‘Before Sunset’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Mallory Rubin
February 4, 2025 · Before Sunset (2004) · Drama · Romance · 1:46:39 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsDiscusses the idealism vs experience themes and calls it his second favorite movie sequel ever, but doesn't specify a most rewatchable scene▶ 19:48
Chris RyanReflects on character development between the films and how they change each other, but doesn't identify a specific most rewatchable scene▶ 20:31
Mallory RubinThe car scene where they're looking at each other and looking away, he tries to touch her hair but can't, then she reaches to cup the back of his head but can't▶ 17:32
Sean FennesseyDiscusses the character dynamics and seesaw experience between Jesse and Celine but doesn't specify a particular scene as most rewatchable▶ 18:36
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsThe divorce quote 'I would suffer all the torture to be there for all the minutes of his life' and the cat's performance despite not liking cats▶ 58:24
Chris RyanThe moment when Delpy's on the boat on the Seine and the wind blows her blouse up - 'the hottest anyone's ever looked'▶ 57:50
Mallory RubinThe focus on intimate body parts in their dialogue - touching ankles, scars, the red in his beard - these little pieces of each other▶ 58:11
Sean FennesseyThe primacy of bookstores and international book tours - these weren't common in 2004▶ 58:56
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsShe didn't go the extra mile to find him - by 2004 you could hunt someone down if it was true love▶ 1:05:31
Chris RyanThey could have done a slightly better job of trying to find each other - the lack of effort to reconnect after their missed connection▶ 1:05:01
Mallory RubinPointed out she didn't know his last name and questioned how many Jesses there are in Texas, suggesting the search would have been difficult▶ 1:05:59
Sean FennesseyDefended her position, noting she was busy and all-consumed, living in New York for four years▶ 1:05:51
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsWanting Delpy to take a couple more puffs from the cigarette - she takes one and then doesn't really smoke it▶ 1:06:08
Mallory RubinThe part where Jesse's daughter reminds him of the girl he loses his virginity to is a little weird and odd▶ 1:07:51
Picking Nits
Bill SimmonsJesse volunteering his second novel idea to strangers for workshopping - if you have an idea, the last thing you want to do is ask others what they think because they could steal it▶ 1:08:58
Chris RyanJesse fucks over his wife who's home with their five-year-old waiting for him to return from his book tour, and Celine fucks over her war photojournalist boyfriend who's probably in a war zone▶ 1:09:34
Mallory RubinThe movie makes you complicit in rooting for them to commit adultery - questioning whether it's okay to cheat on your spouse to find your first love again▶ 1:11:33
Sean FennesseyBoth things are true - you want to see them together but Jesse is clearly destroying his son Henry's life and psyche for the rest of his life▶ 1:11:41
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Mallory RubinCeline is a terrible cat mom for depositing her cat on the mean streets of Paris every morning to fend for himself▶ 1:11:52
Sean FennesseyThe car ride scene is one of the most electrifying scenes of the 2000s, on par with the truck flip in Dark Knight and the briefcase scene in Collateral▶ 1:13:06
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Chris RyanIs Philippe paid either way or is his job to get Jesse to the airport, and is he assassinated right after the fade out▶ 1:14:43
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsMentions Nina Simone collection recorded June 16th 1968 and says 'apex mountain hawk just' but statement is incomplete▶ 1:17:37
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsMovie gets Academy Award nomination; one continuity error where extra in red shirt disappears between camera angles during walk scene▶ 1:18:13
Chris RyanJogger in park scene wears Horace Pinker t-shirt (early 90s Arizona pop punk band); final scene was written at 3am the night before filming; 47-minute walk shown as 8 minutes in movie▶ 1:17:46
Sean FennesseyMovie is supposed to be near real-time, approximately 78-80 minutes with some cutting between cafe scenes▶ 1:19:37
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsCris Collinsworth — Lists multiple utility players including Wayne Jenkins, Tony Romo, Chris Collinsworth, and others; suggests Collinsworth doing sports commentary on Celine's waltz performance▶ 1:27:13
Chris RyanWayne Jenkins - does extended impression of Jenkins commenting on Jesse's auto-fiction writing and telling him to get back to his wife▶ 1:27:26
Mallory RubinJulie Delpy — Julie Delpy - argues she gets it for this movie in a split where Delpy gets Sunset, Hawke gets Midnight, and Linklater gets Sunrise▶ 1:27:37
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsSuggests the movie hinges on the waltz scene being good, but acknowledges it's tough to pick and almost can't choose between them▶ 1:39:47
Chris RyanEthan Hawke — Initially suggests Hawke won the first movie and Delpy this one, but then says he feels the opposite - watching Hawke through Delpy's eyes▶ 1:39:21
Movies Referenced (36)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before Sunrise (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin | ▶ 2:11 |
| Before Midnight (2013) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 12 | Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 9:41 |
| Sideways (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 25:49 |
| Casablanca (1942) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:19:08 |
| Finding Neverland (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 25:46 |
| Million Dollar Baby (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 25:45 |
| Nope (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:18:20 |
| The Aviator (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 25:46 |
| About Time (2013) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mallory Rubin | ▶ 54:43 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:03:07 |
| Jackie Brown (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 23:03 |
| Sunshine (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 26:27 |
Directors Referenced (3)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Linklater | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Before Midnight | ▶ 12:40 |
| Ben Limberg | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Mallory Rubin | ▶ 57:33 | |
| Paul Bellany | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Stardust | ▶ 0:05 |
Actors Referenced (11)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Delpy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Before Sunrise | ▶ 6:31 |
| Crazy Town | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Something's Gotta Give | ▶ 0:00 | |
| Ethan Hawke | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Chris Ryan | Training Day, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight | ▶ 4:05 |
| LeBron James | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 35:49 | |
| Luke Wilson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Mallory Rubin | Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums | ▶ 18:05 |
| Jenna Ortega | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:23:48 | |
| Jennifer Aniston | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | We're the Millers | ▶ 1:23:25 |
| Jennifer Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 1:24:04 | |
| Kate Winslet | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Revolutionary Road, Titanic | ▶ 26:26 |
| Nina Simone | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Point of No Return, Miami Vice | ▶ 49:14 |
| Thomas Hill | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 52:04 |