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‘Country Strong’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Liz Kelly

December 15, 2020 · Country Strong (2010) · Drama · Music · 1:38:55

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 32:33Mentions having someone in What's Aged the Worst but doesn't reveal who or why in this segment

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 39:09Gwyneth's first scene where she helps rewrite the song with 'timing is everything'

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 40:38She's randomly in a rehab center with this country western prodigy who's a janitor slash sponsor - what are the odds?
Bill Simmons▶ 42:17When Bo saves Childs from bombing, somehow he's not mic'd but sounds great when he comes waltzing in with the guitar
Bill Simmons▶ 42:24It's unclear whether Bo likes Childs or not - he has no respect for her musically but real affection for her, he's threatened by her but saves her when she's bombing. His motivation is unclear other than 'she's hot'
Liz Kelly▶ 40:52She has a huge tour crew and bus with six people around her at all times - couldn't they have brought a legitimate sponsor too? The problem is when she falls off the rails, her sponsor Garrett Hedlund is nowhere to be found because he's performing on stage as the janitor

What's Aged the Best

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:01:46The movie being dismissive of going outside country music to find success (though notes this also aged worst)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:18Tim McGraw's 'I'm so psyched, she's killing it' face on the side of the stage - his practiced expression with pursed lips and half smile

Casting What-Ifs

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:10:30Also couldn't find any casting what-ifs
Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:22Couldn't find any casting what-ifs despite looking

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:06The tour manager dude that she was sleeping with (the creepy guy who Garrett Hedlund walks in on)
Liz Kelly▶ 1:11:33Tim McGraw — Originally wrote down Tim McGraw but was told by producer that's not a 'that guy' since he's too famous/recognizable

Dion Waiters Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:13:41Agrees with the bird pick and adds criticism about the bird's survival in the box
Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:18The bird
Liz Kelly▶ 1:12:26Agrees with the bird pick and provides detailed analysis of the poor treatment of the bird throughout the movie

Half-Assed Internet Research

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:18:05Identified Better Man as most famous Pearl Jam song, described the Dallas goodbye scene between Gwyneth and Garrett, discussed Gwyneth as Kelly Taylor and career implications
Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:53Shared multiple trivia facts: Garrett Hedlund auditioned singing Pearl Jam at karaoke bar, took 4 months to learn guitar/voice lessons, Gwyneth emailed RDJ about addiction research, director's story about Garrett crying during Gwyneth's performance, Gwyneth lost Kelly Taylor role to Jenny Garth and turned down The Ring
Liz Kelly▶ 1:18:03Found the Pearl Jam song was 'Better Man'

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:31Leighton Meester — Gwyneth Paltrow: no, Garrett Hedlund: this was his lost apex mountain (should have been but wasn't), Tim McGraw: no, Leighton Meester: yes, Country Music: no, Nashville: no, Movies about alcoholic self-destructive singers who died at the end: no
Liz Kelly▶ 1:21:56Leighton Meester — Agreed on Leighton Meester: yes

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:22Discussed how long Leighton Meester would actually stay with Garrett Hedlund - depends on her fame level at the time, predicted she'd get caught up in celebrity culture again and eventually date Bo for publicity
Liz Kelly▶ 1:30:57How long would Leighton Meester actually stay in Oxnard with Garrett Hedlund before wanting to be a celebrity again - predicts 3-4 weeks on the farm

Who Won the Movie

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:33:22Gwyneth Paltrow
Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:47Garrett Hedlund
Liz Kelly▶ 1:33:43Gwyneth Paltrow

Movies Referenced (31)

A Star Is Born (2018)

12 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly▶ 3:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 22:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Titanic (1997)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 19:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Black Swan (2010)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 6:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iron Man (2008)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 11:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sliding Doors (1998)

3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 9:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Great Expectations (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 9:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Proof (2005)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 11:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rabbit Hole (2010)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 21:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A Perfect Murder (1998)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 13:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blue Jasmine (2013)

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 18:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (7)

John Colorado

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 0:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ang Lee

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Life of Pi▶ 24:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dee Rees

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 24:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 26:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 45:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 9:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Berg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Last Seduction, Very Bad Things▶ 25:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (63)

Gwyneth Paltrow

85 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Liz Kelly · Known for Shakespeare in Love, Sliding Doors▶ 5:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Garrett Hedlund

30 mentions · Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly, Amanda Dobbins▶ 4:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tim McGraw

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Friday Night Lights, The Blind Side▶ 25:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Leighton Meester

21 mentions · Liz Kelly, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for That's My Boy▶ 29:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Courtney Love

6 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Man on the Moon▶ 9:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kate Winslet

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly · Known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road, Titanic▶ 17:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Martin

5 mentions · Liz Kelly, Bill Simmons▶ 10:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nashville Pussy

5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 40:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Natalie Portman

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Swan▶ 6:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Pearl Jam

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Big Fish▶ 1:17:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Pitt

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 9:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Britney Spears

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Liz Kelly▶ 29:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Roger Ebert

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 38:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Falchuk

2 mentions · Liz Kelly, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:35:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Worst

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 32:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗