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‘Crash’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Joanna Robinson

February 25, 2025 · Crash (2004) · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1:47:55

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 41:12Carjacking scene
Joanna Robinson▶ 41:14Peña and his daughter (the invisible cloak scene)
Van Lathan▶ 47:45Fickner and Cheadle scene (Ryan Phillippe and Don Cheadle)

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 59:53The Persian shop owner character
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:01:44Ryan Phillippe's character
Van Lathan▶ 1:02:33Larenz Tate's character

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Van Lathan▶ 1:11:38This is the least effective anti-slavery movie I've ever seen

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:28John Cusack — Presented the main casting what-ifs: Forrest Whitaker for Terrence Howard/Don Cheadle role, Cusack for Matt Dillon, Heath Ledger for Ryan Phillippe. Thought Cusack in the Dillon role would have been 'super awesome' and agreed Heath Ledger would make it a different movie. For recasting director suggested Quentin Tarantino.
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:12:57Heath Ledger — Heath Ledger would be a huge improvement over Ryan Phillippe, and Cusack would have made it a much better movie in the Matt Dillon role. For recasting the Ryan Phillippe role suggested Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, or Casey Affleck as better options.
Van Lathan▶ 1:13:28John Cusack — Enthusiastic about Cusack in the Matt Dillon role calling it 'legitimately great' and 'fantastic.' Also liked Josh Hartnett for the young cop role and Casey Affleck as a good option for the Ryan Phillippe role.

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:50Terrence Howard — Ruled out Sandra Bullock, Brendan Fraser, Matt Dillon, Don Cheadle, Michael Payne, Ryan Philippe, Thandiwe Newton, Lorenz Tate, Ludacris, Jennifer Esposito. Agreed on Terrence Howard (2005 with Hustle and Flow) and Paul Haggis as Apex Mountains.
Van Lathan▶ 1:20:05Terrence Howard — Discussed Terrence Howard's Apex Mountain, acknowledging Empire Season 1 was big but agreed Best Actor nomination for Hustle and Flow in 2005 was probably his peak.

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:23:13Tom Cruise — Cruise - likes the idea of Cruise in Matt Dillon's role, mentions Magnolia angle with dad issues and angry/evil Cruise as cop
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:23:26Tom Cruise — Cruise - likes Cruise in this, compares it to Magnolia type movie, could put Cruise's Magnolia character into this film
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:22:50Tom Cruise — Cruise - wants cokeier energy for this LA movie, calls it 'Magnolia Methadone'
Van Lathan▶ 1:22:21Tom Hanks — Hanks in Brendan Fraser's character role - would love to see Hanks in that morally gray role

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:08A prestige TV version with all black cast could work, though he wouldn't want to watch it; also suggests Cord Jefferson doing a shot-by-shot remake of Crash as a comedy
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:31:49The sequel would be the hunt for Ryan Philippe - Don Cheadle looking for his brother's murderer who is still on the police force
Van Lathan▶ 1:31:24It's touchable - could orient a prestige show around Don Cheadle's case with the dirty cop, expanding to city hall, DA, and his brother, with a black showrunner

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:03Wayne Jenkins in the Matt Dillon role
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:32:47Wilford Brimley — Wilford Brimley in the Fickner role, similar to his scene in The Firm
Van Lathan▶ 1:32:39Danny Trejo — Danny Trejo should have been in this LA crime movie

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:24Terrence Howard — Terrence Howard for Best Supporting Actor

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:43If this movie had a black director but was the exact same movie, what happens? Also asks what piece of memorabilia would you want or not want - picks fortified underwear as what he would NOT want
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:34:12How did this movie beat Brokeback Mountain? Notes that if you're redoing Oscars, that's one of the first ones you redo
Van Lathan▶ 1:34:01A black director making the exact same movie would get no Oscars and would be destroyed from all sides - they'd run him out of time

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:23everyone's a racist
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:36:38public transportation - it's not so bad, it's better than getting a part with Ryan
Van Lathan▶ 1:36:35everyone's not a racist, you can be a redeemable racist, we're all like pizza

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:1225th Hour — 25th Hour paired with Grand Canyon
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:37:0425th Hour — Reacted positively to the 25th Hour suggestion, noting it handles racist rants better than other films
Van Lathan▶ 1:37:27Grand Canyon — Expressed support for Grand Canyon as part of the pairing

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:40Paul Haggis
Joanna Robinson▶ 1:37:45We all collectively lost as a culture

Movies Referenced (43)

Magnolia (1999)

7 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 57:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Interstellar (2014)

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson▶ 54:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grand Canyon (1991)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan▶ 1:37:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gravity (2013)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 53:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iron Man (2008)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson▶ 45:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Help (2011)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons▶ 58:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Inception (2010)

4 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 54:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Troy (2004)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson▶ 43:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cruel Intentions (1999)

3 mentions · Joanna Robinson▶ 1:02:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Green Book (2018)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 15:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Memento (2000)

3 mentions · Joanna Robinson▶ 54:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson▶ 20:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Christopher Nolan

8 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson · Known for Tenet, Interstellar, Inception▶ 54:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Spike Lee

3 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, She's Gotta Have It▶ 1:17:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ang Lee

2 mentions · Joanna Robinson · Known for Life of Pi▶ 10:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Quentin Tarantino

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, From Dusk Till Dawn▶ 1:17:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrea Bias

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Black Adam, A Simple Favor, The Intern▶ 48:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gus Van Sant

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Drugstore Cowboy▶ 1:32:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Martin Scorsese

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets▶ 1:24:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 1:42:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (52)

Matt Dillon

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for There's Something About Mary, Crash, Drugstore Cowboy▶ 4:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terrence Howard

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson · Known for Hustle & Flow, Crash, Iron Man▶ 5:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Cheadle

16 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson · Known for Crash▶ 5:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sandra Bullock

15 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for The Proposal, Miss Congeniality, Speed▶ 5:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 1:22:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brendan Fraser

12 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson · Known for The Mummy, Crash▶ 5:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Phillippe

11 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for Gosford Park, Crash, Cruel Intentions▶ 47:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keith David

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for They Live, Armageddon▶ 51:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Casey Affleck

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for Manchester by the Sea, Light of My Life▶ 1:16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heath Ledger

5 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons · Known for Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight, A Knight's Tale▶ 1:12:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jennifer Esposito

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Crash▶ 21:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Josh Hartnett

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Joanna Robinson · Known for Black Hawk Down, 30 Days of Night▶ 1:13:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Paul Haggis

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan · Known for Crash▶ 19:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

5 mentions · Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 11:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

William Goldman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, The Princess Bride▶ 12:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cord Jefferson

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for American Fiction▶ 1:32:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carl Sagan

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Contact▶ 55:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Coogler

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Black Panther, Creed▶ 17:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗