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'Gone Girl’ With Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Mallory Rubin, and Sean Fennessey

August 13, 2019 · Gone Girl (2014) · Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 1:43:45 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 5:24Jon Hamm — Jon Hamm was originally cast but couldn't do it due to Mad Men contract; thinks Hamm would have been good but loves that Affleck did it at this point in his career comeback
Bill Simmons▶ 18:09Runs the list of actresses considered for Amy — Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Emily Blunt, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, and (weirdest) Julianne Hough — and argues star baggage would have hurt: Fincher's 'Faye Dunaway in Chinatown' criterion leading to the unreadable Rosamund Pike was the right call ('the natural move would have just been to get Charlize... I don't know how many directors would have seen that').
Mallory Rubin▶ 6:19Jon Hamm — Against Jon Hamm casting - questions whether he could have done the nude scene and thinks he lacks the right qualities for the role
Mallory Rubin▶ 22:56Adds the casting nugget that Fincher wanted Affleck 'because of the way he smiles in pictures'; otherwise discusses the media/identity themes rather than alternate casting.
Sean Fennessey▶ 7:31Jon Hamm — Thinks Hamm would have made a good movie but the relationship audiences have with Affleck as a public person was better suited for the role than our relationship with Hamm as Don Draper
Sean Fennessey▶ 18:16'Charlize would have been good,' but endorses the Pike pick as classic Fincher eye for on-the-cusp talent (Pitt in Seven, Rooney Mara in The Social Network, Mahershala Ali and Taraji Henson in Benjamin Button); notes her biggest prior role was Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice, similarly closed-off and shaded.
Shea Serrano▶ 6:33Jon Hamm — Against Jon Hamm - believes the role needs innate likability and Hamm doesn't possess the right skill set, though loves him in other movies like The Town
Shea Serrano▶ 19:29For Amy 'you need somebody you've never seen before — it just makes it scarier,' while the Ben Affleck role needed someone you implicitly root for.

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 15:22Shares extensive research on casting alternatives (Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Emily Blunt, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Julianne Hough), Fincher's reasoning for choosing Rosamund Pike (wanted Faye Dunaway-type persona, liked that she was unreadable), Pike's inspirations (Nicole Kidman in To Die For, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy), and Fincher's description of Ben Affleck's character as someone steamrolled by public perception
Sean Fennessey▶ 16:34Agrees Charlize would have been good for Amy, notes Fincher's eye for unproven talent (Pitt in Seven, Eisenberg in Social Network), identifies Pike's biggest prior role as Pride and Prejudice and notes the book connection in the movie
Shea Serrano▶ 16:13Agrees Reese Witherspoon couldn't go 'dead eyed enough' for Amy role and that having an unknown actress makes the role scarier

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 31:49Multiple scenes: when Affleck comes home and discovers Amy's missing and calls police, the outdoor Amy rally with protesters, and the big reveal scene with Amy's 'I am so much happier now that I'm dead' monologue
Mallory Rubin▶ 32:57Focuses on the investigation scene where Rhonda Boney examines the crime scene, especially her attention to details like the iron and blood spatter
Sean Fennessey▶ 32:34Agrees with Bill's picks, particularly praising the discovery scene and the Amy rally scene with its cinematography and staging

Picking Nits

Mallory Rubin▶ 57:54Amy should have put on a Cardinals hat instead of a Mets hat since he's wearing a Cardinals shirt in half the movie - doesn't make sense
Sean Fennessey▶ 56:24Discussed the complex commentary on believing women survivors and FBI handling of trauma cases, noting it's fraught and complicated for what is otherwise a fun movie
Shea Serrano▶ 55:19Disagreed that Amy was sloppy in the end - argued she came up with an instant plan showing how dangerous she could be

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 59:43The big twist in the middle has aged the worst because it was shocking in theaters but now you know it's coming and can't recapture that surprise on repeat viewings

What's Aged the Best

Mallory Rubin▶ 1:00:07The rewatchability and ability to appreciate new details on repeat viewings, like reading Harry Potter for the 947th time

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:08:08Missi Pyle — Initially suggests Patrick Fugit, then agrees with Sean that Missy Pyle (Nancy Grace type character) is the better choice
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:08:47Kathleen Rose Perkins — Kathleen Rose Perkins as the Shauna Kelly character
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:08:17Missi Pyle — Missy Pyle, who plays Ellen Abbott (the Nancy Grace type)

Dion Waiters Award

Mallory Rubin▶ 1:10:42Emily Ratajkowski — Emily Ratajkowski as Andie Hardy
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:10:23Scoot McNairy — Scoot McNairy as Tommy O'Hara
Shea Serrano▶ 1:11:58Tyler Perry — Tyler Perry as Tanner Bolt

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:00Rosamund Pike — Rosamund Pike - 'the definition of Apex Mountain'
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:16:32Mountain Dew - for product placement
Sean Fennessey▶ 1:16:12David Fincher — David Fincher - The Social Network

Best Quote

Bill Simmons▶ 1:32:35I swear you two are the most fucked up people I've ever known. And I specialize in fucked up.
Mallory Rubin▶ 1:32:56Mentions having 15 quotes but doesn't specify her definitive pick in the segment
Shea Serrano▶ 1:33:01I love you but I don't like you anymore and I can't pretend to like you.

Movies Referenced (35)

Jack Reacher (2012)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 18:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Town (2010)

5 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons▶ 6:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Almost Famous (2000)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 49:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Live by Night (2016)

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 11:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Still Alice (2014)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 27:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Den of Thieves (2018)

2 mentions · Shea Serrano▶ 1:38:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Fatal Attraction (1987)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joker (2019)

2 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons▶ 2:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

No Country for Old Men (2007)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rocketman (2019)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Accountant (2016)

2 mentions · Sean Fennessey▶ 12:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Hangover (2009)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (4)

Ben Affleck

49 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Shea Serrano · Known for Argo, Gone Girl, The Town▶ 4:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Fincher

35 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin · Known for Se7en, Gone Girl, Zodiac▶ 1:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alfred Hitchcock

6 mentions · Sean Fennessey · Known for Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest▶ 1:41:16IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

2 mentions · Shea Serrano, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Ides of March, Good Night, and Good Luck., Michael Clayton▶ 13:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (50)

Rosamund Pike

16 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Sean Fennessey · Known for Gone Girl, Die Another Day▶ 15:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Hamm

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Sean Fennessey · Known for The Town▶ 5:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

12 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 13:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neil Patrick Harris

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Shea Serrano, Mallory Rubin · Known for Gone Girl▶ 15:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Emily Ratajkowski

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for We Are Your Friends, Gone Girl▶ 9:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amy Dunn

6 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Twister, Heat▶ 2:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carrie Coon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Gone Girl, Avengers: Infinity War, Ghostbusters: Afterlife▶ 21:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Reese Witherspoon

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Wild, Walk the Line, Legally Blonde▶ 15:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Draper

4 mentions · Shea Serrano, Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey▶ 6:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Josh Brolin

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for No Country for Old Men, Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War▶ 1:05:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patrick Fugit

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey · Known for Almost Famous, Gone Girl▶ 49:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boyd Holbrook

3 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons · Known for Logan, A Complete Unknown, The Predator▶ 1:08:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

Gillian Flynn

4 mentions · Sean Fennessey, Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons · Known for Gone Girl, Widows▶ 9:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Matthew Weiner

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 5:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 1:06:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗