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‘What About Bob?’ With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Van Lathan

May 4, 2021 · What About Bob? (1991) · Comedy · 1:22:43

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 28:34The first therapy scene with Murray and Dreyfuss ('what if my heart stops beating'), Bob waiting for the doctor to call in the diner when the Gutmans appear, and Bob sailing

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 30:52Catherine Keener's character age inconsistency - she's 26 playing a teenager who's supposed to be around 16-17
Sean Fennessey▶ 31:02Catherine Keener looks too old to be a teenager - Julie Hagerty is only 10 years older, making the family dynamic weird

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 37:00The scene where Dreyfuss gets the call about Bob's alleged suicide and casually says 'Let's not let it spoil our vacation'; the title drop moments; Dr. Marvin's 80s Wagoneer; Dreyfuss's summer vacation outfits; the 'Don't Hassle Me I'm Local' t-shirt; and Family Conference scenes
Sean Fennessey▶ 38:52Julie Haggerty as a comic genius and consistent comedy presence; the mainstream American comedy format with movie stars that's high concept but accessible
Van Lathan▶ 39:23Julie Haggerty's performance and her role as the person who tolerates Dr. Marvin; discusses how the movie's commentary on psychiatry reflects societal attitudes of the time

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 50:26Woody Allen — Presents the what-ifs: Woody Allen approached for Dr. Leo Marvin (broke his brain, doesn't know what movie it would be), Patrick Stewart also approached (different movie, doesn't think it works), Robin Williams first choice for Bob (acknowledges Williams was bigger star than Murray 1987-1993)
Sean Fennessey▶ 50:53Woody Allen — Understands the Woody Allen logic since he introduced analyst themes to American movies and had been going to analysis for years, so having him play the therapist made sense conceptually
Van Lathan▶ 50:47Woody Allen — Woody Allen as Dr. Marvin would be 'fucking horrible' and 'a bad idea' - too much neurosis on screen. Could see Robin Williams as Bob and acknowledges Williams' massive star power during that era

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 51:56Kathryn Erbe — Initially suggested Catherine Irby but retracted after learning she was a Law & Order star; then mentioned the telephone operator but seemed uncertain
Sean Fennessey▶ 53:07Tom Aldredge — Suggested Tom Aldridge (Mr. Gutman/Mrs. Soprano's father) and Charlie Korsmo, though there was debate about whether Korsmo qualifies
Van Lathan▶ 52:37Reg E. Cathey — Tommy Carcetti's guy from The Wire (who also played Querns on Oz)

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 56:49The Gutmans (diner owners) - co-winners

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:30House explosion used 3/4 scale model; Spielberg spent $250k campaigning for Murray Oscar nomination; Murray-Dreyfuss tension details; Charlie Korsmo's post-acting academic career (MIT physics, Yale Law, now law professor); vacation house filmed at Smith Mountain Lake
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:01:57Commented on Murray's lack of Oscar recognition despite being a key movie figure for 30 years; found Murray's 'you are tolerated' insult to Dreyfuss hilarious; called Korsmo a 'legend in two games'
Van Lathan▶ 1:05:23Focused on critiquing Dreyfuss's detailed description of the ashtray incident as pretentious ('modern glass blown ashtray screams Hollywood L.A. dickhead'); expressed amazement at Charlie Korsmo's MIT/Yale credentials

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:37Charlie Korsmo — Bill Murray: No, Dreyfus: No, Charlie Korsmo: Yes (as an actor), Julie Hagerty: No, Good Morning America: Yes
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:09:49Charlie Korsmo — Charlie Korsmo - notes that receiving an award from Barack Obama is probably higher than his acting peak
Van Lathan▶ 1:10:15Good Morning America - agrees it could be apex because Joan Lunden was such an indelible part of the 80s

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:15:53Was Leo a murderer/should he have gotten jail for attempted murder? Yes. Why wasn't there a sequel? Stars hated each other. Sequel idea: Leo's dead, Bob becomes Dr. Phil-like figure. Memorabilia: Don't Hassle Me I'm Local t-shirt
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:26Stars hated each other (why no sequel). Dreyfuss sued Disney for royalties. Memorabilia: the Wagoneer car and the Lake Winnipesaukee house
Van Lathan▶ 1:16:35Sequel would be like Analyze That/Meet the Fockers. Wants the puppets as memorabilia

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:46Bill Murray
Van Lathan▶ 1:20:51Bill Murray — Bill Murray (described as unanimous like Steph Curry 2017 MVP)

Movies Referenced (43)

Analyze This (1999)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 16:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghostbusters (1984)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Hood (2010)

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 13:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

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

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 53:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 24:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Good Will Hunting (1997)

3 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 16:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jaws (1975)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 23:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ordinary People (1980)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons▶ 16:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cape Fear (1991)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

City Slickers (1991)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 13:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Groundhog Day (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (10)

Kevin Costner

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 13:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Colorado

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hancock▶ 28:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Steven Spielberg

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Schindler's List, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Saving Private Ryan▶ 23:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Woody Allen

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry▶ 50:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Levinson

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Rain Man, Wag the Dog▶ 1:02:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kosta Jokic

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 56:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sean Penn

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Mystic River, 21 Grams, Dead Man Walking▶ 1:04:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sofia Coppola

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Heaven Can Wait▶ 1:02:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Wes Anderson

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Royal Tenenbaums, Isle of Dogs▶ 8:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (58)

Bill Murray

53 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey · Known for Lost in Translation, Rushmore, Moonrise Kingdom▶ 1:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Dreyfuss

26 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Mr. Holland's Opus▶ 8:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlie Korsmo

9 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Hook, Dick Tracy, Can't Hardly Wait▶ 53:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Hart

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Central Intelligence▶ 59:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sanaa Lathan

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Love & Basketball▶ 1:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Frank Oz

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 18:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Phil Hartman

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Sean Fennessey · Known for So I Married an Axe Murderer, Jingle All the Way▶ 9:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Muppets

7 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan▶ 55:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Will Ferrell

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory▶ 8:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Macaulay Culkin

5 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Home Alone, The Good Son▶ 54:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sterling K. Brown

5 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Black Panther, American Fiction▶ 58:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robin Williams

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Van Lathan · Known for Mrs. Doubtfire▶ 12:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (7)

Alvin Sargent

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Ordinary People, Paper Moon▶ 49:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Addams

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Addams Family▶ 13:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harold Ramis

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Stripes▶ 18:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Toback

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for The Gambler▶ 1:03:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kenneth Lonergan

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Manchester by the Sea, You Can Count on Me▶ 18:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neil Simon

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Odd Couple, The Goodbye Girl▶ 25:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 26:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

Barry Ackroyd

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, United 93▶ 6:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Ballhaus

1 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Goodfellas, Dracula▶ 36:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗