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‘Meet the Parents’ With Bill Simmons and Kyle Brandt

November 12, 2024 · Meet the Parents (2000) · Comedy · Romance · 1:53:18

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Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 18:25Discusses Stiller's career trajectory and rise to becoming 'first call' for movies by mid-2000s, but doesn't definitively state if this is his apex
Kyle Brandt▶ 17:47Meet the Parents — Meet the Parents is Ben Stiller's apex mountain - his best performance playing himself, slightly better than There's Something About Mary

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 21:54Robert De Niro — Robert De Niro as Jack Byrnes
Kyle Brandt▶ 19:29Ben Stiller — Ben Stiller in early appearances like Happy Gilmore and The Cable Guy before he became a leading man

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 33:16The dinner scene, which includes Greg saying grace, the urn revelation, the poem 'My Mother by Jack Burns', and 'I have nipples Greg, could you milk me?'
Kyle Brandt▶ 31:47The car ride with De Niro and Stiller - the Puff the Magic Dragon scene with 'Are you a pothead fucker?'

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 44:52Stuffed bear nanny cameras - seemed state-of-the-art in 2000 but now exist everywhere, making it prescient about modern surveillance fears
Kyle Brandt▶ 48:18The concept that Greg's terrible decision-making makes the movie more rewatchable - his idiotic choices throughout the film enhance the viewing experience

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Kyle Brandt▶ 52:16Mentions the restaurant with live band and pay phones but concludes this isn't a location type movie and they don't have one

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 52:35Either the pupusas scene with Blythe Danner serving what look like pigs in the blanket, or the pot roast - suggests Kyle should pick between them
Kyle Brandt▶ 53:44Tom Collins cocktail

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:17No, Meet the Parents is really strong and right on the nose

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:10:16Gwyneth Paltrow — Presents various casting alternatives: Jim Carrey as Fokker with Spielberg directing and Al Pacino as dad wouldn't work as well; Naomi Watts was initially cast as Pam but dropped; Christopher Walken as backup for Jack Burns; suggests Gwyneth Paltrow would have been perfect as Pam
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:11:32Gwyneth Paltrow — Agrees Stiller was better choice than Carrey for awkward humor; suggests Brad Pitt as Kevin would work; strongly endorses Gwyneth Paltrow as Pam casting ('It's fucking sitting right there')

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:22:40Multiple trivia facts including: De Niro came up with polygraph testing idea, Nicole DeHuff (sister character) died tragically at 30, Jim Carrey created Focker surname, De Niro loved Mr. Jinx cat and added scenes, MPAA required real Fokker surname person, movie inspired Litter Quitter product
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:23:412020 COVID reunion interview where De Niro was completely unengaged and unhelpful, claiming he didn't remember scenes or the cat, contrasted with other cast members trying to carry the conversation

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:35:04Tom Hanks — Hanks - says it's more of a Hanks part, he was good at these roles in the 80s, though admits Cruise would be funnier
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:35:40Tom Hanks — Hanks - agrees it has to be Hanks, citing that Cruise would be weird due to Top Gun dialogue references in the movie

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:05Philip Baker Hall — Philip Baker Hall as Floyd Gondali (the Rebhorn character)
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:42:27Philip Baker Hall — Philip Baker Hall as Jack (the dad role)

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:42:40Robert De Niro — De Niro
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:42:43Robert De Niro — Agrees with De Niro but advocates for a broader Best Comedy category that the movie should win

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:34Multiple questions: Did De Niro's stuff lead to Simply Safe creation (yes, probably); Who would name their kid Gaylord Fokker; Did this movie destroy the future of male nursing; Why didn't they make this a Christmas movie
Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:43:53Why didn't Jack smoke cigarettes given he's a Vietnam vet/CIA guy who's seen stuff; Why didn't they make this a Christmas/holiday movie given the aesthetic - it would get replayed constantly
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:44:16Multiple observations: Gaylord must be a junior/generational name; What other questions would Jack ask in the lie detector scene beyond pornography; Movie should have been called 'Merry Fokking Christmas' for a fourth installment

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:47:35Meet the Fockers — Meet the Fokkers

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:26Robert De Niro
Kyle Brandt▶ 1:48:34Ben Stiller — Considered Owen Wilson but ultimately said he'd give it to Stiller, though acknowledged De Niro was perfect

Movies Referenced (48)

Domestic Disturbance (2001)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 46:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 23:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Analyze This (1999)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 22:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meet the Fockers (2004)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck▶ 16:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 21:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Raging Bull (1980)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taxi Driver (1976)

3 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 23:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wicked (2024)

3 mentions · Craig Horlbeck▶ 1:50:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dumb and Dumber (1994)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 40:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Craig Horlbeck, Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heat (1995)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 22:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Look Who's Talking (1989)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Jay Roach

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 16:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Soderbergh

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Traffic▶ 1:10:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 1:17:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (65)

Robert De Niro

61 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver▶ 2:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Stiller

33 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck · Known for Tropic Thunder, Zoolander▶ 2:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Rebhorn

17 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Independence Day, The Game, The Talented Mr. Ripley▶ 38:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Owen Wilson

12 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Bottle Rocket, Wedding Crashers▶ 38:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Carrey

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Bruce Almighty, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind▶ 19:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blythe Danner

7 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Meet the Parents, Paul▶ 10:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Luke Wilson

7 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums▶ 37:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Pacino

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt · Known for Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather▶ 1:10:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philip Baker Hall

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Hard Eight▶ 1:19:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phyllis George

5 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Meet the Parents▶ 1:14:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Collins

5 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 53:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Myers

4 mentions · Kyle Brandt, Bill Simmons · Known for Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery▶ 20:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

John Hamburg

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Little Fockers▶ 24:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Siege

1 mentions · Kyle Brandt▶ 8:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 28:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom McCarthy

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Win Win▶ 1:17:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Stephen Siemens

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Kyle Brandt▶ 37:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:42:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗