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‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin

February 21, 2022 · Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) · Drama · 2:08:05

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Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 21:39Meryl Streep — No other actress could pull off Meryl Streep's part - her performance showing pain and unraveling is unique to her
Sean Fennessey▶ 21:49Meryl Streep — Probably no other actress could do it - Streep's performance is what separates the movie from being just a TV movie

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 59:39Discusses multiple scenes but notes many are not rewatchable due to being too painful, mentions Joanna leaving scene, silent breakfast routine, French toast scene, chocolate chip ice cream scene, and Ted job hunting scene
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:00:25Analyzes scenes for their cinematic construction and emotional impact, particularly praising the Joanna leaving scene and French toast scene, but agrees they need another label since scenes are too painful to be truly rewatchable
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:03:27Focuses on the French toast scene as important for showing how hard it is to be a mom and the transition dynamics between Ted and Billy

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:26Implies Ted should have lost custody for poor supervision - letting Billy play dangerously on the jungle gym while flirting with the neighbor instead of watching his kid.
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:22:54How long until Joanna changed her mind again? Was it when she got upstairs?
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:23:45Questions whether the movie makes sense - why wouldn't these two people just have joint custody since they both live in New York City? Also notes that legal scholars say no judge would render this verdict.

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:26Ted should have read Joanna's letter first before reading it to Billy - 'Ted, read the letter first before you read it to the kids. Maybe don't wing that. Preview that one.'
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:24:47Jane Alexander's character - she botched being on the stand, nearly let the kid get hurt with the airplane, was team Joanna most of the movie, then gravitated to Ted just because she was lonely

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:28The one-day hiring process and how someone would immediately be fired for kissing a stranger at a Christmas party in 2022
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:34:41Milk at every meal, John Shaughnessy's cruel legal approach, and Ted's boss Jim O'Connor's unsympathetic response to single parenthood in the workplace

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:34Howard Duff — Initially suggests George Coe (Dustin Hoffman's boss), then considers Howard Duff, ultimately agrees to give it to Howard Duff
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:42:28Howard Duff
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:42:02Howard Duff

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:44:07Shared multiple trivia facts: Avery Corman wrote source novel, Jo Beth Williams nude scene optically darkened for rating, Justin Henry was 7 and improvised with Hoffman, only 70s Best Picture winner not preserved by Library of Congress, glass breaking scene filmed at J.G. Mellon's restaurant, Meryl Streep was pregnant during filming
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:44:21Made jokes about brightening the nude scene, questioned why the film wasn't preserved by Library of Congress, and added that Streep met sculptor Gummer after John Cazale died

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:34Dustin Hoffman — Yes for Hoffman (either this or Tootsie, but thinks it's this movie), No for Streep (she's been on the mountain for 40 years), Yes for Justin Henry, Yes for Entenmann's, Yes for divorce movies, Yes for French Toast, Yes for Jungle Gym Accidents, Yes for Benton (director)
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:48:06Kramer vs. Kramer — Agrees divorce movies are Mount Rushmore level with this as number one, discusses Entenmann's products favorably, notes French Toast has starring role in multiple scenes
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:46:10Robert Benton — Uncertain about Hoffman (references previous Rain Man discussion), agrees on Benton getting two Oscars and number one movie, prefers The Squid and the Whale over this for divorce movies

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 2:01:12Meryl Streep — Meryl Streep - argues her character had to work or the movie would fall apart, and she springboards from this role to become the most celebrated screen actress
Mallory Rubin▶ 2:01:37Justin Henry — Makes case for Billy (Justin Henry), arguing that a bad child actor performance would have ruined the movie
Sean Fennessey▶ 2:00:31Dustin Hoffman — Hoffman - acknowledges it's hard not to say Hoffman because of his incredible performance and how audiences root for him

Movies Referenced (38)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin▶ 4:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the President's Men (1976)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 44:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Breaking Away (1979)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Marriage Story (2019)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 13:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Norma Rae (1979)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 53:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ordinary People (1980)

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 14:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scenes from a Marriage (1974)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin▶ 17:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alien (1979)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 4:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie's Angels (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 36:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Halloween (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rain Man (1988)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 45:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Robert Benton

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, Bonnie and Clyde▶ 43:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Francis Ford Coppola

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for Apocalypse Now, The Godfather Part II▶ 55:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Fosse

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for All That Jazz▶ 54:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 15:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Yates

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Breaking Away▶ 55:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Terrence Malick

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Days of Heaven, The Tree of Life▶ 56:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (44)

Meryl Streep

51 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin · Known for Out of Africa▶ 3:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dustin Hoffman

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin · Known for Rain Man, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy▶ 3:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kate Jackson

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 14:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jane Alexander

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, The Cider House Rules, All the President's Men▶ 25:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Howard Duff

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin · Known for No Way Out, Kramer vs. Kramer▶ 1:41:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 54:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Justin Henry

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer, Sixteen Candles▶ 1:29:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jimmy Kimmel

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Scott

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:40:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Coe

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer▶ 1:41:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jane Fonda

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Coming Home▶ 1:09:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Cazale

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 37:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Agatha Christie

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 44:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Avery Corman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Kramer vs. Kramer▶ 1:44:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (3)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:08:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Néstor Almendros

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Days of Heaven, Sophie's Choice, The Blue Lagoon▶ 56:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patricia Van Over

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Thin Red Line, Practical Magic▶ 54:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗