Going bigger than Micah Monroe (as transcribed), this is the kind of movie Jennifer Lawrence should have made in the 2010s instead of the David O. Russell area; Winter's Bone made people want this, a contract thing transcribed as The Last House on the Left came early in her career, and she would have been good in one elevated horror.
The actual answer moves it to Boston: she is at Bunker Hill Community College with Robin Williams, running around Charlestown, reciting the love song of J. Alfred Prufrock in a Boston accent.
Russell receives Apex Mountain support: this uniquely personal mix of local detail, wild energy and romantic resolution reached an audience in a way his later work did not. — Zach Baron
Lawrence receives clear Apex Mountain support for the Oscar win and The Hunger Games in the same year; House at the End of the Street is a minor blemish. — Chris Ryan
Cooper receives an affirmative Apex Mountain choice as his vulnerable acting breakthrough, while American Sniper, A Star Is Born and his later directing ambitions complicate the comparison.
Sports fandom in movies receives Apex Mountain support, with Fever Pitch as comparison; Upper Darby on film is also proposed. — Chris Ryan
iPods receive an early Apex Mountain proposal, immediately deferred. — Chris Ryan
Cooper’s reaction to Tiffany’s account of losing her job is later jokingly called his Apex Mountain. — Andy Greenwald
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling (Crazy Stupid Love, La La Land) is the favorite re-pairing because they could make another completely different movie now. — Bill Simmons
The script is called well-constructed and well-written, with a shout-out to the writers, including Richard Price for the screenplay. — Bill Simmons
The kidnappers, by shorthand, are Lieutenant Dan, the bald Californication guy, New Kid on the Block number two, the HBO narrator guy and Lily Taylor; Lily Taylor is praised. — Bill Simmons
Early email as a plot device, when getting an email signaled that he must be really rich. — Bill Simmons
The crew is a sneaky good cast who all played their positions; Donnie Wahlberg was stunt casting in 1996 and has since become a successful actor on Blue Bloods. — Van Lathan
The narrative of the dirty cop as the lead villain has aged best. — Van Lathan
The studio wanted Matt Damon or Sean Penn for the narrator while Fincher wanted Norton; Norton was also up for The Talented Mr. Ripley, Man on the Moon and Runaway Jury in a casting merry-go-round. — Bill Simmons
An alternate universe where Damon does Fight Club and Norton does The Talented Mr. Ripley is fun to imagine, though Damon's Ripley is one of his best roles. — Bill Simmons
Norton and Damon competed for The Rainmaker, Coppola steered Norton to American History X, and Damon has said he was devastated to miss Primal Fear; Scent of a Woman went to Chris O'Donnell. — Chris Ryan
Damon brings relatability and Norton a cerebral quality; Damon could have played either part, Pitt only Tyler, and Norton not Tyler. — Chris Ryan
Leo was a little young post-Titanic but this would have been his dream part a few years later; Pitt's casting works because he is who guys daydreamed of being. — Chris Ryan
Crowe was about to go on his Gladiator-Insider-Beautiful Mind run and would have crushed the part with an Aussie hooligan authenticity, though Pitt is still preferred. — Bill Simmons
Fincher's first choice for Marla was Janine Garofalo; she reportedly accepted, then was dropped as not right for the role at Norton's urging, framed as the birth of the behind-the-scenes Norton monster. — Bill Simmons
Per Variety, Sarah Michelle Geller was sought but was doing Buffy; the studio wanted Reese Witherspoon, whom Fincher thought too young, and then Courtney Love, who was dating Norton, before landing on Bonham Carter. — Bill Simmons
Marla is said to have Courtney Love meets Joan Crawford energy, leading to a tangent about loving the band's 90s songs. — Bill Simmons
Fincher wanted Radiohead to score the film; it would have been eerier and more somber than the Dust Brothers' electronic score, not necessarily better, though the movie needs the Dust Brothers' energy. — Chris Ryan
