Home/Episodes/Crazy, Stupid, Love.

‘Crazy, Stupid, Love’ With Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Mina Kimes

February 24, 2026 · Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011) · Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1:55:33 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill SimmonsEarly 2000s Emma Stone (EZA, Crazy Stupid Love, Superbad era) was like seeing a great lottery pick - comparable to seeing Mahomes early or LeBron in '05, where you could tell we were going to go on a ride▶ 24:19
Mina KimesRyan Gosling and Emma Stone's chemistry in Crazy Stupid Love is so much better than La La Land, and the romantic scene in this movie is better than any scene in La La Land▶ 17:57

Horlbeck Runtime Scale

Bill SimmonsPlus 8 minutes (could cut out 10 minutes from the plus 18)▶ 34:48

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill SimmonsMultiple scenes including the opening scene where Emily asks for a divorce and Cal jumps out of the car, Jacob meets Hannah and her friend at the bar, the shopping montage, and several other scenes throughout the movie▶ 36:12
Mina KimesAgrees the shopping montage is one of the three best scenes in the movie because it's funny and the makeover transformation is so effective▶ 40:10
Van LathanDiscusses the Jacob meets Hannah scene, emphasizing how it establishes Jacob's character when she rejects him 50 times but doesn't pierce his confidence, and praises the shopping montage as effective▶ 36:49

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill SimmonsHannah goes back to Jacob's place - the courting scene with dirty dancing transitioning to the bedroom▶ 44:36
Mina KimesThe entire sequence of her going back in the rain to the bar, picking him up, going back to the house, transitioning from dirty dancing to the bedroom▶ 45:50
Van LathanHannah goes back to Jacob's place - the scene where they keep surprising each other and get to know each other with defenses down▶ 45:03

What's Aged the Best

Bill SimmonsKevin Bacon as a romantic antagonist - praising his ability to play the smarmy scumbag role▶ 58:40
Mina KimesThe jokes in the movie generally have aged really well, including side comments and physical comedy moments▶ 59:05
Van LathanThe Westfield Century City Mall - calls it 'maybe one of the things that's aged the best of anything in my entire Rewatchables career' and 'the term cuckold'▶ 55:50

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill SimmonsWhen Steve Carell and Julianne Moore are sitting in chairs far apart with a chair between them▶ 59:44

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmonsvodka cranberries▶ 59:56
Mina Kimesdiscussed the vodka cran scene with Ryan Gosling drinking with a straw and how the movie taught life lessons about men not using straws or drinking girl cocktails▶ 1:00:17
Van Lathandiscussed how the movie makes you want to go to LA bars because they look elegant, clean, and cool▶ 1:00:00

Is There a Better Title?

Mina KimesHow to Pick Up Women▶ 1:07:25
Van LathanDefends the original title, explaining it tracks the narrative arc of the movie (crazy, then stupid, then love)▶ 1:06:26

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill SimmonsThe bar scenes - specifically that Hannah would never run into her dad at the same bar, and that Ryan Gosling goes to the same bar every night▶ 1:08:04
Mina KimesThe unrealistic bar dynamic where 20-somethings and 40-somethings both go to the same bar to pick people up▶ 1:08:45
Van LathanThe same bar issue - that Ryan Gosling goes to the same bar four nights a week and everyone uses the same bar▶ 1:08:34

What's Aged the Worst

Bill SimmonsAll the babysitter stuff - it just wouldn't fly now, especially giving the photos to the eighth grader at the end▶ 1:11:26
Mina KimesPickup culture at bars generally is just not what it was in 2011▶ 1:13:35
Van LathanYoung people being interested in having sex with other people and willing to talk to them to make it happen - the whole pickup culture at bars▶ 1:12:55

Dion Waiters Award

Apex Mountain

Bill SimmonsRyan GoslingRyan Gosling - La La Land; Emma Stone - La La Land; Julianne Moore - late 90s post Boogie Nights; Steve Carell - mid 2000s with The Office, Little Miss Sunshine, 40 Year Old Virgin and Anchorman; Singles bars in 21st century movies - yes; Dirty dancing homages - yes; Century City Mall - right now (2026)▶ 1:32:03
Mina KimesRyan GoslingMentioned Ken and Barbie for Gosling where he was nominated and sings, called it tough to decide; discussed their on-screen chemistry; agreed Century City Mall keeps getting better▶ 1:31:47
Van LathanRyan GoslingRyan Gosling - La La Land, but acknowledges the combination of this movie and Drive is pretty good; Steve Carell - mid 2000s period when he got Oscar nomination for Little Miss Sunshine▶ 1:32:11

Hanks or Cruise

Bill SimmonsTom CruiseInitially said Hanks clearly, but after discussion settled on Cruise as Gosling and Hanks as Carell▶ 1:35:35
Mina KimesTom CruiseYoung Cruise (like cocktail Cruise) as Gosling would have been great▶ 1:35:10
Van LathanTom CruiseCruise as Gosling - he could have definitely pulled that off▶ 1:35:25

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill SimmonsWas the babysitter eventually arrested? What was Jacob's job?▶ 1:41:56
Mina KimesAges in the movie are confusing - they compressed all ages to make the plot work, with characters' stated ages not matching actors' apparent ages▶ 1:42:06
Van LathanAgreed that ages were problematic and compared it to inappropriate age dynamics in 80s movies that we now know were wrong▶ 1:43:05

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill SimmonsStraws are phallic▶ 1:46:18
Van LathanThe scene where Cal is told the meanest thing - that his wife cheated on him because he lost sight of what it took to keep her content as a man, husband, and lover▶ 1:46:24

Best Double Feature

Bill SimmonsFocusFocus because the movies complement each other with the same director▶ 1:47:49
Mina KimesLa La LandThis movie paired with La La Land to compare Gosling and Stone's chemistry▶ 1:46:55

Who Won the Movie

Bill SimmonsRyan GoslingGosling - 'It's his movie' and 'he wins almost every movie he's in'▶ 1:49:33
Mina KimesRyan GoslingGosling - agreed with the consensus▶ 1:49:32
Van LathanRyan GoslingGosling - agreed with the consensus▶ 1:49:32

Movies Referenced (60)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
La La Land (2016)IMDb ↗Lb ↗16Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Van Lathan▶ 17:34
Pretty Woman (1990)IMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Van Lathan▶ 25:12
Dirty Dancing (1987)IMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Mina Kimes▶ 20:11
Barbie (2023)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Van Lathan, Mina Kimes, Bill Simmons▶ 16:25
Superbad (2007)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 18:45
Hitch (2005)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:04
Zombieland (2009)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Mina Kimes, Van Lathan▶ 19:56
Fight Club (1999)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Van Lathan▶ 1:16:55
Get Smart (2008)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 8:17
Lady Bird (2017)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 36:18
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 8:09
Moneyball (2011)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons▶ 1:41:14

Directors Referenced (5)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
George ClooneyIMDb ↗Lb ↗10Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Van LathanThe Ides of March, Michael Clayton▶ 12:32
Tom BradyIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Bill Simmons, Mina Kimes, Van LathanThe Hot Chick▶ 21:38
Ben AffleckIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Mina Kimes, Bill SimmonsArgo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 1:26:58
John HughesIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Van LathanPlanes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club▶ 1:43:19
Kim FieldsIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Van Lathan▶ 1:20:39

Actors Referenced (71)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Ryan GoslingIMDb ↗Lb ↗46Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Mina KimesBlue Valentine, La La Land▶ 7:07
Steve CarellIMDb ↗Lb ↗34Van Lathan, Mina Kimes, Bill SimmonsThe 40-Year-Old Virgin▶ 5:44
Meryl StreepIMDb ↗Lb ↗12Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Mina KimesOut of Africa▶ 19:18
Anon MallIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 55:54
Julianne MooreIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Mina KimesFar from Heaven, Boogie Nights, Magnolia▶ 7:04
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Mina Kimes, Van Lathan, Bill SimmonsTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 25:28
Will SmithIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Van Lathan, Bill Simmons, Mina KimesMen in Black, I Am Legend▶ 49:22
Billy Dee WilliamsIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Van Lathan, Bill SimmonsStar Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi▶ 1:18:27
Daryl HannahIMDb ↗Lb ↗7Van Lathan, Bill SimmonsWall Street, Kill Bill: Vol. 1▶ 6:24
Andrew WestfieldIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 55:53
Kevin BaconIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Mina KimesFootloose, Hollow Man▶ 41:23
Real LifeIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 8:17

Writers Referenced (5)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Dan FogelmanIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 6:37
Kurt WarnerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 1:20:08
Michael DinnerIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 8:17
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 34:57
Taylor SheridanIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Van LathanHell or High Water, Wind River▶ 33:25

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 1:09:52
Michael ScottIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Mina KimesSpeed, Twister, Donnie Darko▶ 12:32