Unanswerable same exact film by Black director predicted no Oscars and career-damaging criticism, not rewrite.
Unanswerable why beat Brokeback: country/olderwhiteAcademy not ready for unapologetic gay affection, despite Ang Lee director win and heavy-favorite status; other nominees Munich/Capote/Good Night and Good Luck, last criticized, weak-year claim disputed briefly.
Ang Lee and Joan Allen are the finalists; Allen wins among the actors, Jim Carver clearly lost, and Lee is favored because the film confirmed him as a major American filmmaker. — Sean Fennessey
Lee is rejected because the film did not do well; Joan Allen is picked for her run of roles and her best dramatic performance besides The Contender, which has aged poorly. — Bill Simmons
Her Face/Off and Ice Storm work together are said to have solidified 1997 for her. — Bill Simmons
Kline is not at Apex; Weaver is also a no, her peak being around Ghostbusters, Aliens, and Working Girl. — Bill Simmons
Ang Lee is a no, with Brokeback Mountain cited among his two directing Oscars. — Sean Fennessey
Joan Allen’s Apex is opened as this film versus her first spy-franchise role. — Chris Ryan
Counter-alternatives are her Pamela Landy role, Face/Off and Pleasantville, or The Contender, which earned an Oscar nomination.
Her filmography is recapped, from Manhunter and a chess-prodigy film through The Crucible and The Contender. — Bill Simmons
This is declared her Apex for the podcast’s purposes while still admiring her Pamela Landy. — Chris Ryan
The Upside of Anger is praised, and Allen is called one of the most believable movie moms. — Bill Simmons
Maguire and Holmes are no; key parties are an emphatic yes. — Bill Simmons
Whether key parties peaked elsewhere is questioned, perhaps with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, at the Playboy Mansion, in John Updike’s fiction, or in Thy Neighbor’s Wife. — Sean Fennessey
Forrest Gump remains the peak for premature-ejaculation scenes, so this film is not.
The ice storm depicted was a real December storm. — Bill Simmons
The director reportedly said the book moved him at the climax and the next-morning family reunion, and he gave the cast stacks of early-1970s magazine cutouts. — Bill Simmons
The MTA did not exist yet, and Marlboro Lights were not introduced until 1977; menthols are judged period-plausible. — Bill Simmons
Natalie Portman reportedly turned down Wendy, which would have come shortly after The Professional and Beautiful Girls. — Bill Simmons
That casting would have been a third sexualized role for her before 18; Ricci is judged more authentic, with a darker, more withering energy that Wendy needs. — Bill Simmons
