‹ All people
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
American Gigolo
Film credit
Teri Garr
Also referred to as Terry Garr, Terry Gar, Terry Gard, Terrigar
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 3
- Movies in this archive
- 4
Rewatchables episodes featuring Teri Garr’s films
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey
Aired May 20, 2025
Displaying all 3 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Apex Mountain
Dreyfuss, post-New-Hollywood UFO movies, and UFO-related sunburns: yes
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 01:41:15Read transcript
- Steven Spielberg is considered and immediately rejected as being at his apex here. — Bill Simmons
- Richard Dreyfuss is placed at his apex because he won an Oscar and starred in major films during this run.
- The film is selected as the apex of UFO movies in the post-New-Hollywood era. — Sean Fennessey
- UFO-related sunburns are given an apex here. — Sean Fennessey
- François Truffaut is rejected as being at his apex here.
- Melinda Dillon is considered near her apex because Close Encounters and Slap Shot arrived the same year.
- Mashed potatoes and their use as construction material receive an apex nomination. — Bill Simmons
- Movie fathers losing control is rejected in favor of The Shining and Goodfellas examples. — Bill Simmons
- Muncie, Indiana is proposed as reaching its screen apex here.
- Teri Garr's apex is deferred to her Tootsie and talk-show era.
- Bad parenting in a major hit is debated against This Boy's Life and other examples.
Casting What-Ifs
Steve McQueen, James Caan, Pacino, Hoffman, Hackman, Nicholson, Streep, Irving, and others
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:53Read transcript
- Steve McQueen is reported to have declined because he could not cry on cue despite admiring the script. — Sean Fennessey
- James Caan, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, and Gene Hackman are reported to have declined the lead, while Jack Nicholson had conflicts. — Bill Simmons
- Richard Dreyfuss is reported to have lobbied Spielberg persistently before salary demands briefly stalled the deal. — Bill Simmons
- Hackman's troubled marriage and reluctance to leave Los Angeles, along with Caan's price, are given as reasons the alternatives failed.
- Teri Garr wanted Jillian but was cast as Ronnie; Meryl Streep and Amy Irving also auditioned for Ronnie. — Bill Simmons
- Hal Ashby is reported to have recommended Melinda Dillon, who was cast only days before filming. — Bill Simmons
- Carrie Guffey reportedly lost the chance to play Danny Torrance because he was committed to other films. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 00:40:22Read transcript
- The hitman who dies after eating the peppers is nominated — Bill Simmons
- Teri Garr’s matchmaking relative is the other finalist — Bill Simmons
Half-Assed Internet Research
Production; casting; cinematography; nudity; fashion; locations; music; title origins
In the discussion (17)
Approx. transcript time · 00:04:46Read transcript
- Schrader’s background is described as a repressed Calvinist upbringing followed by film criticism and Los Angeles exploration of guns, sexuality, fashion and self-development. — Sean Fennessey
- Bret Easton Ellis’s White is cited for the film’s bright, ominous Los Angeles and influence on men’s magazines, fashion advertising and Armani; athletes imitating Gere are recalled. — Bill Simmons
- Schrader’s explanation credits Italian collaborators Moroder, Armani and Scarfiotti with refreshing Los Angeles; sleek synthesizer scores are compared with Thief, Risky Business and Blade Runner. — Bill Simmons
- Travolta reportedly kept the Armani suits after withdrawing two weeks before filming. — Bill Simmons
- Travolta also reportedly declined An Officer and a Gentleman, giving Gere another defining role. — Bill Simmons
- The score reportedly received a Golden Globe nomination, Blondie’s song became a major number-one hit, and the film grossed 52 million dollars on a 5 million budget. — Bill Simmons
- John Bailey is identified as cinematographer and later Academy president; this early major assignment was followed by Ordinary People. — Sean Fennessey
- The prominent male-star nudity is said to have been unscripted according to Gere and then used in marketing. — Bill Simmons
- A reported perk supposedly lets Gere take clothes from any Armani store because of the film’s impact. — Bill Simmons
- An Air Mail oral history describes Sunset Plaza residents including Teri Garr, Robert Forster and George Hamilton, with its pool and beige carpet emblematic of the era. — Bill Simmons
- Debbie Harry reportedly wrote Call Me after seeing the opening footage; the song stayed number one for six weeks. — Bill Simmons
- Schrader liked Julian being called Julie because it reinforced the character’s gender ambiguity and traditionally female narrative role. — Bill Simmons
- The final window scene is a direct Pickpocket homage, an ending Schrader later reused in The Card Counter. — Sean Fennessey
- Stevie Nicks reportedly declined the song because her record contract barred the side project, leading Moroder to Blondie. — Bill Simmons
- Nina van Pallandt’s past connection to Clifford Irving is linked to Gere later portraying him in The Hoax, where Julie Delpy portrayed her. — Bill Simmons
- Schrader’s unverified account says he forced Diller’s hand by offering Gere the role and framing continued production as a better public story than collapse after Travolta’s exit. — Bill Simmons
- Schrader is said to have conceived the title and premise while listing jobs to a classroom, including gigolo; the anecdote fits the film’s emphasis on mood over plot. — Sean Fennessey
Displaying all 4 discussions
