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'And Justice For All' With Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, and Wesley Morris
July 21, 2023 · And Justice for All (1979) · Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1:55:24 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Hall of Fame Plaque
Bill SimmonsDiscusses 1979 as 'one of the Hall of Fame years' and emphasizes Pacino as 'one of the most important actors of the 70s, in the running for one of the most important actors of the last 50 years'▶ 3:46
Sean FennesseyLists the incredible 1979 film lineup including Apocalypse Now, Manhattan, Alien, Kramer vs. Kramer and calls it 'a special time' and describes the film as 'a major bridge movie' in Pacino's career▶ 3:54
Wesley MorrisEmphasizes the movie's genius and unpredictability, stating 'I just can't believe how good this movie is' and discusses its relevance to contemporary issues about truth-telling and systemic corruption▶ 5:52
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes: opening sequence with Pacino in jail, Pacino-Christine Lahti flirting/Chinese food date, Tambor laughing scene about rape charge, helicopter scene, plate throwing scene with Tambor, Arthur attacking the car scene, Fleming's photos, Fleming admitting guilt▶ 44:50
Sean FennesseyArthur attacking the car scene as pivotal moment where Pacino becomes the shouting actor he's known for, plus discussion of Pacino-Strasberg scenes and helicopter sequences▶ 52:28
Wesley MorrisPlate throwing scene analyzing the metaphor of 'plate spinning' as lawyer juggling cases, Arthur's car attack scene for its moral breakdown, and Fleming confession scene as commentary on white male entitlement▶ 50:43
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsLate 70s soundtracks with swervy saxophones and congo beats; Pacino ad-libbing anecdote and Strasberg's advice; Barry Levinson's first Baltimore movie connecting to The Wire; trans representation handled with dignity for 1979; Jeffrey Tambor and Christine Lahti's first movies▶ 1:02:35
Sean FennesseyTrans character having dignity and perspective; the movie's commentary on wasting time on petty crimes in the justice system; Jeffrey Tambor and Christine Lahti's debuts plus Craig T. Nelson's first movie; Al Pacino's riveting jury performance vs Craig T. Nelson's poor opening statement▶ 1:03:19
Wesley MorrisTrans character representation working because Arthur believes in their humanity; the movie being a good jury movie; the jury being riveted by Al Pacino's amazing acting▶ 1:03:24
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsThe judge tells him 'I did it' - questions the realism of the bad guy confessing at the end▶ 1:08:58
Sean FennesseyEngages with Bill's theory about the mistrial but focuses more on defending the movie's structure rather than identifying weak elements▶ 1:09:37
Wesley MorrisDiscusses the judge's confession as a power play but doesn't seem to view it as the weakest element; mentions Christine Lahti's lawyer character who 'stands for nothing'▶ 1:09:24
Movies Referenced (33)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Judge (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 19:44 |
| A Few Good Men (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | ▶ 58:02 |
| A Time to Kill (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 19:17 |
| Charlie's Angels (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 31:20 |
| In the Heat of the Night (1967) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 36:34 |
| Primal Fear (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | ▶ 2:01 |
| The Godfather (1972) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:16 |
| All the President's Men (1976) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:51 |
| Dog Day Afternoon (1975) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 6:43 |
| Fiddler on the Roof (1971) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 36:34 |
| Raging Bull (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris | ▶ 41:50 |
| The Prestige (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | ▶ 0:00 |
Directors Referenced (4)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Levinson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | Rain Man, Wag the Dog | ▶ 5:33 |
| Mike Nichols | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | The Graduate | ▶ 36:24 |
| Norman Jewison | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | In the Heat of the Night, Moonstruck | ▶ 5:36 |
| Leslie Libman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | ▶ 0:00 |
Actors Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Pacino | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Wesley Morris | Dog Day Afternoon, The Godfather | ▶ 4:18 |
| Jack Warden | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris | 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping | ▶ 19:33 |
| Lee Strasberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey | The Godfather Part II, And Justice for All | ▶ 46:22 |
| Alan Arkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Argo, Little Miss Sunshine, Glengarry Glen Ross | ▶ 37:06 |
| Bruce Willis | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | Die Hard, Pulp Fiction | ▶ 1:12:27 |
| Elando Baltimore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 14:03 | |
| Lorry Ayers | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Wesley Morris | Orphan | ▶ 57:14 |
| Michael Jordan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Space Jam, He Got Game | ▶ 1:11:59 |
| Michael Keaton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Spotlight, The Founder | ▶ 45:31 |
Writers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Carrington | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 32:10 |