Gosling’s apex is disputed among the 2011 double, La La Land and Barbie; Stone is assigned a later peak, with La La Land suggested. An annual multi-film acting MVP is proposed. — Bill Simmons
Moore and Carell are assigned earlier peaks. Singles bars in recent films, car exits and vodka cranberries as a plot device receive affirmative apex answers; a claimed Carell Sunshine nomination remains a podcast claim pending correction. — Bill Simmons
Drink preferences interrupt apex. Dirty Dancing homages get a yes, while Century City Mall is assigned its current peak rather than 2011. — Bill Simmons
Mina’s early hottest take is that Gosling and Stone have better chemistry here, and a better romantic scene, than in La La Land. — Mina Kimes
An early hottest-take discussion treats Stone’s rise as visibly inevitable, comparing early Streep, Roberts and Cruise breakthroughs; Superbad is defended as an immediate star signal. — Bill Simmons
Van’s hottest take asks whether marriage needs a halftime. The others challenge the analogy because cheating was not mutual consent and one partner might prefer separation; nine partners makes reconciliation harder. — Bill Simmons
The marriage-halftime debate also considers Cal’s complacency and contrasts the film’s reunion with real-life returns after disappointing dating experiences.
Redford and Clooney are additional examples; a debate compares Clooney’s fame and film choices with Gosling’s, then discusses late-blooming actors. — Bill Simmons
Van recalls his father admiring Billy Dee Williams; the hosts discuss men openly acknowledging other men’s attractiveness and remember Colt 45 ads. — Bill Simmons
Burt Reynolds is called the greatest car-chase driver; alternate takes read the film as a story about America and speculate that Crewe fathers a child in prison.
Swap Annabella Sciorra and Nancy Travis: Sciorra's passion and contrast with Peck would strengthen Raymond's marriage story.
Christopher Reeve is an intriguing against-type option; Don Johnson has the right appeal, though his acting range is questioned. Harrison Ford is another preferred alternative.
Denzel Washington could play Peck, but the racial dynamics would make a substantially different movie.
Ryan Gosling is the modern Peck choice, with Murder by Numbers recalled as evidence he can play a villain.
The film was originally to star Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, two people mentioned earlier in the episode whom the filmmakers would want to reunite; they dropped out, possibly toward La La Land. — Bill Simmons
Doing this and La La Land back to back would have made them a Tracy-Hepburn pairing, prompting a tangent on audiences recognizing pre-1970 references. — Wesley Morris
Stewart is praised as a subtle sexual actor, citing an extremely erotic film with Julieta Benoche, versus Robbie's externalized style; Smith and Stewart are predicted best actor and actress winners this year. — Wesley Morris
Per the internet research, Affleck dropped out over scheduling, Will Smith signed, then Stewart dropped out; whether she left over scheduling is unknown, assumed busy. — Bill Simmons
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, La La Land) is the favorite re-pairing because they could make another completely different movie now. — Bill Simmons
The script is called well-constructed and well-written, with a shout-out to the writers, including Richard Price for the screenplay. — Bill Simmons
The kidnappers, by shorthand, are Lieutenant Dan, the bald Californication guy, New Kid on the Block number two, the HBO narrator guy and Lily Taylor; Lily Taylor is praised. — Bill Simmons
Early email as a plot device, when getting an email signaled that he must be really rich. — Bill Simmons
The crew is a sneaky good cast who all played their positions; Donnie Wahlberg was stunt casting in 1996 and has since become a successful actor on Blue Bloods. — Van Lathan
The narrative of the dirty cop as the lead villain has aged best. — Van Lathan
Recasting Costello is raised early: this is not a good Nicholson performance given expectations, and failing to get an Oscar nomination at his stature means something went wrong.
The part needs real weight and prestige, a Brando Godfather type; Daniel DeLois and Sean Penn are too young, Jimmy Con and Duval too old, and Gandalfini is not Irish.
Nicholson was at the tail end of his career, like Magic Johnson in 1996; the movie might be tighter without his indulgences, but it is hard to conceive without him; in A Few Good Men every choice was perfect, here he is all over the place.
Hackman is proposed and liked: imposing, has played bastards, never worked with Scorsese, though he may have checked out by then; one participant would rather roll the dice with Hackman.
James Badge Dale was not famous enough to register as the guy from earlier; the counterpoint is that it works because it is someone the audience does not know. — Bill Simmons
Ryan Gosling is rejected; Jake Gyllenha and Keith Ledger are floated, but a star disappearing for two hours would be distracting, and Badge Dale is legit good. — Sean Fennessey
The hosts read that after filming concluded by August 2013, Jeremy Piven was added and extra scenes were shot, but he does not appear in the finished film; they call it an editing what-if. — Sean Fennessey
Piven's energy would not have worked, though a liked comedian popping up in J Squad would have been welcome. — Sean Fennessey
A sarcastic line about marveling that Tom Hardy was in J Squad leads to the point that none of the J Squad actors have become big names in six years. — Sean Fennessey
The hosts read that Brad Pitt was originally considered for Cage; it would need the winking Pitt of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Mr. and Mrs. Smith rather than the self-serious World War Z version, and Cruise is judged the better fit. — Chris Ryan
The hosts read that Ryan Gosling was also considered because Cage is younger in the novel; comic Nice Guys Gosling would work, but blank Drive, Only God Forgives or Blade Runner Gosling would not. — Sean Fennessey
The hosts read that an actress best known for The Artist was up for Rita, which seems odd; she is called a good actor, possibly also in a Bond movie, and both hosts are glad they got Blunt. — Sean Fennessey
