The Rewatchables - ‘While You Were Sleeping’ With Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins

Episode Date: May 1, 2020

The Ringer’s Juliet Litman and Amanda Dobbins were asked when they fell in love with this movie and they said ‘While You Were Sleeping’ starring Sandra Bullock, Peter Gallagher, and Bill Pullman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode of the rewatchables is brought to you by State Farm. Around here, we love talking about movies that we watch, rewatch, and watch again because they're just that good. It's the thoughtful details, the little things other movies don't have that keep us coming back. And here's the deal. When it comes to insurance, we can't get enough of State Farm. They have all the details we appreciate. They make insurance easy. You can monitor your coverage, pay your bill, or even file a claim through their app, which was awarded Best Insurance Mobile App 2019. And thanks to their network of 19,000 agents, you'll have someone local. to walk you through options and help you choose a policy that meets your individual needs

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God, you smell good. Now, she's part of his life. He's in a coma. Who's she? She's his fiancé. Part of his family. That's the way. You haven't met Jack yet.

Welcome to the family. And she's discovering love at second sight. I like Peter's brother. Pull the plug. You are sick. I'm sick. You're cheating on a vegetable. While you were sleeping.

Rated PG. Sneak preview this Friday and Saturday night. Welcome to the rewatchables. I'm Juliet. Littman. I'm Amanda Dobbin. We're here to discuss while you were sleeping, which was released 25 years ago, starring the world's favorite girl next door. Yeah, that's what I said, Sandra Bullock, Peter Gallagher, and Bill Pullman, all three of whom we are going to talk a lot about. Amanda, there's a lot of Pantheon placement that I think we need to do with this movie because we are hitting

Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, both like in their primes, like in the middle of of huge runs in the 90s. And it's a really special time. So much going on that we both care a lot about. What was your first reaction upon rewatching this movie for this podcast? I've been far too hard on this movie, which is lovely. And we were saying before we recorded, I'm going to say it right now. I am of two really deeply felt minds about this movie, which has been in the 90s

rom-com pantheon for since the 90s. It was an instant hit. It was, I believe, a surprise. box office hit, but did very well and kind of cemented Sandra Bullock. She did speed and then she did while you were sleeping and then she was a big deal. It's, as you said, Bill Pullman in the midst of Bill Pullman's run, this is after sleepless in Seattle and before Independence Day. And it is in the midst of a run of romantic comedies that certainly shaped the way that you and I watch movies and also the world. I just say, this is the defining period for my worldview.

Like, without a doubt. And I actually didn't even realize how much this movie has influenced me. Just a personal note, I went to Northwestern University, and I didn't even remember that the hospital in this movie was Northwestern Memorial. But as I go back and think about all the things I watched in my formative years in the 90s, like Northwestern's tied into a lot of them. And I didn't even realize it. And I think this movie is way more impactful than it gets credit for now, though at the time, it was a really big hit. It was a really big hit. And then something happened, which is you and I and all the children of the 90s. who watched romantic comedies, learned about our relationships,

learned about love, learned about movies, learned about cities that we might want to move to. You did go to school in Chicago after this movie, which is contemporaneous. I realized last night, I had a huge Juliet-Litman breakthrough last night because I realized that while you were sleeping was released at the same time as ER. Season one, yeah, season one of ER. The formative TV show in your life, which is also a hospital, drama in Chicago. Carter goes to Northwestern Medical School.

Exactly. And the Bulls, you know? Are you guys watching the last dance? I mean, Chicago in 1995 is where everything was happening in my world in 1995, though I wasn't there. But then what happened three years later? You've got mail came out in 1998. And it changed everything in the rom-com paradigm.

So we're going to unpeel those layers. And I know that that was very impactful for you as well. Yeah. But so anyway, what I was saying is you've got male as reason I moved to New York and I think maybe this whole Chicago era is why you went to school in Chicago. So I mentioned those to just say that this era of romantic comedies was like really foundational for our generation. And then, Juliet, and then we all grew up and we all got internet connections and we had to go through like this social reckoning of what romantic comedies taught us. And I do think that while you were sleeping has suffered a little bit in the panes. on in recent years because of certain aspects of its premise.

Would you like to explain its premise? I sure would. While you were sleeping star Sandra Bullock as a CTA worker who collects tokens on the L in Chicago and she has a crush on one of the riders that she sees every day, played by Peter Gallagher, he gets roughed up notably nine minutes into the movie. I was so happy that the inciting event happened so quickly. And at the nine minute mark, he's pushed off the platform of the L and she, runs out of her booth and saves him from being run over by an oncoming train.

She then, for reasons we can't explain more of that later, goes to the hospital with him. A nurse overhears her saying as she's looking at his body in a coma, I was going to marry that guy. And then the nurse assumes that they're engaged, tells the family they're engaged, and we're off from there. Lucy is pretending to be the fiancé of a man in a coma. So there we go. And then she, from there, falls in love with the coma.

guy's brother who is played by Bill Pullman named Jack in just such an incredible Bill Pullman performance. I can't state that enough. And this is a flawed plot to say the least. It is. And listen, romantic comedies we have learned all have plots where if you apply them to real life, you would question the behaviors of everyone involved. Everyone is either violating some sort of workplace romance law or some sort of medical disclaimer law. in the case of this movie, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. So we know that. But I do kind of feel that the she falls in love with the guy in the coma has really stuck to this movie in a way that some of the problems of other romantic comedies have not stuck to it. And so I think

I have always given it a hard time. And so when I watched it last night, I was like, wow, this is a totally lovely, charming, heartfelt movie that has a lot to say about family. and has great performances and is really well scripted. As you said, nine minutes in, the inciting incident happens. It is, you know what every beat is going to be, but in a romantic comedy, which is so genre-driven, that's actually a good thing. All the pieces are in place and they're hitting all their marks. So it's incredible.

And really, I think, underrated. And also, I just, there's going to be a section of this podcast where I just go line by line of every single crime committed in this movie. I'm sorry. And I say that with love. We'll get there. We'll get there. But Roger Ebert felt very similarly to you where he just, in his review, he, which he gave three stars, which is incredible. Good job, Raj. He very much agreed that

you knew that every beat, he very much agreed on every, he very, he very much agreed you knew every beat that the movie was going to hit. But he, he wrote that there aren't many movies, there aren't many movie actors we simply like Marilyn Monroe is one. And that quality, not sex appeal is why she has remained such a durable memory on the basis of speed. And while you were sleeping, Sandra Bullock may be another. And that's sort of, that's it, you know, it's Sandra Bullock. Okay. Who am I to quibble with Roger Ebert, the man of letters, the man of movies, and also a man of Chicago? Very much a man of Chicago. I do think that we remember Marilyn Monroe in part because of her sex appeal. But that's okay. We also remember her

other screen presence along with it. Anyway, it's very true. This is just an astounding standard bullet performance. Astounding. She carries the movie, which is what a rom-com should be, by the way, especially these 90s rom-coms that are so focused on the female heroine. You need someone who you're rooting for despite ridiculous circumstances, which in this case, they are the most ridiculous. There is almost no one else who could sell committing fraud to marry a guy in a coma and then

realizing, oops, no, I'm in love with the guy's brother. and also violating like every single like medical or social ethical ethical guideline possible is violated in this movie

but you don't care because she is so like lovely and and likable and lights up the screen it's really it's kind of a

I mean speed is it's Demolation Man and then speed and then while you were sleeping are kind of like the three Sandra Bullock breakthrough performances but this one for me

is the one when I was like oh that's my person. Yeah. I think in speed, she's really amazing. And that's when everyone really started to fall for Sandra Bullock. And notably, she auditioned for this movie while she was shooting speed. So she actually hadn't broken out yet, but she got the role. We'll talk a lot more about who else was considered. It's quite a list. But she was basically recommended by a friend of a friend, and then they watched her casting tape, and she got it. And so she got it on her charm. And not because she was such a big name already, but obviously she completely makes the movie. And then after this

movie comes out, and it made, I think, it gross $182 million in 1995, which is just an insane amount of money for a rom-com, let alone 1995. So, you know, this like really propelled her to a new level. And then she had many more movies. But at this time, she, uh, she had just become like the, the new girl next door. And she was immediately pitted against Julia Roberts, like immediately. If you go back and you read the news coverage from 1995, which is one of our favorite things to do. Checking out old people and us weekly articles is in Vanity Fair is really fun. She's immediately compared to Julia Roberts in terms of like kind of being on her corner. It's not really said in those words.

But there's immediately this like America's sweetheart versus America's sweetheart and like there can only be one, which is obviously not the case. And it's very interesting that she's immediately pitted against people instead of just being embraced as like a new kind of star. That's true. Though, whether she's a new kind of star is an interesting one because it is in the context of the 90s, the Julia Roberts blueprint. And Julia Roberts was like the big movie star and on the rewatchables and on the big picture and on Jam session when we try to talk about like a 90s movie star and what that kind of fame looked like. It's Julia Roberts. Like she literally had a movie about it called Notting Kill, which we have also done rewatchables on which you can check out. Great movie also, just if you're in quarantine and need it.

But it, it, Sandra Bullock kind of does what Julia Roberts does in terms of breaking through in a major way in a romantic comedy and specifically with female audiences with a romantic comedy and then uses it to write a ticket both for romantic comedies, which she does several more of and, and other types of movies like, you know, everything from the net to is it murder by numbers? I believe that's the name. Yes, that's the one she's in with Brian Gosling, right? Yes, exactly. And eventually to the blind side and gravity. So the way that Vanity Fair is going to present it, which is, you know, using America's Sweetheart as the title of the 1995 cover story that you sent me, which is what we called Julia Roberts for years and now we have a new America sweetheart.

I mean, there's always going to be like a catfight. There can only be one element to the 90s media. And we reject that. but I do think that Sandra Bullock came the closest to not just not quite replicating the Julia Roberts thing, but becoming a star in her own right in the same model. And I think we kind of underrate Sandra Bullock as a major movie star compared to Julia Roberts. I think she's totally underrated as well. But of course, I was reviewing her IMDB for this.

And she's got some misses. But boy, does she have some hits. Can we just go over this? Go for it. Demolition Man, 1993. Speed 1984 While you were sleeping

1995 The Net 1995 2 if I see 1996 Which is what they're on set for In the Vanity Fair

article Then she's got some other ones that aren't great She's got Time to Kill Which I think is a good movie Speed 2 comes in 1997

Hope floats in 1998 which I recall as being like a pretty big deal At the time it was For sure Yeah She was wearing a lot of like pastels in it.

Practical magic comes in 1998, which is kind of when she like started to expand her range. She did all then from there. She had forces of nature. And then 28 days in 2000. I'm skipping a few because she has so many freaking credits. And then in the same year, 28 days, she's miscingeniality, which is one of the biggest romcoms of all time. Absolutely. And one of the all time great cable watches.

I mean, TNT has been showing that thing every other day for what, two decades? now. So good. And then this is her 2002. Murder by Numbers where she met her boyfriend, Ryan Gosling. She was an absolute leader in the Ryan Gosling space. We see you Sandra Bullock and we appreciate you. We salute you. Followed by one of our shared favorite movies two weeks notice. And the divine secrets of the I-I-Sisterhood. Like that's a huge seven-year run. I would say things drop off a little bit between there and then crash in 2004. But that's like a pretty killer seven-year run that I would put up against like any of the actresses in her, in her era and her genre. Yes, absolutely. And I think we really do underestimate one, her ability to open a movie

during that period, which is how we kind of defined what a movie star was in the 90s. And that's like, Julia Roberts was like the number one movie opener. But Sandra Bullock was really up there. I mean, you and I saw Hope Floats. I saw forces of nature. I don't remember anything about them, but it was like, oh, you go see the Sandra Bullock movie. That was your response to it. And then I think in the rom-com pantheon, she's really underrated. I completely agree. She has. has so many hits. I mean, and traditionally it is Julia Roberts is a leader. Kate Hudson had her moment there, though frankly, I just nothing compared to Sandy. I vastly prefer the Sandy's to the Kate Hudson's and, you know, and Meg Ryan, obviously working with Nora Ephron, who's one of our favorites.

But, but to me is up there. But to me, the main three are Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, and Sandra Bullock. Me too. I would put as my fourth, Jennifer Lopez. But Sandra Bullock, I just have a couple notes that I want to throw out about her run in the 90s. First of all, in this film, she definitely misled many women to think they could pull off these kind of like messy, wispy bangs in the front because they look good on her, but it's a horrible look for almost everyone. I'm so glad that you brought that up. I have it written down the bangs are a disaster, and she is astonishingly beautiful. And one of the things that most strains credulity in this movie that is absolutely ridiculous and at many times criminal throughout its entire plot is that people

don't remember who Sandra Bullock is as Lucy. You know, it's like the hot dog guy doesn't remember who she is. People just don't notice her. I'm like, I'm sorry. No. This is just like an astonishingly beautiful person who is making the worst bangs you've ever seen work for her. But if you're at home and you're contemplating what to do with your hair right now because

you don't have access to your normal hair stylist, don't. do these banks. Just don't do it. Let me tell you right now. It's a no. Absolutely not. It's a hard no. Second of all, Sandra Bullock in 1995 had just broken up with Tate Donovan. And Tate Donovan had been the love of her life. She talks to Vanity Fair about how they had just like an incredible connection. And she uses very evasive language about how they both know why things happened, but they, but she wouldn't have expected to end up this way. And it's very strange to think about this, this young woman. She's like around 30. I also learned from Vanity Fair that she had an age-lying scandal around this time where she had

said she was a couple years younger. Like, who cares? But hilarious. I had no idea about that. I didn't either. And it's really a scandal of like over two years. It's whether she's allowed to participate in like the 30 under 30 something, which just like, who cares?

I don't think that we've, I don't think we've made advancements in a lot of things in the world in Hollywood and gender. But one thing that we've advanced in since 1995. is that like no one cares if you're 28 or 30. I really believe that. It's the same. Yeah, I agree with you. Congratulations.

Congrats to us. So she had just broken up with Tate Donovan. So there was like some romantic intrigue around her. And that breakup then sets off a lifetime, 25 years of people being wondering who Sandra Bullock is dating. It actually has subsided in recent years because she's really batted it away. But as I was reading about her in the 90s, I was like, how did we go from heartbroken over Tate Donovan and worried about having, you know, a bad marriage down the road to

the entire Jesse James affair of the aughts. I mean, it's just a, it's quite a journey. And I, I think that she has done those two relationships to me indicate that she's done a really good job of keeping public versus private. And I think that's something that also comes through when you think about her over the last like 25 years because she is someone who you associate so many great movies with. But I think I actually don't know that much about her. And I was like delighted to read and all this coverage from the 90s that she's like a really charming, lovely person that everyone likes. Yes, I agree with that. I would say that the Vanity Fair piece has a little bit too much of a,

she's a regular girl who eats Twizzlers type vibe that is very familiar from kind of like the women's magazine coverage of the late 90s. I grew up on that and it's not really what we need. But she does seem very grounded. I think she has never really participated in the Hollywood paparazzi machine. I believe she lives in Austin now, or at least she has one home in Austin. Yeah. And she is, I think she puts her time between Austin and L.A. And she is really private.

I mean, she adopted kids, which she's very successfully kept out of the press, except that we know they exist. And, I mean, I also would have spent the last 10 years avoiding the press after the entire thing with her ex-husband. So absolutely. You know. One more thing, just going back to Tate Donovan. Yes, please. I don't know if you recall early or a few months ago, I believe it was Jennifer Aniston, was on the cover of Interview Magazine.

And Sandra Bullock interviewed Jennifer Aniston for interview. And we didn't really cover it on Jam Session because it was a fairly, it was a polite celebrity interview. But the one memorable moment is when they both talk about having dated Tate Donovan. And the way they frame it is they term it is they both partook of Tate, which is just a thing that they said in print to interview magazine. And it's pretty legendary. And I respect them. We totally. I totally agree.

It's funny to talk about her Boyfriends, and just like the men that she worked with because back to the Julie Roberts comparison, I do think it's very different. Like, she isn't,

she, because she's in so many rom-coms plus speed with Keanu Reeves and then Jason Patrick, which another shared Julia Roberts connection, though I don't think they dated. She always had like a man

she was playing off of in her movies, but I think she was subject to less dating speculation in a weird way. Yeah, I think that's true. And it's hard to know how much of that is intentional and how much of that is just how she got possibly a bit luckier. I mean, the Julia Roberts press coverage was so white hot, especially in the first half

of the decade that you can listen to my best friend's wedding rewatchables, where we went through some of the people magazine coverage with Bill about that one. And there's pretty woman, too. Check that out as well. Oh, yeah. That's true. It's, so maybe other people learned from kind of what happened. with Julia Roberts and maybe shied away from it a bit.

Yeah. This was just, this was, I think, her best movie from her, the first half of her career. Because then she, and then she morphs.

I mean, she kind of takes a little bit of a break. She does it out of character role in Crash, where she plays, um, basically a bitch, which I think is like her first time, pulling someone who is sucks.

And then, and then she goes on to do the lake house, which was much maligned, but reunited her with Keanu Reeves and hey, I like that movie, another Chicago based, Sandra, Bullock movie. And then she, you know, and then she goes on another run. The proposal, that was a big hit.

And also constantly played on cable still. The blind side, gravity. And then Burbach, even last year. I mean, like, she just, she pops up and she can carry a movie and she's a hitmaker. And Sandra Bullock, we love you. Can we talk about Bill Pullman now? Oh, I'd love to. Okay. I just want to know for you, what is the defining Bill Pullman role? It's Independence Day. I was thinking as I was watching this. I was like, yeah, he's really the best movie president ever. I don't want to step on any other upcoming categories, but there is one answer. And it's for Bill Palmer, it's Independence Day. And that speech is really important.

And I have like a very strange connection to that movie, I guess, because of how old we were. And I'm because I'm like Will Smith's number one fan. But I think that's very important. What I really like about this movie is that it twins so neatly with, or not twins really, but kind of is in conversation with sleepless in Seattle, which comes a year before. And so I'm very sorry if I'm about to spoil sleepless in Seattle. If you have not seen sleepless in Seattle and or like don't understand how romantic comedies work,

then I guess hit the 32nd button. But Bill Pullman does not get the girl in sleepless in Seattle. And then a year later, he gets the girl in while you were sleeping. And I really always love, you know, meta narratives like that. And it's very sweet to me. And it brings like a little extra. You're rooting for him a little bit harder in this movie because of, yeah. I read that he did the movie because he wanted to finally get the girl.

And not in those words, but he wanted to be taken seriously as like the leading man instead of the one who doesn't get her. But as a kid, Newsies was like my favorite movie. And then I fucking loved a league of their own. And then I sleepless in Seattle is one of my, you know, all-time. Mount Rushmore movies. And then he was in this. Like this kind of caps it off. And then of course, he's also, you know, I know that's not normal for other people. There's Independence Day. There was Casper, which I also really cared about. I mean, he's been in so many movies. Casper. Yeah. Yeah. Casper. He was just such a 90s legend. And I just think it was this movie is also important.

Because as you said, it's like the outlier in him sort of being like a little bit of a jerk, more dashing, more mysterious and all that. And I just find him. so charming in this movie. I adore it. I just absolutely adore it. I realized that he invented Aiden, this sex and same character in this movie. A furniture maker, the nice guy that you want instead of the flashy guy. This is Aiden. And I also did realize that Sandra Bullock invented her two weeks notice character in this movie. Oh, in which way? Well, there's a whole thing about just being sad and ordering a lot of Chinese food. And I believe also her name is Lucy in both movies. Yes, it is. That's correct. Okay. So this is an important and influential text is what I'm

saying. Yeah, it's a great point. I love two weeks notice as well. Everyone would watch it. Hey, it's Bill Simmons. I wanted to tell you about a new podcast on the Ringer Podcast Network that we are launching this week. It's called TV Concierge. It's only available on Spotify. These are 12 to 15 minute mini podcast that review the latest TV shows streaming on Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO, Showtime, FX, Apple TV, wherever else. We'll preview new shows that are launching. We'll break down the biggest shows that just launched. We'll review the biggest binge watch seasons that drop as they happen.

You can listen to one. You can listen to all three. It's up to you. It's our new TV concierge podcast from the Ringer Podcast Network. Think of it like a little bit of a playlist. Pick and choose the ones you want to listen to. It's available only on Spotify. Most rewatchable scene.

What do you got? I wrote down five options. Do you want me to read that to you? Yeah. Let's go back and forth. Go with your most rewatchable scene and then I'll go with mine. Okay. Well, I think the two Sandra Bullock speeches,

I can't really pick them. The first one that she gives to Peter in the coma early on when she's explaining, and it's basically about loneliness, is extremely moving. And to me is the center of this movement. movie. I think it's great that she and Bill Pullman get together, but this is a movie about loneliness and grief and family and wanting to fill your life with people who love you. And I was really touched by that when I watched it last night. And I think that that scene kind of encapsulated and she's

also just heartbreaking in it. I didn't, I didn't mean for this to happen. I don't know what to do. I mean, if you were awake, I wouldn't be in this mess. Oh, God, not that I'm blaming you. Sorry. It's just that, you know, when I was a kid, I always imagined what I would be like or where I would be or what I would have when I got older. And, you know, it's the normal stuff.

You know, I'd have a house and family and things like that. You know, not that I'm complaining or anything. Because, you know, I have a cat, have an apartment. Soul possession of the remote control. It's very important. It's just, I remember anybody that I could laugh with. Yeah, and also, you have, you know, Saul looking over her. We'll talk more about him.

But, like, that's also a kind of a big part of the scene as well that is also very moving. I agree. That's up there. For me, it's Jack and Lucy on the ice. when he's walking her home after they've dropped off the love seat. Whoa. Wow.

Do not take me with you. No, it's right. You get it? Okay. And I was actually reminded in watching the scene of another underrated comedian, Cameron Diaz. And I felt this was very reminiscent

of some of the great Cameron Diaz physical comedy in the holiday. Can I just, I just want to note while you were sleeping in the holiday and sleepless in Seattle? all available on Showtime right now if you want to watch them. Just want to throw that out there. Great catalog available. But yeah, it was, I thought that that's like, you know, one of the more famous scenes from the movie for a reason. It really catches the kind of like tete-a-tete between

Jack and Lucy and they have a real palpable chemistry. Yeah, it's their meat cute moment, I guess, even though they've met. But it's the, when you understand that the romance is happening. And it's also accessible. It's something that could happen in real life. I mean, I shuddered to think how many people have sustained back injuries trying to do some version of this in real life. Like, don't try this at home. Please avoid back ice, black ice. But I do think that when we were watching them as young people, we were like, oh, that's actually, that's what romance looks like is when, you know, two people are doing something goofy on screen. So it's, it's very important. I kind of can't get past the fact in that movie that there are just like very visible non-iced

sidewalks on either side of them. And I'm just like, guys, guys, I see. see it right there. But, you know, it's, it's nice that they find each other. The movie was shot in Chicago in the fall and it was like not cold. It was like an unseasonably warm fall in Chicago. So they had to like fake a lot of the cold stuff and, and whatnot. What else is on your list? So the one testicle scene is just a very important. It's also just an important movie concept. And I wanted to identify that. And also the do I like Jello? And what what is the important movie concept about having one testicle? Please explain. Okay, sure. So very early on, Bill Pullman's character is like, suspects that. Immediately. Like immediately. But it's not because of all like the really obvious concerns, like the fact that the family has no idea who this woman is. It's because he sees her with someone else, which whatever. So we'll get into that. But so he's quizzing her about.

what she knows about Peter. And she is kind of making things up. But eventually she volunteers the knowledge that he only has one testicle. Sure. And the entire family does not have this information. So then they all have to make jokes about who's going to test for it, which is very funny. But that being an identifying, that has just always stuck with me because it comes up a lot like, I don't know, in spy novels or whatever novels. Like someone has a birthmark.

someone has something, you know, but the identifying information being like, well, he lost his testicle in a freak basketball accident with a pencil. And so he only has one testicle. It's, it's good writing, in my opinion. Great job by the writers. Great, great job. The writers, they wrote 20 scripts together and this was the only one that ever got made in case you're wondering. There you go. I'm really into the wedding that isn't. I think this is one of my favorite rom-com wedding scenes where she basically objects on her own. Dearly beloved,

we are gathered here today to join. I object. Oh, I didn't get to that part yet. I would have to object to. Her wedding dress is so hideous that I'm very relieved that it doesn't happen because it's one of the worst movie wedding dresses.

One thing this film is really archetypical and is how it makes its beautiful leading woman where just the most ridiculous clothes that do not suit her at all. I mean, we'll talk about her fashion in later categories. But that wedding dress is like, is she supposed to look like a bride and a shotgun wedding after World War II, like just missing her pillbox hat or something? It's such a bad dress.

I really like it. I'm very charmed by it. She has kind of like a weird sailor-leck collar. I mean, it doesn't fit. Please, like, if you can get your wedding dress fitting. it's important. But, and the little,

it's simple. I like it. I just, we'll talk more about the fashion. But I, that scene is also my list because that really, that scene goes hand in hand with the first scene when she's giving the coma. Because she gives,

that's when she does the reveal and she explains to the whole family, the fraud and, and why she did it. And it is very moving. And again, it's one of those, it's like the final Tom Hanks scene in You've Got Mail, which is a character who has done pretty much unforgivable things.

confessing and explaining that they did them for love. And only truly great actors can sell it and make you feel it. And Tom Hanks sells his and Sandra Ball excels hers. I fell in love with you. You fell in love with me? No. No, yes. All of you.

I went from being all alone to being a fiancé, a daughter, a granddaughter, sister. and a friend. I might have saved your life on the tracks that day, but you know what? You really saved mine. You allowed me to be a part of your family, and I haven't had them in a really long time. And I just didn't let me go of that. So even though it was just for a little while, I will love them always. I'm very sorry.

Oh, I'm very sorry about your carpet. She does a great job. Also, this is an underrated ensemble movie. Like, the family really makes the movie. movie, which is why the sort of the family embrace and the the the coupling of a family with her loneliness is so moving is because it's a great cast of family. We'll get back to them in future categories. That's one of the reasons why also the scene works so well.

It's because everyone's together in the same room. There's a lot of momentum building up to it. And it, it allows everyone to like play their part the way they were meant to. It's kind of like if this scene, if this, if this script had a perfect scene, it's probably this one. It might not be the most rewatchable, but it's kind of the. best scripted screen seen in the movie. I think it's the most rewatchable too because it has the comedy moments when the like real

fiancee storms in and then the husband and there's a lot going on. So it's it's still engaging while I'll be moving. This is what I would pick. I think so too. The only other one that I had on my list was when Saul goes to Peter in the hospital. And Saul is played by Jack Warden. And he just sort of is like, don't be an asshole. And it's just for like everyone needs someone in their life to tell them don't be an

asshole, give it a shot. And it was very sweet. I mean, Saul, there's a lot of nits to pick there as well. But I thought that was really sweet. But I agree. The wedding scene, I think ultimately takes the cake. Plus, Peter Gallagher actually gets talking about many of the other great scenes. He's just lying there in a coma. That's true. Okay. Next. What's each the best? We have to go with the cast. Yeah. I mean, the cast is on saleball. Peter Gallagor, Bill Pullman, just three out of three. And you really, a lot of romantic comedies go wrong in that. Casting is so important.

You need the chemistry. And especially in three people, you need all three people to be able to relate with each other. And they get it exactly right. And all three of those people have gone on to continue to be really successful people. It's both like it works in the movie. And it's one of those movies where when you watch it 25 years later, you're like, oh my God, they got that guy. And they got that guy.

and they got that guy so early on. Great stuff. Also, because the casting is so perfect, this movie didn't need and you don't feel the absence of the best friend. Most of the rom-coms we love have a really great best friend. Lucy only has her coworkers and her boss,

and they're lovely people, but they're pretty minor compared to the ensembles of like many of the other great rom-coms, Pretty Woman, Sleepless in Seattle, especially when Harry Met Sally, you got me out, all of them. This movie doesn't, have that because again, it has the family. But because of they nailed the casting, you don't

miss having like another like female companion that she that she talks to and can play off of. Right. And that's like a pretty bold move on the part of the movie because she's a lonely person. And normally when you get like quote flawed rom-com heroines, it's like they don't believe in themselves enough or you know some nonsense, but everything else about their life and their position in life is perfect. And this is. tough. She doesn't really have, she has friends. She has people, she, she like has New Year's Eve plans, thank the Lord, because otherwise it would be like too depressing. But it is, it's one of the realer, like, sadder stories as far as like rom-com heroin backstory goes. Yes, agreed.

What else to age the best? You want to talk about the clothes? Let's talk about the clothes. I was wondering if we should put it in best or worse, but it's just so Eileen Fisher. It's just like, like, good job. You nailed the Eileen Fisher aesthetic. Like, and it's probably just like clothes from goodwill, not like a $300 sweater that looks like it's from goodwill. And I like Eileen Fisher. I've got some pieces, but it's just so like the 90s are back and she pulls it off well. I love her sweaters. I mean, yeah, it's like, it's ridiculous that she is like supposed to look like a mess when she's actually wearing some great nits. The 90s are back so hard. And I want basically every single item of clothing that is in this movie. Now, there are a couple that I don't. The color

palette is pretty tough, especially in the scenes where she's wearing like the long belted skirts to hang out at the family's house. It's, those are some pretty muddy, ugly colors. They did, they did their job in having her not look like she knows what's going on. But all of the sweaters, the jeans, the boots, could someone sell those boots again today and I'll buy them? It's what I'm looking for. Totally. Yeah, she looks fantastic. The New Year's Eve outfit she wears, which is like a red velvet or like a deep red velvet, I believe, is very similar in aesthetic, if not into actual silhouette to Meg Ryan's Christmas Eve outfit in her first scene in Sleepless in Seattle. The draping is very similar.

Their hair is very similar. It was such a callback of that ear. It was wild. But yeah, I mean, I was just like that coat is so back. The only thing she was missing was kind of like a hip or hat. I mean, she wears plenty of knit, like knit beanies or whatever. But she just, she looked like straight out of a catalog of cool clothes from 2019 slash 20. I mean, it's ridiculous.

Something that we talk a lot about you and I on our podcast jam session, which you can find a ringer dish about celebrities is the artsy boyfriend. And I would say that the depiction of Bill Pullman as like a cool handcrafting furniture man is very, very ahead of its time. It has aged very well. It's very, very true. That's a great point. Also, like, the concept of wanting to go independent, wanting to build your own stuff.

I mean, I really do think that Aiden owes so much to this movie. And these things go in cycles, right? So sex in the city and particularly the Aden of it all was maybe like five years later. But we come back to these types of boyfriends. Yeah. But I would love to date a man who can make me a nice rocking chair. I love rocking chairs. they are very lovely.

I think that that furniture has aged better than say Aden's furniture. Oh, yes, because it's very mid-century moderns, like arts and crafts. It's like, it's great. I also thought along those lines of like how it relates to modern life. You know what's sucked in 1995 and still sucks? A walk-up. It just blows. Get an elevator.

Like I was like, yes, trying to get furniture upstairs and a walk-up really sucks. Brought me back to one of my San Francisco apartments. I was just like, no thank you. Very, very hard. How did she feel about her engagement ring? I like the simplicity. I mean, I loved it. I absolutely loved it. And I was like, that's a great ring in any, any year. Speaking of sex in the city, it really is suspiciously like the ring that Aiden gets Carrie that she hates. Like the pear-shaped diamond and a gold band. Do you remember that whole? Yeah. Carrie, what a bitch. It's true that she was a bitch. I think it fits. I mean, it has to be able to fit under the, the, the, token in the token slot. So you don't need anything too ostentatious. I like that they are

in romantic comedies, there's always kind of an exaggeration of where people can live and how they can dress and what they can afford. These are aspirational movies. And I think that this is still quite aspirational, but it's not completely out of touch with how normal people live. Totally. Yeah, I agree with that. One more I had. I should have mentioned it when we were discussing her clothes. Jack's signature jean jacket, man, do I love it. Oh my God, it's great stuff. Also, the shape of that is very much back. It's kind of like a shacket, like a shirt jacket of which, yes, certainly, certainly not warm enough for the winter in Chicago and he's not layering underneath it. I don't see him like wearing a hoodie or even a sweater underneath, but whatever, but I love that jacket.

There is that nice line about how it's reversible and he's wearing the warm side, which is I found very charming, even though that doesn't exist. You directed me to an oral history. of this movie in the Washington Post by Ashley Spencer, which speaks to everyone. Great read if you're interested in the movie. But in it, Bill Pullman does say that he still has the jacket and still wears the jacket. And his wife will be like, is that the while you were sleeping jacket? So good. I love it.

Yeah. It's great. I think ultimately we have to say the fashion age, the best out of this movie. I think that's true. Yes. The fashion and the furniture boyfriend. Those two things are just really. I think also the casting was pretty lucky.

But we did spend a lot of time talking about it. Okay. Yeah. Probably the casting number one, fashion number two. Yeah. And furniture boyfriend number three. Yeah. Flip side.

What age the worst? I mean, the absence of like looking anyone up, whether it's in the yellow pages or Google, which obviously they didn't have. But like still, you could do some research. You know, it's possible. The absence of like fact checking anything is really bizarre. This is also the first thing on my list. And this is, we can get about, we can.

get into that in terms of like the morality later on. But just in the basic in 1995, you would not have been able to verify someone or just learn anything about someone the way that you would now. It does seem quite foreign that there's just no way for these people and no instinct for these people to be like, well, I guess I'll just check on Instagram really quickly. I think you and I are probably the two worst people to talk to about this particular instinct for doing internet backup up research on people, but still, it's strange. The yellow pages. Like, fine or like, just go to her place of work, which they ultimately do.

I mean, it doesn't make any sense. I also thought in the script, which is pretty good. And it's funny, if you go, if you read the oral history and also there's a great, um, interview with Peter Gallagher and Vulture from, I believe March, they all talk about how the script changed on set for the worst. And one thing that, like, really set out to me and is not resonant with the rest of the movie is there's two like throwaway lines of Lucy talking. about her body. One, when Bill Pullman asked what her dad is like, she was like, he's a lot like

me. He has a flat chest. And then there was another one where Bill Pullman, Jack, makes a comment about like borrowing her clothes. And she says, if you fit into my pants, I'll kill myself. And I thought those two lines about her, about Lucy's body and like her self-perception were really, really off with the rest of the way she's portrayed. And I was just like, did someone give notes or and like asked for those to be in the movie or were there other lines like that that were cut and I'm glad they were cut. I just thought that was really strange. Yeah, they're both out of sync with the rest of the movie and they're also just kind of not how we put together these type of characters in 2020 and hopefully not how we talk about ourselves that we're all learning. I have

one more for you. Yeah, let's hear it. Joe Jr. Yeah. I don't need it. I just, I don't need it. And with all respect to to the actor and to the scenes, it's just Michael Rospoli. Michael Rospoli. It's one of it's a distracting, not even really B plot, but kind of C plot in the movie that doesn't have a lot of payoff. And I think in a lot of ways it's filling the comedy spot that the best friend you identified usually plays, right? Yeah. You need someone to lighten the mood and to give the main character some room to show off different parts of their personalities, but it's, it's a little scene chewy.

And I, I just, by the end, I'm like, not this guy. Again, I would have preferred to spend more time with the family. Totally. I would have wanted, I would have wanted more of all of them. But I agree with that. Also, I was just like, can't we just can't we dream bigger for like the backup guy? He doesn't have to be great. But like, can't we just do a little bit better than Joe Jr.?

Just kind of ridiculous and whatever, whatever. I think, but ultimately the lack of checking. up on who she is, is just has aged the absolute worst. Let's get into casting what ifs because there's so many and they're really fun. Number one, it's rumored that Julia Roberts passed and one of the writers

named Fred Lebo says lots of big actress has passed on it. I think to this day, Julia Roberts says that was one of her most regrettable decisions. I believe he spoke to BuzzFeed, UK, back in 2015 about this. And that's where that quote is from. I don't know if Julia Roberts really thinks this is one of her most regrettable decisions. I think she's doing

fine. And I think this is probably, like more of a she was asked if she wanted to do it and it was no like she probably probably wasn't really seriously considered i think every single romantic comedy that was made in the 90s someone at least asked julia roberts's agent if she would read the script right because why wouldn't you right more can more conventionally acknowledged including by sandra bullock and i believe that vanity fair article says that they wanted demi more and it would have been one of her would have been her first rom-com and like her first sort of lighthearted movie but she didn't end up doing it and Sandra Blocke. Thanks, Demi Moore.

Yes. I mean, who can imagine Debbie Moore in this plot, in this movie? I cannot. I think that it would be a lot more serious. And I don't know why it's fun. Yeah.

Well, I just think that you would get into the anxiety of the whole I'm living a lie thing a lot quicker, which respect to Demi Moore, who can bring that anxiety, but it's. That's saying I don't know. Fire energy. Exactly. It's a pretty good one, though.

And then the Washington Post oral history that you mentioned said that Gina Davis also passed on it, which is funny because Gina Davis and Bill Pullman were married in a league of their own. So I thought that was funny. Well, I think that when the director, John Turtle Tau signed on Harrison Ford and Gina Davis were attached to it. Right. And they both backed out. Yes, exactly. But Harrison Ford in this role, well, there's a whole long list of people who are going to play Jack.

but anyway. I mean, Harrison Ford would have been great in this role. I love Bill Pullman, but Harrison Ford would have been great with like his kind of, he would have been a little bit more of a dick and he would have been a little bit less believable as like the backup brother, the spare in our royal parlance. And, uh, but it would have been great. I mean, I would have loved it. I, I just love this era of Harrison Ford so much.

Of course. Who doesn't? Yeah. Um, another person in the Washington Post said was, rumored for Jack was Dennis Quaid. Okay. Which is interesting because he was married to Meg Ryan in this era. So I was just like, I wonder if they were like sharing representation and just making the

rom-com rounds together. That's just the hypothesis. I have no idea. Also mentioned for Jack, Patrick Swayze. That's a, that's a no for me, dog. Okay. Yeah, that's not the. Patrick Swayze had too much charisma and you actually need someone reticent for Jack because

otherwise he looks. way too excited about being in love with his brother who's in a coma's fiance. I'm not a Patrick Swayze fan. I've never really gotten it with Swayze. I don't know. He's just not for me. I was watching Dirty Dancing last week. I had an amazing time.

But as I was watching the final scene, I was just thinking like, this guy's not doing this choreography well. And it's just like weird. And it's like he's, he had an energy about him and like just a magnetism that I acknowledge. But I've never really. found him like dashing. I don't know. He's just not for me. And I find like ghost funny. I just find him,

I just find him as a heart fraud, like hilarious. He's of a very specific time. I also find ghost just a very strange artifact of our early lives and how we learned about what sex was, which was like through a pottery wheel. I mean, I don't even know what to say. That's just like everything that you need to know about me is like I learned about sex from the pottery wheel and ghost. I don't know. So shout out to the 90s. Great parenting by everybody. To me, he's just, he's in dirty dancing. I think that he is, there's a physicality to him and a magnetism, as you said.

That is very compelling. But I don't think that it would work in a movie where you're supposed to be kind of like awkward and confused about the fact that you're falling in love with someone. That's not his vibe. No, definitely not. Do we mention Nicole Kidman as Lucy? I think I skipped over that. Skip that one. Nicole Kittman was also mentioned, but they felt she was, quote, too pretty, which is just, like, mean to Sandra Bullock.

Like, let's back off, okay? They're both really pretty and completely different ways. Again, the most ridiculous part of this incredibly ridiculous movie is the idea that people would not notice Sandra Bullock and not remember her when she went to get a hot dog. Like, I'm sorry. That's just not realistic. Okay. The best rumor is that Matthew McConaughey was one of the top choices to play Jack. However, His Texas accent got in the way, and they couldn't figure out a way to write in a Texan being in this movie. I mean, yes, Matthew McHanahe in this role, minus the Texas accent. That's the opposite of Patrick Swayze. Hard yes. I would love it.

I also just don't understand why the Texas accent was such a hurdle. Like, it's fine. The family lived in Texas for a long time and then they had to move to Chicago for work. There, I invented it for you. Not that hard. They don't explain the grandmother's bizarre British accent at all. I know. Oh my God.

The mother from Mary Poppins. Great stuff. Yeah. He's wonderful. She's great. But it's like she's very funny in this movie. She has a British accent. No one comments on it.

I don't care. Also, Matthew McConaughey, you're an actor. Don't do your Texas accent for one movie. Like that's part of the job. How about learning how to sound like you're from Chicago? Like, is that too much to ask of an actor? I guess. I don't get it.

I guess so. Okay. Um, lastly, rumored for Peter, Pierce Brosnan. I mean, again, accent problems. I guess he was more versed in doing an American accent. Well, he does he's sleeping for most of it. Who cares? Right.

Also, also just continuity wise in terms of accent, the British accent would have made sense because he's right with grandma, okay? It's true. It's true. It's fine. Pierce Broson had a great career and got to do a lot of cool things. So I think Peter Gallagher plays yuppie. better than like almost anyone.

And the depiction of him as a yuppie is really funny because it's like both a stereotype but also true, which is, you know, that's how many stereotypes come to be. And I think he's one of our best yuppie actors if I had, if I had to make a list, you know? Like he's basically paying a grown up yuppie in the O.C. And like many of his great roles, he's playing like a kind of whether he's a nice guy or a bad guy. it's kind of like always an erudite urban dweller. Like that's who Peter Gallagher is. Yes.

I agree with that. Was James Spater in the running for Jack or for Peter? Because I know that he's mentioned somewhere in that list. And he to me is also an important yuppie person. That's a great point. I think he was mentioned for Jack, but he should have been Peter. Yeah. He could have been a Peter.

Totally. The kind of jerk that he wasn't in the 80s. Yeah. Anyway, I carried over. Peter is a great Peter. That's what I have to say. He really is. And he makes a point in that Vulture article.

They basically named him for me. But they nailed the casting. But like, you know, I think it's also testament to the writing that we could see a lot of people in that Jack character. Bill Pullman, he nailed it. But other people, they could have nailed it too. Just good writing. Good stuff for Jack. He probably is the best written character.

Even if Sandra Bullock sells her character the best, I think that Jack's probably written better. I think that Jack's probably written better. Yeah, I think that's true. They're relatable issues, right? He's pining for someone who he can't have, but isn't actually committing any crimes, and also loves his family, but wants to strike out on his own.

Just two classic, classic character arcs. Let's move on to the Joey Pants Award. A lot of options for this one. A lot of who's that. A lot of, oh, that person. For me, without a doubt, it goes to Monica Kina because she then shows up about four years later as a very menacing character on Dawson's Creek. And I was like, oh, Monica Kina. Good to see you as a kid. And she plays the much

younger sister of Peter and Jack. But there's a lot of options here. I mean, it's offensive. But for our age group, I think Peter Boyle is a top. Oh, Joey Pants. I mean, this is extremely offensive, but I was going to nominate Jack Warden, who is an incredibly accomplished actor, but I have been doing a lot of rewatching recently for the big pick. And I've seen Jack Warden in like four movies this week, like literally in four movies. And when he showed up, I had forgotten he was in while you were sleeping night, like texting my husband from the other room, like, oh, Jack Warden's in this movie too. Lull. What's his defining role? What's his top movie? I mean, for me, it's all the president's men. But that's not defining. That's just kind of the first thing that I, I mean, this

Jack Wharton has had like an extremely long accomplished career. So let's not what did I also recently see him in? I'm pulling it up. Okay. Well, I also read that he, um, suffered an injury in the Korean War and where basically his like leg bone like rubs into his footbone. So he's like always in pain when he's walking. And yet he was like an amazing actor.

I believe that Peter Gallagher said that in Vulture. Right. So shout out to Jack Wharton. His signature role is shampoo, which. of course I've forgotten. I also recently watched him in being there and in the verdict, the Sydney Lumet movie with Paul Newman. But he has been truly in everything. So maybe we don't have to give him the award. We can just acknowledge his great contributions to cinema for many decades, including the 90s and while you were sleeping. Sure. I mean, similar for Peter Boyle. I mean,

he's just been in so, so many things. I think probably for for people our age, he's almost known for more of his TV work. But I mean, he's just been in a lot. But like in this movie, he's totally like, oh, Peter Boyle showed up. Cool. There's the family is like that. And then Glittes Johns is like, you know, she's the, she's the mom from Mary Poppins. It's like, it's all of them. I don't, I think perhaps she's the most worthy of the award because she has like such a defining look that you're like, I know who that person is. What is it? And you're like, oh, Mary Poppins. That's definitely true. And that's what I did while watching this. I was like, how do I know who you are? And then. I remembered. But is the Joey Pants Award for a person who you know as someone else or a person

who shows up in a lot of movies? I think it's more the latter. Okay. Well, I kind of think that I just know her as the mom for Mary Poppins. But maybe that's because of my limited film watching experience. Well, yours is wider than mine as the co-host of the big picture. So you're probably right. I think we should give it to Jack Wharton. Okay. Congratulations. I respect that he is more than a that guy, but in this movie, you're like, oh, my God, Jack Warden's in this movie. So, there you go. Okay.

We're showing our age in part. Whatever. It can only be us, you know? Yes. Next, the Vince and Hannah, they knew award for overacting. There's only one option here. Okay. What is it?

Michael Rispoli is Joe Jr. I mean, come on. It's that other guy, isn't it? What do you mean? I've seen the way you look at him. What? How do I look at him? Like you just seen your first Trans Am.

Take it down a notch, man. Yes. Or maybe just don't be in this movie. Yeah. Let's move on. Recasting couch. Who you got Amanda? Let's start with Lucy.

This is a tough one. Who do you have? Because I don't really feel like we make. And it's almost a good thing because this is, we're asking a lot of an actress, right? Because to be likable and relate to everybody is kind of not how we want. want to think specifically about female actors anymore. So I felt like I was putting anyone in a box by doing this. But do you have anyone that you could sell like heinous crimes to people in a way that

makes you like root for them? This is controversial because she's controversial. I'm a little curious about a banged, beanie wearing knit sweater hanging over your shoulders Florence Pugh. Oh, interesting. I think that could work. She's not as liked as Sandra Bullock and no one's like, wow, she's a great person. But I feel like she has the angst to go into this.

I am like, I think Florence Pugh is a great person for the record. Okay, great. It would be a different performance. It would be more aggressive because she is, Sean Fennessee, my big picture coach, calls her like a fire hose because you just turn it on and then you just like get a ton of Florence Pugh. and so she would really commit to the, I think, to the more intense aspects of this role. And I think probably also to the slapstick. I think she's underrated as a comedian. I think she's just a funny person.

That's a good idea. The other one, this is really weird. But I think if this had happened like five years ago, and I don't know why this person didn't have a better career. But I just really thought at some point Victoria Justice was going to make it out of Nickelodeon. I thought she was going to be a star. I really did. and I think that she actually would have been well suited for this.

She's probably not a good enough actress. Like I don't want to undersell Sandra Bullock, but I just felt like someone who comes out of the Disney world and is like, or Disney slash Nickelodeon child star world and like ready to take on a slightly more adult movie and like remake themselves and then launch into many other things would be well suited in a reboot of this.

Yeah. On the other side, it's someone who is probably generationally a little, I guess, she's slightly, older, but that's okay. She's not that old. And also, as we discussed earlier in this podcast, age doesn't matter. Sandra Bullock be whatever age you want to be. Rachel McAdams. Good one. She has done some of these and she stars in the wildly underrated romantic comedy morning glory, which you and I is a favorite of both of ours. Love, love, love. And she's doing the same

kind of antic, determined energy in that that is still very winning. And I think that she could make you believe some of the more implausible elements of this movie. It's funny. When I'm trying to think of people, I'm still trying to think of people who can do that Sandra Bullock kind of waving her arms hands really quickly being like, oh my God, I'm really stressed out. But I got to make it work in such a in a charming way. So I really am just recasting for Sandra Bullock herself. I'm not looking for someone to bring something else to it. sure, which is possibly limited imagination.

But I do think that Rachel McCannes has that same energy. That's a great point. There's just, I don't feel like actresses are like asked to be like Sandra Bullock anymore. Like I think they're asked to like have more of an edge or be like just go straight into the Marvel system. Like what about someone like this is weird, but literally like Elizabeth Olson, like someone like that who you sort of could project a lot on to? I like Elizabeth Olson a lot. but you don't want to project anything onto this character because what you're going to project onto this character is what are you doing? Don't do this. This is a bad idea. No, no, no, don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't. And so

you need someone who can like fill that space of doubt and just general disbelief. Just being like, this seems like a terrible idea, but I'm rooting for you. And it's not that you don't root for Elizabeth Olson or anyone else, but you need someone to go on the offense, essentially. You also, yeah, you also need. You also, need someone with like really good comedy chops. Like someone, someone who, who can like do the physical comedy. And I don't feel like there's like some,

I don't know who I would say is the top. I mean, like maybe like Emma Stone, like someone like her a few years ago, like who's the kind of the both splits the difference between being, um, a little bit like,

someone who splits the difference between owning physical comedy, but also being like, um, very pretty. I don't know. I, because I do think like Sandra Bullock being pretty. is like a big part of it, which is funny because everyone says she wasn't pretty enough.

There's also just an earnestness required, which one of the things I love most about Emma Stone and why she's one of my favorite actors working is that she does have a little rhineness to her and a little sarcasm. And you're kind of like, can you believe this is really happening is what makes EZA work and what makes crazy stupid love work and what makes even La La Land work, which is a movie that I like comes so soon to me. Sure. But I love the favorite. I think she's great and the favorite.

Yeah, and exactly. But she can do the favorite energy. And then if you bring that to while you were sleeping, then you just, again, become unbelievably aware that this person is in circumstances that they just really should not be in. It's just a no. So Rachel McAdams is my best answer. All right.

Rachel McGatoms, I'm going on a stone. That's my final answer. Okay. Next, half-fast internet research. We've kind of gone over a lot of it, but there's still some other good pieces to share. Working title for this movie was Coma-Gomog. guy. It's a little on the nose. A little on the nose. They changed the title. Also, originally, even before it became known as a coma guy, it was set, it was, the movie was supposed to be a

guy in love with a woman in a coma, but they felt that was too letturess and creepy. So they, they flipped it, which just speaks a lot to gender stereotypes in 1995. Do you think that you would be able to get away with that now? No. Right. So again, I think it also speaks to gender stereotypes now, but I also do think that it was... I don't think you could do this movie now, period. There would have to be this, they'd have to introduce Google, so like it would have to change. Yeah, that's true.

I still think, you're right, that it's both says a lot about stereotypes and would like, was the correct decision because you can't make this movie the other way. No. The movie was originally set in New York and Joe Jr. are supposed to be like an over-the-top Brooklyn Italian, which they didn't call a stereotype in any of the press, but I would like to call that a stereotype. I know plenty of people from Brooklyn, none of whom are like Joe Jr. So whatever, I reject that.

They had to worry about the train tracks actually turning on. So they turned off the electricity of the train tracks for filming this because they shot on location in Chicago. But they were very worried for the scene where Sandra Bullock rolls off with Peter Gallagher that somehow the train itself would become like a part in the language would be a conductor for the end for the the electricity from a different part of the track. And so they had to like, electricity pun. Thank you.

They had to film it, the train in reverse essentially to make sure that didn't happen. And if you go back and you watch the scene, they kind of like Jerry Rig it a little bit. But pretty, pretty tricky. The magic of movies, you know?

A big plot point or sort of like character descriptor, which again is like just such an eye roll is that Lucy has a cat. And Sandra Bullock, allergic to cats. Mm-hmm. So it does allow for that great moment, which reminded me again of two weeks notice where she's home alone and she pours out the cat food and the cat milk and the little bowl and then dunks her own Oreo to the cat's milk, which it was apparently a Sandra Bullock's idea.

So that. Yes, she improvised. Great half a student research. She improvised that. Yeah. Just great. Just great stuff. Did you get any more research that we didn't hit?

just that Peter Gallagher really did hit his head in the course of filming the train scene. Yeah. Yes, he did. And he couldn't do anything about it. He had to just have a sore head. And that seems to be a memory that has stuck with him because it's definitely both in the Washington Post piece and in the Vulture piece, the interview that he did, both of which I recommend. Both are great reading about this movie. But he's brought it up. So I think that was a real moment. for him. Deon Waiters Award. I mean, Wanda, the nurse. I mean, come on. She just does the most with the least amount of screen time. Okay, I was going to go with Peter Gallagher, who's in a coma for half this movie. Him too. He's fine. I was like, Wanda, the nurse is a scene stealer when she's like, well, next time, don't wonder out loud. I mean, come on. She's a real. She's a firebrand. She brings life to her scenes. Shout out to Wanda.

Wanda is doing great stuff. Peter Gallagher is in a coma for half of this movie. And then he wakes up and he improvises one of the best lines, which is, do I like jello? Excuse me. Got some jello for you today. Do I like jello? Yum. I think he's had enough excitement for one.

And I manages to convey yuppiness and untrustworthiness but also handsomeness while lying on a hospital bed for at least. least 30 to 45 minutes. I think that we have to give Peter Gallagher this award. You're right. He earns it. I love Peter Gallagher. You're right. I don't know why I didn't think about him. I just wanted the nurse. I ride for you. Just want you to know. I have it. I have not forgotten about your contributions to this film. But you're right. Peter Gallagher, you probably deserve it. Okay. Good. Good point, Amanda. Thank you. Apex Mountain.

Is this anyone's apex mountain? I think the only case you could make is for Bill Pullman. Obviously, the Apex Mountain for Peter Gallagher, I mean, I think ultimately it's Sandy Cohen. He's at a long career, so it's a little hard to track. I agree with that. Sandra Bullock, I mean, again, long career, hard to track. I think you got to go either the blind side for which you want an Oscar or Gravity,

which she's like just completely amazing in. Yeah. I think I would say that it is when she wins the Oscar, not Blindside itself, but it's the winning of the Oscar because number one, she wins an Oscar. And then it sets up the ability to do gravity, which is a tremendous performance in one of the great movies that she's been in. So I agree with you. Man, did she look great for the Oscars too? She nailed it. Black and white, a classic look, old-timey Hollywood. Sandra Bullock, we fucking love you. Bill Pullman, because of what you said earlier, you could make the case that he finally got the girl. He, you know, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he, he,

in the end. And so that could make this as Apex Mountain. As I said earlier, as I hinted earlier, I believe that Bill Pullman's Apex Mountain is the megaphone speech in Independence Day. That's the single most important thing he's ever done. That is what we will all remember him by. And so I do not think it's his Apex Mountain. Maybe it sets up his Apex Mountain. I, but you just can't, that speech is really important. That speech, I'm like, I'm a little moved right now. I am just like tearing up thinking about it. So he's he's absolutely my favorite fictional president. He's great in a crisis.

Would love to have him right now. I mean, you know, he keeps this cool. He's focused on science. He's, you know, tracking down the aliens. He is focused on science. He is. So anyway, I do not think that this is Bill Palmer's Independence Day only because he gets, I'm sorry, I don't think it's its Apex Mountain because he gets Independence Day the next year.

Yeah. Unfortunately, I agree with you. this is a great movie, but it's no one's Apex Mountain. But that's okay because it sets up so many other things to come, you know? I think Sandra Bullock would not have had the exact same breakthrough is she hadn't had the one-two punch of speed in this movie. A thousand percent. She owes it a lot.

Let's do best quote before we pick Nits because, I mean, it's going to be a long list from you. Okay. Oh, I'm sorry that I engaged with the text of the movie. Best quote. There's Lucy's monologue, which we can read in fall. Do you believe in love it for a sight? I bet you don't. You're probably too sensible for that.

Or have you ever, like, seen somebody and you knew that, if only that person really knew you, they would, well, they would, of course, dump the perfect model that they were with and realize that you were the one that they wanted to just grow old with. Pretty unassailable. As far as rom-com speeches go, it's really up there. It's totally. It's not quite, I'm just a girl standing in front of a boy. It's not Tom Hanks at the end of you've got mail. But it's very good. An interesting thing about it, it's not the speech at the end. And I, one thing that I really like about this movie before I get into nitpicks is that it does set up a different type of motivation, a different type of heroin and a different type of love and what people are searching for. And something that I think is like more nuanced and, human than what we normally get. And this speech is a good encapsulation of that. That's a good, it's a good point. The fact that it comes in like the first third of the movie is a

pretty big deal for a rom-com speech. Exactly. Innovating on the form. Ashley Bartlett-Bacon is the woman that Peter was actually proposing to and engaged to. And she has a killer line. Go ahead. Go ahead and marry her, you one bald bastard. See, that's what I'm saying. She should have been nominated for the heat. check. I mean, she does a lot with a little as well. She's up there with the nurse, Wanda. Okay. And then I thought Jack's speech about leaning was very good when he, when he is talking to Sandra Bullock and he says, it's a lot different from hugging. Hugging's very different. How are you leaning? It's a lot different than hugging. Hugging's very different. Hugging that involves

arms and hands and leaning is whole bodies moving in like this. Leaning involves. wanting and accepting. I thought that's a good rom-com trope, too. It is. Though it's like, I kind of prefer Bill Pullman when he is less verbose. That's part of the appeal of this character to me. So, all right, I think we agree. It's the monologue.

I mean, mm-hmm. An act one monologue is also like pretty, pretty revolutionary. We don't give it enough credit. All right, Amanda, pick some nits. Okay. I'd like to start off just with two that don't, are smallness. Okay. Okay.

So at one point when Bill Pullman is quizzing Sandra Bullock, he asked what Peter's favorite flavor of ice cream is. And she says Baskin Robbins. And that's not a flavor of ice cream. That's not a flavor. And also in this speech when Sandra Bullock is talking about how she wants to travel, she wants to go to Florence, and she like pulls her passport out of her purse in order to be like, I'm always ready to go.

I just, it's don't carry your passport around with you. at all times unless you have to. Completely agree. From a safety perspective. Okay. That's it. Those are my two smaller things. I have a couple small ones before we get into broader ones.

Great. Elsie's heart attack gets a lot of attention in this film and I just, in the beginning and then I just kind of drop it. I'm just like, okay. Sure. They will say in the wedding scene, Sandra Bullock gives her whole speech and then she's like, Elsie, you're doing okay. Yes, that's true.

It's just like a lot of, a lot of worry about Elsie's heart attack. I just thought it was a little, a little, a inordinate, whatever. Also, very loose visiting rules at this hospital. Anyone could come at any time, any number of people out in the room. I'm just like, Northwestern Memorial, get your shit together. Like, let's be a little bit stricter about this. I mean, yeah, I'm going to get into that. Okay. Okay. Go for it. It's your time. Okay. All right. So number one on the nitpicking, a family not knowing that their son who they seem to be in close contact with is engaged. Okay. I mean. I mean, that's fine.

Just have to accept it. Okay, that's fine. Number two, Sandra Bullock just being like, sure, I'll lie to this family at great length. Don't do this. If you're at home and you're in love with someone who, in a coma or not, and there are unusual situations in which people believe that you're engaged and you have the choice between lying to the family and not lying to the family, don't do this. I don't know whether it's actually illegal until we get to the marriage ceremony, which I, I, I, I don't know. I do honestly think is attempted fraud. But it's not good.

It's not a great foundation for a relationship. So that's what I have to say. Number three, once that all happens, nurse, Wanda, hello Wanda. How on Wanda? Wanda is not intervening. She is not doing anything to clarify the knowledge of anyone in this situation, which I do believe is a violation of the Medical Information Act. Okay.

I don't know whether that was around in 1995. It's a violation. My understanding is that medical professionals are not supposed to willingly give out medical information to people that they actively know to be strangers and or like help you perpetrate a fraud against a family. I think that's correct. I completely agree. Wanda probably needs to work on tightening up her shit just like the hospital she works for. Okay. Speaking of other people who need to tighten up their shit.

Saul. Okay. What's going on? What's going on, Saul? I just. I just want to say if you just have like one random neighbor who happens to be Jewish

for inexplicable reasons just like hanging around it's kind of weird to entertain he doesn't have family and so he relates to Lucy in that way they both want to be a part of this family they share that loneliness it's just weird and like again

why did he just like happen to be Jewish like just like the one Jewish person in this movie I don't really get it it's kind of bizarre it's not like the Sopranos where they have like one Jewish character and it makes sense like this is strange well I assume

it's because they wanted Jack Warden and they just kind of went with it, but they weren't willing to do that for a Texas accent? Whatever. Yeah, I know. It didn't make sense. Okay. Anyway, that bothered me. And I was just like in the whole, and the thing is they called out his Jewishness by being like, oh, I like, oh, you get to be a godfather, even though you're not Catholic. Like, I just thought that was really weird. Like, that was just a weird touch. Right. So that bothered you, but the whole thing where he didn't tell anyone in the family at any point. And even when he tells Lucy that he is actually going to. clean things up doesn't follow through. He just wants to be a part of the family. You know, he gets it. He is part of the family. He doesn't want someone who doesn't have your own family to be cast aside. Do I think this is a sound reasoning for not telling the people that you should be on their side? No. Do I get it? Yes. Okay. I agree in the scheme of things. It's not the worst

defense. I will continue. If when she goes to his home to feed the, the cat, technically trespassing, whatever. I would also argue that just like repeatedly showing up at someone's bedside is stalking or close to it and that the hospital really needs to tighten up their security. I'm just saying. Yeah. I mean, the hospital needs to like fact check this shit. Can't the hospital check to see if they're actually like engaged or married or something like that? I mean, there's got to be a better test than just asking about the testicle. Right. Okay. Then we also the hospital could have verified that. That's true. The hospital's not verifying anything. The hospital is extremely negligent in this situation. Anyway, putting all that aside, after that, Bill Pullman is just like, sure, I will fall in love with my brother's fiancee, like, no problem right away. He just is immediately hitting on her. He's really aggressive about it. And I want them to be together. But I just really, I don't think that he's a very good sibling. No, he's definitely not. He's definitely not. He doesn't seem to have any boundaries. And I mean, this is one of those where, like, we've kind of overlooked that you should be mad at Jack for the whole thing. But, I mean, you should be mad at both of them, really. Yeah, neither of them are making sound decisions.

Okay, anyway, so now we've established that this movie asks us to be okay with the fact that the guy is hitting on his brother and Accoma's fiance. Fast forward to, like, the Christmas, you know, they can't celebrate Christmas on Christmas because that, is when Peter has his accident. So Lucy gets invited to the Christmas thing a few days later. Or maybe this is New Year's. I don't know. The timeline is really murky. That was one of my nits.

I'm just like how much. They've really like elongated the period between Christmas and New Year's. A lot of time for family meals and delivering a furniture. And I just was very confused by it. And she's just at their house all of the time. So at one of the large family gatherings at their home where Bill Pullman is also there. She's leaving. And it's Christmas.

so the mistletoe is still up. So as she's leaving, the little sister is like, hey, you guys are under the mistletoe. You need to kiss. So just to be clear. Just to be clear. Now, the entire family is involved in encouraging the brother of the guy in a coma to hit on the coma guy's fiance.

And they're like, why don't you kiss under the mistletoe? Excuse me? Yeah. I mean, that was completely ridiculous. Why would the sister of the guy, yeah, the guy in the coma be suggesting that the brother, like, have any kind of, like, cheating with the fiance. It literally made no sense, but she's a young girl. Whatever.

That's my answer to all these. Just whatever. I know. They all were into it. I know. It's like, is the family actually rooting for Jack? Who are we supposed to root for here? I don't really even know.

I mean, I've never understood large families, but that's really complex even for me. Okay. Keep going. Peter wakes up. He gets the whole speech. He proposes to Lucy for the quote second time. That's really the first time. Whatever.

We somehow make it to the legal wedding phase. And in the span of what I think we're supposed to believe is 10 days because it is like, is it right before or right after New Year's. I think it's right after because she goes to the New Year's Eve party, you know? Okay. Great. But anyway, so it's right after New Year's a week when most businesses are traditionally closed. and somehow she manages to have printed wedding invitations that are sent to everybody.

I didn't get that either. I can't explain that. The timeline is just really murky. That's like the number one problem, in my opinion, is that the timeline doesn't map. I'm just also, I understand that they didn't have like Evite. I know they didn't have paperless post in 1995. We were like a pre-internet world. But if you're doing a rushed wedding, why are you sending out invitation?

like printed invitations just to the family. I don't I don't get it. Oh, the 90s. I mean, in this case, you just sent an evite, you know? Sure, right. Final thing, aside from the fact that like actually marrying this person, would I believe be fraud. But why did you have to have the wedding in the hospital?

I don't know. Like, why? What has it suddenly just become a really rushed thing of like what we have to do is do it right now? Is it just because he like, rediscovers his love for the first time for Lucy. And also, why does Peter have to be wearing that hospital shirt and not be able to put his arms through the arms of his jacket?

That doesn't make any sense. Okay. We've got some problems, but you want to know what? We're willing to overlook all of these things. And they're not explainable. I'm sorry. I don't have answers for you. You're right on most of this.

It's a real testament to the movie that we all loved it and are still like genuinely moved by it and rooting for these people and willing to. go along with it despite everything that I just said, which is just just don't do this at home. This is like really probably the number one ultimate don't do this at home. People be honest before you get engaged or pretend to be engaged. Amanda, could this be remade as a 10 episode Netflix show? I'm going to know. No, but I would love to see.

I think they should make more 10 episode rom-com Netflix shows. I actually would like to see them. And if you could figure out a way to fix the, you know, kind of whole guy in a coma brother incest situation, fraud stalking, I would, if you can fix all that, I actually would like to see it because I would like to live in this world. And specifically the idea of a rom-com that is about family and getting to spend more time with this family and with like the three main characters who you like. And like this, the love triangle aspect of this, you just have to solve the whole hospital thing, you know? You need to be like, HIPAA compliant, I think. Yeah.

I think that also just introducing Google just really messes up the whole movie. So that's why I land on no. Yeah, I guess that's true. My top unanswerable question, why don't we get to know more about Lucy's mom? Well, that's a good point. And they do kind of that kind of pretty saccharine three minutes intro,

it's voiceover where she explains that, you know, she lost her mother and her. connected to her dad. And I think that does like a pretty efficient job of doing her character development because it's less like it's more about her loneliness than that she's trying to replace any one person. So if you like bring in too much parent stuff, then you start kind of minding that relationship instead. I mean, it's like really 90s fast forward version of it. I agree. But it doesn't bug me as much. Okay. Do you have any unanswerable questions? haven't hit in your nits? Yes. Do you consider this a Christmas movie? No. Okay. It is set at Christmas.

Sure. I know. And much to everyone involved, there should grin that it's not a Christmas movie. I think the problem is, is that you need to have the climactic event of a Christmas movie at Christmas. Right. It starts a Christmas. The inciting event. And so while I appreciate their experimentation with like the, the beats of a romantic comedy in that sense, it peaks too soon on the Christmas thing. I think my other question was good at my unanswerable question is like is this the greatest amount of crimes ever committed in a rom-com. And I'm, because there are a lot. That's the other thing is that I was very hard on this in the nitpicking section. But we have learned that people are just doing pretty unforgivable things that you can't do in real life in most every single romantic comedy.

And that's kind of why we like them, I guess, because there is like the romance in like overcoming the impossible or the. acceptable. But I just, if, if there is a romantic comedy, like a traditional romantic comedy, where more like crimes are committed than this one, please let me know. There's not. I mean, just a just a quick cursory review in my head that the Nora Ephron canon, the Nancy Myers canon. I mean, there's not. Yeah. I mean, I just can't think of any. So this takes the cake. I couldn't think of anything. I mean, there might be some bribery elements in addition to a workplace. appropriate issues in how to lose a guy in 10 days. Like too many people are placing too many bets on other people and there must be some

sort of insider trading corporate element to that as well. But I think this still takes the cake. I agree. Well, clearly crime won the movie, but if not crime, it's Sandra Bullock. I mean, there's no other question. I agree. It's it propels her to a new level coupled with speed. It's just like a, it's impressed.

It's just incredibly impressive. It establishes or kind of cements her career. Watching it now, 25 years later, it's still just like, I can't believe how good she is in this. And it's so clear that this movie doesn't work without her, as evidenced by the fact that we basically couldn't recast it. It is, it's absolutely Sandra Bullock. Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman and Peter Gallagher. We salute you. Check out more rewatchables.

And check us out on Jam Session. I'm Juliette-Littman. I'm Amanda Abbott. We won't be committing any crime. but we'll see you soon.