Reiben is imagined as a role for mid-2000s DiCaprio, a surviving River Phoenix, or Heath Ledger in a version ten years later.
Phoenix is also proposed for Wade, prompting joking reshuffles of Ribisi and Davies; Reiben is characterized as the film’s best straightforward movie-star part.
The original 1998 casting is retained; for a modern Miller, Clooney is considered too old and Reynolds too youthful-looking.
Reilly is rejected as too old and Driver is doubted despite his military service because he lacks the desired reassuring Hanks quality; Dave Franco is briefly floated.
DiCaprio and Gyllenhaal are discussed, with Gyllenhaal considered too handsome and nervy; Ledger is mourned as someone who could have filled this type of role.
Damon is the accepted modern replacement for Miller.
Swapping Sizemore with Giamatti is proposed as a test of how essential he was, though Sizemore is credited with improving the film.
Carla Gallo is the probable pick: she comes in red hot, hits a couple threes and goes off the rails, and the ensuing fight has a bottle hitting Patrick.
The homeless guy should probably have been considered for the award.
Obscure De Niro characters that could have been included: Awakenings, Neil McCauley after a blanked name, and Cape Fear De Niro; blanking means doing Heat again.
Rogen: no, or maybe; Superbad and Knocked Up were bigger, though a $200 million movie off an $18 million budget and Sausage Party two years later argue maybe.
Pineapple Express was the height of his clout, leading to Green Hornet; the Knocked Up, Superbad, Pineapple Express run was his apex.
The clout from this hit was used to make The Interview.
The Interview is impossible to watch objectively; it has funny moments and Randall Park, but something feels off, like watching a Chadwick Boseman movie now. — Sean Fennessey
Apex for frat movies: Revenge of the Nerds, Old School and Animal House are the candidates, and Animal House is the winner; no PCU.
Efron: the case for yes, since coming out of this it felt like a lot would happen, leading to Baywatch and We Are Your Friends.
Efron's body: he is still doing fine; the body is a repeated talking point, like Schwarzenegger.
Rose Byrne is a reliable number two who makes films like Insidious better, making it a tough call.
No for Byrne: she is just consistent; this and Bridesmaids unlocked a decade of comedies like Spy. — Chris Ryan
Another vote says yes for Byrne because of Insidious and then this the next year.
Dave Franco: not yet; the hot take is that it's coming, citing The Rental and The Disaster Artist.
McLovin: no.
Abercrombie & Fitch in movies: yes, it has never been in a better scene.
The Abercrombie scene prompts greeter jokes and a joke that it was a dug-up William Goldman ending.
Nothing to recast; the casting is liked, with Carla Gallo the only one on the fringe.
Rogen pushed for Dave Franco after he was cut from an earlier project; like The Graduate's age gap, he was only about five years younger than Rogen yet believable as a 20-year-old.
The couple's chemistry is really good and could have gone wrong in the wrong hands; trained actors are often the best people for movies like this.
Bridesmaids had already shown what Rose Byrne could do, and research for that episode found people surprised she could do comedy.
Byrne is floated as the most versatile actor of her generation: serious dramas, superhero movies, broad comedies and TV, always good.
She is called underrated with the most versatility; Nicole Kidman in the Hawaii comedy seemed to be trying, while Byrne could have made only comedies.
The stunt casting of Mintz-Plasse works: heavier, grown out and older-looking, a deliberate break from the McLovin spell.
Dave Franco's intentional boners, about three in the movie, are hilarious; a son first saw the movie during the pandemic and was angry he had not been shown it sooner.
The opening 'taking it to Bonertown' exchange kills, and the airbag gimmick is hilarious.
The soundtrack is essential, as with The Hangover, and the frat-party music choices were really good.
The music captures the 2008-2015 pop moment of Missy Elliott, Flo Rida and Kesha that played at any gathering of more than 20 people. — Sean Fennessey
Craig weighs in with a Flo Rida comment, prompting a joke about whether Flo Rida beats Bob Dylan.
Agreement follows: an Australian is just an Australian, and she is funnier in this movie because she did not have to worry about her accent.
The accent sets up jokes such as her thinking the Kudrow character is called Dean, and one reference is enough to account for it; strained American accents may inhibit improv.
