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Film credit

Sean Penn

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Episodes featuring their films
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Movies in this archive
1

Mentioned in discussions

Forrest Gump poster
Forrest Gump

Casting What-Ifs

Forrest Gump The Rewatchables

Harry Anderson, John Travolta, Sean Penn, several Bubbas and Jennys, Terry Gilliam, and Joe Pesci form the casting tree.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:05:53Read transcript
  • Zemeckis reportedly wanted Harry Anderson, who was unavailable, while John Travolta declined Forrest and later called that a mistake.
  • Travolta’s later Michael and Phenomenon are read as attempts to recover the benevolent-simple-man role; Sean Penn claimed he was a second choice.
  • David Alan Grier, Dave Chappelle, Ice Cube, and Tupac Shakur connect to Bubba; Chappelle later sought Hanks collaboration after regretting the miss.
  • Jodie Foster, Demi Moore, and Nicole Kidman reportedly declined Jenny, and Terry Gilliam declined directing.
  • Joe Pesci as Lieutenant Dan is embraced as an extraordinary visual and comic alternate.
Goodfellas poster
Goodfellas

Casting What-Ifs

Goodfellas The Rewatchables

De Niro’s choice of Jimmy, Malkovich and William Petersen alternatives, Liotta and Sean Penn possibilities, Sorvino’s self-discovery, and Cruise/Madonna rumors are discussed.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:50:32Read transcript
  • De Niro was offered Jimmy or Tommy, chose Jimmy, and his commitment secured financing.
  • John Malkovich and William Petersen are discussed as reported Jimmy alternatives.
  • Liotta’s Something Wild work helped establish him for Henry, and he reportedly turned down Harvey Dent in Batman.
  • Sean Penn is discussed as a possible Henry.
  • Paul Sorvino reportedly considered leaving until he saw a frightening expression in the mirror and found Paulie.
  • Tom Cruise and Madonna are discussed as reported alternate star casting, though the panel questions how real the offers were.
The Game poster
The Game

Who Won the Movie?

The Game The Rewatchables

Michael Douglas and Sean Penn are the two defended winners.

In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:04:18Read transcript
  • A participant initially proposes no winner because this is not the best work of anyone involved, except possibly Deborah Kara Unger; the panel objects that career-best work is not the criterion.
  • Douglas is defended because his old-school movie-star presence carries nearly every scene and gives the audience its point of view.
  • Penn is defended because Conrad’s few scenes require an actor with enough energy and danger to make the entire premise work.
  • Fincher is rejected because he disowned the movie, though its success helped position him to make Fight Club.
Podcast choices
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Michael Douglas
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Sean Penn
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Michael Douglas
Speaker not identified
Sean Penn
The Game poster
The Game

Apex Mountain

The Game The Rewatchables

Deborah Kara Unger and Johnny’s Coffee Shop receive positive apex cases; the principal filmmakers and stars do not.

In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:49:46Read transcript
  • Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, and David Fincher are rejected as apex cases for this movie.
  • Deborah Kara Unger is given an emphatic apex verdict.
  • The movie is considered as the last strong pre-Silicon-Valley San Francisco film, though Zodiac and Bullitt complicate the claim.
  • Johnny’s Coffee Shop is proposed as an apex location after appearing as a set in many films.
  • James Rebhorn is explicitly raised as another apex candidate.
  • The birthday cheeseburger is jokingly proposed for a food-on-film apex.
The Game poster
The Game

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

The Game The Rewatchables

Daniel Schorr is the preferred eligible answer; Sean Penn is debated because he appears in only a few scenes.

In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:44:43Read transcript
  • Sean Penn is debated as eligible because Conrad appears in only three principal sequences.
  • Daniel Schorr is selected because his real news authority makes the television intrusion credible.
The Game poster
The Game

Casting What-Ifs

The Game The Rewatchables

An earlier version paired Bridget Fonda with an actor whose name is transcribed as Kyle McLaughlin; Rebecca De Mornay is proposed as a period alternative, and Jodie Foster and Jeff Bridges were later attached or offered major roles.

This discussion recalls a choice from an earlier episode.

In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:04Read transcript
The Game poster
The Game

What’s Aged the Best?

The Game The Rewatchables

Sean Penn, the final bill split, San Francisco locations, fluorescent graffiti, thriller phrases, Deborah Kara Unger, and Fincher’s hidden societies are praised.

In the discussion (9)
Approx. transcript time · 00:33:29Read transcript
  • Sean Penn’s unreliable, volatile brother remains a major strength.
  • The brothers silently agreeing to split the final bill is praised as a sharp closing joke.
  • The Ritz-Carlton remains an unchanged and recognizable San Francisco location.
  • The graffiti-covered house remains visually memorable.
  • The phrases “they’re watching” and “now you’ve done it” are praised as durable thriller devices.
  • Deborah Kara Unger is praised as well suited to the movie, while the panel wonders why she did not become a larger star.
  • The panel reports that Fincher and Douglas cast her after seeing a Crash sex scene on her reel, then explicitly questions whether that story is true.
  • Fincher’s Bay Area photography gives the city a strong cinematic identity.
  • The hidden organization operating through familiar hotels, phones, and bank systems fits Fincher’s recurring interest in secret societies in plain view.
The Game poster
The Game

Most Rewatchable Scene

The Game The Rewatchables

The ending run, CRS chase, first Rebhorn meeting, Conrad lunch, graffiti return, presidential suite, and cab escape lead a broad scene discussion.

In the discussion (13)
Approx. transcript time · 00:26:40Read transcript
  • Conrad's lunch is praised for Sean Penn's meth anecdote and volatile energy.
  • The television speaking directly to Nicholas is selected as the moment the game turns strange.
  • The car scene is separately nominated as the game begins to unravel.
  • The dog chase and dumpster jump are praised as reliable thriller devices.
  • The presidential-suite sequence escalates through the pickpocket, hotel-desk recognition, and a room staged with drugs and pornography.
  • The cab-driver scene and Nicholas jumping from the cab are another favored set piece.
  • The entire ending run from the CRS cafeteria reveal through the party and final airport invitation is the preferred extended sequence for one participant.
  • The graffiti-covered house and first use of White Rabbit are praised for their fluorescent design and immersive staging.
  • The principal chase with Deborah Kara Unger’s character through CRS and the later return with police to an empty office is another winner.
  • Both confrontations with the publishing executive are praised, especially the later scene in which Nicholas throws Polaroids at him.
  • Scenes in which Nicholas questions participants and tries to determine the rules are valued for sustaining uncertainty.
  • The first Rebhorn meeting is selected for the controlled sales pitch about accepting the game before judging it.
  • The slow-motion racquetball footage is jokingly nominated while prompting doubts about Douglas as an athlete.
Displaying all 10 discussions

Films in the archive

The Game

1997

Rewatchables episodes featuring their films

The Game poster

The Game

1997 film

Bill Simmons · Sean Fennessey · Chris Ryan

Aired September 29, 2020

Displaying 1 episode