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The Player

year 1992decade 90sdirector Robert Altmangenre Comedygenre Drama

124 minutes

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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

The Player | The Rewatchables

host Bill Simmonshost Sean Fennesseyguest Wesley Morrisproducer Craig Horlbeck
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Roger Ebert's review

The hosts discuss Roger Ebert’s four-star review and its description of the film as smart, funny, of its time, and a metaphor for 1980s avarice.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:31:41Read transcript
  • Ebert awarded the film four stars.
  • The quoted review calls the movie smart and funny.
  • The quoted review says Hollywood functions as a metaphor for 1980s avarice.
  • The quoted review calls it the movie The Bonfire of the Vanities wanted to be.

Casting What-Ifs

Chevy Chase and John Travolta were considered for Griffin, and several cut cameos and cast relationships are discussed.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:11:17Read transcript
  • Chevy Chase wanted to play Griffin, but Warner Bros. rejected the idea.
  • Robert Altman reportedly considered John Travolta for Griffin.
  • The panel prefers Robbins and notes his early-1990s career run.
  • Jeff Daniels golfing in surgical clothes and Patrick Swayze doing karate were filmed and cut.
  • Greta Scacchi and Vincent D’Onofrio were in a relationship and had a daughter.

Recasting Couch

Robert De Niro for Fred Ward’s role is the strongest recasting proposal, alongside multiple ideas for Bonnie.

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:16:35Read transcript

Half-Assed Internet Research

Production accounts cover the actors’ boundaries, improvisation, and Altman’s rationale for the film’s nudity.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:19:43Read transcript
  • Greta Scacchi reportedly negotiated limits on nudity.
  • Burt Reynolds reportedly improvised material during the opening shot.
  • Altman reportedly explained Cynthia Stevenson’s nude scene as part of exposing Hollywood’s power imbalance.
  • A Paul Newman anecdote is quoted to illustrate performers negotiating exposure and control.

Picking Nits

The panel raises visibility, investigation, postcard, drug-use, and motive problems.

In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:23Read transcript
  • June seemingly fails to recognize Griffin through a window despite having seen him.
  • David Kahane appears unusually informed about studio operations.
  • The objection is partly withdrawn because trade coverage could explain his knowledge.
  • Details of the murder appear to circulate implausibly quickly.
  • The threatening postcards stop for roughly a year without a satisfying practical explanation.
  • The movie is said to contain too little cocaine for its Hollywood setting.
  • The blackmailing writer’s motive is unclear: credit, acknowledgment, a screenplay sale, or cosmic justice.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

The formal question asks whether Altman saw the future of movies, leading to a broader discussion of recurring industry crises and artistic risk moving to television.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:36:32Read transcript
  • Did Altman see the future of movies?
  • The panel answers yes and cites Griffin’s transparently hollow gala speech.
  • The panel notes that declarations of cinema’s death recur across decades.
  • Recent movies are defended as good even as viewing shifts toward home platforms.
  • The Underground Railroad is cited as ambitious work that struggled to break through.
  • Television is described as a place where established creators can take larger swings.

Mentions across The Rewatchables

Double Feature

Quiz Show

The Rewatchables · aired October 21, 2025

Donnie Brasco led the host discussion; The English Patient, Network, and The Player were also proposed.

Approx. transcript time · 01:29:16Read transcript
Source 1