How Did This Get Made? - Matinee Monday: Kate and Leopold

Episode Date: December 2, 2024

This week Paul, Jason, and June sit down to discuss the 2001 romantic comedy Kate & Leopold, starring Meg Ryan and Hugh Jackman. Jason reveals his favorite type of rom-coms, and the crew chats about the plethora of unneeded extra characters, pitch potential ‘meet-cutes’, and ponder if the movie would have been better if the margarine was better. (Originally Released 02/10/2022) Go to hdtgm.com for ticket info, merch, and for more on bad movies.Order Paul’s book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of TraumaFor extra content on Matinee Monday movies, visit Paul's YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheerTalk bad movies on the HDTGM Discord: discord.gg/hdtgmPaul’s Discord: discord.gg/paulscheerFollow Paul’s movie recs on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer/Check out new HDTGM movie merch over at teepublic.com/stores/hdtgmPaul and Rob Huebel stream live on Twitch every Thursday 8-10pm EST: www.twitch.tv/friendzoneLike good movies too? Subscribe to Unspooled with Paul and Amy Nicholson: listen.earwolf.com/unspooledSubscribe to The Deep Dive with Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael: www.thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcastWhere to find Paul, June, & Jason:@PaulScheer on Instagram & Twitter@Junediane on IG and @MsJuneDiane on TwitterJason is not on social mediaGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm.

The Palm Pilot, the Time Traveler, and the Margarine Salesperson. We saw Kate and Leopold, so you know what that means. Now it's time for How Did This Get Paid? Gonna have a good time, celebrate some failure, not just be a hater, cause you know you're one that had a good time. Let's follow in the mediocrity of subpar art. Perhaps you'll find the answer to the question, how did this get paid? Hello, people of Earth, and welcome to How Did This Get Made? I'm your host, Tal John Shearer, and today we are talking about Kate and Leopold, the

Meg Ryan, Hugh Jackman, rom-com classic just in time for Valentine's Day. What do you need to know? Well, it's simple. Uh, Leopold is from the past, he comes to the present, and then he falls in love with a woman who sells margarine. That's pretty much the basic premise. There's a lot of things in between, but we'll get into all of that.

But first, let me bring up... I don't want to clear that up. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Did you think she was a Margarine salesman? She doesn't sell it. She's not in Margarine sales. She works for a market research company that has a client. She is selling Margarine.

Margarine is the client. Do you think Farmer's Bounty is a client? And so what does she do for Margarine? What does she do? She does market research for Farmer's Bounty, which is a margarine? What does she do? If she's a, so there, she's a, yes. Margarine's a client. She does market research for Farmers Bounty, which is a margarine brand. And so what is she doing for, for Farmers Bounty? She works for CRG. Helping them do what?

Bro, she works for CRG. Yes. She is selling, she's slinging margarine. She's not making it. She's not like at Gelson's giving out samples of farmers bounty. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that she is, she's selling it. Look, the whole end of the movie is Hugh Jackman giving you an impassioned speech about how dare you put yourself out there. You're selling this garbage, this filth, this, you know, saddle wax.

Anyway, we'll get into all that. Please welcome. But that's not what she does. Well, she doesn't sell it. She sells research and data to companies. Explain that to Leopold, because when Leopold dealt her that devastating blow about what she does with her life selling margarine, she had nothing to say.

She didn't say, oh no, no, no, no, I work for the company. She took it on the fucking chin and then she jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, my co-hosts on this show are fantastic people who don't know a thing about Marger and Sales and they are Jason Manzoukas and June Diane, well, uh, Jason Manzoukas and June Diane Rayfield. Please welcome them to the show.

Hi Paul. Wait, what's he from? Is he from, what year is he from? Is he from the 1800s or the 90s? He is from 1876, but this movie is full of continuity gaffes because he references Jack the Ripper, which happened in 1888. He also has that big monologue at the beginning

where he talks about Thomas Edison, but he hadn't even invented the lamp Rudolph diesel was only 18 years old Graham Bell just got a patent for the phone. Like he didn't yeah It's historic. Well, here's the thing like the movie is That is very much in line with kind of what my problem with the movie was. And listen, I love rom-coms. I love rom-coms. I've been watching a ton of rom-coms during the pandemic just because they are such feel good, you know,

great love stories. What's your favorite rom-com, Jason? What's my favorite rom-com? I'm gonna say, I like, I mean, I love the Nora Ephron movies. Speaking of, Liev Schreiber in this movie, also in Mixed Nuts, Nora Ephron. Well, wait, hold on, wait a second. I know it is, June.

I watched it because, specifically June, I watched it because you said it was your favorite Christmas movie. Christmas movie. Right, yeah, it was Christmas movie, not Romka. What did you think? It was good, but I felt like it was uneven, but it was really good. Great actors.

Really great actors, but like, there was stuff in it that I couldn't figure out, but the cast is like, a murderer's row. Lea Schreiber is amazing. Yes, Lea Schreiber is, like, I was talking to Devin, our audio engineer, and we have been going through the Scream franchise very, very deeply in the last couple of weeks. And he's great in those movies.

I was excited to see him here. Have you guys seen The Day Trippers? Oh, right. Oh, my God, watch The Day Trippers. It is, if not his first movie, it's one of his first movies. And it's Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci, Anne Mara, Parker Posey. It's like a New York indie that is so funny and so great.

Anyway, my beef with this movie was that there wasn't enough, like it's mushy. Like you were saying, Paul, it's mushy around specifics. They want to have it both ways. And it's also mushy, like, this is a time travel movie. I love a rom-com, and I love the idea of a rom-com that is a guy from the 19th century shows up in modern day New York, and there's a love story.

But even that, the rules of time travel are mushy. I mean, all right, this idea. I couldn't quite get my arms around it. I mean, the idea of the movie is that Leif Schreiber has found, like, a hole in time, and the only way that he can time travel is by waiting until a certain weather pattern hits and then he has to jump through it, but he has to jump through it from great heights, so he winds up jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge through it.

Now, they don't explain what happened. Like, they show it at the end a little bit, but it makes- They don't, they just show her- They don't, Paul, that's the whole thing. She poof is gone. She just jumps off the bridge. But when you cut back to her in 1700s, you kind of see her feet land on the ground

and she starts running. No, she's running around in Dumbo. She's running around the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn. Okay, so the portal that's like, no, she's like running around in like Dumbo. She's running around the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn. Okay, so the portal that's referenced, we never see. We have no idea what it looks like. We never see it either where you jump into it or where you exit it. So Meg Ryan theoretically jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge,

literally jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge. We think, we actually have not seen that. And, and Leif Schreiber and Hugh Jackman also jump off the beginning of the Brooklyn Bridge and then is just magically in his apartment. My presumption would be this tear in the fabric of time would deposit them in the water. Yes. Whatever, whether it's going forwards or backwards,

whichever direction they're going. I love that idea, because the body of water probably wouldn't change. It makes it a little bit more sense. Exactly. It's like, great. But this seems to be like, everybody seems to land just wherever they need the next scene to be.

She literally lands next to Hugh Jackman's house in 1876. But her outfit changes. No, it doesn't. Her outfit slightly changes. She has lace. That's the same gray dress. That's the same exact one? All right, because the continuity police have said that it changed just a little bit.

The continuity police? I didn't know CP was involved. You know, this is, yeah. Listen, CP has a huge caseload right now, so they are totally overwhelmed and underfunded. The gray dress, the gray dress, and we will talk about that because if you do have extra money right now, we would love to have you think about donating to the continuity police. I know, like everybody's saying defund the police.

A lot of people are saying defund. That was right there. That was right there. We want you to fund the continuity police. So they say that the- Please, please fund the continuity police. Because they are to fund the continuity, please. So they say that the... Please fund the continuity, please. Because they are involved in your organization. Yes.

And continuity is so important as we're seeing in this movie. And honestly, can you imagine walking down the streets and going to see a movie and feeling safe there without the CPO? And knowing... I know, and I simply can't. Knowing that the cigarette that the actor is smoking will be the same length throughout the whole scene.

Oh, God. And you see, we are paying for them to be in the edit suites, making sure that even in the post-process, this movie is being looked at from a continuity standpoint. And please, guys, stop attacking the continuity police. I want to, all right, so the dress at the end of the film looks like a modern two-piece with a narrow profile in the present day scenes, but when she slips through time, the dress has a small lace rim on the top of the corset

and a sizable bustle on the back while her dress effectively changes by going back through time, her modern side part hairstyle remains the same. I could talk about her haircut for, I mean, her haircut is a character in the hair. I mean, she is putting on these John Lennon glasses. But that style is coming back.

That style, that 90s style. That choppy, weird haircut? Yes, that was like the Nora Ephron, that was the $700 Sally Hershberger haircut. That entire 90s look is coming back. Which is wild. By the way, I don't mind it. I kind of like that kind of like, you know, I don't care.

It feels like, I guess the idea is like, I don't care about my hair. I like your style. Yeah, I liked your style. It's like, I don't care about my- I didn't mind her style. The haircut, I couldn't get behind though. I couldn't get behind her shirts.

I couldn't get behind her shirts with milk collars. Yes. She seemed to have like, I know certain people are like, oh, I wear the same outfit every day. Jason, you're a... I'm one of those people. Yes. But she seemed to have different colors of the same colorless shirt.

One as black leather, one as white. Well, I liked that she had like a uniform. Like, I liked that she is, you know, and that it is, you know, like there's a way in which they are, you know, putting her in an environment where she's constantly butting up against the kind of sexist Bradley Whitford character who is just at his smarmiest kind of best in a lot of these scenes.

This movie again, amazing actors across the board. Viola Davis. Okay, I wanna talk about the Viola Davis scene for about an hour. So clear the board. Okay, I want to talk about the Violet Davis scene for about an hour. So, clear the decks. Here's the interesting thing about watching her. She takes that small role. The moment she was on screen,

I didn't know it was her right away. And I thought, I can't take my eyes off this woman. There's a powerhouse on screen in that tiny, small, nothing role. Yeah. It was incredible to see. Maybe you don't understand. It's against the law to leave it there.

Are you suggesting, madam, there exists a law compelling gentlemen to lay hold of canine bowel movements? I'm suggesting you pick the poop up and throw it away now. I refuse. Respectfully. All right. with a way now. I refuse respectfully. All right. What's your name, fancy pants? Leopold, Alexis, Elijah Walker, Thomas Gareth Mountbatten.

Agree. It was I love those moments. And it happens frequently when we do these movies where we will see someone who is now just an undeniable presence in pop culture. In a small one of their first jobs. You know, it's really kind of wonderful. I love it. And this one blew my mind.

She was so good. And she, by the way, this is not her first role. She had been acting since 1996 in NYPD Blue, Out of Sight, Judging Amy. She was in traffic. So this is like deep in, but I'm just saying, but again. But making the most out of a very small moment. And making the most, but also not chewing the scenery.

It was so well done. She gave Hugh a chance to do what Hugh needed to do, which is get the laugh lines, but then she was able to come in and get them too. That's a good scene, people. To your point, Paul. Hugh Jackman's 19th century clothes didn't change at all when he came to the future.

He's still dressed just like he was in 1876 or whatever. First of all, I have a- I mean, listen, I never doubt the continuity police. So if they said that her dress changed, then I think we should just- No, yeah. I don't wanna get into any sort of a situation. Yes.

The CPPD, we have to go with them. Now I will say this. I just wanna go back a little bit. The movie starts off-P-D, we have to go with it. I always have the CP. Now, I will say this. I just want to go back a little bit. The movie starts off in, you know, in olden times in New York, and you're seeing this. I would say this movie does have these moments that go from like very subtle rom-com to like broad rom-com. I'll talk about that in a second too,

but this opening sequence where you are watching someone with an accent that feels like it's that character from like a princess bride going, mawedge, mawedge is between. And so, but I think only does this character have that accent so he can say, because he's supposed to be talking about the Brooklyn Bridge and it's a great erection.

Like he's erected this Brooklyn Bridge. Yes, this will be one of the great erections, you know, in world history or whatever. Yeah. As the pyramids testify to the Egyptians, so my glorious erection shall represent our culture in perpetuity. Behold, rising before you, the greatest erection on the continent. The greatest direction of the age. The greatest direction on the planet.

And so, yeah, so you're watching the scene, the opening scene. The opening scene is a 30 second dick joke. I mean, it is a it's a boner joke at the start the movie, which by the way, the movie is a 30 second dick joke. I mean, it's a boner joke to start the movie. Which, by the way, the movie, which I kind of was like, oh, okay, this movie is gonna have jokes in it, cool. And then it doesn't really.

Like the movie- That's the last one. The movie does- Not until Spalding Gray. The movie doesn't know what it- Yes. Because Spalding Gray- Why? When Leav falls down the elevator shaft, he's dead, right? Yeah. He's gotta be dead.

You don't fall down a full elevator shaft and be pretty much fine. It seemed like the elevator was, it seemed like the elevator was maybe like a 20 foot drop. Like he didn't fall fully. So I felt like he fell and broke his leg, but he was still able to use a phone. He didn't fall all the way down to the bottom.

But by the way, my issue was that when Meg Ryan can't get on the elevator because someone has died on there or been severely injured, no one, like, there's no energy in the apartment building. Like, oh, yeah, and as a matter of fact, a man fell down the elevator shaft. Yeah. Your ex-boyfriend is currently mortally wounded And as a matter of fact, a man fell down the elevator shaft. Your ex-boyfriend is currently mortally wounded

from falling down the elevator shaft. And not only that, but I thought for sure, like, okay, we're gonna have some other scenes, aside from the elevator, where because the time has been, time has been pierced, there's gonna be other repercussions of like, in a sliding doorway of this man's life stopping in the past.

Because Hugh Jackman isn't in... Yes, because he was the inventor of the elevator. The elevator. Now, no elevators in New York City work. By the way, how great would that have been? Now, I also have an issue with Leo Schreiber's character, because he goes back. He's the world's worst time traveler.

He's running around with a mini cam, just like snapping shots, not even secretly. But why is he taking pictures of old, like, drawings of elevators? Because when he came back here, there's nothing to do with that. I couldn't figure out why was he. He seemed to be obsessed with Hugh Jackman's character literally he seemed to be seeking out I know I I know why and it's because the answer lies in the director's cut. Oh

so I'm gonna play a couple of clips throughout that Tell me more than that. I'm going to play a couple of clips throughout that, kind of blow out this movie in a very different way. There's seven extra minutes in the director's cut. It's not available to stream. You can get it on Blu-ray or DVD.

But this is how... The director, we should say, James Mangold. One of the best. One of the greats. Who is, you know, who's made like so many great movies, you know, from then till now, you know, continues to make great movies. Yeah, I mean, now here's another person that was cut in the director's cut, James Mangold. James Mangold has a large part in the film

to establish Meg Ryan. I'm going to get into all, this is all going to come together. But first, I'll just play you this clip of Leo Schreiber explaining why he is obsessed with Hugh Jackman. I found it. What did you find? A portal. A crack in the fabric of time. It was over the East River Cages where I said it would be.

You found the portal. A portal into April 28th, 1876. I jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge and took a walk in 1876 today. I followed my great-great-grandpa around old New York. You know what Stuart, you know what, I'm not your girlfriend anymore. I haven't been for a whole month now you can tell me the truth I am and so that is his that is his reasoning Okay

That I mean yes, that's why I wonder why they cut that because that's actually that's kind of well That's gives us that there's a very nice. Yes, this is their incest going on. I think that that is the issue There's no incest going on? I think that that is the issue. No, there's no incest. They're just, well, oh. Oh, between in Meg Ryan and Liev's previous relationship, they unknowingly were in an incestual relationship. Right, because if. Right. Which I, and to be fair, to be fair, I will say,

what's even funnier is in my notes, I wrote, the two characters who have the most sexual chemistry are Meg Ryan and Breckenmire. I will say, what's even funnier is in my notes, I wrote the two characters who have the most sexual chemistry are Meg Ryan and Breckenmire, and they are brother and sister. I know, that goodbye on the bridge, I was like, let's turn these two toward each other and see what happens. I was like, I don't wanna watch Meg Ryan fuck Liev

or Hugh Jackman, I want her to continue this banter that she has with Breckenmire. How did this get big? How did this get big? Now, there's some interesting like, I mean, there's so many interesting things in this movie. I would also say that just to kind of just hammer home Liev Schreiber being a complete and utter idiot,

he has figured out time travel, but yet he tells everybody about time travel. That's why he's institutionalized, because they think he is insane. Like, just keep that shit to yourself. A, keep it to yourself. And B, you should be able to explain your way out of this. He can't be institutionalized against his will

unless he has been, I mean, the movie is just, I felt like this was such a missed opportunity for a great rom-com. Because I was like, I want to just be into this movie, and I am not because you guys, I felt like the movie kept cheating. It's like, oh, well, Liev can't hang around because they need to feel in love. So I don't know, put him in a mental institution? Yeah, he gets institutionalized against his will.

I also think it's like, we're talking about this love story between these two people, and I'm going for a long time going, why do they like each other? Who is Meg Ryan? Like, Meg Ryan seems to have no reason to, like, we don't even know who she is. We don't meet her. She needs her palm pilot. She needs her palm pilot.

Who gives anyone a palm pilot? Who lets anyone? It's like, would you ever go, hey, can I borrow your iPhone? Give it back to me whenever you got it. Cause a Palm Pilot is- I assume she left it in his pocket. Well, I was trying to figure out how long ago did they break up?

That was awesome. A month, a month. It was then. Okay, so it's been a recent, so I guess that Palm Pilot was there. That is my assumption too. I guess I would have also liked to have seen her use that Palm Pilot, that she was so eager to get back.

I mean, well, Natasha Leon comes in, who's also a young Natasha Leon comes in, and says like, oh, you got your to get back. I mean, well, Natasha Lyonne comes in, who's also a young Natasha Lyonne comes in and says like, oh, you got your Palm Pilot back. So it has been an issue, like that she's not been able to get certain information. Like the Palm Pilot. While we're shouting out like people in smaller roles, I'll say Kristen Schaal in the 1876 scene, party scene,

would really like jumped out at at me and I was like, oh my God, this is exciting. And she was hilarious, she was just staring at him so intensely. Oh yeah, she is very funny. She's doing great work. But she wants her Palm Pilot back and then finds another reason to go back up there

because she needs the pointy thingy. Give me the pointy thingy. She doesn't even seem to understand why she needs, like what the Palm Pilot is. But it's a weird movie where you're supposed to meet two people and we really don't meet her. Like we don't get to see her job until she gets the Palm Pilot.

And then we really get to see her and understand her in the first marketing meeting for the Marger. Yeah, I found what I think what was a little bit of a barrier for me into getting into this movie is that genuinely, I felt like Meg Ryan for one full hour did not want to be in the movie. Yes. She didn't want to be around Hugh Jackman.

She didn't want to be around Liev Schreiber. She didn't want to be around Hugh Jackman. She didn't want to be around Liev Schreiber. She didn't want her brother there. She didn't want any of this. So there was no meet-cute. There was no I'm now curious about it until an hour in. And then it starts to happen. That's when it starts to actually, she starts to clock it and it starts to happen.

But that's why I'm like, why does he even, like my question was, why does he even like her? Like, at one point, Breckenmire's like, you're in love with my sister. And I'm like, I get, I'm not questioning why. Well, here's the thing, in the world of the movie, this is where things are weird. And in the world of the movie, he has a sense of her.

So it feels like he has known her in the past. So that when we see her in the photos, we're gonna understand like she has been there. He even says, have we met before? Have we met before? So it feels- Something like that. Oh. Yeah, so it feels like he is,

that meet cute or that kind of sense has already happened. So I wish you had. By the way, this is the deleted scene because she was in the opening of the film in that time period. Okay, so that again makes more sense. But I think the audience was confused. Because this is a rom-com with no meet-cute.

You know, like, and in fact, the more that Hugh Jackman, the more that first Liev and then Hugh Jackman are telling her, this guy is from the past, please look after him or please whatever, she is like, no, I don't want any part of this, stop calling me, stop leaving, leave me alone, get away from me, leave me alone, get out of here.

And so like it's, I want those two characters to be inextricably like locked into curiosity about each other or something. You know? She also has no faith. Listen, they should have opened on something with the two of them colliding and him being able to use his old-timey skills to help her. I mean, some might like...

Like throw down a jacket over a puddle. Give me like a chivalrous moment. And for her to be like, eye roll, like, what is this? But still kind of like, hmm, intrigued. You know, like not so like, because we're also, I think the hard thing is, we are tracking Meg Ryan's professional, like the main thrust of the story, almost equal to the romance, is her trying

to get a promotion at work. We're tracking this a lot with Bradley Whitford's character and the office place. And Hugh Jackman is just until very late in the movie, Hugh Jackman is not related to those scenes at all. No, they're, they're, they're, they're not. It's so bizarre because I mean, even the way she gets, he gets brought in.

Well, we'll get into the margarine of it all, but this was- Well, listen, the mar- Ugh, that's my main problem with the movie though. The margarine. Is that, not the margarine, Paul, is that- Damn it. What I think overall we walk away with is that she can't, as a modern woman who's just been promoted to senior vice

president, I thought she liked this job. Maybe she got the Sunday series, but I thought that this was exciting. Yeah, took pride in it. But the main takeaway is that that her having having love in her life and a man in her life and this career was not possible. Well, she's basically said the end of the movie, and this blew my entire mind. Blew my mind. The end of the movie, it basically is, she goes through the portal back into the past,

she meets him at the dance. They dance credits. So she basically is saying, I have just gotten the thing that I want, the promotion. I'm the head of my company's New York branch. I'm the head honcho. They keep saying head honcho, right? So now I have to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, which is crazy, which is essentially the visuals of that are very unsettling. Very. I have to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, which is crazy, which is essentially, the visuals of that are very unsettling. Very.

I have to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. I mean, so much so that they don't even show it because I think it would have been too upsetting. And live the rest of my life where I cannot vote. Now that is bizarre. And to give up her life for a man and her career, here's the thing that I wanna just drill home to. I know that this is a good trope in all these movies

and I know it does not supposed to make sense But I just started laughing thinking about the people in the audience like that speech She gives when she's on the podium and she's being installed now as the head of this You know company and and she basically gives a monologue about the movie like I want to Feel and if a person from the past comes and tells me that they love me I want to accept it again It makes no sense to the people in the room, but it makes sense to us, the audience, watching it.

I just want to see the people in the room go like, huh. Like, they are confused. I want more confusion. And then to be like, then the next day, like, yeah, it was so crazy. She started talking about how she was in love in the past, and then I guess apparently she ran off the Brooklyn Bridge

and killed herself. What would it be? Like, yeah. That's the story. The story is like this really tragic story of a woman losing her mind. Or the New York Times headline that is like, you know, market research genius gets promoted and jumps off Brooklyn Bridge. Like, what is going on?

Gives a passionate speech about time travel and love and then kills herself. So here's what I'm really worried about, though. Like, what is going on? Give him passion speech about time travel and love and thank you so much. Here's what I'm really worried about though. So I thought that Hugh Jackman was trying to figure out who to marry as the Duke of Albany or whatever his title was because his family was running out of money. That's true.

Yes, me too. Didn't he say that? That's what we're all driving toward fine. But when she shows up, this man has no money and she has no money in the past. Right, right. So what's gonna happen? Well, keep in mind,

keep in mind he's about to invent the elevator. And she's gonna market it. She's gonna sell elevators. Oh, so he hasn't invented the elevator yet. He's invented it in like, there's a little model in his, and he has a speech at the beginning where he says, the buildings are only getting taller. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Our legs will not be able to carry us. Exactly, we're going to need, and so he's. Okay, I must have missed that. Okay, great. So she's not just running, yeah, leaving her whole life, at least her amount of money. So she's gonna go out there and start slinging elevators and making people...

I don't think she is, Paul. I don't think there's any sort of space for her there. It doesn't make any sense that she wants to live in the 19th century. I don't understand why they don't just go find the portal and go back to the 20th century. And go back to that, his house, and open up that little drawer.

Or I guess elevators wouldn't exist. I mean, there's so many things. Can they do a long distance relationship through time? Well, I mean, well, hey. I mean, she could just keep on jumping through the portal every Monday. We do every two weeks. We do, you know, one time a month.

It's like having separate apartments. Yeah. But it seemed weird that he, like, again, you're talking about the issues of time travel. The portal opened again the following Monday. Like, he's only in town for about a week and it opens to the same day. And like, we have Shriver's like, well, I'll be there, so don't look for me. So I was like, hold on. I'm like, all right.

So if you're at the end, do we? We know, but he, he, we see him. Yeah. He goes like, but he goes like, I'll be like, I'll be there. Don't follow me. I'll be there, don't follow me. But if he's there, then Hugh Jackman is there too. Well, yes, because Hugh Jackman has arrived early. Early.

Hugh Jackman goes through the portal. So there's two Hugh Jackmans running around. Theoretically, well, this is where the movie fucks up. Because Hugh Jackman, this is why I mean it's mushy, because they want to have it, they want to have their cake and eat it too because Hugh Jackman arrives earlier than he left. So technically there should be two Hugh Jackmans, right?

They don't play, they they're like, we don't want to even engage with that. So we're just going to make him like a Hugh Jackman prime. He's either there or he's here. It doesn't matter. And that's nonsense. So he sees Liev at the end of the movie, and instead of following him like I did at the beginning,

he lets him go off and have an adventure. But I'm like, well, wait a minute. You've just stopped the movie from happening. No, no, no, no. He is letting Hugh Jackman, the first Hugh Jackman, have that adventure, right? Because there should be two Hugh Jackmans. There should Hugh Jackman have that adventure, right? Cause there should be two Hugh Jackmans.

There should be, but I don't think there is because when Hugh Jackman comes- We never see them both. When Hugh Jackman comes back and he starts to get ready and his uncle says, who do you, and he's basically like, all right, which one do you want me to marry? And he's like, Chris and Sean. And he's like, okay, I'll do it.

We've already seen that scene play out already in the first- Right, when he's like, okay, I'll do it. We've already seen that scene play out already. In the first act... Right, when he said, I don't want to do it, and he gets slapped in the face with that beautiful little slap, a lot of slaps in the beginning. So it's pretty weird that, like, I also was like, Hugh Jackman should give a speech that's embarrassing about love in front of his whole dance,

the way that Meg Ryan just did, in front of all the partners at The Thing. They should have both had these, like had these weird kind of declarations. That's the thing, Jason, I don't think that Hugh Jackman has learned one goddamn thing throughout this journey. Well, first of all, he learned how to use a wash machine, June. Like a dishwasher. A dishwasher. And I mean, that they spent a lot of time on that.

Like it really is. It's a, it's really a man's world that you can convince a woman to move to the 19th century for you. I mean, all right. So this is the way that Leah Schreiber explains it. Okay. This is the explanation that I think tried to answer

the question that we just had, but I think further confused audiences. Can you tell me in short, complete sentences featuring no words over two syllables, to answer the question that we just had, not the future. Not exactly. Theoretically speaking, if you go to the past and the future, then your future lies in the past, and that is a picture of you in the future and the past. But that's as much explanation as we get, which just even watching it back is confusing. Like, I mean, like, yes, it is hard to parse.

And especially because they deleted her from the beginning, it actually then makes it even more confusing. It's disappointing because if the romance worked, we wouldn't be so, we would be able to gloss over stuff like this. You know what I mean? Sure. If the movie were, if the love story worked,

I wouldn't be wanting to nitpick the mechanics of time travel so much, but because neither are really working, both are bothering me. Well, I mean, look, you got me out when Bradley Whitford was just offering up edamame on his desk. How funny was that? I mean, a great funny scene, but also just a hilarious, like, it's like he passes edamame to her

as if they were jelly beans or M&M's. I loved it. It was the perfect douchey New York power move to be like, edamame? Edamame. Now, my question to you both is, was he into her, or did he really think that she was good for the promotion? Because there's two things at play.

He takes her out for dinner, he kisses her on the back of the head, he seems to be inviting her to the house, and then he's like, I'm gonna give you the promotion, and she's like, I just am interested in the promotion, then Hugh Jackman shuts him down, and he's so embarrassed, but then he does give her the promotion. Like, that also felt weird to me.

It's like, he wasn't vindictive. He was like, you know what, I'm gonna give you the promotion. And so, like, was he just lonely? I was also, I also was slightly confused. I think we're, unequivocally, he's meant to be like a douche, right? Like a smarmy douche, like a classic Bradley Whitford character, right?

Charming, but smarmy douche. But you're right. Like, I do believe he intended to give her the job. I do believe he was like, but I also felt like he was also trying to romance her in some way, shape or form. I don't know if that was... I think what we were supposed to, I think what was supposed to happen

was that he was a douche, and he was just trying to fuck her. And, but because of the arrival of Leopold, and Leopold's views on, you know, respecting women and being a chaperone and, and courting and all that stuff. I think the movie was saying that, that Bradley Whitford's character was changed by the presence of Leopold. Okay. I think that's what was supposed to happen. I don't think that's what happened.

The only thing that's hard about that is the movie is also unquestionably showing us that Meg Ryan is crushing it at the job. Like, she's only making herself and Bradley Whitford look good, so how could he not give her the job? You know what I mean? Like, she's doing a great job. And like, that was the... Like, so there's a part of me that thinks of Bradley Whitford

as being just a sad guy who can't... Like, he's like, oh, I'm so caught up in work, I'm gonna just try to date the person I work with, instead of... Like, I feel like his... Like, I think that he respected her for her job, but also was trying to get her. I feel like a different version of this movie

would have made him... That's her boyfriend, but he, trying to get her. I feel like a different version of this movie would have made him, that's her boyfriend, but he like cheats on her. Or something like the version of it that's like- There needs to be something, or he just needs to be a dick and like she doesn't get the job, or she doesn't like- See, here's the weird thing about the movie though, is like, cause there are, I agree Jason, like the rom-com, the romantic stuff didn't quite work,

but then there are some moments in the movie that are really dropped in and really, like there is that moment where they're, Lea and Meg Ryan are on the phone and she says something like, I gave you the best years of my life. And he's like, those are your best years. And he, right after he says it,

he sort of looks like he wants to take it back. And he says, I'm sorry. I think he says, I'm sorry. It's such a great moment. And it's a moment like I've never seen in a movie like this. And I was like, oh my God, this is really interesting and fascinating. And then he is institutionalized, you know?

And so it's- But by the way, falls in love with his own next door neighbor. That woman who takes out the trash has been pining for him. The woman who takes out the trash in the hallway is the attending nurse that frees him at the end. Wait a minute, cause I was gonna say, I thought he fell in love with the nurse. The nurse is the woman who takes out the trash

when he's walking the dog in the beginning. She comes out of that door. So yeah, Gretchen is the neighbor. What? Okay, so that again, I'm like, I don't get it. Small town, MBC. Yeah. That makes me, that doesn't.

But Gretchen is from the, so Gretchen is from 1894. Boom. Okay. I mean, like that's a, like that's a why. That's a why make that why make his neighbor also the nurse. This is why this movie doesn't work is because the, it's super inert and then just contrivance or convenience to smash people together and be like,

see they're a couple now. No, did we ever, did we ever find out why, why, if Lea and Megyn were dating for four years and they were neighbors, why they didn't ever move in together? And rent out that other apartment and make... What I kind of liked was that they kind of had an unofficial duplex with the fire escape. You know, like, there was a part of me that thought,

they dated for four years? Why didn't they move someplace else? But I was like, I don't know, this is kind of a part of me that thought, like, they dated for four years? Why didn't they move someplace else? But I was like, I don't know. This is kind of New York-y to me. Like, we have like a, we live upstairs and downstairs in the fire escape between. And so much so that the dog collar remote is in her apartment.

And so she can shock him. Like, they're living- Shocking the dog, I did not care for that. I did not like that either. I didn't like that one bit. That dog also disappears, by the way. That dog... The dog is in the first act so prominently,

and then gonzo. And also that kid who comes over. Like, they introduce a lot. They introduce like a potpourri of characters that they go like, eh, it almost feels... Like, it feels like a bad improv scene. It's like, oh, here's a bunch of walk-ons. We don't need the kid.

In my mind, also, like, at some point, Hugh Jackman needs to end up with that shock collar around his neck, and somebody's shocking him. Like, you can't introduce all of these elements and then just not follow them up with something, like, comedic or otherwise, with all of this funny stuff. How did this get big? How did this get made?

How did this get made? Let me show you this opening scene, because this is a scene, this is another deleted scene. This is how they introduced Meg Ryan, and this is why I'm thinking that this movie was trying to do a lot here. So this is how we were supposed to meet her. She didn't just sling Margerine. We met her doing something different, which is working at a, as a focus group tester for a film. The voice of the director will be James Mangold. So here we go.

Why don't they love it? She's not likable. She's right. She do some trims where she sleeps with her boss. Cut that whole section. Excuse me. Excuse me. What are you talking about?

The movie, Richard. Your movie? Oh, I'm aware of that. Look, Excuse me. Excuse me. What are you talking about? The movie, Richard. Your movie? Oh, I'm aware of that. Look, I want to say something. I think Julie is likable, very likable in this picture, and real. What? Excuse me, you've never made a mistake in your life?

You have no flaws? You've never slept with the wrong guy? I'm not the protagonist in a major motion picture. Let me tell you something. You people with your tests, you are sucking the life out of American cinema. So this is like a meta, a meta take on this thing. Let me tell you something, you people with your tests, you are sucking the life out of American cinema. So this is like a meta, a meta take on this thing.

This is such an interesting movie. I'm so turned around. What makes this more interesting is, I went on a deep dive last night and watching this. So in this- Wait, you went on the deep dive, Jones podcast with Jessica? Great episode on Small Talk. Listen to it. If you've not listened to Deep Dive, you're gonna love it.

Uh, there is a, um... So this movie comes out in 2001. In 2000, Meg Ryan was accused of cheating on her husband, uh, which is Dennis Quaid, with Russell Crowe. Uh, and she was kind of, took the brunt of that. Like she was like, oh, she's no longer America's sweetheart. And she was kind of in this moment where people were basically like...

People turned on her? Turned on her. So this is like an interesting point of view, because they talk about, you never slept with the wrong person before. Like they're addressing it in this opening scene. And then they're also, I think, commenting on what we just talked about with Bradley Whitford, like, oh, cut out that moment

where she sleeps with the boss. Like, they're kind of saying, well, why do we judge a woman in a movie like this? Yeah. I have another thought then. So then my big problem with this movie is, the movie should have been about Meg Ryan, period. Yes. Right?

And instead this movie starts with Hugh Jackman in the past. He meets Liev, they're building the Brooklyn Bridge. There's a chase through 1876. They fall through time into the modern age. Like we don't catch up to Meg Ryan until too late. Meg Ryan seems like she's the meat cute, but she's not really the movie is. I literally wrote down, like, what does she do?

Who is she? I don't, yeah. And I think then in the, okay, so in that case, I do think then the movie should have been about, I can't believe I'm gonna talk about the margarine again, but it should have been about this idea of like, a thing being a thing, meaning like the elevator that he's about to come up with is something

that's useful and has weight and purpose and that you can describe what it does simply because that idea is sort of like sprinkled through the movie, like time slowing down, things having meaning, be having integrity. And it should have been about her journey with her own career and like life and love in finding real meaning and doing something that's- Authenticity. Yeah.

Basically, she should have been shown in act one to be like, it doesn't matter what we, it doesn't matter what they say, what we want them to think, what we need them to do is buy the dumb thing. Right. Buy the margarine or watch the dumb movie. She should have been, she should have been Whitford.

Right, she needs to be, she needs to have a flaw. She needs to be cut throat and not have like a, yeah. Is like what Bradley Whitford says there, is like you're too male. Like that scene where he's like, you just like, you are a good dude. Like we like you because you are a man. Like he says that whole... Yeah.

He says, like, you skew mail. But that's also interesting because if that's the case, it doesn't make sense why he is, like, really attractive. You don't... He says, you don't do... I like you because you don't do pretty. Yeah. Which is wild.

Right. That's a tough... Tough self. Tough to hear. But it's like, but that's also, like, here. But that's also not like her character flaw. Her character flaw isn't that she's not pretty. Her character flaw isn't that she's like too much of a dude. Like she has nothing to do.

Like there's nothing for her to- And also like, and not for nothing, like she's not necessarily open for love because her four year relationship ended one month ago and her ex boyfriendboyfriend lives upstairs. So, like, all of the... And also, like, if you're dating someone for four years who's working on time travel to that degree,

and he says, I did it, this guy's from the 1800s, and this guy shows up and appears to be from the 1800s, wouldn't you just be like, holy fucking shit, you did it? She has no faith in him at all. She's like, whatever. Like, so you dated as a person you think is a complete lunatic for four years I just make him your an upstairs neighbor. Just make him your weird make him Kramer Like it's waiting doesn't have to be an ex. Yeah, cuz it's like to have this idea that make Why would you not believe this guy like you clearly see he's got a lot of shit around his house.

Like I don't understand why, I still don't get why he's taking any of these pictures. Like I don't understand. And then Breckenmire spends literally the entire movie believing Hugh Jackman is an actor who is committed to a performance. Yes. Like nobody, nobody ever, they basically,

every time everybody brings up time travel, they basically, everybody in the present basically plugs their ears in and is like, la la la la la, I don't believe you, I don't believe you, I don't believe you. So that means that they all are willingly hanging out with an insane person. Yes, with an insane person.

Yes, and it's like, and this person, you just met the day ago, you're like, I'm gonna go out on a date with this insane person who's dressed in period garb, but like, what, like, it makes me question every single person in this movie. It's such a high concept idea, but then the movie abandons it for a romance

that is basically inert, in my opinion. I know. And it's so weird. I was trying to understand, like, why isn't there, why isn't this chemistry popping off? Like, and there are certain tropes in rom-coms that really work, like when, you know, when the meet cute is something like,

she falls out of the window and he catches her and they tumble on each other, whatever those things are, there was none of that. I did not- What should have been that scene, the first time they leave the house should have been when her purse is snatched and he chases on the horse.

Right? Remember that scene? That scene should have done that, but it didn't. Like it really, it's like- That scene makes her almost more insane too because she only is really falling in love with him because like he can ride a horse. Like it seems like all their, like seems like all their love is based on

nothing about the two of them. She starts looking at him like goo goo gaga just because he can ride a horse. He can move March. Oh that. Oh well, when he's, first of all, how prevalent is toast in the 1700s? Because I don't think that people

are toasting that much bread. Like he speaks about toast as if like, oh, the delicacy of my time is toast. And he's trying to make a lot of toast. Like so, so fucking hand-fisted to get that toast in his mouth. That's like one of their first scenes together. And what's very strange is most of their scenes together

early on in like the first act and the first half of act two, they are either bickering, like, because like in a way that isn't flirting, in a way that is straight up like, I'm pissed off at the toaster. And she's like, how do you not know how to fucking use a toaster, asshole, goodbye? Take the dog for a walk.

And then he's like trying to walk the dog with her and she's like, don't walk with me, asshole, go over there. And I'm like, what is this? What does she even think he is? Because at first she thinks that Leah Trevor is hooking up with a... Yes. And then he's like, it's a dude.

And then she's like, okay, whatever. And then, but then once that mystery is solved, then like, what has she bought into? Like I never quite understood like. They never explain it. We never really know because he says, Leah tells her the truth, which is like, he's from 1876.

She goes to the hospital. She goes to the hospital to see him. He's like, hey, do not let him leave the house. He is from the past. I know he's from the past. Like let's go. And she does not She I never buy like any choice, but then she does

Here's an example for dinner Here's an example right like he all he needs to do is say that man invented the elevator And that's why no elevators in the world work right now It's on the news and she should be like, that should be all the proof she needs, which is evident. Like all the elevators, we see her multiple times having to walk up all the stairs to her office, to her home, all the elevators in the world

are currently inoperable. Hold on, when she at the end of the movie is in the elevator and she looks at the wall, it says Otis. It says Otis. It says Otis, yes. But that's not his name. That's his uncle's name.

Yeah. That's the man's name who is his valet or his uncle, I can't remember. Okay. It's the man from the past. Okay, the guy who has been in a lot of different stuff. Yes, I know who he is. Okay, but does she know that?

Yes, because he keeps quoting Otis. Otis says this, or he frequently quotes that character. Wow, amazing that Otis was able to stay that long. I mean, we're talking about 2001, Otis never, like that name really stuck around. I mean, I guess it's like Ford, I guess, you know, on some level. Like...

I just was like, it really, it bumped me that she never, like, the movie has no exposition, dumps, and as a result, nobody knows, believes, or learns anything in specifics until the last moments of the movie when an adult person has to be convinced to leap off of the movie when an adult person has to be convinced to leap off of the Brooklyn Bridge into the past. Take off the chunky boot, Meg.

If you're gonna be walking across the Brooklyn Bridge. That should be a barefoot walk. Like, I mean, that's a barefoot walk. Or even hands and knees. I mean, look, I was thinking about it myself. I was like, how would I do that walk? Hands and knees. And I was like, I was like hands and knees.

I literally thought it was like, would I I do that walk? Hands and knees. I was like hands and knees. I literally thought it was like, would I shimmy across? Hands and knees. No, get your center of gravity. Yes, as low as possible. As low as possible and then shimmy over. Absolutely. And take the heels off. Take the sh.

Honestly, take the jacket off, take the scarf off, streamline it. You need to be, yes. Yeah, shimmy across. The other thing I wanted to talk about was my favorite line in the movie. And again, Gene, you're right. Like, there are like these really nice moments.

And I think that there's like, I like actually like, there's so many subplots in this movie. Like, it has an abundance of subplots that either pay off or don't. Breckenmeyer's romance? Yes, like when he goes to the flower store and he was like, oh, get this flower over that flower. There's certain things I really like.

But the line that I love so much, and I wrote it down, uh, why does love Santa keep on getting my, why does love Santas keep on getting caught in the chimney? I'm like, that was such a... Wait, was that at their rooftop date? Yes, their roof... Well, it was, yes. Their rooftops, which should have been like the apex of the romance of the movie.

It's a romantic- But it felt like a bad bachelorette date. It's like they're both complaining. Yes. They both spend most of that scene complaining about how hard it is to find love instead of falling in love. It felt like, to me, it felt like the bachelorette was like,

I'm here for the right reasons. Well, are you here for the right reasons? I think I am. It's like to me, it felt like the Bachelorette was like, I'm here for the right reasons. Well, are you here for the right reasons? I think I am. It's like, you always, whenever I watch that show, I'm like, why aren't we talking about each other? You're just talking about this show. Like, and that's what I felt like they were doing in this moment.

They just were not like, they weren't enjoying the connection. They were just talking about how they are not gonna be connected at all. Everybody was so self-absorbed that like, I felt like, well, this is why, and they didn't learn to be like, better at or curious about, you know, each other or,

there wasn't a moment. Well, that's the other thing that I thought could have been like an interesting movie. And I thought maybe that's where we're going at some point, which was not, not the other way to go is that Meg Ryan is a woman working, you know, doing market research, working for these brands who's convinced romance is dead. Great.

Yes. And then this guy shows up and he has a different approach and he sweeps her off her feet and he's putting her coat on all this stuff. And she then believes in romance again, but she was so, it just didn't hit, that romance piece, and it really needed to be in that scene, you know, where she doesn't really know how to dance, but he's not really teaching her, it just-

Both of them just want capital L love, and for people their age, that doesn't make any sense. You know what I mean? Like, like, like, like romancing the stone. Kathleen Turner, hopelessly single, but is prolific romance writer who is writing these love stories that she always wants to live

and then lives out that love story, you know, and has that adventure and has that. Which by the way, looks like that new Channing Tatum, uh, Sandra Bullock movie, which I'm excited to see. Oh, is that right? I haven't seen it. Uh, but you know what I mean? Like, like you're exactly right, June, like her, uh, Meg Ryan's character setup should

have, should have been a good puzzle fit for- Well, they introduced Natasha Lyonne. Like, Natasha Lyonne comes in, like, crying and she's like, what? Yeah, reading a romance. I'm like, oh, because at this point we don't know what reading romance. I'm like, oh, because at this point, we don't know what she does. I'm like, oh, she works at a romance. Like she writes, she is a publisher. And this is gonna, like this story

is gonna be the next big hit. Like I'm looking at like the elf story, like the movie elf. Sure, but she's like being mercenary about it and is like, great, we'll sell them on this. We'll sell them on that. Because love is fake. And then later when we see Gretchen,

the hospital attendant who is assigned to Liev, she's also reading a romance novel as well. Like the romance, she's just sitting on a little, it's a little cutaway, but it's like, so everyone in this world is looking for love. I think what's frustrating us, because we are really frustrated with the movie. I feel like, and forgive me,

I don't wanna speak for you guys, but I feel like what's frustrating for me at least is this movie has so many good actors, good ideas, that it should work. And the fact that it doesn't is actually annoying. Like you don't get to have all of these players and all of this interesting stuff and still manage to not convince me that this is a coherent rom-com love story

and it failed. Here's the difficult thing. Like Meg Ryan is being so Meg Ryan in the best of ways when she is, when it's related to her job. So like that moment where he does, you know, he does the voice and he gets, she comes up with a brilliant idea of having him do the campaign. And she walks out on the street and she's jumping around and bouncing around and being so Meg Ryan and so adorable.

The movie like is lifted in those moments because she's experiencing real joy, but we never see that with him. No, he, like, but he does do the thing that I've been wanting. I think I mentioned it on this show. The total absolute freakout of being in this time period, which I do appreciate, like, hey, he did come from the 1700s.

Like, let's have him really get fucking freaked out. But he only gets freaked out by seeing different people of colors and ages. Like, when he walks in the street, he's like, ah! Ah! Yeah. He only gets freaked out once. Like, I would have learned of people. Again, this is a face out of water.

People should not be the thing he's scared of. He should be scared of, like, cars, airplanes, subways. Not, oh my god, this old person, children. I would have liked it if he was. He's not an alien. So you know the scene where there's a kid enters, there's just a child enters the apartment. Yes.

And starts, you know, is like, oh, I come here on whatever, Wednesdays and watch TV with Stewart, blah, blah, blah. Okay, but Stewart's not there, Hugh Jackman is, okay. And then Breckenmire shows up through the window, and Hugh Jackman is, like, telling the kid a story. Like, acting out a story, right? And it's, like, really funny, and the kid is really enjoying it.

The version of the movie that would have made more sense for the movie would be, the kid is explaining to Hugh Jackman what TV is. Yes! Not that Hugh Jackman is explaining Pirates of Penzance. Not that Hugh Jackman is telling him a great story, but that the kid is like, OK, so this is the price is right. This is how it works. Right.

You know, whatever, you know? Like explaining like Survivor, something so crazy to him. That is, again, reminding us, Hugh Jackman should not be having constantly be winning. He's always winning, but he's like... You know, he hits on the turtleneck without any hesitation. He's wearing a different jacket. He fits in.

And he's great at dating. He's great. He fits into the modern world effortlessly and so smoothly in a way that most of the people in the modern world are struggling with it, you know? I would tell you this. You said the word frustrating, and I think the movie can really be summed up. This is how the movie goes about.

The way that Hugh Jackman problem solves is the way that the movie goes about problem solving, which makes no sense, which is Hugh Jackman wants to write her a letter. So what does he do? He finds a pheasant feather in her house and then takes pens and breaks the pens and puts the ink in a glass and then uses the feather to dip into the ink.

He cuts the feather into so that he makes a quill. He makes a quill. But yet he knew enough that there were pens that he could have written with a pen. Like there is no, like he could still write with the calligraphy that he wanted because his handwriting would be ultimately the same. He knew what a pen was.

He had access to a pen, but yet he goes about it in a very convoluted way. You're like, well, yeah, I guess that makes sense. But not only that, to double up on how convoluted it is, he leaves her the note. And then when she gets up in the morning and Breckenmire is like, hey, here's the paper, here's a coffee, and the note is there with the paper and the coffee,

she's like, oh no, I gotta go to work, and she leaves and doesn't even see the note. And Breckenmire doesn't say, hey, there's a note for you. He instead follows her down to the sidewalk and sneaks the note into her briefcase. Why? Why not just say, Leopold left this note for you? I don't know.

Because she needed to open it in the middle of a very crucial moment. And by the way, also I... But they play the same thing with the photos when she's giving her speech. There's so much like needless... Setting up. Yeah, like just like, the movie never says like,

and again, we wouldn't be complaining about this if we loved their connection and we were sold by the movie's kind of, the character's journey, right? But because we're not, the plot makes, it starts to seem like really rickety and crazy. I just wanna talk about one other thing that, like again, needless weird things,

which is when he's auditioning to be the Margarine spokesman, they allude to the fact that the, things, which is when he's auditioning to do the Margarine spokesman, uh, they, they allude to the fact that the, um, the test group is watching a live feed of the auditions, like, like, like he is getting into place and they're like, oh, they, he, they love the jacket. They love the jacket. Like he hasn't even like, he's getting mic'd up and ready to go on camera and they're they're watching like raw footage like it seems like a terrible testing environment like to be like we're just gonna have raw footage on and they're go there they are they're engaged now they're very engaged I just didn't even understand the world of the commercials

or anything at all what are we doing? Wouldn't it have been so much better if Meg Ryan jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, went through the portal, comes up in the water, has to soaking wet, go to the party, and shows up soaking wet at his big fancy 19th century party and now it's like, that's this big moment. Okay, I have my pitch. I like that. I like that pitch too,

but I'm gonna give you a better pitch. Here's my pitch. Yeah. that. I like that pitch too, but I'm gonna give you a better pitch. Here's my pitch. The Margerin is phenomenal, right? Everyone loves the Margerin. She does her speech, she jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge, but she has some of that Margerin in her pocket. She lands back at 1776.

They go there and they go, you're no one. You're just going from Massive Meek with it. They go, what do you do? She no one. You're from Massapequa. They go, what do you do? She's like, I, uh, and she pats herself down. I make this. And then they go, oh, Margerin. And they're all so excited because they never had Margerin before.

And then everyone goes in there. They say, so you want. What I thought you were going to say is that she pulls the palm pilot out of her pocket. Oh. But then is like, I don palm pilot out of her pocket. But then is like, I don't have the pointy thing. There you go.

That would have been it right there. That's how she reports it. Credits. That would have been it right there. Credits. Obviously we have an opinion about this movie, but there are people out there with a different opinion. Let's go to Amazon right now for some second opinions. I need a second opinion

Thank you, John LeJoy. Alright, the average rating of this film is 4.7 out of 5 stars. 80% of these reviews are 5-star reviews. Only 1% is a 1-star review. And there are 4,000 reviews on Amazon. This is a very highly rated film. Noggins writes this. The title? Kenny Nog rated film. Noggins writes this.

The title. Kenny Noggins? Kenny Noggins. The title is Interesting Information. Love it for the information on the Louvre. Five stars. Oh my God. That's funny. That's why I think, all right.

There is a line. Which is like a 15 second throw away, two lines. That's really funny. This one here, title, great movie, review, for the grandchildren, five stars. Huh. Just for the grandchildren, no period, nothing. For the grandchildren.

Seymour Morrison gave it five out of five stars. And the title is, if you find your soulmate, How Much Are You Willing to Sacrifice? Not exactly when Harry met Sally, but still Meg Ryan in another romantic role. And what can I say about Hugh Jackman? Plenty, but I'd be censored. Wink. Oh my god.

La la. Five times. Oh, bro. And then this is, I guess this is the last one I'll read. This one is from Ashley. It's called Old Fashioned Romance with a lot of good humor and good clean fun. She wrote, I love this movie.

It has old fashioned romance with humor and includes some history of the Brooklyn Bridge. Five stars. Holy shit. This person's like, oh, this is part documentary about the Brooklyn Bridge. I would say that the information about the Brooklyn Bridge is not suspect. Suspect at best. It really is a boner joke.

I am a, yes, I'm a bridge. Uh, how would I describe myself? Too short. I, I do love learning about bridges and I love bridges. Wait a second, hold on, hold on. Oh, I see, you're a beauty. We have been married for over a decade, you love learning about bridges?

Yeah. Wow. This is a huge, how did this get made reveal? I do. And so I was actually like, my ears perked up around the bridge stock. Oh my God. But then I was like, I don't know.

That's the T-shirt. It's true. I love God. Oh. But then I was like, I don't, I don't know. That's the T-shirt. It's true. I love it. It's the Brooklyn Bridge with like, June's outline over it. Honestly, okay, so weirdly, I did connect to Hugh Jackman there

when he was looking at the bridge and was like, it's still standing. Oh yeah, I thought that was cool. I thought that was really cool. And I felt, I feel that way all the time, like looking at the Brooklyn Bridge. And I felt like there could have been more like that. More moments of him being like,

Oh, look at how- What an engine room feat. Yeah. You know, all these things that he's in, he's at this era of New York that is so interesting and to be thrust into the future, you know, and to see the echoes of the past and what has changed, that could have been really cool, but it's just not. It's just not there. It could be because, yeah, I mean, there is so much,

there is so much interesting architecture in New York, and him going into that building, his home, and seeing things were the same. I mean, all of that was, I loved that stuff. Yeah. Well, the budget of this movie was $48 million. $48 million. Oh, my god. The opening this movie was $48 million. $48 million. Oh my God.

The opening weekend was about $10 million, but it did make back its money. It made back $47 million in the domestic box office. It made a worldwide gross of $76 million. The top three movies of 2001 are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Shrek and Monsters, Inc. This came in 108 out of all the movies in 2001. It was beaten by the Fast and Furious Swordfish Crocodile

Dundee in Los Angeles. Wow, I guess this wasn't that much of it. And the movie beat Rockstar on the line and Glitter. So that's this. Another fun fact is this movie also shot right out in front of my house and I remember them shooting it. For a scene that I did not see in the film. fun fact is this movie also shot right out in front of my house. And I remember them shooting it. Oh, funny. For a scene that I did not see in the film.

So again, on the cutting room floor for a great scene on, what was it? I wonder, I'm so curious. It sounds like there was potential. I bet there was a good script for this movie, which is why all these great actors signed on to it. And then something happened, some series of things happened because the movie that is a result

does not warrant the level of both money poured into it and the talent that was attracted by it. Well, here is something interesting. Early version of the screenplay, Leopold is accidentally transported through time in an actual time machine developed by a group of scientists that include Kate. They have a child of whom Leopold is unaware

and eventually reunite during the roaring 20s. Sounds like a way better movie. It's an interesting movie. Here's one other thing that I thought you might have seen. I don't know if you picked this up, but in this movie, Meg Ryan plays a character named Kate. She played Kate in French Kiss. And in You Got Mail, she plays Kathleen,

whose nickname is Kate. And in Restoration, she was Catherine, another Kate. So this is her fourth Kate performance of all those films. That's funny. So that's some of the stuff there. And, yes, so that is all I'm... I'm still blown away that it cost $48 million.

That's wild for this. I guess it's a lot of location. But it makes sense. It looks good. It looks good. James Mangold does a good job. It looks good. Everybody's trying.

By the way, a very rare difference that we always talk about here. Meg Ryan, 39. Hugh Jackmanman 31. Oh Interesting. Okay, so a little reverse, you know a little reverse Romantic you normally have the older man going after a very young woman All right. So Jason June, would you recommend people seeing this movie? What would you what would you say? I would say no, I think

There are so many better rom-coms that I think you would enjoy watching more. This was neither, neither did this, yes, it was kind of a mess, but it also didn't satisfy my kind of what I want out of a rom-com. You know what I mean? There are just way better romantic comedies

that I would say watch instead. June? Yeah, I agree. I've seen this movie like circling around for years and I remember when it came out and I'm glad I got my eyes on it, but it just didn't work. It's not like some hidden gem.

No. No. No, I think what was fun was watching all the different people pop up like Spaulding Gray, Kristen Schall, because Spaulding Gray, who I think is eating Grape Nuts out of the box, which is a hard food to kind of chow down on. But nonetheless, I would also recommend,

I wouldn't say it's, look, after Voyage of the Rock Aliens, anything is hard to follow up to that. Watch that immediately. Watch it again. Watch that instead. And we've talked about shirts. We talked about June Silhouette over the Brooklyn Bridge.

Oh yeah, I love bridges. But also maybe there's a fun continuity to police or a CPD police. I don't know, tell us what you think and we'll get one started there. We'll get one out there. All right, so June, anything you'd like to pitch, talked about anything?

Check out the deep dive with Jessica Sinclair, one of your, how did this get made faves. Yeah, just go ahead and we're using different language, I guess on Apple podcasts right now, but instead of subscribing, follow it, follow the show on Apple. Oh, I like that. I don't like the idea of encouraging people to follow us.

Well, that's what's happening Jason. They're no longer saying subscribe, they're saying follow. Follow us, follow, follow. Get right in line. From're saying follow. Follow, follow. Get right in line. From a respectful distance. Jason, anything you got going on? I mean, no, oh, you know what?

I'm really loving this Reacher show on Amazon. You know, Jason, people have asked us. People have asked us to start doing a mini Reacher podcast where we just talk about Reacher. Now June got me into Reacher. I'm very excited to watch it. The show is fantastic. The movies are not.

So unless you think you need to have seen the movies, these are completely different, separate things, completely different interpretation of the character. It's a blast. To be clear, I have no involvement in it whatsoever. I'm just enjoying it. Well, yeah, to plug something I have not involved in, but I will also say, get yourself to a movie theater

and see Jackass Forever. It is such a fun, fun, like, great experience. I just rewatched the first three Jackasses. I did too. And they are, really, they made me laugh so fucking hard. They're great. I will say this. You will fall in love with a man named Poopies.

His name is Poopies. Poopies? Poopies is a new character in the Jackass franchise. And Danger Aaron. Danger Aaron is probably my favorite of all of them. But yeah, so definitely check out Jackass. And you know, Brian Cox was on Unspooled, and and that was really fun interview to talk to him about his favorite films and We got him to do like a rhyming couplet from a Danny K movie, which was kind of fun to see him do

He just wants to do comedy Brian Cox. Oh, that's exciting. Yeah, really fun. All right everybody. So we will see you Next time on the show But if you want to continue this conversation, please do in our mini episode. Jason and I will be on that next mini episode talking about all of our stuff, probably talking about Reacher and more. Call me about any of your problems. You can ask me and Jason a question.

You can ask me about your life, your love, your parenting, whatever, I'm gonna try to give you some answers. Devin and Cody will chime in as well if you have questions for them. Give me a call at 619-P-A-U-L-A-S-K, P-A-U-L-A-S-K, 619-P-A-U-L-A-S-K. And, uh, tune in for that and so much more, but a big thank you to our entire team, our super producer, Cody Fisher, our per movie picking producer, Avril

Halle, our audio engineer and all around Jack of all trades, Devin Bryan, our producer, Molly Reynolds, art by Kyle Waldron, and of course, the ghost of Craig T. Nelson, that's Zach McAleese on Instagram. And July Diaz, who makes sure the episode sounds good coming from us to you getting it all done. Make sure to visit us at tpublic.com and we will see you next week for our mini episode, uh, and joining the conversation on the Discord, which is going on all Make sure to visit us at teepublic.com and we will see you next week for our mini episode and join in the conversation on the Discord, which is going on all the time at Discord.gg

slash HDTGM. Bye for now. Howdy, Discord League!