This Had Oscar Buzz - 158 – Stepmom (with Christina Tucker)

Episode Date: August 16, 2021

It has to be said that we have been waiting to do Stepmom from the very beginning, and what better excuse to finally dive in to Chris Columbus’ Christmas Day weepy than this week’s special guest Christina Tucker, co-host of the podcast Wait, Is This A Date?. Uniting the 1998 powers of America’s sweetheart Julia Roberts and … Continue reading "158 – Stepmom (with Christina Tucker)"

Uh-oh, wrong house. No, the right house. I didn't get that! We want to talk to Marilyn Hacks. I'm from Canada. I'm from Canada water. Director of Mrs. Doubtfire and the Academy Award-winning producer of Forrest Gump. You didn't ask me if I wanted a new mother. You didn't even ask me if I liked her.

Comes a story. I never wanted to be a model. And believe it or not, I am trying. About the tears that are inevitable. People make mistakes. Anna, you do not run out on your mother. No, that's your job. And the joy that is possible. And their whole life's happiness is wrapped up in you.

You know every story, every one. Wound. You'll learn. When two women share one family. Hello and welcome to the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast, the only podcast that can't go to Vienna because we have to mind the shop. Every week on this had Oscar Bus, we'll be talking about a different movie that once upon a time had lofty Academy Award aspirations, but for some reason or another, it all went wrong. The Oscar hopes died, and we're here to perform the autopsy. I'm your host, Chris Fyle, and I'm here, as always, with the guy I see who's in high school, and And it has to be said, every time we talk about you, he laughs his ass off. Joe Reed.

That, it has to be said, kills me every time I see that. Because it's so incredibly unnatural in any context that, like... It is the definitive genimal online reading. It's so, like, it's, and there's nothing she can do to save it. Like, it is, it's awkward in its conception. That whole scene, which we'll definitely talk about, is it defy, all logic, because, like, there's no way that gambit should work. And on a long enough timeline, she's going to get found out, and she's going to be, like, a terrible high school

scandal for, like, the rest of her days. Like, it's going to be, she's going to be the girl who hired a male model to pretend to be her boyfriend. And it's, we'll talk about it. We'll talk about it. A male model who has a ponytail, we can't get into it. We can't. No, we have to bring in our guests before we do this because, like, we have to let her discuss. We all have to get into this, when we get into this. Guys, we have another guest with us this week. We're very excited to have her. You know her as the co-host of

Otto Straddle's new dating podcast. Wait, is this a date. Christina Tucker is here. Hello, hello. I am so excited to talk about snowblowing. Question mark. Am I excited? I'm actually kind of terrified about it. I unfortunately have to out myself as the type

of loser who doesn't know what snowblowing is. like I feel a little bit like, wait, am I not even cool for middle school when I watch that scene? Because I don't know what that is. I don't really want to know what it is. I always figured that they were just talking about snowballing, which like... Yes, that is what they are talking about. Okay, okay, good. Because like, but Julia's character is so insistent that it's a real thing that, like, I guess that's why she's a great actress, because she just sold me on it. She just like, um, but right, I think, I think, I think that's what it is. And I think because it's a PG-13 movie, I could even see it being a script

script note being like, we can say it's real, but it can't be the real thing. They can't be able to like go and like find out that this is actually a shocking thing for a middle schooler to know about or have done. Well, right, exactly. But this comes like only a few years after clerks, which were, where that was like a major plot point. Yes, that's the only reason I know what it is. Yes, that is absolutely the only reason I know what it is. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. guys people are disgusting we're here to talk about stepmom though stepmom a movie that we have threatened for a while

to do not threatened you've wanted to do this as a Christmas episode for a very long time which is the most one of the most arranged things that I have ever tried to plan to do for us I didn't want to say it but I'm glad someone said it now we said it but now we said it I was like no we should save my stepmom for a Christmas movie like we'll do that as a Christmas episode. And it's like Christmas is 10 minutes of this movie. Right. Is Ed Harris bringing her a Christmas tree? Her last 10 minutes. Like her last 10 minutes basically on Earth, I think.

Yes, this movie has a very strange relationship with telling us exactly how long Susan Sarendon is going to be alive. It's just like, yes. But it is truly like the only thing Christmassy about it is sometimes on Christmas you discuss your own mortality. Right. New Christmas traditions born, right? ear on that mom. And then you buy your son a very impractical dove. I do like the fact that like Susan Sarandon like is part of the decision to get this kid a dove and then is like about to piece out because like that's final fuck you to Julia Roberts. Yeah, good luck taking care of this unruly bird. Have a bird. By the way, impractical dove, my new drag name. Oh my God. That would be

so beautiful. Also, he gets this dove for Christmas. Where did the dog go? Julia Roberts has already bought them a dog. Who seriously disappears. That dog straight up disappears. I didn't even think about that. A dog that the daughter fully lies about being allergic to. And then like in the most

diabolical scene in this entire movie picks up and nuzzles that dog after telling Julia Roberts to go fuck herself essentially. I was just like, ooh. Like you really are you know, Jenna Malone's character is cruising for it this entire movie.

I will say. Well, it has to be said, which is the thing that we have to say whenever we're going to make a particular point throughout this entire episode, it has to be said. Absolutely. Jenna Malone is an asshole in this movie. Yes, she is. And that is what the script calls for, but yeah, she's serving it. Totally.

General Malone is good in this movie, but it is an insufferable child. This movie, the two children in this movie do present the two scenarios that are the reason why I would never want to be a parent. Asshole and magician. Magician's a real bummer. You really hate to see that on a child. I'd be terrified to raise a magician. Yeah, it's a lot.

Like, where had I gone wrong, you know? If I've raised a child who wants to be a magician, something's wrong. One of these days, Liam Aiken is going to grow up to create his own in and of itself about his disappearing dog and his mother that died of camp. No, Liam A can stay at eight years old forever, I've decided. That character is, it's like, oh, he's like the cute kid. He's like, that's sort of his existence in this family. It's just like, oh, he's so cute.

And yet also, like, bound and determined to, like, one day just, like, disappear and never come back. Because, like, he keeps just, like, hiding himself and he keeps, you know, running away. And at some point, you know, you're in the upside down. and it's never, you're never coming back again. You're never coming back from the upside down. Yeah, that kid was annoying. I was like, I get that you're supposed to be cute, but you are driving me up the wall. Jumping out of the peanut butter cabinet?

Like, come on, kiddo. Oh, my God. Yeah. It's probably eight in the morning. Yeah. To get into. But before we, like, fully dive into the movie, Christina, we're so excited to have you here. I feel like you and I are constantly going back and forth about, like, actresses on

Instagram. Kastasita Jones. Always. Always. Always. When the athleisure line came out, I felt like I immediately, like, got into your DMs and I was like, it's happening. This is coming.

I mean, the fact that I don't own any Casa Zeta Jones is truly a mistake of mine that should be rectified. I am having my morning coffee, which is not coffee Zeta Jones, is just regular coffee. I ran out of that like $40 coffee immediately. But I do have my Cassa Zeta Jones coffee mug that I'm drinking it out of.

It is fully something you bought off of Red Bubble. It is wonderful. I love it. But, okay, so I'm so excited to have you on because, like, in the type of things that we usually geek out about,

we haven't really talked like Oscar stuff. So we always, when bring a new guest on, we always talk like Oscar Origins, what either made you first notice the Oscars or get obsessed about the Oscars if you love them. And I'm so fascinated to hear what your answer for this would be. Well, you know, like many young lesbians of my generation, I saw the movie Chicago and was kind of in a chokehold from then on. Speaking of the CASA, you checked in that very year and never checked out. We are long-term residents of the CASA.

It's a long-term stay situation. Yeah, it's a really, it's a labor of love. I absolutely had a wall of photos of Catherine Zeta-Jones in my room as a child. I was very upset by my parents' insinuation that I might be gay, which, you know, fair point to them, fair enough. At some point, you do have to ask the question. So, yeah, that was the first Oscar ceremony I really, like, remember with any real clarity. I remember how insanely pregnant she was.

And I, of course, Sean Connery's Catherine was really the moment of that Oscars. And then, yeah, I've just kind of signed up for everyone ever since. I love the fashions. I love seeing what the actresses are getting up to. I love all of like the publicity and spectacle behind it. It's all so very fun. And I would love a return to normalcy for them, hopefully in the future. Yeah, I think we can all agree with that.

Holy God, please. We will see what this year brings. Fingers crossed, really. Yeah. I love that you brought up that how, like, unlike Rulie in her pregnancy, she was, because, like, this was the years of Oscar, where not just winners, but nominees showed up to the Oscars super pregnant, where it's like, you guys didn't really have to do this to yourself. You could have stayed home.

Remember Marcia Gay Hardin showing up for the last? the Mystic River Oscars, which she was never going to win. And it's just like, Marcia, you are very pregnant. Like, get off your feet, hon. Queen Marsha. Free Hall Pass to stay home. Right. But, like, Annette Benning as well.

Right. Always fun. And then when Natalie, she was pregnant during both of her most recent Oscar runs, too. It felt like nostalgia. Oh, was she pregnant during the Jackie run? I didn't realize that. I don't think she came to that ceremony, because I think she either, like, had her baby right before the ceremony or right after.

Oh, wow. That's very interesting. But, yeah, I don't think she was able to go. Which is, like, good. Everyone follow her lead. If you were that pregnant, you are not obligated to show up. Please take care of yourselves. Yeah, seriously.

All that standing? My God. No. It does seem like a lot of standing. And also, I can't imagine those seats are all that comfortable and roomy. You know what I mean? Like, you're... Not at all.

I don't know. Yeah. That's a good thing. point though that's a good remembrance for for katherine because yeah not only was she super pregnant and like just showed up at the oscars she performed if i'm not mistaken she did she did perform and i do remember seeing that and thinking wow this is something and also that lady is so pregnant so pregnant god bless that kid by the way is like in grade school now which is yeah the age of her children actually makes me feel she's got a little lea making of her own

remember when they were born. Oh, like the full-on... That child that Marcia Gay was pregnant with at the Oscar, she took them to DragCon. Oh, my God. That's fantastic. But yeah, that whole generation, I get, like, occasionally obsessed with the fact that,

like, this generation of celebrity children that are right now hitting their 20s, and I'm just like, that is the gossip girl that I want to watch. That is, like, I don't want to watch whatever gossip girl we actually got. I want to watch the gossip girl that is, like, the Witherspoon-Philippi kids, the Julia Roberts's kids, Angelina's kids. Surrey-Cruz.

Surrey-Cruz. Right, Surrey-Cruz. The Stefani-Rostale kids, like, who probably hate their stepdad. Oh, my God, I just forgot about those kids. Right? They probably can't stand their stepdad. And, like, all of those kids. I want, like, that's, put, give me a show.

Give me the hills with all of them, and they can be as scripted as you want, but whatever. I just want to, like, see what they're doing. in whatever. I guess they're in college now. They're all like 20. It's insane. Oh, God. Yeah, also just trademark that idea for you, Joe,

because that is going to make millions, I think. Right. It's what I want. It's what we all deserve. Yeah, exactly. You know that Julia's kids. I mean, recent production comedy just sold for like what a close to a billion dollars there was valued at close to a billion dollars.

She can force her kids to go do it to make some more money. Why not? Imagine she's an American citizen. She can do whatever she wants. I always assumed that, like, Julia's kids would be, like, a little standoffish of everybody else, and, like, were maybe homeschooled and, like, we're maybe whatever. And then, obviously, like, Apple, Paltrow Martin is just an alien child. You know what I mean?

Just like, all of... Right, exactly. And Maddox Julie... Sistaining on, like, wheatgrass and bee pollen or something. Maddox Julie is the oldest of all of them, so he's just, like, impossible. possibly cool and like anytime he like says hello to he's the hip host of the show if this is like a reality competition he's jeff proxed yes he is but cooler right right yeah like super hot super cool like everybody's like got some sort of you know polysexual crush on him like absolutely yeah exactly anyway

there's like eight polycules in this show yes for real one other thing i would say about like your introduction into oscar obsession is like you have one that, like, I think so many of us have, like, cringier first, you know, like Oscar introductions or first Oscar obsessions that, like, now it's just like, oh, if we've known then. But yours stays unimpeachable. Unimpeachable. Yeah, absolutely still a banger of a film that I watch honestly, at least two times a calendar year. You've got to get it in. Yeah, it's very Whatever it is that makes people keep, like, eye-rolling or, like, underestimating Chicago, I don't know what it is because it feels like we should just all, anyone who is still a holdout in, like, loving Chicago. And it's like, there was a point, especially in that season in the years after where it was, like, not cool to like Chicago anymore.

I feel like that's eroded away mostly now. I feel like most people are on board. Yeah, I feel like it's having a renaissance in everybody being like, no, we were right. That movie absolutely goes off. Like, that was correct. Right. Harvey Weinstein, be damned. We can still enjoy it.

Yeah. Oh, boy. Truly be damned. Anyway, we're here to talk about stepmom. So we always let our guests pick the movie. What made stepmom the one for you? I pick stepmom because it is to me so much like that typical weepy, like attempt, try-hard attempt for an Oscar.

And I honestly couldn't remember the last time I had seen it in full because it was so much like a movie that I associated with like coming home from swim practice at like on a Tuesday in the summer and it was like on T&T or something. And I just, I really wanted to revisit it. And my only real memory of it is that my, it's one of the movies my mother makes fun of possibly the most for being like she would do that kind of like half collapse that Susan Sarandon does when she's leaving the kid's bedroom with her laundry basket. just to make fun of it because like she just thought it was like so over the top and I was like was my mother right is this movie as over the top as she consistently insisted it was and yeah she was right um moms are right sometimes is what I learned by watching 1998 stepmom an odd roundabout getting you're getting around to an appreciation of your mother by watching stepmom is exactly sometimes your mom is right about stepmom being bad yeah it's like it wasn't

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, but it was certainly not good. It's an interesting mixture, I feel like, because, like, there's a lot of this movie is essentially mugging you for tears. And, like, Chris can attest that, like, I texted him at least three times yesterday being, like, fuck this movie for making me cry, because, like, I'm in a very fragile position after the last year and a half, and I don't want to think about my mom dying. So, like, fuck you for that. But also, there's interesting weirdness in a movie.

obviously the snowblowing scene is like very very grateful for that but like there's even little stuff like when julia and susan's characters are backstage at the little thanksgiving pageant and like there's a lot of like interesting little comedy where all of a sudden like they're having this conversation about anna and this boy that she's seeing and and it's we're sort of supposed to be paying attention to the interaction between the two women and like as it's happening susan is like stage mothering the kids and not that kind of stage mothering I guess but just like stage managing this pageant and sort of like sending the kids out and finally Julia after watching these like she's just like what is this pageant like as and she's just like oh it's whatever

it's like those it's a Thanksgiving pageant those are the Clintons like it's we're having dinner yeah and then and then the the pilgrims shoot Leah Macon as the as the turkey and I was just like okay this is kind of like weirdly funny and I'm wondering like what version of the script this survived from because this is one of those movies with like five screenwriters and clearly this went through when the screenwriting credit comes in the opening credits it fills the fucking frame of the movie yeah one of my notes was absolutely like what is the absolute deal with the screenplay like what happened here and all of the reviews are like this Frankenstein script that this movie comes from well and the production history of this movie is essential like because

both Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon are producers on this. This is, I think, the only movie that Julia Roberts has a producer credit on that she's starred in. She has, like, a producer credit on, like, Kit Kittridge and American Girl and, like, a couple other things. And then she was a producer on Homecoming, which was her TV show. But this was, like, her first producer credit. And you could, you watch her in a little bit in interviews, which I sort of dug up. She's on, like, Rosie O'Donnell or whatever. And it's like, I don't think she enjoyed producing this movie. And I think that's probably a big reason why. She stopped producing movies that she was in. But she and Sarandon wanted a movie that they could make together because they were friendly. And they, I think scripts with two female leads were probably hard to come by. So they found this one and there was a lot of obviously tinkering. For a long time, the movie was supposed to be titled Good Night Moon. And I saw in another interview where like Julia was still pissed that they couldn't get the rights to call it Good Night Moon because of the book. that the people who held the copyright on the book

were like fuck you you can't use this title and so forever Julia was like sort of grumbling and grousing about the movie being called stepmom which is funny because in the IMDB trivia all of the other alternate titles that are not Good Night Moon are stuff that centers Jackie's relationship

with her kids there's like it was going to be maybe always always and it was going to maybe be I'll see you in my dreams always always is hilarious right One of the corniest scenes in the movie, and they, like, picked the button of that scene for a title. It would have been... And it was also going to maybe be...

I'll see you in my dreams, which is another corny scene, but also makes me cry. But, like... So the movie, the title that they went with actually is the one that centers Julia's character, and sort of, I have to imagine, reflects a script revision that chose to more center her character. So it's kind of funny to me that, like, that... that's the one that she was sort of like angry about and didn't like that title. But I guess she had her heart set on Good Night Moon. And then there was also the story that came out about the production, where there had been a rumor that had been printed in EW that Julia and Susan were feuding on the set.

And years and years later, Sarandon just like randomly tweets about it. And she's just like, hey, remember that there was that rumor that me and Julia were fighting on the set of stepmom? Turns out, I found out that that was my publicist who planted. that rumor. What the fuck? Yes. Somewhere Ryan Murphy is like taking notes. Right, right.

That apparently... I mean, they were like friends, though. Right. They wanted to work together. That's why they did this movie. Which granted, once you actually work with somebody, it would be entirely different, but... But yeah, apparently, because she was just like the whole, she's like the old rule is if it's a, if it's a male female co-stars, the rumor is that they're fucking. And if it's female female female co-stars, the rumor is that they're feuding.

And that's apparently what my publicist wanted to. to put out into the world to like gin up interest in this movie which is so fucked but like yeah wow in order to gin up my interest in this movie you should have just switched those if it's a female female co-star they're fucking that's what julia said in an interview that's so funny julia commented that very thing she's like it would have been a lot more interesting if that would have been the rumor see as as always julia roberts and i on the same page always said that about julia and i yes classic classic same page classic me and julia Well, why don't we jump into the plot description and then we can actually, you know, talk about the finer points about this.

Boy, and then we can fully unpack all of the many suitcases in this movie, including Ed Harris. We will get into Ed Harris. But guys, we are here to talk about stepmom directed by Chris Columbus, our second Chris Columbus movie, written by The screen-filling list of names, Gigi Levanji, Jesse Nelson, Stephen Rogers, Karen Lee Hopkins, and Ronald Bass. What's funny about the screen credit thing is normally when you see that many, you will see, like, two, maybe three of the type of people that are just, like, studio writers. That's, like, they are always giving. Richard LeGrovanes or Steven Zalian. Eric Roth.

Right. The guys. The only, like, recognizable name, not to be a dick to any of those other writers, is Ron Bass. Yep. Right. Although, I feel like Gigi Lavange is a name I've definitely heard of. Oh, we have recently, haven't we? I feel like that was a thing.

Hold on. Anyway. Anyway, we'll figure it out. The film stars Julia Roberts, Susan Sarendon, Ed Harris, Jenna Malone, Liam Aiken, and a really underutilized Lynn Whitfield. We got to do better by Lynn Whitfield. We simply have to as a community, as a nation. Lynn Whitfield fucking rules, and we have failed her so hard. Okay, we talk all the time about actresses being extra on Instagram.

You know who's wonderful on Instagram and, like, still looks utterly fabulous, is, like, does Instagram well, Lynn Whitfield. Everybody go follow Lynn Whitfield. Well, we also all talk a lot of the time about how, character actresses or even just like any actresses get siloed into thankless roles in movies as judges or as

lawyers or whatever and in this like opposing lawyers like a prosecutor kind of a role and this one really reminds us that another underrated no man's land for an actor that you love is if they show up as an oncologist truly like there should be a

super cut of like great actors playing oncologists for like two scenes and movies, it is definitely a thing. I'm pretty sure the first word out of her mouth when she is on screen is chemotherapy. Yeah, I think that smash cut to her being in the office is just her saying chemotherapy. Oh, Gigi Labangie, I just saw, wrote the novel that the starter wife was based on. So there's that. Ronald Bass wrote entrapment, so he's a hero to me. Sure, back to the CASA, for sure. Yeah, a film that I know almost every line of dialogue for, which is disturbing. Entrapment rules, though.

The thing about entrapment is that it is fantastic, and the culture needs to reembrace entrapment. Oh, Ronald Bass also wrote my best friend's wedding. So, like, I give him... Yes, that's actually the big one. That's fantastic. I love that. And I wonder if that was maybe a late... Like, Julia was just like, let's bring this guy in to, like, put another pass on this

because he wrote my last movie that was a big success. But a stepmom opened Christmas Day for the whole family, which would feel more unwell if it didn't also open with Patch Adams. Yeah. Oh, what a day. Got beat by Patch Adams. Got beat by Patch Adams. Oh, really? Which, that's my feeling about, like, the poor, I'm going to be the outlier because I think this is a better movie than you guys think it is. but like the kind of meanness in the reviews for this movie I'm like you guys are seeing

Patch Adams at the same time that you're seeing well they were also mean they were also mean to patch Adams like to be fair like Patch Adams deserves it yeah but it's I the thing that I find fascinating is that in 1998 you can have an environment where two movies that were like movie stars that are going to try and make you cry in a movie are, like, open on the same day. There were that... On Christmas. That were, like, not action movies.

They were not whatever. They were just, like, adult dramas. And there were enough of them that both of them opened on Christmas Day. And it's, it's, you know, that's a different time. If you... I'm just going to have... I'm just going to pull up that top 10 before we get into the 60 seconds plot description. Because, like, it is nothing like the type of Christmas that we have now at the movies.

Chris, Chris, can I ask you? Can I ask you to not do that because it will spoil something from the Susan Sarandon quiz that I have planned? Oh, okay. Then I won't. Then I won't. We can after. Once we get to that point, we'll go into it because it's definitely important.

Okay. On that note, because, yes, this is also our sixth Susan Sarandon movie. She's joining the Six-Timers Club. First time we've had a six-timers quiz with a guest, I believe. Yeah. Oh, that'll be fun. Christina, you can partake. Yes, I'm excited.

Okay. All right. So in that case, Christina, as the guest, you are charged with giving the 60-second plot description. Do you think you're ready? Yes, I've done my stretches. I've got hard. It's also not a ton of plot, so I do feel like I got off kind of easy on this one. Yeah, it's not one of the, like, procedural epic.

Yeah, there's not, like, while this is happening, it's very, it is what, it's exactly what that says on the box, you know? Yeah. All right. Then in that case, Christina Tucker, your 60-second plot description of stepmom starts now. Julia Roberts is Isabel Kelly, a fashion photographer who barely does any fashion photography when she is working. It's very impressive. Who is freshly dating Ed Harris, whose name is, I think, Luke. They have a staggering lack of chemistry, but they are apparently in love. and he has two children with his wife, Jackie, his ex-wife Jackie, played by Susan Sarandon, who don't like her. Jackie doesn't like her.

The kids don't like her. They go back and forth. 30 seconds. Back and forth and back and forth. And then suddenly, Jackie has cancer. Everyone's bummed out. But also, she's learned that she must give her children up to this other woman because she's going to actually raise them. And they have a touching moment at dinner.

And then it's Christmas. And I guess Susan Sarandon dies on Christmas Day in the house. And the movie is over. Now 10 seconds. Well, the movie is over. Okay, yes. It never says how much time she has to live. So it's like, is she dying today?

It really feels like she's not going to die today. I do appreciate that the movie ends without making us sort of go through the traditional like beaches ending. Not that I'm speaking an ill word about beaches. But like we don't have to see her like just sort of her hand droop and an Adirondack chair and to know that she's gone. And then, like, the sort of medium to long shot of everybody in black at the grave site, you know, that kind of a thing. I was happy to not have that, at least.

I liked the freeze frame of the two of them in the photograph, actually, at the end. In 1998, who would have sung the ballad that would have played over her funeral scene? Leanne Rhymes. Leanne Rhymes. Oh, my God, yes. Let's go back in time and make that happen. The music in this movie, though, is, like, really interesting. stream score is, I think, 50% of the...

Maybe even more. Like, I think the type of complaints people make about this movie and how, like, sappy it is, I think if that score wasn't at fucking 11 all the time, it would be a lot better. Yeah, he's really on one with that score. Yeah. Obviously, Ait No Mountain High enough is, like, the light motif of this movie. It comes up so many times, including the end credits. It's one of those rule of threes thing, where it's just like, we've already seen it twice,

we know we're going to get it one more time. This movie had the the lip-syncing scene with Jackie and her two kids in the bedroom, which is half-sweet and half really embarrassing. Like, I find that scene really, really cringy. Yes. And I think in the great sort of

you're one or the other, and I think you are either a ate no mountain high enough in stepmom person or a lime in the coconut in practical magic person, and I am absolutely the latter when it comes to when it comes to you know

white women dancing in a musical context in 1998 so wow title of my white women dancing in a musical context in 1998 absolutely is 1998 also there's something about Mary

because there was this era where it was like earnest lip syncing to upbeat songs from the mid century right build me up butter cup at the end credits of something about Mary is, as I imagine what you're thinking. Yeah. Yeah. This Ain't No Mountain High Enough was actually so, like, hard to watch because it was, like, quite embarrassing that I did have to go back and watch the end credits of Sister Act 2 just to, like,

put a better memory of that song. Like, don't ruin that song for me. It's Ain't Mountain High enough. Like, come on now. Yeah. Yeah. It's, that's, I, I, I'm, there are parts of this movie I really do enjoy. That is not particularly one of them, even though it became like, kind of the most celebrated scene from that movie. It's the one that I think a lot of people most remember. It's interesting, Christina, that you mentioned the lack of chemistry between Julia Roberts and Ed Harris, because I definitely noticed. And again, I was watching Julia

and this Rosie O'Donnell Show interview, where she was promoting the movie. And they were talking, the clip that they had chosen was the ring on the string proposal moment. It would be so annoyed. Apparently He proposes to her Referencing his past divorce Yeah, don't do that buddy

Super romantic Yeah Also he does the thing Where he wakes her up in bed And he's just like, I have a surprise for you But you have to be like awake for it And I'm just like she definitely thinks you're talking about your dick dude Like don't like

But so apparently Julia sort of Not necessarily like fought But like Conceived of that scene or wanted to to put that scene in. And the subtext of what she was telling Rosie was just like, we only have two real scenes of me and Ed Harris in this movie. So I think she would, you know, talk about because both the actresses have later, in later years, sort of talked about how that movie

and the script for that movie wasn't what they wanted it to be. And I think that was one of the things that Julia clearly was not super satisfied with was that those two characters didn't have enough scenes together to sort of sell their marriage, which I agree, but I also agree with you, Christina, that, like, I don't know if more scenes with them together would have helped. I don't think it would have, yeah, I think it might have done the exact opposite. Right. Right. And maybe that's why. The scenes he has with Susan are so good. And, like, you can, like, you feel that there's, like, a history and a relationship there. Yep. And then every time, and I don't know, whenever he's with Julia, I was like, okay. Her scenes with the kids. Her scenes with the kids work because, like, that chemistry of, like, the unwanted stepmom, like, and her sort of growing closer eventually with Jenna Malone. That all works, and I think Julia is good in this movie, but yeah, the stuff with her and Ed Harris really puts you at a deficit to getting on board with this movie because you're just like, why are they together? Why is she bothering staying with this man whose children despise her?

And like, is it like, what's in this for her? Because what the hell does he do in this movie besides bring Susan Zarendon a Christmas tree at one point? Because he is my major problem with this movie, not just the chemistry. Because, like, I needed one less scene. I needed three less scenes because it happens three times in this movie. Of women telling him what a great father he is when he doesn't fucking do anything. Right. Yeah.

I liked that he wasn't, like, an absolute asshole because I did think they were going to go that route and, like, have him be, like, some sort of, like, horrible dick. But he's fine. He's just so, like, noncommittally there. He's just, like, a guy who's around. Right. He's like, okay. He makes a lot of money. He makes enough money to have.

apartment on, I think it's the upper east side, or maybe it's the upper west side. And also, I don't know how much Jackie made as a book editor, but like she's not working now and she can still afford this house in Nyack. We've got to talk about this house. Okay, so I said to Chris before you hopped onto the call, Christina, I found the house. There was apparently... Oh, I found the house. Because I was texting Chris.

I was like, where does everybody live in this movie? that Susan Sarandon can show up to pick up her kids to drive them to school, but clearly she lives in the burbs. She lives in Nyack, in Rockland County, which is, you know, whatever, adjacent to Westchester. How long is the drive is that from Manhattan? It's like an hour. On weekday morning traffic? Like, Jesus fucking Christ, moving like diagonal crosstown.

But, like, so apparently it went up for sale in July of last year for $3.5 million. now listen it's six bedrooms there are three of us on this call there's three of us on this call if we can get like a handful of more people pool in whatever spare hundred thousand dollars you've got just like throw it onto the table i say we all move there and we all have that by the way yeah absolutely just like scrounge out shake out your your couch cushions or whatever um no it's one of those houses where like it's distractingly big and sort of just like this and she lives in there Like, when her kids aren't there, it's just Jackie rattling around those, those, you know, those rooms. I imagine dusting constantly, because what else are you doing in the house of that size?

And the way they like, the iconography that they have with this woman to have her, because like, they do it in the script too where Julia Roberts is like, your mother earth. And it's just like, is she mother earth or does she just have like a lot of free time and money? Because like there's just, there's the scenes where the biggest one for me was when Sarandon riding horseback with the kids and also shading Julia for being a career like she's just like for some women like that money you know money I imagine is very important and I'm just like bitch you are on a horseback as you're actively on horse like what the fuck that was so crazy yeah that is I mean everything about the house I was just like yeah I need to know so much more about this because I saw the Hudson Valley poster and I was like I am from the Hudson Valley where is

is this. Where is this house? I will find it. Yeah. And then of course, it's in, and then you're in Nyack? Like, I don't know. Right. I love the idea of pooling all our money, but I think the Moonstruck house is still up for sale. We could pool our money at that house. Oh, that's better. Rosen Heights is better. Yeah. They really did a really good job redoing it. It looks gorgeous. No. I feel like we should. That's a constant dream. The scene also of Jackie, uh, when Ed Harris shows up at one point, and she's just like, she's watering the plants on the porch with a literal watering can. And, like, literally, as the son of a mother who has, like, insane hydrangea bushes

around the front porch of her house, like, my mom doesn't even do a watering can. Like, that was, like, I don't know. I can't imagine the last time I actually saw somebody with an actual watering can. But, like, good for you. Like an old school. Old school, just like, yeah, like, where, what kind of, like, antique shop did you find that? It's so funny.

I mean, for me, Joe, the question is this. Is it the Manchester house from. West Wing, or is it the Stamong House in Nyack? Oh, the Manchester House in West Wing. Because the Manchester House. That's really in the middle of nowhere, though. You are in. It really is. New Hampshire is the reddest of New England states, so I don't know, man. But like, yeah, that's a good point. Thank you for bringing the West Wing into the conversation, Christina. I appreciate that. Literally always. My observation about this house that she owns is that this is also another iconic use, and this happened a lot in the 90s, of explaining

away any character's profession or wealth with they're a book editor. Yes. Yes. Yep. Absolutely. No further explanation needed, never given. You never see them doing their job because movies don't know what that job is. No, it's the perfect vague white collar job. You know what I mean? Like, you have an office in the high rise. Like, we can give you that. That'll work. Yeah, totally. it's also another good it's a good job to have for somebody it's just like well we're shooting this movie in new york city so they have to have a job that would require them to be in new york city like book editor is perfect for that like yeah absolutely that's why everybody in 2010's movies works for a website too because it's just like oh it's a job that you know i work in in internet publishing okay well and christina you brought this up in your 60 second plot description uh also the 1998

cool version of it because Julia Roberts has to be cooler. Anna, or not, Anna's the daughter. Isabel is her name. Isabel is a fashion photographer who seemingly every shoot that she goes on, all

three of them. I was addicted to that. They're always done early. She gets it super fast. She knows what she's doing. That first one. Her passion. Oh my God. She's a Photoshop genius. Photographing, the The craft services guy with the model.

The craft services guy with the model. Which like she didn't need, like, I get that like the ad campaign was for the suit company. So you had to put him in a suit, I guess. But just like, he could not have been more art directed for those scenes too. It's so funny that just like, it took me a second to realize that that wasn't the intent of the shoot because I was just like, no, I've seen this ad with just like the, you know, the schlobby guy. Yeah. Every guy, every man. But my mind is for Valentino.

That's what it was. It was valentino. Watching her triumphantly drag and drop the suit. onto him and then like leaned back who was like, well, I've created art. There are so many scenes in this movie where she literally just like, Adobe was a sponsor. She shows up onto the whatever set that they've set up, which first of all, there is one point where she is shooting on an actual movie set where they have like costumed extras and horse and buggy and whatever for, again, a fashion shoot?

Like what the fuck is going on? But she shows up, she takes her little like digital Nikon, like sideways like snap, snap, And it's just like, we got it, got to go. And it's just like, it's very like, you know you love me kind of a thing to her, to her boss or whatever. It's so great. It's so. Yeah, I also, I couldn't figure out like the, the workflow of her job. I was like, do you work independent? Are you contracted with this company? Like, how, give me the details of how your day to day job is going. Right. And now this man is saying he's going to fire you. Right. In the real world, she would not be a full time employee. Like, absolutely not. She should, yeah, these would be all contract work. And, you know, She does not have health insurance, certainly. Right. That's why she's with Ed Harris. No chemistry, but he's a lawyer with good health insurance. So, like, yeah.

Is he a lawyer? I assumed he was a lawyer because it was 98 and he's a man who makes money. So I was like, he's a lawyer. He mentioned something when he and Jackie are in the meeting with Mary Louise Wilson in the school that like something, something about a case. I'm waiting. That's why his beeper kept going off. Something, something about a case. So I figured he was a lawyer.

Oh, but we were mentioning the music and I sort of got away from. talking about Eno Mountain High enough, but like the music choices in this movie, 1998 was obviously a very in-between time for popular music. Because like in the same movie, you have a music cue for when the lights go out, which is by a boy band named Five, which was like this was the very, the very beginning of like Backstreet Boys in sync sort of culture. So that made me laugh. But also 98 being the moment where Pearl Jam was mainstream enough that it would be a reference, a plot point in a Julio. Robert's Susan Sarandon movie, I was like, that's perfect time-capsiling right there. We're like, Pearl Jam was the acceptable thing. We're like, if you are in a very square movie where you want to communicate coolness, like Pearl Jam is exactly the choice for that. I thought that was so funny. Imagining Susan in a Pearl Jam concert context is so thrilling to me.

I will say, I've watched this movie a few times now. I still gasp every time I realize that she snakes the Pearl Jam idea from Julia. It's staggeringly rude. It is. It's amazing. It's fighting fire with fire. And I can't like, I can't not respect it a little bit, but I'm just like, oh, that's so mean. Yeah, they are pretty mean to each other, like, in a way that I was like, I don't know, I'm kind of into this.

Like, it is very fun to see women be this nasty to each other on screen. Give me two Oscar winning actresses. I know Julia hadn't won yet by this point, but like, just, you know, the high caliber actresses going at it with, like, pettiness. I was like, yeah. I'm into it. Yeah, I mean. I appreciated that it is a constant, like, back and forth. And, like, there's a, there's a growth and a progression to the times that they like each other.

Yes. But even when they're still liking each other. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah. They're, like, there are still even, like, shitty to each other throughout some of it. Because, like, it's never going to be believable. Right.

Even though, like, those situations exist. Right. Of, like, it is, you know, all friendly or whatever. But, like, I do kind of hate the scene where she, like, calls her out for drinks, which, by the way, Julia Roberts orders a double of straight patron. Go off. I did notice that. I was like, that is an intense order.

In this waspy-ass restaurant that's all woodsy, she's like, give me tequila. Yeah. But then the whole, the, like, monologuing of, like, I'm afraid that she's going to only want you. And then, like, she's, I'm afraid that she won't want me. She won't. And it's like, okay, okay, thank you for your thesis statement. I will say, some things in this movie did get me. And that did, I feel like that was, if you're going to write a movie that's going to mug you for tears, at least, like, write a good, you know, write it well, at least like that.

And I thought that thing about, about Anna on her wedding day, I was just like, he got me. He just got me. I'm sorry. Sarandon at this point in her career is interesting. We didn't really talk about this too much in our Moonlight Mile episode, but we talked about how she had three sort of mom roles in 2002 with Moonlight Mile, Bangor Sisters, and Igby Goes Down. They're all sort of very different. But it's interesting that Susan Sarandon, who throughout the portion of her career where she was sort of on her ascent, she was playing these. sort of sexy, dangerous, independent women, where it was like Bull Durham and Thelman Louise

and, like, even like, you know, Witches of Eastwick and stuff like that. White Palace. Right, right. Oh, wow. And it's interesting to me that when she sort of, she gets the Oscar nomination for Thelman Louise, and she had already gotten one for Atlantic City in 1980. But this portion of the 90s, where, like, she really succeeded a lot with these mother roles, with the exception of Dead Man Walking, where she plays a nun, and that's what gets her her Oscar. But, like, Lorenzo Zoyle, very intensely a mother role. Little women, obviously, she's, you know, Marmee. The client, where she's not a mom, but the fact that she's not a mom and she's sort of hurt

she becomes this sort of surrogate motherly figure to the Brad Renfro character is like a huge part of that movie and then stepmom and then it's like anywhere but here and then those three 2002 movies that I mentioned and it's just like it's really

interesting that like she sort of Hollywood evolved her into being this like ultimate mother when like for so long it was just like she really was kind of the opposite of that and her star persona, like, obviously she has kids, but her star persona isn't particularly motherly. She's had this really, like, you know, spiky political persona. She and Tim Robbins were famously, like,

never actually married. And I don't know. I just find that a little fascinating. Yeah, I don't think of her as, like, ultimate mother, despite recently watched the film, Stepmom. Right. Right. wherein that is her whole goal. But yeah, I always think about the political stuff and, like, yeah, she's kind of spiky and, like, fiery and willing to say some shit. Right. Not always super likable, but, like, in a way that, like, I do often respect. Yeah. Not always, but often.

And, yeah, but so. Well, I think some of it is, like, that spikiness and that, like, maybe it's not spiky and, like, maybe it's not spiky and, like, stepmom. but there is like a cutting layer that she's really good at playing in a way of that even though she's playing all these moms, it doesn't really feel like she ultimately gives performances that are just like, just a mom, you know, like so many movies do. I literally saw Speed Racer for the first time last night where it's maybe the only time where she is literally just a mom. Her character's name is Mom Racer, yeah, yeah. Wow, what a name. Yeah.

But, like, she gives, like, she's such an interesting performer that, like, when we think about her performances, like, we can, you know, list off a bunch of different characteristics probably before we just define it as a mom the way that, like, lesser movies do. Right. Yeah. So this movie is our sixth Susan Sarandon movie on this podcast. We have covered anywhere but here, Cloud Atlas, Alfie, the death and life of John F. Donovan. recently Moonlight Mile and now Stepmom.

We're on a bit of a Susan Sarandon kick at the moment. And when we hit our six movies with an actor or actress, they are inducted into our Sixth Timers Club. And I make a little quiz to give to Chris. And Christina, since you are our guest here, you can also chime in if you know the answers. And you can show up Chris, which, like, who wouldn't want to do that? I would love to do that

I don't believe that I have the ability but what I'm going to go for is at least pithy and fun so you know given this lineup of movies this is the most unwell set of movies that we've done in the sixth time as well yeah this isn't right something's wrong

it's an odd mixture for sure so the answers to these questions will be one or multiple of anywhere but here cloud atlas Alfie death and life of John F. Donovan Moonlight Mile and stepmom. All right. Are you guys ready? As ready as I'll ever be. Okay. Which of those

films is the longest? Cloud Atlas. Yeah, absolutely. That's not a hard one. Cloud Atlas at 172 glorious minutes. Yes, the longest. 172 years. Which is the shortest? Alfi. Alfi. 105 minutes. Yes, very good. This one also seems like a gimmy, but I'll throw it out there. Which was the lowest rated on Rotten Tomatoes? Death and Life of John F. Donovan. Death and Life of John Updonovan. 20%. Sure. Which was the highest rated on Rotten Tomatoes?

Cloud Atlas? Yeah. Cloud Atlas. 66% on Rotten Tomatoes. That's the highest that any of them got. Oof. All right. Which one made the most money in worldwide box office? step mom yes stepmom made 159.7 million dollars cloud atlas is second and like makes cloud atlas made more money than you think it did i will just say i don't have the number in

front of me but more globally yeah yes globally um which made the least money worldwide this is not surprising death and life of jon of john yeah yeah uh that it got to 3.3 million worldwide is kind of a miracle of itself they have to pay those Florence and the machine royalties somehow my god listen all right chris you seem to enjoy these so I'm going to throw this out again which film came out during libra season alfie alfie no not alfie missed it by a few days alfie's a scorpio cloud atlas no cloud atlas is scorpio season yeah of course it is Because that was a Halloween movie Yeah

It's very spooky And everyone shows up in a costume Um Okay I'm trying to think of the other This is where I get to the point where I'm like Wait, what movies are we talking about? Yes, same

Is it anywhere but here? Nope That was like Thanksgiving Okay What does that leave? Oh, um Moonlight Mile Moonlight Mile

Moonlight Mile came out on October 4th, 2002 So it's our Libra. Okay. It's our indecisive Libra. Yes. Which were the only two of these films to not play the Toronto International Film Festival? Stepmom and Alfie.

Stepmom and Alfie. Very good. Yes. Neither one of them played any festivals. All right. Which movie opened on the same day as the faculty? Stepmom. Right.

Okay, so here, Chris, talk about this. Oh, this is our box office time. Oh, okay. I'm pretty sure that I saw the faculty. My dad took me to see the faculty that Christmas Day. Oh, that's wonderful. What a great day. Wow.

What a great dad Christmas Day movie. Yeah. Okay, I, the faculty is the cool one on this box office top ten while we take a little. You know what we're doing? It's a game within a game. Oh, not a game within a game. Oh, I love it. The layers.

I'm not going to make it be a game. but, like, you know, topical. Patch Adams is number one at the box office. What every family wants. A harrowing indictment of America. Right. Monica Potter killed by a stalker and, you know, a clown doctor. Yes, that's what we all want.

It's horrifying. Stepmom is number two, you know, because if Patch Adams is too much for you, you go to stepmom. Number three actually is pretty cool. It's the second weekend of You've Got Mail. Sure. Great movie. Another adult drama. Like, come on, guys.

This is crazy. Number four, probably the family movie, basically, because it's animated, though it was considered a bomb. I would actually defend this movie, though I haven't seen it, probably in 20 years, The Prince of Egypt. It's a banger. Another movie I watch every year. It goes absolutely off. When You Believe is enough. There can be miracles.

When you believe. Then it's the faculty. Then it's Mighty Joe Young, also opening on Christmas. Charlize there on early film, yeah. Yes. Then we have movies that have been playing for a few weeks. A Bug's Life. Star Trek Insurrection.

Enemy of the State. And Jack Frost. Oh. The Michael Keaton, Jack Frost. Yeah. That's a bizarre movie. My Dead Dad possesses a snowman. But it's nice, as opposed to the horror movie Jack Frost where a serial...

The one with Shannon Elizabeth? Yes. Yes. Not that one. Can we talk about the faculty for a second, though? Which is like, talk about a movie that I will watch every year. Like, every Halloween, it'll end up on television and I will watch it. That is a film where the moral of the story is, everybody in high school should do a little bit of Coke to make sure that they're not an alien.

Like, that is... That is the resolution. I'm always saying that. I have been on the record. It's amazing. Like that that is a plot point in that movie. Also, that movie, God bless Robert Rodriguez, where he's just literally just like,

I will cast the craziest roster of actors to play this faculty, where it's like... Is Clea Duval in that movie? Clea Duval's one of the teams. That is like the crystallation of Clea Duvall's, like, ethos. Clea Duval is right. She's the alt teen girl in that who ends up... Of course. She's like the Ali Sheidi in the Breakfast Club.

and Sean Hadesi is the Emilio Estevez in the breakfast club, and the two of them end up together, which is cute. Also, Josh Hartnett has the wildest hair on any boy I ever wanted to make out with when I was in high school. Like, the degree to which I was swooning for Josh Hartnett is so funny considering what his hair looks like in that movie. It's so silly. It's so dumb.

But the faculty is Famca Jansen, Salma Hayek, John Stewart, Piper Lorry, Beebe Newworth And Robert Patrick Like that's the faculty It is fucking amazing I love it so much Go watch it everybody

Yeah I'm gonna have to revisit that one I have not seen it in a long time Is Usher in that movie? Yes Wow What a time Jordana Brewster is in that movie Elijah Wood

Is the protagonist of that movie Yeah it's great Super great Wow We really need to go back To the energy of the late 90s horror movies where the poster is the cast

standing in a triangle. Yes, it's true. The only acceptable shape for a horror movie poster. It really just comforts me in a way that like few posters can. It makes me believe in like whatever is the version of numerology

that is about shapes and not numbers because it's just like yeah, like there are, it makes me believe, I guess feng shui, like something where like the alignment of things brings you good energy. Yeah.

All right. Hopping back in. into our Sarandon quiz. Which of those six films had an original score by Mark Isham? Moonlight Mile. Yes, Moonlight Mile. Yeah, definitely it was just going to say that.

All right, which two of those movies feature stars of the movie Road to Perdition? Cloud Atlas. Yes. And Alfie. No, Daniel Craig is not Alasian. In Alfie, in Alfie. No.

No, he is not. No, but who is? Oh, Susan. No. Who is Alfie? Jude law. Jude law is in Road to Perdition. Jude law is the...

Oh, yeah. He's the scumbum in that. He's the murderous scumbum photographer in that. He's got a teeth thing going on. He really does. Yeah, it's not fun to look at his teeth in that movie. That's very true. Everybody forgets...

That is like the most forgotten Jude law movie, Jude law role that was, like, prominent. Like, he was, like, third lead of that movie. Anyway. He was built on the poster. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Which two of those movies feature stars of Mary Riley. Mary Riley.

Mary Riley. Well, stepmom. Right. Julia Roberts. Which one has Malcovich? It's not Malcovich. Who the hell else is in? Mary Riley, Mary Riley.

It's also not Glenn Close, who is also in Mary Riley. How am I going to get you to the doorstep of this without... All right, let me just read you the cast of Mary Riley. Mary Riley. I love seeing that title. For a movie that I've still never seen, I remember that TV commercial constantly. That was everywhere. That was the shaky.

That was the Julia Roberts era that she was emerging from when she was in the... All right, Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, George Cole, Michael Gambon, Glenn Close, Michael Sheen. Michael Gambon's in Death and Life of John F. Donovan. As the death of John... Right. He's some type of gay ghost. He is a gay ghost. He's a gay ghost. That's a great energy for him, I feel.

All right. Last two questions. Which... Oh, wait, no. One more. questions. Which are the only two films of those six to be directed by Oscar nominated Oscar nominees? They weren't necessarily nominated for their directing, but they were

Oscar nominees. Not Brad Silverling, not Chris Columbus. Not Xavier de Lawn. So I'm going to guess the Wachowski's Incorrect. Okay, so it's the other two. So

Wayne Wang and who directed Alfie? I could have sworn Alfie just came from a fever dream. I'll say this, it's not Wayne Wang. Wayne Wang has never gotten an Oscar nomination. Huh. Is that not all six? Oh, so wait, Brad Silberling or Chris Columbus are Oscar nominees somehow. Right.

One of those two. Chris Columbus? Chris Columbus got an Oscar nomination for producing the help. Oh, I forgot he was a producer on the damn hell. I'm going to slink away into some type of sewer and create a life for myself down there. I did not need to know that Chris Columbus produced the help, though it makes complete sense. Doesn't it just track so fully? It fully does.

Oh, my God. Okay, so Chris Columbus and whoever directed Alfie, who directed Alfie? I'll give you a couple seconds to think of it, and then I'll... Is it Roger Michel? It's not Roger Michelle. Roger Michelle is better than that sometimes. It's Charles Shire, who... Oh!

Yeah. A famous ex-husband of Nancy Myers, who the two of them were nominated together for the screenplay for Private Benjamin. Yep. All right. Last two questions. Which movie did the Atlantic's Christopher Orr call an eminently peculiar mismatch of substance and form, like a hallmark card written by David Foster Wallace? Cloud Atlas? Cloud Atlas.

That is Cloud Atlas. Very good. Very good. And last one, which movie did Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwartzbaum call a lab-engineered weepy? Step-mom?

That is step-mom. That is about the tamest Lisa Schwartzbaum burn I have ever heard, though. Lisa could be vicious. All the reviews of this movie were vicious. Yeah. But all the reviews of this movie were vicious. in that same kind of, like, I do feel like there is a strain of movie that really sets film critics off,

which are movies that elicit an emotional reaction that the critics feel like it didn't earn. Like, it gets them so mad. And sometimes I do that, too. Sometimes I'm just like, how dare you make me cry my own tears? Like, one of those things is just like, how dare you make me bleed my own blood? But this movie doesn't quite... You know what movie does make me feel that way? It's the Cameron Diaz movie where she has the two daughters,

one of whom is essentially exists to be a... Oh, my sister's keeper. My sister's keeper. That movie made me cry so hard, and I despised it for that. I was just like, fuck you for this. you are not good enough to elicit this reaction for me and yet here I am it takes nothing for me to cry at a movie too

so like I just it's not something that I think is much of an achievement because like I am the easiest lay to cry at a movie but I think it I guaranteed weeper exactly it depends on what about a movie is making me cry if a movie is making me cry for something that isn't like mugging me for tears I will give it credit for that you know what I mean if really something

moves me to that degree in an unexpected way. It's tough for me to give a movie like stepmom credit for making me cry because it's just like, yeah, I have a mom. I don't want her to die of cancer. Yeah, I mean, the minute it starts, it's like, okay, I dare you to cry. Are you crying? Are you crying? Are you crying? Are you crying yet? Right. And I think that was a lot of the critical reaction to this movie. Yes. It did get a Golden Globe nomination for Susan. It has Golden Globes written all over it. Yeah. And This was the year where both Susan Sarandon and Merrill Streep were nominated for playing moms with terminal illnesses in movies, because this was Merrill's one true thing year. And only one of the – I remember the narrative when it was leading up to the Oscar nominations, which was essentially just like there's only room on this ballot for one great actress playing a mom who's dying. And it's who's it going to be?

And it ended up being Merrill getting the Oscar nomination. A movie that Renee Zellweger is way better than she is. Yeah, Renee's fantastic in that movie. Yeah, Ray is very good in that. Not to say that Merrill's bad in that movie. I don't think that's a bad Merrill nomination. No, I think that's a Merrill nomination that sometimes gets sort of chalked up to the weepy thing or whatever, right? Like, you know.

But, like, I think that's a better movie than people give it credit for. It's not great. Oh, totally. But, like, one true thing's not bad. Didn't somebody significant direct that? Not to say that, you know, if they're not doing this up. Not to be like, you're not significant. I want to say Carl Franklin.

Oh, yeah. That's a Carl Franklin movie. Yeah, it is Carl Franklin. Oh. Yeah. It's a shame that Movies for Grownups was not happening in 1998. I know. Because what a movies for grown-up stepmoms is.

Yeah. It's an interesting Golden Globes lineup that Sarandon's in, because I think everybody else she was nominated with got nominated for Oscar. is nominated, yeah. Right. It's everybody who was nominated and then Gwyneth. And then Gwyneth Paltrow, who was in comedy. Right.

Those was Kate Blanchett's big breakthrough year for Elizabeth. She won the drama Golden Globe. Emily Watson for Hillary and Jackie, a movie that is constantly on my like, I should see that movie list. And I just never have. Me too. If you can even, I don't even know how you would get a hold of that movie because I think maybe in the past 25 years, if there is a movie that movie that is an acting. nominee that exists less than

Hillary and Jackie does. I don't know what it is. Yeah. Central Station. Yes, I was about to say this, Fernando Montenegro in Central Station is amazing. Is Central Station one of those movies

about like a woman befriends a small child and like... Yes. The movie's not as good as she is, but she is sensation. What was the Sophia? Le Weren movie this year that was that. Oh, that one.

What was it called? EOC, the song nominee. What was it called? I can't remember the title of the head. Right. Yeah, life around the bend. Life at an angle. Yeah.

Something adjacent to life. I don't know what it was. Central Station was... Fernando Montenegro was the... I remember Glenn Close on the Hillbilly Allegee Trail when they're asking her about like people of course they have to be like so you haven't won an Oscar because they're assholes and they're like she's like I always think the people that don't win should win like even the woman in Central Station and I was like yes talk about it Glenn Close that was directed

by Walter uh I always want to say Walter Siles but it can't be Walter Siles because he's Brazilian it's got to be Walter Sias who is a really good director and who's directed a bunch of really interesting movies. So, like, that was probably, and also Darkwater, remember Darkwater, the Jennifer Connolly movie? Yeah. That was about how terrifying it is to look for real estate in New York City. It's...

I was thinking of the other dark water where it's terrifying to cook things with Teflon. Also that. No. Darkwater with Jennifer Connolly is the one where she's searching for an apartment in New York City and she has to move to Roosevelt Island. It's a remake. And then bad things happen on Roosevelt Island, as well. people know.

Huh. And he also directed on the road, which came up in our Garrett Headland IMDB game recently. Jennifer Connolly, absolutely. Love her. I know. I so, I eternally want better for Jennifer Connolly. I feel like that's my thing with her. Yeah.

I feel like she and Paul Bettney are having a great time, so at least there's that. That is true. Good for them. Who's going to bring the Jennifer Connolly, like, resurgence back? or, like, what would be good for Jennifer Connolly? Like, see, dark water was supposedly terrible, but, like, I feel like she could be, like, a Vera Farmiga. Wow, they're really good at horror movies.

Yes, where's her conjuring? Yeah, give Jennifer Connolly her conjuring. That would rule. I saw her in Paul Bettney once in real life, and I said, that woman looks like a shorter to me more, and then I realized it was Jennifer Connolly. She and their whole... whole family, all dressed in white, very odd.

Jennifer Connolly and Jimmy Moore are perfect. They are like the two like definitive dark-haired actresses, whereas just like you can't really, I know to me like famously like went blonde for that movie, um, The Butcher's Wife which did terribly and everybody was like, it's only because she went blonde and like people don't accept her as blonde. Like it's true. Like the both of them are just so like definitionally raven-haired. It's so funny.

Yes. Let's not forget that Jennifer Connolly. went blonde for whatever happened to Virginia. Oh, God, and we didn't... When we did forget. We do not remember. Oh, it's such a bummer that whenever... Now when I look up and see, what's Jennifer Connolly doing?

And it's Top Gun Maverick. Like, God, damn it. Oh, you hate to see that. She deserves better. And also, like, the Snowpiercer TV show that is supposedly terrible. Oh, yes, that's what she's in. Is that so running? Yes.

Yeah. Bizarrely. Somehow. Yes. Crazy. Okay, so Susan is basically the, like, end of the road for this movie awards-wise. I do think it's interesting because, you know, we talked about this as, like, a pairing for the two of them that, like, they are kind of at transitional places of their career where Serendon's starting to, like, be in all of these mom roles and, like, Julia Roberts is leading back up to her Oscar. She's in a real sweet spot in her career at this moment where things that the sort of Mary Riley and Michael Collins, I Love Trouble era where like she was really down.

And it's, we've talked about this before, how time seemed to operate differently back then where like Julia Roberts's career had these like massive ups and massive downs and they all happened within a span of like six years where like she was riding super high from pretty woman. and sleeping with the enemy and then the tabloid stuff happened with her marriage and she left Kiefer Sutherland at the altar and then like post Pelican Brief so like Pelican Brief, so like Pelican Brief only three years after Pretty Woman and then after Pelican Brief it's just like

it falls off a cliff with like I Love Trouble Mary Riley, Michael Collins and again it's like two and a half years of a career down swing And everybody was like, Julia Roberts is over. Forget about it. We've lost her. She married this Lyle Lovett person.

What the fuck? Like, everybody had essentially... She sings a Lyle Lovett song in stepmom. She does. She does. She does indeed. To Liam Aiken when he's in the hospital. But it was so amazing to think of, like, they were shoveling dirt.

And then my best friend's wedding happens in 97. And everybody's like, come back of the decade. and just like she's back everybody and her hair is beautiful and the smile our girl is here and it's like she's been away for at most less than a college term like what in the world are you guys talking about

you guys are absolutely out of your minds but this was a really great era for her where like 97 98 was like best friend's wedding stepmom nodding hill runaway bride which made so much more money than you remember it like I don't remember a goddamn thing about that movie except her on the poster lacing up her, like, tennis shoes, whatever.

In the soundtrack. Yeah, I feel like of that run, that's the one I revisit the least. Yeah. Like, all of the other ones, I'm happy to go back to it. I can't get away from Notting Hill. Notting Hill's on TV constantly. And Aaron Brockovich. And Notting Hill has a choke on me, for sure.

Right. A floppy Hugh Grant hair? Come on. And then it all leads up to Aaron Brockovich in 2000. And it's like, it's the most, again, like, the decade of the 1990s, beginning with Pretty Women and essentially ending with Aaron Brockovich. 10 years later, is like the most complete story of actress as celebrity ever. We're like, it really tells exactly what the Hollywood churn was for an A-list of the A-List

actress. It's really kind of remarkable. Fucked up in a lot of ways, but like remarkable. I do love that we let her come back, like, after my best friend's wedding. Like, that was a movie that even though she is kind of a miserable bitch in, in a way that I absolutely love. To the movies benefit. But like, yeah, absolutely.

But it's interesting to think that like both critics and audiences were like, yes, this is what we want, Julia. Like, thank you. Come back. Right. You're welcomed back into the fold. Right. Oh, I think, like, they were so happy that she was back in a romantic comedy again. They're like, are you not doing a historical sad movie?

Like, okay, good. Yeah. Very good. Good start. Very good. Yeah. Sorry, Chris. I know I glossed over prediporte.

and I know you hate when I gloss over Predoportez. Our episode on Prediporté. That is, I think we talked about it. That is the weirdest, like, Julia Roberts showed up for two days and went to a hotel room with Tim Robbins. I wonder if that's how she is friends with Susan Sarin. It's very possible.

Yeah, very, very much. She walked into the hotel room and there Susan was. Yeah, yeah. Susan was the script supervisor on Predator. Glasses perched over her nose. Like, well, Julia. Bob says We would be remiss in talking about the actresses of this movie

to not have a conversation about Jen and Malone. Let's do that. Which in my notes, I just wrote, Jenam Malone, question mark, exclamation point, hunger games? Question mark, question, question. Oh, my God. Jenem alone in the Hunger Games, I remember so clearly, I back when...

No one had a better time doing the Hunger Games than Jenam alone. Well, absolutely not. I was surprised that. that there was ever a moment that I was invested in a Hunger Games casting, but I was because the character that she ended up playing Joanna Mason is like my favorite character from the Hunger Games. I fucking loved her. Yeah, she's an absolute icon. And I was so... And it's perfect casting, too. I was so... Well, at the moment, I didn't think so. I was really, really against the casting of Jenna Malone in that role because I thought she was too dour. And I wanted

somebody who was more of a spark plug and it's funny now that when I say that I was riding hard for Haley Bennett because then she would play in a bunch of like sort of downer roles later but Haley Bennett was coming off of that Gregoraki movie Kaboom at the time and nobody knew who she was

and she had so much personality in that and I was just like she would be great as Johanna Mason and nobody who knew who the fuck she was so and then she they cast Jenem alone and I was like very like on Twitter being like really like just a gay bitch about it and I I was just like, Jenna Maloom.

And then I go and see Catching Fire, which is my favorite of the Hunger Games movies. And she rules. She's the best part of that movie. She fucking rules. She grabbed that roll by the throat, this really great role. And she's not in the movie enough. Like, one of the biggest problems with the Hunger Games franchise is that they, like, really didn't feature Johanna enough. And but she rules.

And so I was worried writing for the Atlantic Wire at the time and had no overseas. site. So I was literally just like, I'm going to sign myself a Mayacalpa article where I literally just wrote, I was wrong about General Lone. Dear General Malone, I'm sorry. Basically, that was the headline of that movie. And she, like, tweeted it out. And I was just like, I deserve this. This is fine. Where she was just like, glad you came around or something like that. And I was just like, yes, I deserve that. Because like, yeah, she was great. She was great in that movie. But also, like, what is she up to now? Like, I feel I have not seen

her since but that basically she's like within like Nick Reffin's wheelhouse she did that show she was in the neon demon she was kind of really fucking cool in that movie that I'm like what I'm half in half out with that very bizarre

movie but she does like small do you remember she was in inherent vice where she had those veneers those frightening veneers remember there was that she was in that Eternal animals, that horrid. I want to forget everything about that movie. I did forget everything about that movie.

Amy Adams pronounces junk. She was supposed to be. She's also apparently in that movie Antebellum that I did not see because it looked bad. I simply chose life instead of that. No, thank you. It's going to be a hard pass. I imagine I could probably guess what kind of character she played in Antebellum. But that was a movie where the first time I saw that trailer, I was like, I see what you are trying to do, and I think you are going to be bad at it. And I was very correct. Yeah, I was very relieved when all the reviews started coming out. Yeah. No, you definitely don't have to see this. It's like, thank God. I will not cut out of Batman versus Superman. Or like, was it that she was rumored to play a character like Robin or something in Batman?

versus Superman, and it turned out to not be true. I remember there being, like, this huge speculation about her in Batman versus Superman, and then she's either not in it or, like, it's just something. So on her I am, or on her Wikipedia filmography, it says Batman versus Superman, Dawn of Justice, Ultimate Edition only. So it seems like she must have filmed, first of all, asking me to figure out which are the canonical Zach Snyder edition. of his movies.

Like, life is far too short. We are in the middle of a second wave of a pandemic and, like, who knows how much time I have left. So I cannot waste it. Figuring out Zach Snyder shit. I'm sorry. She is now apparently in a TV show called Goliath starring Billy Bob Thornton.

Is that show still happening? Speaking of shows that I did think. Apparently, it has four seasons. What's the season four premiere on Friday, September 24th. Holy mackerel. That was one of those shows that, like, Billy Bob Thornton got a surprise golden globe. he maybe won the Golden Globe that year

for that show and I was like that was one of those like globes are going to globe thing where there's just like oh it's the newest show that like nobody's watching but okay and that I can't believe that it's still happening that's wild I can't believe Amy Brennamin's in this show what is happening is am I in a different dimension

like where am I? Wow good for Amy Brennan Amy Brennam famous famously married to Brad Silverling who we talked about on in my mouth. My kingdom to get judging Amy streaming somewhere.

Oh, is it not? It's not streaming anywhere. When I tell you when that show is streaming somewhere, I will quit every job I've ever had. I will take a sabbatical and rewatch every second of judging Amy, and then I will return to life. Also, apparently, according to Wikipedia, which I have just stopped having skepticism about,

She was on stage in doubt at some point, playing Sister James. Yes, she was the first replacement, I think. For the role that Amy Adams ends up playing in the movie. In the film? Okay. Yeah. She's probably more right for it than Amy Adams is. Yeah, that's probably true.

She does project. I mean, having been a child star, you know what I mean? Like, she really does project. We bring a lot of that to her. She had just been in contact the year before stepmom. which was like... Iconically in contact. Iconically looking very, very appropriate as a young Jody Foster in that movie.

Like, that was... Weird mirror shot. That was one of those things where she was perfectly cast as a young Jody Foster. And then, was it, Lili Sobieski was cast as a young Helen Hunt in something? Or we all just were like, we're like, Lili Sobieski looks like a young Helen Hunt. Yeah, I mean, Lili Sobieski is a young Helen Hunt. Right. So I don't know if it's like casting or it's just the truth.

It's like, it's shockingly uncanny. Yeah. Yeah. General Malone is great though. Like, I think part of the reason why I hate this character in this movie so much and why I'm like, you are just the biggest asshole teenager ever is because Jenna Malone is actually giving a good performance. Oh, she's putting her whole self into it. But like, yeah, like she really fires you up in those scenes where you're just like, you are just the meanest little child. like she's so cruel

the bar where again I go back to the dog where Julia gets them the dog which also impulse buying pets don't I mean that's why it had to be thrown away I guess

yes she just did it got lost in Central Park and they did not find it like they found the kid and they were going to quit while we're ahead but when she's like let's name it Isabel

because it smells and I'm allergic to it and I was just like you are mean and nasty I don't know. And again, it's just... What is Julia's character in this relationship for? What is she getting out of it?

I don't know. Getting nagged by a teen, it's like my worst nightmare. Right, exactly. A teen who doesn't even know what snowblowing is. Hello? Just like Chris. Right. I'm famously a teen.

Famously our youthful correspondent. And now we're here to talk about the youth with Chris Fy. What's on TikTok, Chris? Oh, man. Well, everyone. Today on TikTok, people are... Okay, so the latest headline that I saw, I am not on TikTok, I can't do TikTok. TikTok humor, it feels like a true death of culture to me.

But the latest headline that I saw was that one of the latest TikTok trends are teenagers eating frozen honey so that they get diarrhea. First of all, that's a waste of good honey. It's like one of the best. Absolutely. Sometimes it was enough to just watch MTV for an entire weekend. Sometimes that was culture. Sometimes that was fun. That was culture.

And we could handle it and it was cool and we didn't have diarrhea. And that was great. I don't know, guys. These kids should be watching. I love the 90s and 80s like I was in my youth. Thank you. Yes, exactly. Just a marathon of something on TV.

Like, yeah, absolutely. that was like when when those were running i was like this is the goal this is what i want from life it's still my goal like this it still kind of is the goal right it's my only career goal i just want to be a talking head turns out none of those people were paid for that show okay but when we reboot it and we are get and we are immediately asked to be on it we will insist that we are paid yeah right poor house sparks i just was going to say poor hell sparks that's so funny he is like him and mo raka are like the two i remember it's true mohaka at least shows up on Food Network every once in a while.

So, like, good for you. Yeah. Wasn't he doing, like, CBS this morning for a while also? Yeah. I feel like every time I would visit my mother, I feel like every time I would visit my mother, Sunday morning, CBS in the morning comes on. I was like, oh, there's Mo Rocca. That's so funny.

Yeah, I think it was Julie Klausner that one time was talking about those, like, best week ever. I love the 80s things that she was like, yeah, they wanted me to do it. Or maybe she did do it. And she's like, I wasn't paid. They didn't pay you. That's crazy. There were so many of them.

Yeah, they kept like. rebooting it as different types of things. That's what VH1 was for like three years. It was an incredible three years. I would love to go back to that. Yeah. Oh, I watched so much VH1, you guys. We can't get into it, but like I did. Wait. I also have to rescind my earlier comment that the Globe nomination for Sarandon was the end of the awards run, because that's not true, because the National Border Review, being the unwell organization that they are, paired ed, Harris's supporting actor win with stepmom sure Do you remember I'm going to tangent for a second but I promise I'll bring it back

Do you remember a few years ago Saturday Night Live had one of those song parodies where it was Kate McKinnon and E.D. Bryant and Emma Stone singing about the Christmas candle that you can just re-gift when I'm going up. And one of the lines in that is

But here's a warning when you'll give the candle that is all that you need don't pair it with the lotion or some lame little creep a lot of people name two gifts are better than one but that just makes each gift seem smaller and down so just give the can that is what nominating ed harris for stepmom along with the truman show does for the truman show it disrespects the truman show as far as i'm concerned it just makes it look smaller The Truman Show, the candle, or the cream. Which is which?

The Truman Show is the candle. It's good. Yeah, I agree. It's good and fine. Everyone likes a candle. Stepmom is a candle movie. Oh, stepmom is a very much a candle movie. Yeah.

Yes. Yeah, almost even more so than a Christmas movie. Like, it's definitely, it's autumnal. Yeah, I mean, autumn in the Hudson Valley, it's the thing to do. Yes, exactly. Autumn, when you're snapping a photo shoot in Central Park even. Like, that's nice. Just one.

Just take one photo. all you're going to do is take one photo and lose one child you've got your shot and then her poor like zero lines assistant who like has to like she's just like here's the cards i'll be back in an hour or something like that it's just like he is doing work here yeah if this movie had been made like three years later he would have just been like yes girl go off oh true like the whole time true very true god he would have like and he would have like been a good sounding board that's the other thing is neither one of these women have friends in this movie, and that to me is baffling, because all you would be doing with your life is talking to your friends about what a bitch

this other woman is being to you in this situation. My kingdom, for one scene of Julia Roberts, like, you know, having her traditional double tequila with some friends at a bar, talking about this horrible woman. Julia Roberts would have been friends with Judy Greer or maybe Judy wasn't old enough at that point, but like in 98 probably not judy greer she's doing like jawbreaker at that point right right what a movie who in 98 like i don't know debby mazar or they just would have doubled her co-worker character to be a friend as well no debby mazar was born for that role to be to be a best friend to to somebody in that and then like susan also needed to have like a friend to go to her treatments with her and whatever it's just like yeah somebody to drive her see what made sense about at least her

character to me that we don't really see her with friends is what's reasonable or like what's realistic is her friends would have probably been other moms. So like when she actually like needs them for an important thing those people are probably busy with their kids. Well and she doesn't want. At least let her see

let us see her talk to another human being. And she's trying to keep the cancer secret for a while so I could see her like not wanting the mom you know, chain spreading. Right. Knowing about cancer. Right. Also I'm speaking of sorry go ahead, Christina. No, sorry.

Yeah, speaking of the disrespect of Lynn Whitfield, when I saw her name pop up, I assumed she would be a friend in some capacity to Susan Sarandon. And I was like, oh, that'll be fun to watch. And then I was like, oh, no, she just has to seriously say chemotherapy and seem sorry. Like, that's a bummer. Lynn Whitfield would have been a great friend character. Also, I thought of for Joan Cusack could have been Julia Roberts's best friend in this movie. That would have been great. She absolutely could have.

That would have been a great role for her. All right. Wait, can we talk about the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards? I was going to say that, rescinding my, the other part of my poor comment was that this is a Blockbuster Entertainment Award winner for Julia Roberts. It's been a long time since we've talked about the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. I mean, if we're being nostalgic, I've heard the word Blockbuster. Yeah.

If we're being nostalgic for, you know, VH1 in the 90s, I'm certainly going to be nostalgic for Blockbuster. Yeah. Yeah, if I got sick of watching The Temptations movie on VH1. You have to go to Blockbuster. Jackson's an American history or whatever that was called. That was also on a lot. It was on all. Yeah, those two movies.

It was like, if my dad knows either of those movies are on, we have to watch them, and I cannot let him know that they are playing. Like, I don't have another four hours to watch the Temptations movie again. Oh, my God. Also, Jenna Malone was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award. Wait, now I want to see who she lost to. She lost to Kathy Bates, right? Oh, for Primary Colors?

Oh. I think so. I'm going to pull this up again. I really wanted Kathy Bates to win that Oscar for Primary Colors. I was so sad when she didn't. I also wanted Ed Harris to win for the show. No, Kathy Bates this year was a multiple Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Supporting Actress Winner.

That's our girl. She won the drama category for primary colors. She went for the Waterboy. She won for the Waterboy. God, you do that it. For supporting actress comedy. The other nominee, in Supporting Actress Drama

is Laura Linney in The Truman Show Cool nominee I would quiz you on this but you would never be able to guess Kathy Bates's Supporting Actress and Comedy co-nominees are Kyla Pratt for Dr. Doolittle

Oh my God and Lynn Shea for there's something about Mary. Wow! That is the most 1998 sentence I remember Oh my God That's so funny.

Dr. Doolittle. Can we talk about the wisdom, the genius of the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for supporting actress, comedy, romance, so romantic comedy, whatever. Jacqueline Oberdor is a nominee for Six Day, Seven Nights, Whatever, that's not the point that I was trying to make. Also nominee. Wait, wait, time out. She's the one who, she's the one who David Schwimmer sort of ends up with when Anne Hache leaves him for Harrison Ford, I imagine. I guess. Sure, that sounds right.

Right. She's like the sexy, she's like, she's the sexy girl on the island who like Harrison Ford is somewhat dating and she like is totally cool with him going to Anne Hage because like whatever, she doesn't have feelings. And then and then she ends up with David Schwimmer. I have watched six day, seven nights a few times. I'm just going to say it. I love Ann Hish. I'm sorry. In your day.

All right. Anyway, continue. She's very good at TikTok. Is she really? I've seen. Yeah. Amazing. Well, that one thing that made its way onto Twitter where she called out Ellen because she was like, I was supposed to wear this, but Ellen said no.

Ha! Yes. Anyway, the romantic comedy supporting actress, other nominee, Diane Weist for Practical Magic. The winner. Stockard Channing for Practical Magic. Holy shit. I'm fist pumping. I literally.

practical magic last weekend. I am just pumping. I love that they nominated them both. I just, like, we need something equatable to the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards because, like, we so rarely get an opportunity to talk about them on but, like, we need something

where Stocker Channing for Practical Magic can win a bullshit prize. Right, exactly. It should be winning every prize. I wonder what gave her the edge over Diane with voters? Like, I would love to know. Probably that floppy hat. Yeah, the floppy hat.

I also, I mean, she's the bigger character of the two. Is she? I thought they were two pretty evenly matched. I think she gets the punchier line. She does. I mean, she gets to be, like, she gets to be more stockardy than, like, Diane is very like the sweet aunt and, you know, stalkers causing trouble, stirring stuff. All right, that makes sense.

That makes sense. It's just going to give me an excuse to watch practical magic again, which I am appreciative of it. Yeah. Do we have anything else we want to talk about with Stepmom before we move into the IMDB game? I think we went over everything that I had jotted down on my little list, just like a lot of question marks about Ed Harris, question mark, question mark, question mark. I did write down, we talked about Pearl Jam, but the John Williams music cue when it reveals that Jackie stole Isabelle's idea for the Pearl Jam

is so sinister it's kind of amazing it's so very again John Williams will not allow you to not feel an emotion he hasn't laid out for you but he it's so funny just like this is so diabolical and it's like I agree you don't have to like lay it on so thick it's very fun it's an act of war basically it really is yes that's all I got though everything else that's all I have I would just say Even though all the complaints I've made I stand by I do think this is a better movie

Than everyone else is saying I think if you can take out that John William's score It's already a way I don't hate this movie Chris I really don't either I don't know no I know you guys don't hate it But like I think qualitatively It doesn't feel like I ironically think it's good

Wait here's a question for you Chris The relationship dynamic between the two women I think is really strong throughout. I think it develops organically. It does feel like, you know, different scenes were definitely written by different screenings, but whatever. Is this your favorite Chris Columbus movie?

Ooh. I love Mrs. Doubtfire. Yeah. Oh, right. Same. Same. That's a good point. Okay.

Is this in your, like, top three Chris Columbus movies? Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like my top. three Chris Columbus movies are Mrs. Doubtfire, good call. Home alone is probably my number one, and adventures and babysitting.

Do you love adventures and babysitting. I think Mrs. Doubtfire might edge out home alone for me. Yeah. I mean, it's a very early, his early career definitely shows up a lot more. Sorry to pixels. Sorry to this man. I mean, the Sally Field alone of Mrs. Doubtfire. Absolutely.

The whole time. Also, only one Christopher Columbus movie has the Raptor Wrap. That's true. That's true. Goodbye. I mean, only one Christopher Columbus movie has the phrase, a drive-by fruiting, so. Which could be a great subtitle for your podcast. Just drive-by.

That's true. Also, we shouldn't let any Chris Columbus conversation pass. without mentioning that his follow-up to stepmom was, of course, Bicentennial Man, where Robin Williams plays a android with human emotions, and Beth Davids grows quite fond of him or something. I don't know. And then Celine Dion sings a song that I love.

That's it. Yeah, that's the only thing I remember from that film. Ironically, if M.Beth Davids from old were on the old beach with Robin Williams from Bicentennial Man, he would not grow old because he is not human. That somehow sounded like a word problem in like math class. What did they need on the beach and old?

Who cares who wants to go to town with a guy on a rowboat to the beach that makes you old? Yeah. Who ages faster in this scenario? The other thing about Chris Columbus, because we didn't talk about Leah Macon, because why would you with this movie? Because he's just like the cute, weird magician kid

who, like, you can never really tell how much he hates Julia Roberts, but he, I thought, wanted to initially cast him as Harry Potter. Liam Aiken. Oh, really? And they were like, no, he has to be British. Yeah, he kind of definitively has to be British. Like, we're already in trouble for having you direct this movie when you're not British. Right, right.

I mean, ultimately, Dan Radcliffe was a really good choice. Like, that kid turned out to be, I think he's a really interesting actor as an adult. so I'm very happy with how that turned out for Dan Radcliffe. Yeah, I bet he is too. Yeah, I'll say. It's piles of money. Yes. Did you know Leah Beacon was in the emoji movie?

Wait a second. Sorry. Did we know that he's in the emoji movie? I'm sorry. Because he was. We have to talk about the emoji movie. Well, yeah, sure. So now here's a section of the emoji movie.

No. Yeah, sure. My feeling about the emoji movie is I only. just found out that Mike White wrote the emoji movie. Excuse me? Now I have to see it. I didn't know that. I didn't know that.

All of a sudden, the emoji movies got like a trenchant social commentary. Liam Bacon, by the way, still looks incredibly young. Like, even now, like, you know, he was so little. Right, but just like he was so little, he's still not exactly like, you know, he still doesn't look like

an adult. He still looks like a teenager. That's crazy. All right, I'm done. Joe, would you like to explain what the IMDB game is to our listeners? I sure would. Every week we end our episodes with the IMDB game where we challenge each other with an actor or actress. We try to guess the top four titles that IMDB says they're most known for.

If any of those titles are television, voice-only performances, or non-actant credits. We mentioned that up front. After two wrong guesses, we get the remaining titles release years as a clue. And if that is not enough, it becomes a free-for-all of hints. that is indeed the IMDB game sure is so Christina as our guests you have multiple decisions to make oh boy you get to choose if you want to give or guess first and then who you want to give or guess from okay I will guess first because I want to get it out of the way I am stressed out about it you two are evil seal award will haunt me for the rest of my life you I know that's how strong

I felt about it, Chris. I wasn't even there, but I gasped. It was an upsetting morning in my life. And then who, am I picking who's giving to me, or am I picking who I'm giving to? Yes. Joe, what do you got for me? Oh, okay. So I followed the Chris Columbus rabbit hole down a few paths. We just mentioned Bicentennial Man, which stars won Robin Williams, the late Robin Williams. So, Christina, I am going to quiz you on The Known for Robin Williams, one of which is television. Interesting. Okay. Is the television, Mork and Mindy? It is Morgan Mindy. Yeah. That's wild. That's really bonkers to me. For as much as TV does not show up generally on the IMDB game, that Mork and Mendi shows up for Robin Williams is very, very

strange. For Robin Williams of all people. Yeah. It has to be that like every photo that is tagged to Mork and Mindy has Robin Williams in it, so it's like an SEO type of thing. This is also apparently the summer of us referencing Susan Sarandon and Pam Dauber in the same

episodes because Mork and Mindy, a iconic Pam Dauber sitcom. Absolutely. All right. All right. Three films. Three films. I'm going to have to guess, Mrs. Doubtfire.

Correct. Thank God. I would have been very upset. Now, now I do want to say Aladdin because it is so iconic to me, but is it iconic to IMDB? Well, here's what I'll say. If there was a voice-only performance, I would have mentioned. True, you would have mentioned it, which. Okay, wait, duh.

Goodwill hunting. Goodwill hunting is there, correct? A movie I watched chaotically after I watched stepmom. Really interesting day I had. Oh, wow. Was I lightly hung over? Listen, who's to say? Who's to say?

Okay, wait. Oh, it has to be, what's it? Oh, good morning Vietnam. With a perfect score, Christina. Good morning Vietnam is correct. You've got them all. Very good. There's a lot of Robin Williams.

Like, that is not easy. To get a perfect score. But for me, aside from Aladdin, those are like the three movies I associate with him. And I was haunted that Patch Adams was going to take the Good Morning Vietnam slot. I would have maybe guessed Patch Adams. I think I would have guessed Jumanji, probably right off the bat, too. So very good. Good job.

I would have guessed something bad is in there. Yeah. Yeah. It's a pretty good known for. You know, Morkin Mindy is the head scratcher. Yeah, Morgan Minnie was the confusing one. But yeah. Yeah, that was really thrilling.

Very good. Spectacular. Who do you have for me? I have for you. I also went the Chris Columbus route. And then I was, you know, weeding through every character actress that you guys have ever discussed, which is just so you know every single one of them.

So then I went from one of those character actresses. I went to an on-screen husband of said actress. And that husband is Hugh Lorry. and there is one television Which has to be house It is house, you are correct Okay, Hugh Lory What do I know him from for movies?

Great question I would have thought Is it just that he only plays house Or is there other TV shows that he's done? Well, he was in that mini-series the night listener? That space thing or not the night listener, the night manager with Tom Hiddleston

that was very good Okay, he wasn't the night manager he was on Veep for a bit Yeah I thought that would come, I was surprised to see that that didn't come up Yeah, but he's in something like Trumbo that has like a huge cast

of a lot of like people that you're like I don't want to see this actor Are you thinking of Dumbo? Yes, he's I'm going to guess Jumbo. You are incorrect. Okay. I just said that because it rhymes with Trumbo.

I know, I know which one it is, and it's a recent movie, so I don't think it's there, but I can't think of anything else. So I have to guess it. He's in the personal history of David Copperfield. Also not there. So now you get years, if I remember correctly? Yes. Yes. Okay.

So you have 2015, 2004, and 1996. 96. You are going to scream laugh when you recall, or if you don't, when I tell you what that one is. Okay, so 96, this is like character-actory role. I'm guessing it's something. Oh, I just looked it up. I'm going to scream laugh, too. That's so funny.

Huh. is it like some type of period drama it could be in some way it's a movie that became relevant again this year because of a major release yes it is that there have been so many of those major releases this year became relevant so it's a remake

or it has been remade yes Yeah. Yes. It is technically a remake, yes. Are we talking about Cruella? Is it 101 Domination? It is 101 Domitians.

The remake. Is he the, is he the, no, that's Jeff Daniels. He's one of the, one of the guys that she hires to. One of her henchmen puppies. One of the goons. One of the goons. Fantastic. Good for you, Hugh Lorry.

I haven't seen, I should watch those, the Glenn Close ones again, because those are fun unlike Cruella Okay What were my other years again? 2015 and 2004 I will say the 2004 movie I do not believe exists

But here it is Okay So is that also some type of British drama I I'm looking at this movie They made a bunch of these kind of movies, I feel like, in the aughts where it was like a handful of recognizable actors

who aren't necessarily huge stars, and there isn't some kind of like action predicament in a, like... Oh, so it's an action movie. That makes sense why it doesn't exist. But it's in like... There were a lot of movies where they're just like, all of this stuff, but it's in a desert. Okay. Desert action movie. Is it Sahara?

Oh, but it's the other movie that I think of when I think of Sahara. It was like Sahara and then this one. I feel like I twin in my mind. I have genuinely never heard of this movie until today when I looked at his IMDP. It has a post Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings actress in it. It has a... So, Liv Tyler? No, the other one.

Miranda Otto. Yes. You're 50-50 on that one, so... Yep. It has a famous former husband of an America's sweetheart who's Dennis Quaid. Flight of the Phoenix. Indeed. I hate you so much for making me think of Flight of the Phoenix.

I, as you know, care about you deeply and respect you a lot. I love and respect you as well. Okay, 2015. 2015. This is a plot twist for me also. This movie does exist, but like, but like also does it exist, is how I feel about this one. Yeah, hugely respected director sort of stepping outside of his normal genre. Screenplay by...

Is it like an action person made a drama? Not quite. No, not really, I would not say. Screenplay by a big TV guy who... Jay J.J. Abrams? No, but you're in a... You're in the ballpark. Yeah.

But who we like more than J.J.A.R. Especially now. Damon Lindelof. There it is. Damon Lindelof has done a lot of movies, and I don't think that Hugh Lorry is in, like, Prometheus. 2015. Oh, is it Tomorrowland?

It is Tomorrowland. A movie I have never seen. probably never will it's it's it's a movie that is not terrible but it's just like vaguely disappointing on all levels ah ah yes yeah no one cared when that movie opened like it's not an interesting failure as far as i'm concerned i think other people might might actually call it an interesting failure i just feel like it's just a deflated balloon sadly well that's hugh lorry for you ha oh poor you lorry um he'll be fine with his Yeah, unfortunately, not recognized for his great performance in Spice World.

Why didn't I guess Spice World? I know. I really was expecting Spice World to come up. I was quite disappointed to see it not. This is why you just don't use songs and movies because music rights are why we can't have a Blu-ray release or some type of restoration of Spice World. I had to pay $50 to get a DVD. I did the exact same thing. Worth every penny. I do want to clarify because you did say Emmys, and I just want to say because I looked it up. Heelori has been nominated for 10 Emmys and has lost every time.

It's astounding he did not get one. That's a bummer. Like everybody, every year. But that show was on Fox and Fox never won Emmys. Every year for House, he got nominated and everybody was like, is this the year? And he won like a couple at least Golden Globes for it, but no Emmys. Wow. All right.

So, Joseph, for you, I went to those Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. The other actress who was nominated with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarendon from Stepmom is, again, another primary colors star. Cannot believe we have never done her before. I give Emma Thompson. We've never done Emma Thompson. You've never done Emma Thompson? I don't know. Maybe it's like I never pulled her because other things.

were more demonic for me to put against for you to guess. But, yeah, all right. Here we are. Howard's End. No. What? Of all the times, I've declined to guess an Oscar win, and it showed up there, and now it doesn't. This game is cruel to me.

Okay. Sense and sensibility. Yes. That is her Oscar win that's on her note. Famously co-starred with Hugh Lorry. Why didn't I guess sense and sensibility? Okay. Yeah, when you said 1996, even though it's not a

1996 movie, I was like, that was the first thing it came to my mind. It was like, sense and sensibility. Anyway, what a great movie. What a great movie. Okay, Emma Thompson. One wrong guess, three to go. Right. Hmm. I mean, is it something sort of more mainstreamy?

Is it like, I almost want to guess Nanny McPhee. I'm going to guess Nanny McPhee. Yes, I am. Incorrect, not Nanny McPhee. So we've got a decade spanning each time. We've got 1993, 2003, and 2013. 93, 2003. All right, 2013 is saving Mr. Banks.

It is indeed saving Mr. Banks. Oh, sure, of course. What was the middle one? O3 and 93. 03 is Love Actually It is indeed Love Actually Should have been an Oscar nomination for her Oh God

And then So 93 she was nominated twice And also was in Junior And it would be the gag of all gags If she's on there for Junior But not the other two But I'm going to say The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day There it is If it was Junior I would have screamed I would have been a plot twist Yes exactly all right relief

guys I think that's our episode Christina this was a complete blast thank you so much for joining us thank you so much for having me truly the delight and honor of my life well we we have to have you back at some point too so please come back to us

pencil me in for whenever I'm very free fabulous if you want more this had Oscar buzz you can check out the Tumblr at this had Oscarbus dot tumbler.com should also follow our Twitter account at Had underscore Oscar underscore buzz. Christina, please tell our lovely listeners where they can find more of you. You can find more of me on Twitter.com, the website, at C underscore Grace T,

and you can find my autostraddle podcast, Wait, Is This a Date, wherever you get podcasts. I'm not the boss of you. Use whatever podcast subscriber you like. And, Joe, how about you? Sure, I am on Twitter at Joe Reed, read spelled R-E-I-D. I am on letterboxed as Joe Reed spelled that same way. And I am on Twitter and Letterbox trying to finally find out what snowblowing is at Crispy File. That is F-E-I-L.

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Oh, baby, there ain't no mountain high enough. Ain't no valley low enough. Ain't no river wide enough to keep me from getting to you, baby. Remember the day I set you free. I told you you could always