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‘Rachel Getting Married’ With Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, and Wesley Morris

February 8, 2022 · Rachel Getting Married (2008) · Drama · Romance · 1:37:05

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 19:39Anne Hathaway's Oscar speech was not their favorite even though they love her, and questions her win for Les Miserables
Bill Simmons▶ 16:54Anne Hathaway peaked in 2008 and he doesn't love where her career ended up, similar to his feelings about Gwyneth Paltrow
Wesley Morris▶ 17:19There's active contempt for actors who want it too much, and Anne Hathaway wants it more than Gwyneth Paltrow without having a plan B. Her theater kid eagerness never recedes into character

Most Rewatchable Scene

Amanda Dobbins▶ 56:21Engages with discussion of multiple scenes, particularly noting the believably uncomfortable nature of the rehearsal dinner speech and relating it to real wedding experiences.
Bill Simmons▶ 51:34Lists multiple nominees including Kim finding out she's not maid of honor, the rehearsal dinner speeches, post-rehearsal group fight ending with pregnancy reveal, and the dishwasher scene. Mentions there's 'a clear winner' but doesn't definitively state which one.
Wesley Morris▶ 55:21Discusses the rehearsal dinner speeches extensively, noting how uncomfortable and dreading the speech scene was, but acknowledges it's not as bad upon rewatch.

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:20Paul Thomas Anderson — Paul Thomas Anderson was originally offered the role of Sidney (played by the guy from TV on the Radio), but couldn't do it due to post-production work on There Will Be Blood
Wesley Morris▶ 1:14:02Holly Hunter — Discussed various actresses like Holly Hunter, Catherine Hepburn, Kathleen Turner as casting what-ifs, and noted that Paul Thomas Anderson casting would have changed the movie significantly

Joey Pants Award

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:16:16Mather Zickel — Agrees Matthew Zickel is good in the movie, was saving him for another category
Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:55Mather Zickel — Matthew Zickel (the best man who has sex with Anne Hathaway's character)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:57Debra Winger — Debra Winger (in three scenes), with honorable mention to Sebastian Stan

Apex Mountain

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:25:40Father of the Bride — Discussed wedding movies Mount Rushmore (Father of the Bride, Four Weddings and a Funeral, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Godfather opening)
Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:14Anne Hathaway — Yes for Anne Hathaway, Yes for Rosemary DeWitt, No for Jonathan Demme, No for wedding movies, Yes for Bill Irwin
Wesley Morris▶ 1:26:08Bill Irwin — Questioned Bill Irwin being at Apex Mountain, asking what his best work would be if not this

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:28:42Why Rachel, who is getting her PhD in psychology, didn't use her expertise to better handle Kim's return - like anticipating that the maid of honor situation would set Kim off or creating a better environment for someone in recovery
Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:05How many years between Ethan's death and present day (determined to be 10 years since Kim was 16 then and is 25-26 now); wanted more info about what happened after the accident - whether Kim was arrested, what the immediate aftermath was

Who Won the Movie

Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:34:29Anne Hathaway
Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:54Anne Hathaway
Wesley Morris▶ 1:35:23Rosemarie DeWitt — Rosemary DeWitt

Movies Referenced (36)

Philadelphia (1993)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Amanda Dobbins▶ 21:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

A League of Their Own (1992)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Something Wild (1986)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Amanda Dobbins▶ 21:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Married to the Mob (1988)

4 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 21:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Reader (2008)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins▶ 37:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Broadcast News (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fargo (1996)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 20:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fatal Attraction (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Father of the Bride (1991)

2 mentions · Wesley Morris, Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:17:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Clayton (2007)

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins▶ 1:19:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ordinary People (1980)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris▶ 1:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (9)

Jonathan Demme

18 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married▶ 5:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Schickel

4 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 28:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Fosse

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for All That Jazz▶ 28:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Corman

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Apollo 13, Little Shop of Horrors▶ 21:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sidney Lumet

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 38:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Paul Thomas Anderson

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood▶ 30:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Altman

2 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Gosford Park▶ 9:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ron Howard

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 1:36:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ben Affleck

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 1:16:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (51)

Anne Hathaway

34 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Amanda Dobbins · Known for The Dark Knight Rises, Rachel Getting Married▶ 7:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Debra Winger

21 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Wesley Morris · Known for Terms of Endearment, An Officer and a Gentleman, Rachel Getting Married▶ 15:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bill Irwin

17 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Rachel Getting Married, Interstellar, How the Grinch Stole Christmas▶ 11:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kate Winslet

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road, Titanic▶ 37:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Oprah Winfrey

7 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for The Color Purple▶ 24:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gwyneth Paltrow

6 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Shakespeare in Love, Sliding Doors▶ 16:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sally Field

5 mentions · Wesley Morris, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Lincoln, Forrest Gump, Steel Magnolias▶ 19:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sarah Paulson

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris · Known for 12 Years a Slave▶ 1:18:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Anthony Hopkins

3 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for The Silence of the Lambs▶ 1:15:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meryl Streep

3 mentions · Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons · Known for Out of Africa▶ 26:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Adam Maid

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins · Known for Rio 2▶ 1:12:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Heath Ledger

2 mentions · Amanda Dobbins · Known for Brokeback Mountain, The Dark Knight, A Knight's Tale▶ 37:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Jenny Lumet

7 mentions · Wesley Morris, Bill Simmons · Known for Rachel Getting Married▶ 5:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nancy Meyers

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for It's Complicated, Something's Gotta Give, Private Benjamin▶ 1:11:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Toni Morrison

2 mentions · Wesley Morris▶ 24:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harvey Weinstein

1 mentions · Wesley Morris · Known for Shakespeare in Love, The Hateful Eight▶ 17:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Morwood

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 1:18:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Robert Barcelona

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Elysium, Venom, Jurassic World▶ 1:04:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗