Dutton arresting the two attackers in a Southern bar, followed by Jake learning what happened from Cooper, is praised as an effective setup. — Bill Simmons
Carl Lee’s courthouse shooting is nominated as an effective, shameless action sequence, including his preparation the night before. — Bill Simmons
The early hearing with Bullock’s motion and Kiefer’s hostile sideways look is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Carl Lee visiting Cooper after shooting him is an emotional favorite. — Bill Simmons
Carl Lee turning the tables on the reverend and civil-rights organization is nominated. — Bill Simmons
Jake and Ellen’s flirty lunch while recruiting her to the case is praised for the actors’ chemistry, distinct from the later hotel sequence. — Bill Simmons
The jury-selection sequence is nominated. — Wesley Morris
Deputy Looney’s insistence that Carl Lee is a hero who should be freed is a major witness-stand highlight. — Bill Simmons
Carl Lee’s declaration that the attackers deserved to die and should burn in hell is another explosive courtroom highlight. — Bill Simmons
Carl Lee’s jail speech identifies Jake as his secret weapon precisely because he shares the white jury’s perspective. — Wesley Morris
Jake’s final summation is one participant’s first choice and proposed as McConaughey’s greatest career moment. — Bill Simmons
The verdict itself is also nominated. — Bill Simmons
The final preference combines the jail speech and summation because Carl Lee’s challenge supplies the emotional and moral foundation for Jake’s closing. — Wesley Morris
The cast reportedly contained two Oscar winners during production—Spacey and Fricker—and six by the discussion, adding McConaughey, Bullock, Cooper and Spencer. — Bill Simmons
The film received no Oscar nominations, despite discussion of possible recognition for McConaughey and Jackson. — Bill Simmons
The film reportedly cost $40 million and grossed $152 million. — Bill Simmons
McConaughey reportedly auditioned for Freddie Lee Cobb before lobbying to play Jake; the discussion inaccurately describes that initial role as one of the men killed. — Bill Simmons
Grisham reportedly developed the story after hearing a young rape victim’s testimony in 1984 and imagining her father killing the attackers. — Bill Simmons
Sutherland reportedly wanted Lucien to be much drunker, but Schumacher rejected that approach, leaving an uncertain characterization. — Bill Simmons
This is proposed as Bullock’s most attractive screen appearance, explicitly offered as a backup hot take. — Wesley Morris
The favorite McConaughey performances are Dazed and Confused and this film, both made before his stardom; the following decade failed to deliver on the breakthrough promise. — Bill Simmons
McConaughey’s hairline and reluctance to perform the work of maintaining fame are proposed as factors limiting his career, with Cusack and Cage comparisons; this is speculative interpretation. — Wesley Morris
Johnny Depp reportedly turned down Jack over the script; Jared Leto was reportedly favored but would not audition, and the actress transcribed as Claire Daines was supposedly wanted for Rose. — Bill Simmons
Jeremy Sisto auditioned multiple times and is lamented as never finding the right part; Billy Crudup was considered but was committed to Without Limits. — Bill Simmons
Robert De Niro was reportedly offered Captain Smith but declined due to a gastrointestinal infection; he would have been fun in the role. — Bill Simmons
Julia Roberts is rumored to have passed; one of the writers is quoted saying lots of big actresses passed, which a host believes he told BuzzFeed UK in 2015. A host thinks it is described as one of her most regrettable decisions, but the hosts doubt she was ever seriously considered. — Juliet Litman
The hosts say the Vanity Fair article reports Demi Moore was wanted, which would have been her first rom-com; she would have made it more serious and anxious. — Juliet Litman
The Washington Post oral history is cited for Davis passing, funny because she and Pullman were married in A League of Their Own; when the director signed on, Harrison Ford and Davis were attached and both backed out. — Amanda Dobbins
Harrison Ford would have been great, if more of a jerk and less believable as the spare brother. — Juliet Litman
The hosts cite the Washington Post as saying Dennis Quaid was rumored for Jack; a host speculates he and Meg Ryan shared representation. — Juliet Litman
Patrick Swayze, also mentioned for Jack, is a no: too much charisma for a reticent role, leading into a tangent about Dirty Dancing and Ghost. — Amanda Dobbins
Matthew McConaughey was reportedly a top choice for Jack until his Texas accent got in the way; a host calls it a hard yes and invents a Texas-family fix, noting the grandmother's British accent goes unexplained. — Amanda Dobbins
The hosts report Pierce Brosnan was rumored for Peter; his accent hardly matters since Peter is asleep, and Peter Gallagher plays a yuppie better than almost anyone. — Juliet Litman
James Spater (as transcribed) was mentioned somewhere on the list, probably for Jack, but a host thinks he should have been Peter. — Amanda Dobbins
The Jack role could have worked with several actors, which is a testament to the writing; Jack is probably the best-written character even if Bullock sells hers best. — Juliet Litman
As the hosts tell it, Michaels originally envisioned Farley with Lowe as the foil in the Richard part, which fell through because Lowe had other commitments. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say Farley pushed for Spade or Sandler; Sandler was already shooting Billy Madison, so Spade was the third choice, called the right one. — Bill Simmons
The hosts say scheduling conflicts nearly forced Lowe out, and quick auditions included Matthew McConaughey, which would have been fun between Dazed and Confused and A Time to Kill. — Bill Simmons
Helen the waitress was reportedly meant for Roseanne Barr, who was busy with her show; called a good miss. — Bill Simmons
Three different answers come back at once, Leo, McConaughey and Scorsese; the Scorsese case is that the director is the author of the whole project and that this was a reminder he was not done yet, which gets mocked as auteur theory delivered like John Wayne.
Hugo, the film before this, is probably the host's least favorite Scorsese, him trying something different late in life, whereas this is him being who he is and firing the shotgun at the biggest caliber, every move in his book purposefully overdone to show people pushing limits without realizing it; McConaughey and Leo are nonetheless called incredible.
A closing joke asks whether the Malaysian financier won the movie, with a shout-out to Red Granite; the firm answer is that they did not.
"I myself jerk off at least twice a day"; "There's no nobility in poverty"; "Sell me this pen"; "Pick up the phone and start dialing"; "Fun coupons"; "I ask them to judge me on my losers because I have so few"; "I'm never eating at Benny Hanna again"; "You had to deal with the golf course people too"; "Risk is what keeps us young"; "Telephone fucking terrorists"
About 1200 words of quotes were pasted but it will not go on too long; the entire McConaughey jerking-off speech is the quote, played as a clip, 'feed the geese' and 'mustard shit' included; it is loved because it is a fake Robert Downey Jr. performance, free-associative, hyper-intelligent but completely illogical word vomit.
Not every scumbag line needs repeating, but 'there's no nobility in poverty', a pull from Wall Street, and 'I have been a rich man and I have been a poor man and I choose rich every fucking time' are the kind of lines weaponized by the movie; the opening lines about the middle class, two accountants in Bayside and $49 million being three shy of a million a week are read.
'Sell me this pen' is the famous one; the 'are you behind on your credit card bills, good, pick up the phone and start dialing' speech and 'deal with your problems by becoming rich'.
Leo's 'lions and tigers and bears' after the hit of crack; 'fun coupons' thrown at Kyle Chandler, who has not been repped much; that scene has the moment where you want him to stop making it worse, and fun coupons itself is a little over the top.
The AeroTine (as transcribed) pitch in the Long Island office, 'I never ask my clients to judge me on my winners, I ask them to judge me on my losers because I have so few', is a favorite because it finally shows the character being great at the thing he is supposedly great at, the kid with the lemonade stand marking up candy, with the hand gestures and everyone in the background mattering as much as DiCaprio.
'I'm never eating at Benny Hanna again' (as transcribed), the golf-course-people and Greek-tragedy rant with 'you had to pay them in cash with your hands' and the wine connoisseur turned landscape architect played as a clip; 'show me a pay stub for $72,000'; Aunt Emma's 'risk is what keeps us young' as a tidy tagline for the movie; 'you'd be telephone fucking terrorists'.
Asked for more, the addressed host adds the massive heart attack at 35, same age Mozart died, the Sea Otter who sold meat and weed introduction, 'you're free now, run free', 'I'm not gonna let someone else fuck my cousin', and the O'Doul's and baking-powder exchange that ends with 'it sucks, man'. — Chris Ryan
The award is introduced as the Linda Partridge, don't call me lady, award for overacting and immediately derailed by confusion over the Joey Pants award.
Reiner, not even a question: he is nuts in this movie and screams the entire time; the award, formerly the Saul Rubinek 'they stab me in the heart' and before that the Mark Ruffalo, is not a critique and Rob Reiner is not canceled, he just yells for five minutes, delivered like Rob Manfred ruling on sign stealing with Jim Crane and a couple of cops; no case for McConaughey, and Kimmy a little bit.
Earlier, during the heat check, Dujardin is one host's overacting pick for being in a different movie.
