Before Sunset
2004 film
Bill Simmons · Chris Ryan · Sean Fennessey · Mallory Rubin
Aired February 4, 2025
‹ All people
Kicking and Screaming
Stand by Me
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society
Reality Bites
Reality Bites
Reality Bites
Film credit
Ethan Hawke
Also referred to as Hawk, Ethan Hawking
Stats
- Episodes featuring their films
- 7
- Movies in this archive
- 7
Rewatchables episodes featuring Ethan Hawke’s films
Displaying all 7 episodes
Mentioned in discussions
Most Rewatchable Scene
Balcony Prague conversation at the graduation party; airport scene; bow-hunting scene
In the discussion (17)
Approx. transcript time · 00:30:33Read transcript
- The pick is narrowed from the opening cocktail party to Josh Hamilton and Olivia Diaba on the balcony, where she says she is going to Prague and he claims he has been to Prague; it introduces their relationship. — Bill Simmons
- Prague was a mythical post-Berlin-Wall destination heard about on campuses, requiring a Fodor's book, a visa and travelers checks, so "going to Prague" became a thing in itself. — Andy Greenwald
- A college roommate came back from a Prague junior year abroad judging everyone; skipping a semester abroad is a regret; the movie was seen on Thayer Street in Providence before the first Starbucks there. — Bill Simmons
- The graduation party is up there with the wedding in The Godfather for getting to know every character, Skippy, Max and Otis. — Chris Ryan
- The "You never even been to Prague" exchange riffs on the stop-shaving-your-armpits, read-The-Unbearable-Lightness-of-Being version of Prague.
- The book club scene, added because Eric Stoltz had to be shoehorned in with ad-libbed scenes, has about seven laugh-out-loud lines about All the Pretty Horses.
- Hollywood roller coaster: Stoltz was removed from Back to the Future, and ten years later this movie could not get money without him. — Andy Greenwald
- Further nominations: Grover confronting Max about sleeping with Miami, with Chet sneaking back in; Skippy confronting Max; and Grover and Chet at the bar, where Chet saw it as a postponement of his life until realizing it was his life. — Bill Simmons
- The final airport scene is spectacular: Grover's roughly three-minute monologue on a whim to go to Prague, with the camera on him.
- Hamilton's airport performance echoes Dustin Hoffman banging on the church at the end of The Graduate. — Andy Greenwald
- If asked at the end of 1995 which five young actors to bet on, Chris O'Donnell, Damon and Omar Epps would have been on the list along with Hamilton; the part could easily have been a Matt Damon part, but Hamilton is perfect in it. — Bill Simmons
- Hamilton suffers on Google from the Texas Rangers ballplayer of the same name and is part of the 90s New York theater crew with Billy Crudeup, Ethan Hawke and Robert Sean Leonard. — Andy Greenwald
- Jessica Hacked, who was on Friends as the lesbian lover of Ross's ex-wife, is great as the stewardess in the airport scene. — Bill Simmons
- The flashbacks work, perhaps as the story Grover is writing, and the ending goes straight into the Fridi Johnson song Bad Reputation, a needle drop that hits like a bomb.
- The last line, "let's pretend we're an old couple," happens before everything chronologically, and they do not actually kiss. — Andy Greenwald
- The airport scene is one pick, with a special shout-out to the entire graduation party as a meet-everyone-at-a-gathering opening.
- Every scene is equally rewatchable because the tone is so consistent, but the shout-out goes to the scene where he would rather be bow hunting.
Casting What-Ifs
Adrian Lyne directing; Corey Haim as Gordie or Chris; Sean Astin, Stephen Dorff or Ethan Hawke as Gordie; David Dukes, Ted Bessell or Michael McKean as the adult narrator
In the discussion (6)
Approx. transcript time · 00:58:24Read transcript
- The hosts say Adrian Lyne was going to direct, but Nine and a Half Weeks ran long; the jokes imagine Kim Basinger and Mickey Rourke as Ace. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say Reiner saw nearly every young actor, was moved by Phoenix reading for Chris, and wondered about him as Gordy or Chris. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say Corey Haim auditioned for Gordy, the studio wanted him as Chris, and he turned it down to make Lucas; Haim would have been okay, but Wil Wheaton remains the first choice. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts read that Sean Astin, Stephen Dorff and Ethan Hawke were considered for Gordy; Hawke, the bookish kid in Explorers, would have been good. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say David Dukes, Ted Bessell and Michael McKean preceded Dreyfuss for the adult Gordy; the hosts say a Dukes scene was shot and his far-away shot remains. — Bill Simmons
- The hosts say the film was long called The Body until Columbia refused the title; calling it The Body would have been a mistake. — Chris Ryan
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Who would play Butch and Sundance if the film were made from scratch today?
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:18:30Read transcript
- The one question is who plays these two if the movie never existed and they start from scratch in 2019, though going decade by decade would be more fun; Matt and Ben are not a bad idea, but perhaps a 2009 idea since they are older now, unless aging fits a story about the times changing under their feet.
- Butch should be older, as Newman was 13 or 14 years older than Redford, so Damon as Butch and Affleck as Sundance would draw them in; Clooney and Pitt are floated, with Pitt able to play either part, though both are mid-50s; one participant wants men who have had a whole life of robbing trains before being chased to South America.
- Pitt has done Jesse James; Tom Cruise is floated; Denzel and his son would need to be closer in age, with his son recalled as a USC receiver who did a stint with the Rams; Gosling and Leo are paired, Leo more a Sundance but Butch next to Gosling; both parts need someone truly famous; one participant would give anything to have written it; Ethan Hawke is named a great Butch, a chatterbox who talks his way out of anything, and Ryan Reynolds too.
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:38:12Read transcript
- Robin Williams is the immediate and repeated winner choice.
- Robert Sean Leonard receives a brief alternative case for Neil.
- No other actor could execute the classroom scenes in quite the same way as Williams.
- Walt Whitman wins among the poets because his work supplies the central question and final salute.
- Robert Sean Leonard edges Ethan Hawke among the students.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Robin Williams
- Speaker not identified
- Robin Williams
- Speaker not identified
- Robin Williams
Apex Mountain
Robin Williams, Alexandra Powers, Pitts, Charlie Dalton’s actor, and possibly Robert Sean Leonard
In the discussion (7)
Approx. transcript time · 01:14:59Read transcript
- Dead Poets Society is argued as Williams’s apex because it follows Good Morning, Vietnam and proves he can carry comedy and drama. — Bill Simmons
- The film is said to enable Williams to choose projects and lead into Awakenings, The Fisher King, Hook, Aladdin, and Mrs. Doubtfire.
- Good Will Hunting is treated as a later career culmination rather than the peak of his market power. — Chris Ryan
- The observed Alexandria Powers is explicitly raised as an apex question. — Bill Simmons
- Pitts is explicitly given an apex answer.
- Charlie Dalton’s performer is treated as an apex because his magnetic work suggested a larger acting career that did not follow.
- Robert Sean Leonard’s Neil may be his apex despite a durable stage and television career.
Half-Assed Internet Research
The deleted Keating leukemia story, chronological filming, the cast living together, Williams’s regard for the film and Peter Weir, Cameron refusing the final desk stand, Hawke’s tense relationship with Williams, Delaware locations, a failed first production, and several cast connections
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:39:03Read transcript
- The original script reportedly had Keating dying of leukemia, which motivated his carpe diem outlook. — Bill Simmons
- Peter Weir removed the leukemia subplot, keeping Keating’s private life largely unexplained. — Bill Simmons
- The actors playing the students reportedly all lived together to forge a sense of community and friendship. — Mallory Rubin
- The movie was shot chronologically so the relationships could develop in order. — Bill Simmons
- Robin Williams reportedly called it one of his favorite films and Peter Weir the best director he worked with. — Bill Simmons
- Robert Sean Leonard later played a doctor on House, matching Mr. Perry’s demand that Neil become a doctor.
- The actor who played Cameron vetoed having Cameron stand on the desk because it violated the character, and Weir agreed. — Chris Ryan
- Colin Irving, who played Chet Danbury, is identified as novelist John Irving’s son. — Bill Simmons
- Ethan Hawke believed Williams disliked him because Hawke resisted the improvisational joking while staying inside Todd’s reserve. — Chris Ryan
- Williams’s teasing reportedly generated improvised classroom material while supporting Hawke’s character. — Chris Ryan
- Josh Charles reportedly completed the bicycle ride down the hill in one take. — Bill Simmons
- The production moved from Georgia to Delaware because fake snow was too difficult or expensive. — Mallory Rubin
- The studio once wanted the story made as a musical called Sultans of Strut. — Mallory Rubin
- A first day of shooting collapsed when Williams, whose deal was unfinished, did not appear; the constructed sets were then burned. — Chris Ryan
- Josh Charles and James Waterston are reported as later appearing together in The Good Wife. — Bill Simmons
What’s Aged the Best?
The villains, parent-child conflict, young Ethan Hawke, nuanced teachers, identification with the students, the play-to-suicide sequence, boarding-school setting, poetry, camaraderie, Converse, and the cast’s later careers
In the discussion (15)
Approx. transcript time · 00:12:15Read transcript
- Headmaster Nolan, Cameron, and Mr. Perry form three different kinds of institutional or personal opposition. — Bill Simmons
- Neil’s inability to tell his father what he wants is praised as an unusually realistic portrait of a frightened child. — Mallory Rubin
- Keating inspires Neil but cannot make the decisive choice for him, preventing the teacher from becoming an all-powerful savior. — Mallory Rubin
- Young Ethan Hawke’s performance contains the reserve and intensity that later defined his career. — Bill Simmons
- Keating’s poetry exchange with the other teacher gives a conventional authority figure wit and humanity. — Chris Ryan
- Viewers can identify themselves across Todd, Charlie, Meeks, Neil, and the other boys at different points in life.
- The birthday gift, refusal to walk, phone call from God, and school play retain small character-specific pleasures.
- The play allows Neil’s talent to become visible before his father refuses the hoped-for change of heart. — Bill Simmons
- The boarding-school setting makes study, friendship, authority, and rebellion part of one enclosed community.
- Ripping out the mathematical poetry scale still feels liberating in a data-centered culture. — Mallory Rubin
- Smoking, radios, teasing, shared rooms, and casual physical play make the boys’ friendship feel lived in.
- The movement from the play through the family confrontation and suicide is praised as controlled and emotionally devastating. — Bill Simmons
- The early focus on Neil during Keating’s mortality lesson is read as possible visual foreshadowing. — Bill Simmons
- Converse are explicitly added as something that aged best. — Mallory Rubin
- After this movie, the panel rooted for all the kids in whatever they did. — Bill Simmons
In the discussion (5)
Approx. transcript time · 01:26:55Read transcript
- One participant’s opening winner answer is Ryder. — Chris Ryan
- Another participant chooses Hawke for both the performance and Troy’s literal romantic victory.
- The stated tie-breaking selection is Ryder because Hawke found a more likable variation in Before Sunrise while this remained Ryder’s defining version of the type.
- Craig explicitly prefers the Hawke argument.
- Ryder’s casting advocacy and role in getting the film made strengthen her case.
Podcast choices
- Speaker not identified
- Ethan Hawke
- Speaker not identified
- Winona Ryder
- Speaker not identified
- Winona Ryder
- Speaker not identified
- Ethan Hawke
Apex Mountain
Winona Ryder and Lisa Loeb
In the discussion (10)
Approx. transcript time · 01:02:32Read transcript
- Winona Ryder receives a positive verdict, with Heathers raised as the strongest competing film.
- A pro-Reality Bites argument points to the shot from this film used in an eventual Oscar memorial montage.
- Ethan Hawke is rejected here because Training Day brought an Oscar nomination and broader career choice.
- A competing suggestion places Hawke’s apex in the present and speculates that The Purge may have given him unusual financial leverage, while explicitly admitting that claim is not known as fact. — Chris Ryan
- A Brooklyn pasta-shop anecdote about Hawke debating whether a character was Nick Cave or Jeff Tweedy is jokingly proposed as his apex.
- Janeane Garofalo is rejected in favor of her Larry Sanders period. — Chris Ryan
- Steve Zahn is rejected. — Chris Ryan
- After the transcript form “You too,” the response calls another title the movie about them and thanks Ben Stiller, but gives no clear yes or no. — Chris Ryan
- Lisa Loeb receives an unqualified positive verdict.
- The Super Big Gulp is rejected as too forced a script device.
Casting What-Ifs
Winona Ryder insisted on Ethan Hawke; Gwyneth Paltrow, the transcript-observed Ann Hatch, and Parker Posey auditioned for Vicki; Janeane Garofalo was fired and rehired.
This discussion recalls a choice from an earlier episode.
In the discussion (4)
Approx. transcript time · 00:55:05Read transcript
- Hawke was in a career slump, but Ryder required his casting after seeing him in A Midnight Clear.
- Gwyneth Paltrow, Ann Hatch, and Parker Posey are named as auditioning for Vicki, with Posey judged the strongest alternate.
- Garofalo was fired over her attitude and then rehired after Ryder intervened; Garofalo later described her own poor work ethic and dislike of rehearsal.
- The ensemble is judged so well matched that changing any of the four principal performers would create a substantially different movie.
What’s Aged the Best?
Vicki’s room, the AIDS context, Good Morning Grant, Winona Ryder, Janeane Garofalo, Ethan Hawke’s music, Rolling Rock, the soundtrack, the band name, and Lisa Loeb
In the discussion (11)
Approx. transcript time · 00:08:35Read transcript
- Vicki’s room captures sincere attachment to older pop culture that outsiders could mistake for irony.
- The film’s treatment of AIDS fear is praised as a strong period record.
- Good Morning Grant is recognized as a plausible local television production job outside the largest media markets.
- Winona Ryder’s performance and Gen X screen presence receive repeated praise.
- Janeane Garofalo’s performance remains strong and prompts regret that her later career did not become more influential.
- Ethan Hawke’s performance of the Violent Femmes song is judged convincing for an actor playing a musician.
- Rolling Rock product imagery is remembered fondly despite the broader product-placement criticism.
- The soundtrack is praised as a strong map of 1994, ranging across World Party, Crowded House, Squeeze, My Sharona, and other choices.
- The band name Hey, That’s My Bike is praised as an era-accurate name that signals no expectation of popularity.
- Lisa Loeb’s Stay, its look, and its video are treated as a durable expression of the moment.
- Winona Ryder is another participant’s strongest Aged Best answer.
In the discussion (3)
Approx. transcript time · 01:03:44Read transcript
- The who-won-the-movie take is saved for a phone call to Shea; a suggestion that maybe Ethan Hawke won is met with a no, followed by the garbled line 'Ethan Hawke's Denzel Washington won this week' (as transcribed), and a joke that Shea might come in with a Scott Glenn take.
- On the call, the in-studio hosts say they saved who won the movie but already think they know the answer; the first question instead is whether this is the guest's favorite Denzel movie, and it is.
- Shea is told this is Denzel's finest achievement and that he has written about it; no formal declaration or vote on who won is ever made, so Denzel is implied rather than declared.
Displaying discussions 13 - 24 of 29 in total
Films in the archive
Alive
1993
Before Sunrise
1995
Before Sunset
2004
Dead Poets Society
1989
Reality Bites
1994
The Purge
2013
Training Day
2001