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‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

May 20, 2025 · Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) · Drama · Sci-Fi · 2:08:11

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Bill Simmons▶ 21:18Peter Biskind's analysis from Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: 'Spielberg's movies in particular are colored by longing for the absent dad and nostalgia for authority. His families are often fatherless. The plots are set in motion by the moral and emotional vacuum at the center of the home and resolved by father surrogates.'
Chris Ryan▶ 19:05Schrader's quote about Spielberg wanting to make a film about a common man: 'Who the fuck wants to see that? This is supposed to be the greatest event in the history of the earth. At least make the character equal to the event... Steve wanted to make a movie about the porter, a guy who would go off to Mars and start a chain of McDonald's.'
Sean Fennessey▶ 19:46Spielberg's later explanation about changing the protagonist from a cop/soldier to a regular guy: 'people in uniform are not relatable to regular people. They're figures that exist outside. They manage society. They're not in society.'

Casting What-Ifs

Sean Fennessey▶ 31:43Richard Dreyfuss — References that there's an amazing list of people who were considered for Dreyfuss's part, calling it 'one of the greatest casting what ifs of all time'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 48:05Multiple scenes including the air traffic controller scene, Barry's room going bonkers scene, and Dreyfus's UFO encounter through the highway chase
Sean Fennessey▶ 54:13The Northern India scene

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:35Roy Neary - worst family man in any great movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:18:19Joseph Sommer as Larry Butler

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:47If I had the chance to be one of the first human beings to have meaningful contact with an extraterrestrial life form race, I'm hitting the fucking transfer portal. Goodbye, family. Anyone can have a family.
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:24:58Roy is anally raped repeatedly for 30 years on the spaceship

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:10Tom Cruise — Ultimately picks Hanks, but says he would have enjoyed Cruise and it depends on what year of Cruise - 1987 maybe, but late 90s Cruise would turn it into an action movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:41Tom Cruise — Favors Hanks by pointing out Cruise can't believably play a regular guy working for the Muncie Power Department, whereas Hanks could do it
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:45:09Tom Hanks — Hanks

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:57:36Jay Williams from First Take questioning Claude's heroism: 'I know Claude the Cone pulled it off... But how hard was that really? So he figured out six sounds of a synthesizer. Now he's a hero'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:56:06Doris Burke — Doris Burke talking about Roy's oldest son Brad, saying 'We see you, Brad. You may not be able to solve fractions, but now you're going to have to solve being the man of the house'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:58:43Wilford Brimley — Wilford Brimley saying 'and what does she find in that spaceship, Mitch? Heartbreak. Heartbreak.'

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:59:53It's kind of cool never knowing whether Roy came back or not - prefers the mystery unsolved
Chris Ryan▶ 1:59:56What do Ronnie and the family think when they come home and see what Roy's done to the house? Why does Roy get fired - unclear reason?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:59:47Did Roy ever come back? Did he ever see his family again? Why don't people age on the ship?

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 2:03:13It's okay to dump your family as long as you're trusting your gut

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 2:04:10Starman — Starman with Jeff Bridges
Chris Ryan▶ 2:04:50Asteroid City

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 2:05:53Steven Spielberg — Spielberg
Chris Ryan▶ 2:06:30Steven Spielberg — Spielberg - reconfirmed why he's his favorite director and makes the platonic ideal of movies

Movies Referenced (63)

Alien (1979)

24 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 10:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 3:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 6:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Contact (1997)

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

War of the Worlds (2005)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Borat (2006)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 1:28:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Death Wish (2018)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jurassic Park (1993)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 13:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 42:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Schindler's List (1993)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 13:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Trek (2009)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Superman (2025)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (11)

Steven Spielberg

86 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 3:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

François Truffaut

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The 400 Blows▶ 37:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lynch

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 37:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denis Villeneuve

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Blade Runner 2049▶ 1:05:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Ford

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Quiet Man▶ 44:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:46:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Douglas Trumbull

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Blade Runner▶ 1:06:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:21:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Herbert Ross

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Steel Magnolias▶ 36:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Stanley Kubrick

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon▶ 1:32:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wes Anderson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 2:04:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (68)

Richard Dreyfuss

25 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus▶ 5:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve McQueen

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Great Escape▶ 11:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Melinda Dillon

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Magnolia, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A Christmas Story▶ 5:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cary Guffey

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Close Encounters of the Third Kind▶ 1:09:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Williams

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Jurassic Park, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope▶ 38:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Balaban

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gosford Park▶ 37:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Caan

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Thief, Rollerball, Misery▶ 1:31:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Lipton

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 1:52:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julia Phillips

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Sting, Taxi Driver, Close Encounters of the Third Kind▶ 28:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amy Irving

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Traffic, Carrie▶ 26:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Donald Trump

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York▶ 1:02:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 1:31:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Paul Schrader

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for First Reformed, The Card Counter▶ 12:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

J.J. Abrams

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Star Trek▶ 2:05:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Christopher McQuarrie

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Usual Suspects, Mission: Impossible - Fallout▶ 1:07:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Walsh

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Mary Poppins▶ 1:17:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Koepp

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Jurassic Park, Stir of Echoes, Black Bag▶ 27:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jackie Files

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 16:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Kushner

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Lincoln, Munich▶ 27:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Michael Kahn

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Jurassic Park, Minority Report▶ 1:11:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Macbeth

1 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 19:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗