenson Bonnie Sherow

Vincent D'Onofrio David Kahane

Dean Stockwell Andy Sivella

Richard E. Grant Tom Oakley

Everything from the episode

In the order the hosts got to it. Open a row for the discussion.

32:47

Most Rewatchable Scene

The opening tracking shot

In the discussion (14)

Approx. transcript time · 00:32:47Read transcript

The 7:47 opening tracking shot is nominated and ultimately selected. — Bill Simmons
The opening includes Buck Henry pitching The Graduate Part II. — Bill Simmons
The opening’s rapid movie-pitch mashups are praised.
Fred Ward discussing Touch of Evil while admitting gaps in his movie knowledge is praised. — Wesley Morris
The large party where Sidney Pollack appears is nominated. — Bill Simmons
The Burt Reynolds party exchange is praised. — Bill Simmons
Griffin confronting David Kahane at the Rialto and the ensuing murder are nominated. — Bill Simmons
The hotel-pool Habeas Corpus pitch is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Griffin’s generic black-tie speech about movies as art is nominated. — Bill Simmons
The one-year-later Habeas Corpus ending with Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis is nominated. — Bill Simmons
The final in-car pitch of The Player and Griffin’s homecoming are nominated. — Bill Simmons
The Pasadena interrogation with Lyle Lovett and Whoopi Goldberg is nominated. — Wesley Morris
Whoopi Goldberg’s tampon exchange is highlighted. — Wesley Morris
The lineup scene and Whoopi Goldberg’s pressure on the witness are praised. — Sean Fennessey

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49:37

What’s Aged the Best?

Early-1990s Los Angeles, the no-stars pitch, cameos, Randall Batinkoff, anonymous threats, and Hollywood-insider jokes

In the discussion (14)

Approx. transcript time · 00:49:37Read transcript

The pre-internet early-1990s Los Angeles movie world is praised. — Bill Simmons
Executives recoiling from a movie with no stars is praised. — Bill Simmons
Jeremy Piven’s pre-hairpiece appearance is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
Anjelica Huston and John Cusack visibly disliking Griffin is a favorite cameo moment.
Randall Batinkoff’s funny supporting role and failed star trajectory are highlighted. — Bill Simmons
The mystery-person postcard device is praised as reliably effective. — Bill Simmons
Brion James’s studio-chief presence is praised. — Bill Simmons
Larry Levy attending AA meetings to make deals despite not drinking is praised. — Bill Simmons
Malcolm McDowell’s cameo is praised. — Bill Simmons
The movie marks Sidney Pollack’s return to acting before a later run.
The running assumption that Julia Roberts and Bruce Willis fit every movie is praised. — Bill Simmons
The Pasadena insult is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
Griffin being served a different bottled-water brand in each venue is highlighted. — Bill Simmons
The movie’s insider view of powerful institutions is connected to later storytelling. — Bill Simmons

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1:00:28

What’s Aged the Worst?

Spelling Entertainment, car phones and fax machines, the rattlesnake, Griffin’s police-station laugh, June’s characte...

Spelling Entertainment, car phones and fax machines, the rattlesnake, Griffin’s police-station laugh, June’s characterization, clothes, and the Range Rover

In the discussion (10)

Approx. transcript time · 01:00:28Read transcript

Spelling Entertainment’s credit alongside its television slate is treated as incongruous.
Car fax machines and giant mobile phones are dated. — Bill Simmons
June Gudmundsdottir’s unusually long name is questioned, then explained as common in Iceland. — Wesley Morris
The rattlesnake-in-the-car torment is questioned. — Sean Fennessey
Griffin’s police-station laughing scene is considered overly broad. — Bill Simmons
June’s motivations and lack of suspicion toward Griffin are questioned. — Bill Simmons
The panel disputes whether the problem is Greta Scacchi’s performance or the character writing.
June is read as an intentionally distant noir-artist archetype.
The double-breasted clothes are criticized. — Bill Simmons
The Range Rover as a power vehicle is treated as dated.

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1:12:46

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

Leah Ayres

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 01:12:46Read transcript

Richard E. Grant is the runner-up for his manic Habeas Corpus pitch. — Bill Simmons
Leah Ayres, identified through Bloodsport, is selected because the hosts recognize her but did not know her name. — Bill Simmons

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1:15:28

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Cynthia Stevenson as Bonnie, in the climactic confrontation

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:28Read transcript

Cynthia Stevenson’s final confrontation is selected as the moment when the casting starts to come apart. — Bill Simmons

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1:15:39

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Whoopi Goldberg

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:39Read transcript

Whoopi Goldberg is selected for dominating a small number of scenes. — Bill Simmons
Richard E. Grant is nominated for his pitch performance. — Bill Simmons
Dean Stockwell is nominated. — Bill Simmons

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1:22:51

Apex Mountain

Cynthia Stevenson, double-breasted suits, Leeza Gibbons in 1992, and Randall Batinkoff’s early-1990s run: yes

In the discussion (15)

Approx. transcript time · 01:22:51Read transcript

Tim Robbins is judged short of an overall career apex.
Vincent D’Onofrio’s Law & Order work is suggested as his apex.
Robert Altman’s Nashville and immediate post-MASH power are weighed. — Sean Fennessey
Cynthia Stevenson is explicitly judged at her apex. — Sean Fennessey
The Player competes with other Hollywood-industry satires. — Wesley Morris
Peter Gallagher is judged not at his apex. — Wesley Morris
Double-breasted suits are called a period apex, with hope that the style stays buried.
Leeza Gibbons is judged at her apex in 1992. — Bill Simmons
Fred Ward is judged not at his apex. — Bill Simmons
Brion James is judged probably not at his apex. — Bill Simmons
Whoopi Goldberg’s Ghost and Sister Act period is identified as the apex context. — Bill Simmons
Greta Scacchi’s Presumed Innocent period is compared. — Bill Simmons
Outdoor Los Angeles meals and drinks are placed at a 2020–2022 apex. — Bill Simmons
Randall Batinkoff’s School Ties, Buffy, and The Player run is judged his apex. — Bill Simmons
Murdering a screenwriter is rejected as an apex-worthy behavior. — Bill Simmons

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1:34:28

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

A ten-episode contemporary adaptation; doubtful it would improve on Altman

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:34:28Read transcript

A ten-episode version could spend more time with the different characters. — Bill Simmons
A contemporary version could update the story with the internet. — Bill Simmons
The mystery element is offered as a reason an episodic version could sustain binge viewing. — Bill Simmons
The hosts would adapt the book rather than remake Altman’s movie.

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1:41:22