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‘Minority Report’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

April 22, 2025 · Minority Report (2002) · Action · Crime · Mystery · 1:48:44

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Categories

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 38:15Multiple scenes including Howard Marx about to kill his wife, Cruz figuring out the Leo Crow murder, the 15-minute sequence from 'I like you chief' to Cruz pulling out in new car, cruise gets away from eight guys/running/fire escape sequence, and blind cruise moves through apartment building with ID spiders
Chris Ryan▶ 41:06The 15-minute sequence from when Wally says 'I like you chief' (40th minute) to where Anderton pulls out in the new car (55th minute), calling it 'fucking pure'
Van Lathan▶ 40:08Praised Cruz figuring out the Leo Crow murder scene for Tom Cruise's acting and emotional complexity, and supported the blind cruise apartment building scene

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 53:46Praised the 15-minute stretch and highlighted the ID spiders scene
Chris Ryan▶ 52:36Peter Stormare — The greenhouse scene with the old lady improvising kissing Tom Cruise, and Peter Stormare as the eye surgeon
Van Lathan▶ 53:19Colin Farrell — The first meetup between Colin Farrell and Tom Cruise where he rolls the ball

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:50The overhead shot of all the apartments being invaded by the spiders (also mentioned the scene in Leo Crow apartment building lobby with both heads in frame)
Van Lathan▶ 1:03:28The scene where the camera pans back behind Neil McDonough's character's head and he visually splits the two opposing characters

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:47Flying Cruise eating a bad sandwich and eating gross milk
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:59Agreed they were fucking with him and explained context about other people being in the apartment before
Van Lathan▶ 1:05:55Agreed that they were fucking with him regarding the gross food

Teddy KGB Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:32Peter Stormare — Peter Stormare as the plastic surgeon

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:59Max fucking up and saying the girl drowned - doesn't make sense that someone so smart would make that mistake
Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:54Discusses the Lara character as not that dynamic, and mentions the long stretch with Dr. Iris and the eye doctor where nothing happens for 25 minutes
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:42The physical media (thin glass data slides that seem easy to break) and the CGI when they're jumping around cars on the highway

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:52Samantha Morton — Samantha Morton apex mountain, also discusses Neil McDonough having a 25-year apex mountain with deep bag of recognizable characters
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:04Minority Report — Nokia Wave genre - Minority Report is apex mountain for this made-up sub-genre spanning 1995-early 2000s featuring tactile futuristic technology
Van Lathan▶ 1:28:46Tom Cruise — Discusses Cruz/Spielberg collaboration being apex mountain, mentions this as better than War of the Worlds in their partnership

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:37Discusses multiple nitpicks including the eyeball swapping technology being unrealistic and Cruise stumbling into finding Anne Lively's drowning too easily
Chris Ryan▶ 1:33:29Lamar shooting himself doesn't fit the film's imagination and tone compared to earlier jetpack fights
Van Lathan▶ 1:33:47Who's in charge of updating the retinal files - John Anderton can still access secure areas with his retinal scan despite being a fugitive

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:33Agrees with retinal scanner issue - in 2025 we'd know better, but acknowledges it's 2002 filmmaking
Chris Ryan▶ 1:36:01Acknowledges the paradox issues but defends them as intentional Philip K. Dick-style philosophical concepts about predestination
Van Lathan▶ 1:34:27Retinal scanner still giving access after eye removal - who updates the retinal files? Also, cops leave the victim (Ann Wiley) alone after arresting the murderer, allowing Burgess to kill her

Sequel/Prequel/Limited Series/Remake

Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:06Prestige TV adaptation should have worked, comparing it to Apple's approach - would be more heady and less fun/chase-oriented, suggests Apple could do it with Morning Show level budget as advertisement for future tech
Chris Ryan▶ 1:37:53Suggests prequel about the first guy caught by precogs, agrees on all minority reports concept, proposes 'Law and Order: Pre-Crime' as cheaper procedural version
Van Lathan▶ 1:37:41Questions whether prestige version should be one season stretching Anderton's story or multiple seasons based on pre-crime system

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:38:08Lists standard options (Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Doris Burke, Sam Jackson, Byron Mayo, Barney Cousins, Tony Romo, Harling Mays, Chris Collinsworth, Daniel Plainview, Long Legs, Wilford Brimley in The Firm) and adds Ryan Ruссo for NBA playoffs; also references Lamar Burgess
Chris Ryan▶ 1:38:18Doris Burke — Doris Burke (DB) - extended riff about her as Agatha from Minority Report, coming out of the photon milk and living her best life in Gap clothing

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:09Janusz Kaminski — Kaminsky for cinematography - thinks the movie looks so cool and has a unique vibe that stands out
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:30Notes this is hardly discussed as a Spielberg movie that should have won an Oscar, but acknowledges people still study it

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:39:45Asked multiple questions: Did Howard Marx's wife deserve to die? (answered no), Has any actor worn more masks than Tom Cruise?, What's the betting line on the crane fight?, Has Van typed 'precog' in porn search?, What memorabilia would you want? (wants the pre-crime screen, doesn't want the eyeballs)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:40:45Discussed Tom Cruise's mask usage across movies, thinks Irish guy (Farrell) would win crane fight at minus 310 odds over Cruise, wants the pre-crime screen for watching basketball analysis
Van Lathan▶ 1:40:09Howard Marx's wife did not deserve to die - calls the scene diabolical but says the answer is no

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:02Careful chief you dig up the past all you get is dirty

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:15Edge of Tomorrow — Edge of Tomorrow and North by Northwest

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:30Steve — Steve (unanimous agreement)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:44:07Agreed the movie is too long by about half an hour
Van Lathan▶ 1:45:12Discussed the problems with early 2000s CGI being worse than consistently bad effects

Movies Referenced (51)

Total Recall (1990)

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 49:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

8 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 26:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sinners (2025)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 1:12:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 1:14:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Just One of the Guys (1985)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 33:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Fugitive (1993)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 51:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chicago (2002)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 35:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Reacher (2012)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 26:21IMDb ↗Lb ↗

North by Northwest (1959)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 9:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

They Live (1988)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 48:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Matrix (1999)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (13)

David Fincher

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 6:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 2:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Nichols

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 42:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Binder

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tony Scott

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Unstoppable, True Romance▶ 22:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cameron Crowe

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky▶ 1:23:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Carpenter

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Dark Star, Halloween▶ 1:46:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Woo

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hard Boiled▶ 23:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 50:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Weir

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 47:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oliver Stone

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Born on the Fourth of July, Platoon, JFK▶ 23:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 1:23:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (21)

Tom Cruise

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Minority Report▶ 1:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Colin Farrell

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Lobster, In Bruges▶ 33:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A. Ross De St. Croix

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Nightmare Alley▶ 1:04:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 36:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matt Lauer

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 25:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steve Harris

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Rock▶ 1:20:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Bonds

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Rookie of the Year▶ 2:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chong Lee

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 48:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Howard Marks

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Javier Bardem

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Skyfall, No Country for Old Men▶ 1:19:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jenna Elfman

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Keeping the Faith, Friends with Benefits▶ 1:19:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joan Allen

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 50:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (3)

Philip K. Dick

5 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall▶ 9:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Scott Frank

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Logan, Out of Sight▶ 35:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Janusz Kaminski

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, Minority Report▶ 5:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗