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‘The Verdict’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey

December 13, 2022 · The Verdict (1982) · Drama · 1:58:09

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Half-Assed Internet Research

Chris Ryan▶ 5:54Sidney Lumet director quote from behind-the-scenes video on YouTube: 'the case only serves as an instrument by which a man saves himself'
Sean Fennessey▶ 9:47Newman was 56 when they filmed this movie, Tom Cruise is currently 60

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 52:29The opening credits scene with Paul Newman drinking and playing pinball, and Frank goes to see the Cardinal scene where he realizes how neatly three goes into 210
Chris Ryan▶ 54:24James Mason exposition scene where he's talking to the 20 people, laying out the entire situation
Sean Fennessey▶ 53:29The opening scene with Newman looking at the newspaper, circling things, with the shot glass and his hand shaking - shows everything about who this person is

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:27The judge with the eggs and the chowder scene
Chris Ryan▶ 1:11:31Discussed Charlotte Rampling drinking Bushmills and smoking cigarettes in the bar scene
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:08:33Agreed the judge sipping clam chowder was disgusting but didn't offer alternative pick

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:18:57The Polaroid developing shot - 25 seconds of watching the photo develop, representing the character getting clarity

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:19Suggested the bar, courthouse, or hospital - noted the courthouse is 'fucking cool'
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:24Hospital - specifically the halls where he's walking with Gruber and the doctor's lounge

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:10Deborah's sister (Roxanne Hart) - called her performance 'just a debacle as an actor' and compared her to 'somebody from TV movie of the week in 1976'

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:57You want to be a failure, do it somewhere else. I can't invest in failure.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:26:09Multiple quotes including 'He's a good man. He's the prince of fucking darkness. He'll have people testifying they saw her water skiing and marble. Now look, Frank, don't fuck with this case' and James Mason's 'Welcome back' line

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:29:00Joanna Merlin — Nurse Rooney
Chris Ryan▶ 1:29:01Joanna Merlin — Nurse Rooney (agreed with another host)
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:29:29Milo O'Shea — Suggested Milo O'Shea, saying 'He's basically acting like a Muppet on the show'

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:29Glenn Close — Glenn Close should replace Debra Ann Kaye's sister character

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:34:34Jack Warden — Newman: no; Jack Warden: Shampoo (1975) leading to his great era 75-82; Mamet: Glengarry Glen Ross; Lindsay Crouse: this movie (The Verdict); Boston Movies: Good Will Hunting
Chris Ryan▶ 1:35:23Charlotte Rampling — Lindsay Crouse: House of Games (though notes she made dozens of international films); Charlotte Rampling: this movie was 'a comet screaming across the sky' though The Night Porter is her best-known international film; Trial Movies: leans toward A Few Good Men
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:34:53Sidney Lumet — Sidney Lumet: Network (most juice and major category nominations); Trial Movies: discusses A Few Good Men and 12 Angry Men but doesn't definitively pick one

Racehorse Name Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:09Go get me some cigarettes

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:45:04Wayne Jenkins, Danny Trejo, Catherine Hahn, Steve Buscemi, Sam Jackson, JT Walsh, or Philip Baker Hall
Chris Ryan▶ 1:45:12Philip Baker Hall

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:54:40Initially jokes with 'Counter the first offer' and 'pay off all the witnesses', then settles on 'don't give up' as the real life lesson from the movie's monologue
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:54:38Maybe you can do something right

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:54:45Paul Newman — Newman won the movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:54:48Mentioned Mason and Rampling as possibilities but didn't commit to either

Movies Referenced (51)

Gandhi (1982)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 32:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 16:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

12 Angry Men (1957)

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 43:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 3:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Town (2010)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All the President's Men (1976)

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 26:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Swimming Pool (2003)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 1:14:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Goodfellas (1990)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:37:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Man on Fire (2004)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 45:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Departed (2006)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 3:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Sting (1973)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Avatar (2009)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 52:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Sidney Lumet

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for 12 Angry Men▶ 5:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 26:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Brown

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for The Player, Cocoon, Deep Impact▶ 21:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 19:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 1:51:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Brady

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Hot Chick▶ 1:04:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 44:32IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 1:12:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (53)

Paul Newman

84 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for Road to Perdition, The Verdict▶ 2:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Redford

35 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 16:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Mason

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for North by Northwest▶ 6:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jack Warden

20 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping▶ 6:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlotte Rampling

12 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Swimming Pool▶ 7:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Milo O'Shea

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Verdict▶ 56:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Sinatra

8 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for From Here to Eternity▶ 1:16:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meryl Streep

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Out of Africa▶ 33:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Denzel Washington

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 27:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Willis

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction▶ 1:15:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Crazy Town

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Something's Gotta Give, Saving Silverman, Orange County▶ 3:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dustin Hoffman

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Rain Man, Tootsie, Midnight Cowboy▶ 32:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

David Mamet

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan · Known for The Spanish Prisoner, House of Games▶ 20:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 31:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bob Woodward

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for All the President's Men▶ 26:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Schlitz

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Notting Hill, It Could Happen to You, King Richard▶ 53:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Donahue

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for A Bug's Life▶ 56:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Other Guys▶ 1:00:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗