Nick Nolte reportedly declined Dennis Peck for Another 48 Hrs.; Gere is considered essential despite a long and questionable list of other purported candidates.
Damon Wayans, met by chance, reportedly denied the research claim that he and Bruce Willis feuded on The Last Boy Scout, illustrating the unreliability of casting research. — Bill Simmons
Nicholson was reportedly the studio’s top Joker choice since 1980, and Willem Dafoe reportedly stated in 2009 he had been in talks. — Bill Simmons
Robin Williams was reportedly offered the Joker to pressure Nicholson, released once Nicholson agreed, and then refused Warner roles such as the Riddler without an apology; the apology detail is doubted. — Bill Simmons
Dead Poets Society was 1989’s third-biggest film; swapping Nicholson and Williams would make both films worse, and “he stole my balloons” is called a favorite line.
Nicholson’s reported conditions included top billing, a share of earnings including merchandise, capped work hours, and no work on Lakers home playoff games; his fee dropped from $11 million to $6 million, but he may have made $90 million. — Bill Simmons
Martin Landau reportedly turned down Carl Grissom for Crimes and Misdemeanors, and Jack Palance in that role is imagined as bad.
Sean Young was cast as Vicki Vale and replaced after a horse-riding injury; the Knox actor later claimed she sabotaged a read-through, which is doubted. Her Catwoman costume audition for Batman Returns is recalled.
The Knox actor also claimed Keaton blocked Peters’ choice of Michelle Pfeiffer because they had dated, which is doubted since she is in the sequel. — Bill Simmons
Adam West was publicly disappointed not to be asked to reprise Batman. — Bill Simmons
Did she ever like Daniel?; Does she end up with Brosnan's character?; Was the pepper attack attempted murder?; Could you tamper with restaurant entrees?
Did she ever like Daniel? Everything likable about him she hates; perhaps years of his job failures made her see him as a loser. — Bill Simmons
They are caught at the end of a relationship in which she could no longer count on him; her surprise at his clean apartment signals he was a disaster, yet the movie makes us root for him over her, like a Jedi mind trick.
He is meant to get his life together, learning homework, schedules, cleaning and parenting; they probably made sense as a couple in their 20s before kids. — Amanda Dobbins
Does she end up with Pierce Brosnan? It feels like four endings were filmed; why would they break up, unless he left after the shrimp-choking incident? — Bill Simmons
A case is made that Robin Williams is at Apex Mountain: coming off a six-year run with five top-10 movies, maybe never a bigger star than in 1993, with a huge comedy that is not recognizable IP. — Amanda Dobbins
His Good Will Hunting Oscar is probably the last conceivable Apex Mountain, though this may be where he had tremendous success and still had options. — Amanda Dobbins
Only Jurassic Park made more domestically in 1993, ahead of The Fugitive, The Firm, Sleepless in Seattle, The Pelican Brief, Schindler's List, Cliffhanger and Groundhog Day; 1993 is called a great movie year. — Bill Simmons
Pro Last Action Here: it came 20 years too early but is great to watch. — Shea Serrano
Sally Field: no. Pierce Brosnan: no. Addendum: Brosnan's chest hair, yes; Brosnan in a bathing suit, yes.
Tries to recall Brosnan in a bathing suit in the Bond movies and The Thomas Crown Affair, and plans to keep replaying those scenes. — Amanda Dobbins
Chris Columbus: yes, after Home Alone, Home Alone 2 and this film's $441 million; he could make whatever he wanted, then tailed off. — Bill Simmons
Old-school San Francisco houses: yes, on a run with Pacific Heights, Full House and this movie. — Bill Simmons
Divorce comedies: yes, the main reference point in the 90s. — Bill Simmons
Matthew Lawrence of Boy Meets World is praised but not nominated as the favorite Lawrence brother; Jonathan Taylor Thomas is proposed over Tim Allen as the Home Improvement pick for the movie.
Mara Wilson, who was in a Ringer Films documentary (transcribed 'ShowBiscuits'), won the little girl's role over Blake Lively; she is called electric, with the line reading of the decade. — Bill Simmons
Julia Roberts is rumored to have passed; one of the writers is quoted saying lots of big actresses passed, which a host believes he told BuzzFeed UK in 2015. A host thinks it is described as one of her most regrettable decisions, but the hosts doubt she was ever seriously considered. — Juliet Litman
The hosts say the Vanity Fair article reports Demi Moore was wanted, which would have been her first rom-com; she would have made it more serious and anxious. — Juliet Litman
The Washington Post oral history is cited for Davis passing, funny because she and Pullman were married in A League of Their Own; when the director signed on, Harrison Ford and Davis were attached and both backed out. — Amanda Dobbins
Harrison Ford would have been great, if more of a jerk and less believable as the spare brother. — Juliet Litman
The hosts cite the Washington Post as saying Dennis Quaid was rumored for Jack; a host speculates he and Meg Ryan shared representation. — Juliet Litman
Patrick Swayze, also mentioned for Jack, is a no: too much charisma for a reticent role, leading into a tangent about Dirty Dancing and Ghost. — Amanda Dobbins
Matthew McConaughey was reportedly a top choice for Jack until his Texas accent got in the way; a host calls it a hard yes and invents a Texas-family fix, noting the grandmother's British accent goes unexplained. — Amanda Dobbins
The hosts report Pierce Brosnan was rumored for Peter; his accent hardly matters since Peter is asleep, and Peter Gallagher plays a yuppie better than almost anyone. — Juliet Litman
James Spater (as transcribed) was mentioned somewhere on the list, probably for Jack, but a host thinks he should have been Peter. — Amanda Dobbins
The Jack role could have worked with several actors, which is a testament to the writing; Jack is probably the best-written character even if Bullock sells hers best. — Juliet Litman
