The Pelican Brief
1993 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
Aired December 12, 2023
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Ghostbusters
Toy Soldiers
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Manhunter
Back to the Future
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 3
- Movies in this archive
- 5
Rewatchables episodes featuring John Lithgow’s films
Blow Out
1981 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Wesley Morris
Aired November 15, 2022
Displaying all 3 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Casting What-Ifs
Michael Keaton as Venkman; Jeff Goldblum as Egon; other reported candidates (credibility questioned)
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:33:36Read transcript
- Chevy Chase's claim that he declined Venkman is treated skeptically, though a preliminary conversation is considered possible. — Chris Ryan
- Michael Keaton is the favored Venkman alternative because he had already played comparable fast-talking comic leads. — Chris Ryan
- Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, Steve Gutenberg, and Richard Pryor are listed as other reported Venkman possibilities with varying credibility. — Chris Ryan
- Christopher Walken, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, and Jeff Goldblum are discussed as reported Egon candidates; Goldblum draws the most interest. — Bill Simmons
- Daryl Hannah, Denise Crosby, Julia Roberts, and Kelly LeBrock are reported as Dana audition possibilities, though the panel doubts some claims. — Bill Simmons
- John Candy is reported to have declined Louis Tully after proposing a German accent; Sandra Bernhard reportedly declined Janine. — Bill Simmons
- Paul Rubens is mentioned as an alleged Gozer possibility, but the claim is explicitly doubted. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 00:52:48Read transcript
- Kristen Johnston is the agreed overacting choice, with her Third Rock pairing prompting a digression about which John Lithgow performances work. — Bill Simmons
Top Ten List
Action-villain scale against Hans Gruber (1 = worst, 10 = Gruber)
- 1 The Toy Soldiers villain (Luis Cali)
- 3 Powers Boothe, Sudden Death
- 4 Willem Dafoe, Speed 2
- 5 Dennis Hopper, Speed
- 6 John Lithgow, Cliffhanger
- 7 Tommy Lee Jones, Under Siege
- 8 Ed Harris as General Hummel, The Rock
- 9 Gary Oldman, Air Force One
- 10 Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:14:46Read transcript
- A separate revised scale puts Powers Boothe at one, the Passenger 57 villain at two and the Toy Soldiers villain at three, reversing an earlier preference between Boothe and Toy Soldiers. — Bill Simmons
- The villain scale initially puts the Toy Soldiers villain at one, criticizing his intimidation speech despite strong entrance, pivot and final-fight stages; a later utterance calls him two. — Bill Simmons
- The stated ascending scale continues with Powers Boothe in Sudden Death at three, Willem Dafoe in Speed 2 at four, Dennis Hopper in Speed at five, John Lithgow in Cliffhanger at six, Tommy Lee Jones in Under Siege at seven, Ed Harris in The Rock at eight, Gary Oldman in Air Force One at nine and Alan Rickman’s Gruber at ten. — Kyle Brandt
- An alternate opinion places Jones at nine and would rank Lithgow and Hopper higher; Toy Soldiers is again called the worst while Boothe is another participant’s least favorite. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:29:15Read transcript
- Murphy is the clear acting choice, with a supporting placement proposed strategically despite recognition that he is a lead. — Bill Simmons
- The screenplay is considered, then Murphy’s rewritten dialogue complicates the choice. — Chris Ryan
- The reported supporting-actor field includes Jack Nicholson (Terms of Endearment), Charles Durning (To Be or Not to Be), John Lithgow (Terms of Endearment), Sam Shepard (The Right Stuff), and Rip Torn (Cross Creek). — Bill Simmons
Recasting Couch
Stronger villains; Kathleen Turner, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Margot Kidder, Deborah Winger, or Sean Young as Marion
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:24:04Read transcript
- Any stronger actor than Paul Freeman is the bronze change and John Lithgow as Toht is the silver. — Bill Simmons
- Kathleen Turner is the primary Marion recast for greater sexual energy with Ford, though others object that Romancing the Stone later supplies exactly that pairing.
- Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Margot Kidder, Deborah Winger, and Sean Young are alternate Marion ideas; the conversation ultimately leans toward Winger or Young while still defending Allen.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:06Read transcript
- There are arguably three movies (the military-government thriller, Connery's and Cage's), but by the Judd Nelson standard Ed Harris is in a completely different movie because he takes it so seriously. — Chris Ryan
- Harris plays it like an Oliver Stone sequel to Platoon, without an Alan Rickman or John Lithgow gleam, entirely straight; not certain that was right, but memorable. — Chris Ryan
- Pushback that the core three were praised all along draws the reply that Harris is liked, just in a different movie, unlike Gene Hackman's quirks in Crimson Tide.
- Counterpoint: an obvious villain would make a different film; the story rests on the bluff, which Connery reads ("he's a soldier, he's not a madman"). — Mina Kimes
- The core three are rated more like Westbrook, Beale and Bertons, with a Chris Bosch comparison retracted, while Harris is called amazing. — Mina Kimes
Casting What-Ifs
Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Paul Newman, and several Lecter possibilities
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:37Read transcript
- Richard Gere is named as a possible Will Graham.
- Mel Gibson is named as a possible Graham.
- Paul Newman is named as an intriguing Graham alternative.
- John Lithgow is considered for Lecter. — Bill Simmons
- Mandy Patinkin is considered for Lecter. — Bill Simmons
- Brian Dennehy is considered for Lecter and reportedly recommended Brian Cox. — Bill Simmons
- David Lynch and Ted Levine are mentioned in the wider casting discussion. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
John Lithgow and other alternate casting history
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:00:57Read transcript
- John Lithgow is reported as the first choice for Doc Brown and is judged plausible — Bill Simmons
- J.J. Cohen was reportedly moved from Biff to a cohort because he was not imposing enough opposite Stoltz — Bill Simmons
- Melora Hardin was reportedly released as Jennifer after Fox replaced Stoltz because of their height difference — Bill Simmons
- An Al Pacino Doc Brown is performed as a comic hypothetical rather than reported casting — Bill Simmons
Displaying all 8 discussions
