Grays Almanac

Home/Episodes/It's Complicated

‘It’s Complicated’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Mina Kimes

July 15, 2025 · It's Complicated (2009) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:50:56

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 35:45The second hotel scene when Jake has the heart attack, Krasinski's in the lobby, the 'I have always liked a lot of semen' line, and their emotional moment at the end
Bill Simmons▶ 31:50Multiple scenes including Jane's first dinner with friends (vagina closed up story), the bar dinner scene where they run into each other, family graduation dinner scene, and Jane telling friends about the affair
Mina Kimes▶ 35:49The dinner at the bar leading into them having sex because of the funny lines and the great chemistry between the actors

What's Aged the Best

Amanda Dobbins▶ 46:26Agrees with Bill's pick about Meryl Streep not getting plastic surgery
Bill Simmons▶ 46:19Meryl Streep not getting a ton of plastic surgery

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 47:40supports the lavender ice cream scene and gives honorable mention to the chocolate cake
Bill Simmons▶ 46:37the croque monsieur
Mina Kimes▶ 47:31the scene where she makes the croquette sauce and the lavender ice cream

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 53:25Agrees Steve Martin is weak but focuses more on recasting discussion, suggesting Sam Shepard or Tommy Lee Jones as alternatives
Bill Simmons▶ 56:21The kids aren't damaged enough - they're too happy for children of divorce and should be more fucked up
Mina Kimes▶ 53:36Steve Martin's character - thinks the character is underwritten and lacks charisma compared to Alec Baldwin

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:04:45Roast chicken might be the most overrated food in the universe - even when it's really good, it's just fine
Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:22Santa Barbara has the biggest disparity between movies and real life of any location - the sun doesn't come out until 1:30-2 PM despite being portrayed as always sunny in films
Mina Kimes▶ 1:06:31Nancy Meyers movies prove that old people should be in more stuff - need more movies of all genres where the leads are over 50 years old

Casting What-Ifs

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:12:15Michael Douglas — Agreed Michael Douglas is 'the archetype' but would turn it into a 'horny Michael Douglas' movie with no weakness, making him wrong for the role
Bill Simmons▶ 1:12:01Michael Douglas — Discussed reported alternatives (Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Michael Douglas, Tom Hanks) but was skeptical of most except Michael Douglas as a possibility, though worried he'd be too sexual for the role
Mina Kimes▶ 1:12:28Michael Douglas — Noted Michael Douglas's age in 2009 as a potential issue but seemed generally supportive of the casting discussion

Apex Mountain

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:21:41Something's Gotta Give — Discussed Meryl Streep's career progression from Devil Wears Prada to Mamma Mia to Iron Lady, and agreed Nancy Meyers' apex was Something's Got to Give over The Holiday
Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:19Alec Baldwin — No for Meryl Streep (she's just always on top of the mountain), Yes for Alec Baldwin with this movie and 30 Rock at the same time, No for Steve Martin (his apex was late 70s with The Jerk and comedy albums)
Mina Kimes▶ 1:21:51Meryl Streep — Emphasized that Meryl Streep never had a dead period and has classics every decade, making it hard to pinpoint an apex. Agreed Something's Got to Give is slightly better than The Holiday

Hanks or Cruise

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:31:44Tom Hanks — Hanks - agrees it would have been good but notes there might be less tension with Hanks
Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:35Tom Hanks — Hanks - says this is a Hanks movie a thousand percent, doesn't think Cruise would work in any part of it

Is This Movie Better With

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:39:34Chris Collinsworth at the bakery ordering in a little quarter vest
Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:28Tony Romo — Tony Romo announcing the laptop scene
Mina Kimes▶ 1:39:49Agreed that Chris Collinsworth has romantic comedy energy and would fit in the movie

Just One Oscar

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:40:20Alec Baldwin — Alec Baldwin for Supporting Actor - 'It's a classic supporting actor fun one'
Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:17Alec Baldwin — Alec Baldwin for Supporting Actor

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:42:20What's in the noodle thing that they talk about and fight over at the end - possibly the pasta salad with pesto and cherry tomatoes shown earlier
Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:36Should it be okay to have an affair with your ex-wife? Yes, if the current spouse is someone he had the original affair with, creating a connection to the first marriage
Mina Kimes▶ 1:43:06It's okay to hook up with your ex-husband if the second wife is who he left you for (green light), but not cool if he divorced and met someone else unrelated

Best Double Feature

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:46:05Julie & Julia
Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:26Irreconcilable Differences
Mina Kimes▶ 1:45:57Kramer vs. Kramer — Kramer vs. Kramer (warns against Something's Gotta Give as too similar)

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:37Alec Baldwin — Baldwin - 'I think Baldwin won the movie. As good as Streep, as likable as she is in it. I think he's just really great in this.'
Mina Kimes▶ 1:46:54Alec Baldwin — Baldwin - agreed with Bill, noting 'Re-watching it, I was shocked by how good he is in it'

Movies Referenced (47)

The Holiday (2006)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 9:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Father of the Bride (1991)

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

Something's Gotta Give (2003)

5 mentions · Mina Kimes, Amanda Dobbins▶ 45:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Other Woman (2014)

5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes▶ 1:33:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Working Girl (1988)

4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 23:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

His Girl Friday (1940)

3 mentions · Mina Kimes, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:27:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Set Up (2011)

3 mentions · Mina Kimes▶ 1:24:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Intern (2015)

3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 5:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Psycho (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Baby Boom (1987)

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons▶ 5:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Home Again (2017)

2 mentions · Mina Kimes▶ 45:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Tom Brady

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 18:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Bay

3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons · Known for Armageddon▶ 3:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 8:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (76)

Meryl Streep

35 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Out of Africa▶ 7:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Martin

28 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes · Known for The Jerk, The Pink Panther▶ 32:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Krasinski

24 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes · Known for A Quiet Place▶ 14:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alec Baldwin

18 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons · Known for The Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 8:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lake Bell

12 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes · Known for No Strings Attached▶ 32:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chris Pratt

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World▶ 1:16:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Douglas

8 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes · Known for Wall Street, Romancing the Stone▶ 1:12:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

7 mentions · Mina Kimes▶ 1:24:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Shepard

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Black Hawk Down▶ 54:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Nicholson

6 mentions · Mina Kimes, Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Chinatown, As Good as It Gets, The Departed▶ 4:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Hanks

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes · Known for Cast Away, Big, Forrest Gump▶ 1:12:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harrison Ford

5 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 27:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Nancy Meyers

41 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Mina Kimes · Known for It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give, Private Benjamin▶ 1:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nora Ephron

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Julie & Julia, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 1:46:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Shonda Rhimes

1 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:01:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗