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Close Encounters of the Third Kind
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Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 3
- Movies in this archive
- 6
Rewatchables episodes featuring Meryl Streep’s films
Displaying all 3 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:21:41Read transcript
- Norm Macdonald is the favored addition as a game commentator. — Bill Simmons
- John Cazale is proposed as Jonathan's concerned ally after the confrontation with Bartholomew. — Bill Simmons
- Meryl Streep is proposed in place of Maud Adams, with the possibility of adding both Streep and Cazale. — Brian Koppelman
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:01:51Read transcript
- Streep, affectionately: excessive laughter, quivering and the pot scene, where both leads seem more intoxicated than marijuana would explain.
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
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Rubinstein’s acting questioned; stronger-actress alternatives; ghost-world racial dynamics
In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 01:06:08Read transcript
- Rubinstein may look perfectly cast as a medium while giving an unconvincing acting performance. — Bill Simmons
- The response defends the importance of looking like someone who could contact another world. — Bill Simmons
- Sally Field with unusual makeup is proposed as an alternative medium. — Bill Simmons
- Shirley MacLaine is proposed as a potentially stronger medium. — Bill Simmons
- Viola Davis is imagined commanding the room as the medium. — Bill Simmons
- Meryl Streep is another imagined medium, with an objection that the role may be too small. — Bill Simmons
- A comic theory imagines reversed racial power dynamics in the ghost world to explain why these ghosts target white families. — Bill Simmons
- A counterargument attributes the shortage of Black ghost stories to limited opportunities and investment for Black filmmakers. — Bill Simmons
Casting What-Ifs
Rashad replaces Apollo’s earlier wife performer; no alternative candidates
In the discussion (1)
Approx. transcript time · 01:22:47Read transcript
- Casting what-ifs: no reliable alternative casting is offered; Omar Epps and Meryl Streep are explicitly jokes. The panel attributes Phylicia Rashad replacing Apollo’s earlier wife performer to that actor’s death, a reported claim requiring separation from external credits. — Bill Simmons
Recasting Couch
Meryl Streep as Sarah; Glenn Close as Meg
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:28:21Read transcript
- Meryl Streep is proposed for Glenn Close’s Sarah role and Close for Mary Kay Place’s Meg role. — Bill Simmons
- The proposal is supported by calling Close the stronger actor while still praising Place. — Bill Simmons
- Streep’s contemporary status after Sophie’s Choice is part of the appeal. — Bill Simmons
Recasting Couch
Meryl Streep; Jane Alexander; Margot Kidder, with objections
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:30:10Read transcript
- Meryl Streep and Jane Alexander are proposed for Lahti’s part, though a more serious presence might make the character even more irritating. — Wesley Morris
- Margot Kidder is proposed, initially considered too daffy and later reconsidered as potentially effective. — Wesley Morris
- Kidder’s overt energy might overwhelm the role or make its fence-sitting neutrality unbelievable, contrasting with Lahti’s less assertive presence.
Casting What-Ifs
Streep as Ripley; Ford as Dallas; Cartwright casting confusion
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 01:17:01Read transcript
- The screenplay reportedly wrote the crew as men while explicitly making all roles interchangeable; Ripley was not originally specified as female.
- Meryl Streep reportedly competed with Yale classmate Sigourney Weaver for Ripley but was mourning John Cazale; the panel believes Streep could have played the part.
- Weaver's imposing physical presence distinguishes her from the imagined Streep casting, though Streep's acting ability is not doubted. — Bill Simmons
- Harrison Ford reportedly declined Dallas; a speaker believes Ford would improve the acting and chemistry with Weaver, anticipating their Working Girl pairing. — Bill Simmons
- Veronica Cartwright reportedly arrived in England believing she would play Ripley and learned during wardrobe fitting that she was Lambert; the panel expresses disbelief at the miscommunication. — Bill Simmons
- An anecdote says John Hurt lost another film after being mistaken in South Africa for a similarly named apartheid opponent, then became available for Alien after the replacement actor developed diabetes; the transcript does not reliably distinguish the two names.
The Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Kathy Bates gives the best Best Actress performance from 1990 through the episode’s present
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:07:11Read transcript
- Kathy Bates is argued to have the best Best Actress performance across the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and early 2020s — Bill Simmons
- Frances McDormand in Fargo, Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball, and Emma Stone in La La Land are offered as winning comparators — Bill Simmons
- Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway in Rachel Getting Married, and Laura Linney in You Can Count on Me are offered as non-winning comparators — Bill Simmons
- Charlize Theron in Monster is raised as another major comparator — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 01:58:03Read transcript
- Hoffman is framed as hard not to say, because viewers leave rooting for him having won his son, unaware of the on-set conduct.
- Hoffman is conceded as the obvious answer, but over the years Streep is picked because the film falls apart if her character does not work. — Bill Simmons
- The same case is made for Billy, since a bad child performance would sink the film. — Bill Simmons
- Streep's case is supported: she had little film work before, appeared in only about five scenes and was excellent in all of them. — Sean Fennessey
Podcast choices
What’s Aged the Best?
Young Meryl Streep; the title; the poster; the opening score; JoBeth Williams nude scene; Justin Henry; Halloween play; Billy picking the Celtics; Billy reading comics
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:25:47Read transcript
- Young Streep, with three 1979 films, is praised as leaving the 1970s on a high. — Bill Simmons
- The title, the moment it is spoken, the happy-family poster and the opening score with guitar players are all praised. — Bill Simmons
- Another item is a talk-show shag-marry-kill game about Redford, De Niro and Hoffman, in which the Streep answer reportedly kills Hoffman. — Bill Simmons
- The JoBeth Williams nude scene is called one of the funnier nude scenes, though staging it with a child would draw objections today. — Bill Simmons
- Justin Henry is noted as the youngest Oscar nominee ever, at eight, and his performance is argued to be the best in the film because of its degree of difficulty; his haircut and the Halloween play are also praised. — Bill Simmons
- The divorce genre itself is mentioned as a fertile subject. — Bill Simmons
- Billy choosing the Celtics over the Knicks and reading comics at breakfast are added as items that aged well. — Mallory Rubin
Recasting Couch
No recast; Meryl Streep as the head coach in a women's basketball remake
In the discussion (2)
Approx. transcript time · 01:09:01Read transcript
- The movie would not be touched; Barbara Hershey alternatives are possible, but her villainy is good. — Bill Simmons
- Meryl Streep as the head coach if they remake it as a women's basketball movie. — Bill Simmons
Displaying discussions 1 - 12 of 25 in total
Films in the archive
It's Complicated
2009
Kramer vs. Kramer
1979
Manhattan
1979
The Deer Hunter
1978
The Devil Wears Prada
2006
The River Wild
1994