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‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

November 14, 2023 · An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) · Drama · Romance · 1:36:50

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 12:40The movie starts with Zack's dad lying between two naked women after apparent group sex as Zack's graduation present
Sean Fennessey▶ 13:02On rewatch, didn't expect to see that much of Robert Loggia's lower torso in the opening scene

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 17:41Debra Winger turned down six monster movies including Raiders, Romancing the Stone, Broadcast News, Bull Durham, Fabulous Baker Boys, and League of Their Own - she was the most in-demand under-35 actress for 8 years
Chris Ryan▶ 14:26There's a lot of candid production responses about this movie, and Gere is historically difficult to work with - modern equivalent might be Paul Mescal
Sean Fennessey▶ 14:42Richard Gere and Debra Winger have mirrored careers - both have good taste and find good filmmakers but keep picking movies that don't work for those directors

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 34:18When Mayo goes into Foley's room and hits the broom, leading to the torture weekend where Foley tries to get his D-O-R but Mayo refuses to quit
Chris Ryan▶ 35:17Agrees with Bill's pick - the scene where Mayo refuses to give his D-O-R and endures Foley's torture weekend

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 46:59Hair shaving scenes in movies, Pat Benatar's 'Treat Me Right' rooting the movie in 1982, politically incorrect military running songs, and the opening and closing credits
Chris Ryan▶ 47:50The ending where he comes back sweeping her off her feet while the music is pumping and everybody in the factory is cheering
Sean Fennessey▶ 47:58The ending and Grace Zabriskie as the mom doing a warm up for Twin Peaks

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 49:39Mashed potatoes at Paula's house and Paula's mom's chicken

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 49:48The Blimp Hanger

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:34Lynette dumping Sid - the brutal breakup scene where she goes from wanting to get married to saying she's not pregnant and never wanted to get married in three minutes
Chris Ryan▶ 53:50The Sid storyline - calling it the weak link and noting there seems to be a scene missing from his rapid breakdown
Sean Fennessey▶ 55:47The trap the pilot strategy - the lifestyle of building your entire social life around getting pregnant from a pilot to have your life set

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 57:04No

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 57:07You're all alone in this world. Once you got that down, nothing hurts anymore.

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 58:10Richard Gere is the worst movie kisser ever
Chris Ryan▶ 57:18I kind of love Lynette and really don't mind where she's coming from - she's a straight shooter

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:27Jeff Bridges — Discusses John Denver claim as ridiculous, mentions Jeff Bridges turned down lead for Against All Odds, notes Travolta turned down role, Gear beat out Bridges/Hamlin/Reeve, Costner auditioned, Sigourney Weaver and Anjelica Huston wouldn't have been right for Paula, Jennifer Jason Leigh dropped out for Fast Times, Jack Nicholson said no to Foley, Mandy Patinkin was rejected as 'too ethnic'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:36Harry Hamlin — Notes Harry Hamlin missing this role was big career difference, agrees De Mornay was way too hot, mentions De Mornay/Meg Ryan/Geena Davis auditioned, comments that casting decisions feel very Don Simpson-esque
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:59Jennifer Jason Leigh — Jennifer Jason Leigh could have been good as Paula but not as good as Debra Winger, agrees Rebecca De Mornay was way too hot

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:17Richard Gere — Yes for Richard Gere, Debra Winger (Terms of Endearment), David Keith, Louis Gossett Jr., and Private Benjamin for military training movies
Chris Ryan▶ 1:16:47Full Metal Jacket — Initially questioned Full Metal Jacket over Private Benjamin but ultimately agreed with Sean's position
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:15:43Full Metal Jacket — Full Metal Jacket for military training movies over Private Benjamin

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:34Whirly taunting Foley from the boat when torturing Mayo seemed like it was in a different movie - everyone's supposed to be terrified of Foley but Whirly is talking shit to him
Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:51The hotel clerk casually telling Mayo that Sid is in room 14 without mentioning he just watched Sid swallow a ring
Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:45Needed one more character that Zach is training with - felt like they were one light, which made the final pin ceremony less impactful
Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:23Age questions with Zach - the cutoff is 32 but everyone seems like adults in their late 20s/early 30s, and Zach seems 35. Should have mentioned he's right under the cutoff
Chris Ryan▶ 1:19:36The timing in the final two-thirds is confusing - unclear how much time passes between scenes, especially with Zach and Paula's relationship timeline
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:44Did Zach ever actually learn math or did Sid do it all for him? Now he's supposed to be a fighter pilot who doesn't know math
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:58Workplace liability in final scene - Zach starts kissing Paula's neck while she's operating heavy machinery, she could have lost a hand
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:22:12In the final scene, everyone has abandoned their post and there's absolute anarchy in the paper factory

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:10Asked about Wayne Jenkins or Byron Mayo but didn't give a clear preference
Chris Ryan▶ 1:23:20Wayne Jenkins playing Sid, with extended improvised dialogue

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:24Full Metal Jacket — Suggested Full Metal Jacket as what the others were thinking
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:26Top Gun
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:44Iron Eagle — Lou Gossett Jr. Iron Eagle double feature

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:05Love lifts you up where you belong
Chris Ryan▶ 1:30:58Sit, adjust, pray, attack - from the mess hall scene where Sid and Zach sit down to their trays

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:53Debra Winger — Said both 'Gear' and 'Winger' in quick succession

Movies Referenced (62)

Private Benjamin (1980)

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

10 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 21:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Top Gun (1986)

8 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 4:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

La La Land (2016)

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 8:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Urban Cowboy (1980)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gandhi (1982)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pretty Woman (1990)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terms of Endearment (1983)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Internal Affairs (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Love Story (1970)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey▶ 7:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mary Poppins (1964)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof of Life (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 25:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Taylor Hackford

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Dolores Claiborne▶ 13:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 25:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Francis Ford Coppola

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Part II▶ 15:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Wilder

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Apartment, Some Like It Hot▶ 1:10:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Herbert Ross

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Steel Magnolias▶ 1:17:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Cassavetes

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Rosemary's Baby▶ 5:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luis Labrador

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Watchmen, I Am Legend▶ 15:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Norman Jewison

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for In the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck▶ 1:08:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 1:29:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 15:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (90)

Debra Winger

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Terms of Endearment, An Officer and a Gentleman, Rachel Getting Married▶ 2:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dire Straits

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Hot Fuzz, Spy Game▶ 19:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pat Benatar

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Italian Job▶ 42:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Gere

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Chicago, Pretty Woman, An Officer and a Gentleman▶ 2:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Simpson

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Days of Thunder, Beverly Hills Cop, The Rock▶ 4:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grace Zabriskie

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Armageddon, Wild at Heart▶ 47:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keith David

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for They Live, Armageddon▶ 1:32:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Keith

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for An Officer and a Gentleman, Behind Enemy Lines, Daredevil▶ 22:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meryl Streep

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Out of Africa▶ 18:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Douglas

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Wall Street, Romancing the Stone▶ 11:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rebecca De Mornay

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Runaway Train, Risky Business▶ 1:02:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sharon Stone

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Basic Instinct, Casino, The Quick and the Dead▶ 17:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Roger Ebert

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 25:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Douglas Day Stewart

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for An Officer and a Gentleman, The Blue Lagoon, The Scarlet Letter▶ 1:08:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nancy Meyers

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give, Private Benjamin▶ 1:17:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nicholas Sparks

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Safe Haven▶ 8:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Michael Grantland

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 35:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christophe Legal

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Pink Panther▶ 17:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗