The newly introduced Father Robert Duvall award chooses Christopher Guest’s surprising appearance; Duvall’s brief priest role in Invasion of the Body Snatchers supplies the category name. — Bill Simmons
Ross calling Jessup a profanity during the arrest is considered implausible. — Bill Simmons
Casting Christopher Guest as an entirely humorless doctor is questioned as a waste of his strengths, despite his friendship with Reiner.
Luther, the newsstand operator, is criticized as a contrived device for trading aphorisms and signaling Kaffee’s progressive attitudes. — Sean Fennessey
Concern that younger audiences would not understand the Clue reference is rejected by the others.
Downey’s inability to understand what he did wrong and his perjury are criticized. — Bill Simmons
Markinson closing his suicide letter with Always is considered an odd sign-off in the circumstances. — Bill Simmons
Kaffee failing to shake his Yoo-hoo and guzzling it immediately after softball are considered juvenile habits. — Bill Simmons
The early 1990s clothing and Kaffee’s shirts are criticized, although Jo’s high-waisted style has returned to fashion. — Bill Simmons
A reported claim that Cruise modeled Kaffee on David Miscavige is unwelcome information; the source is clarified as Miscavige’s alleged boast in Going Clear. — Bill Simmons
The later unsolved killing of David Cox, one of the Marines involved in the real incident inspiring the story, is recounted as a grim postscript. — Bill Simmons
The missed opportunity to show Cruise playing basketball with Bacon is lamented. — Chris Ryan
Repeated declarations of Kaffee’s greatness seem unearned by his early trial work, with his father comparison singled out. — Chris Ryan
The film’s framing of Cuba as a large immediate military threat feels dated. — Sean Fennessey
Guest plays it straight, explaining acidosis for five minutes when you expect a Christopher Guest bit, which is baffling; the guess is that someone called in sick and Reiner asked his best friend to come in for one day.
Later roles add baggage: you expect Cuba Gooding Jr. to turn into Rod Didwell (as transcribed) and Noah Wiley into a sensitive young ER doctor, while James Marshall from Gladiator and Twin Peaks is not even a 'that guy' anymore to anyone under 30.
