‘Before Sunrise’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey
January 28, 2025 · Before Sunrise (1995) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:47:13 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsNothing has aged poorly - the movie achieved perfection for what it was trying to do▶ 4:12
Chris RyanAgrees nothing has aged poorly, emphasizing how the movie serves as a perfect time capsule of pre-internet connection and communication▶ 5:15
Sean FennesseyAgrees the movie hasn't aged poorly, noting it represents the best version of the 90s independent cinema hangout movie subgenre▶ 6:35
Most Rewatchable Scene
Chris RyanContributes to discussion of various scenes but doesn't pick a definitive most rewatchable scene▶ 43:54
Sean FennesseyDiscusses multiple scenes including the listening booth scene, agrees with its significance but doesn't declare a single winner▶ 44:48
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsIf there's any magic in this world, it must be in the attempt of understanding someone.▶ 58:05
Sean FennesseyAgreed with Bill's quote choice and praised it as showing the wisdom of Linklater, calling the line 'insane' and noting that every person can understand where it's coming from▶ 57:57
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhy aren't the characters smoking cigarettes, especially given the 1994-95 era when at least one if not both would definitely be smoking▶ 1:03:28
Chris RyanSuggests Ethan Hawke probably actually smoked back then, so it wouldn't be about avoiding fake cigarettes▶ 1:03:22
What's Aged the Best
Sean FennesseyThe absence of smoking in the movie, making it feel more modern since smoking is no longer common in films▶ 1:03:42
Movies Referenced (23)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyhood (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 28:17 |
| Halloween (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 52:01 |
| Troy (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 10:51 |
| Say Anything (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 32:02 |
| The Third Man (1949) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 59:24 |
| Training Day (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 27:22 |
| Almost Famous (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:46 |
| Big Eyes (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:46 |
| Billy Madison (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 36:43 |
| Clerks (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 24:45 |
| Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 53:05 |
| Dazed and Confused (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 5:38 |
Directors Referenced (10)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Linklater | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 17 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Before Midnight | ▶ 3:27 |
| John Carpenter | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Halloween | ▶ 52:01 |
| Cameron Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky | ▶ 14:45 |
| Dead or Alive | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The A-Team | ▶ 32:42 |
| Larry Clark | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:08 | |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 58:39 |
| Michelangelo Antonioni | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 52:37 | |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Stardust | ▶ 0:05 |
| Peter Weir | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Way Back, Witness | ▶ 33:02 |
| Todd Haynes | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Far from Heaven, I'm Not There | ▶ 34:15 |
Actors Referenced (24)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Hawke | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight | ▶ 3:27 |
| Julie Delpy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Before Sunrise | ▶ 3:27 |
| Crazy Town | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Something's Gotta Give | ▶ 0:00 |
| Castle Rock | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 3:27 | |
| Jane's Addiction | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Natural Born Killers, Gone in 60 Seconds | ▶ 34:15 |
| Mike Lee | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 11:31 | |
| Robert De Niro | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Cape Fear, Raging Bull, Taxi Driver | ▶ 45:28 |
| Screaming Trees | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | True Lies, The River Wild, Singles | ▶ 6:07 |
| Bridget Fonda | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Point of No Return | ▶ 45:28 |
| Cold War Kids | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 34:08 | |
| Daniel Craig | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | No Time to Die, Casino Royale, Skyfall | ▶ 51:26 |
| Demi Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Striptease, Indecent Proposal | ▶ 2:04 |
Writers Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Joyce | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 57:31 | |
| Kim Krizan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Dazed and Confused, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset | ▶ 33:37 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 35:33 |