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‘Jeremiah Johnson’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Bill’s Dad

October 7, 2025 · Jeremiah Johnson (1972) · Adventure · Drama · Western · 1:36:08 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 9:44Was Jeremiah Johnson a deserter? Yes, he was a deserter who left before the Mexican War ended
Bill Simmons▶ 1:27:57Two questions: Was Bearclaw gay (or a virgin)? — from his 'never could find no tracks on a woman's heart' speech; and the amazing one: Is Jeremiah dead for the last 20 minutes — a fever-dream ending where he's 'Top Gun Maverick dead the whole time'?
Chris Ryan▶ 1:28:27Engaged both: called the Crow retaliation a 'big leap,' voted 'virgin' on Bearclaw ('just from the description of breasts'), and backed the fever-dream read — the filmmaking shifts to dissolves at that point ('is this really happening or is this the story people are telling?')
William Simmons▶ 1:26:41Why did merely leading the party through the sacred burial ground drive the Crow chief — Jeremiah's friend, who traded with him and smoked the peace pipe — to have his wife and son murdered? 'Just seemed drastic'

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 23:36Hatchet Jack's letter
Bill Simmons▶ 33:02Jeremiah taking down the first group of Crows in the camp — the double-rifle ambush ('a classic... sometimes they'll fuck this up', unlike Taken's kitchen scene)
Chris Ryan▶ 33:55The house-building montage / family-meal stretch with woman and boy (confirmed when Bill recapped the picks)
William Simmons▶ 31:31The actual ending — Redford giving the nod back and the classic closing line 'And some folks think he's up there still'

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 46:54This movie in the Redford catalog - it's really important and stands apart from his other roles

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Chris Ryan▶ 50:35Swan's Hot Pockets that she makes the first night and then he tosses them

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 54:43Jeremiah's decision to go through the crow barrow ground
Chris Ryan▶ 59:09The opening song that lays out the plot of the movie
William Simmons▶ 56:03Jeremiah surviving all his injuries (axe in the back, spear in the stomach, almost losing his left eye) with no medical attention

Overacting Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:45Doug (character), though also mentions the crazy morning lady who lost her family
Chris Ryan▶ 1:00:37Questions the appropriateness of judging grief performance, mentions spending time with Ruffalo but doesn't give clear pick

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:04:31The movie needed more kills - he counted 14 total kills but wanted 28-30, saying they left some murders on the table
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:11Redford should have made two or three more survival movies - it was an untapped micro genre for him between this and All Is Lost

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:15Lee Marvin — Originally intended for Lee Marvin, then Clint Eastwood with Sam Peckinpah directing before Eastwood left for Dirty Harry. Suggests McQueen would have been interesting but not as good as Redford. Decade recasting: 1982 Harrison Ford, 1992 Daniel Day-Lewis, 2002 Russell Crowe, 2012 Brad Pitt. Struggles with 2022 options, considers Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Gosling, Glenn Powell but finds issues with each.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:47Chris Pratt — Suggests Chris Pratt for 2022 casting, considers Austin Butler but questions his age and beard capability. Notes that modern actors seem 'too Hollywood' compared to the real guys of previous eras. Questions whether a British actor could play Jeremiah Johnson.
William Simmons▶ 1:05:45Robert Redford — Agrees McQueen could have been very good and could handle the physical action, but believes Redford was perfect because he loved nature and his whole life outside acting was about being at peace with nature and Utah scenery.

Great Shot Gordo Award

Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:45The shot of the bear chasing Jeremiah Johnson into the cabin

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 1:11:33Multiple facts: filmed 100 locations across Utah, Sidney Pollack mortgaged his home, too cold for second takes, Dell talked to himself because tribes considered crazy people sacred and untouchable, premiered at Cannes as first Western ever accepted, crew suffered seven cases of frostbite/four strep throat/two pneumonia, they chose less budget to film in Utah instead of California
Chris Ryan▶ 1:12:22Observational responses about the production challenges - questioning how they got crew out there with generators, noting they tried to give bigger budget to shoot in California but filmmakers preferred Utah location

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 1:14:53Tootsie — Tootsie for Sidney Pollack

Hanks or Cruise

Bill Simmons▶ 1:16:53Tom Cruise — Initially picks Hanks as the obvious choice, but then says he wants to see the Cruise version more because it would be hilarious as Jeremiah Johnson
William Simmons▶ 1:17:14Tom Cruise — Against Cruise, citing the Jack Reacher casting as a violation and saying he can't see Cruise in any of these roles

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 1:19:44Why didn't he eat his dead horse when people are starving, and how do the Crows keep fighting him 1v1 without figuring out how to beat him or catching him off guard
Chris Ryan▶ 1:20:36There should have been better communication about not going through the burial ground, and Jeremiah Johnson wouldn't have followed the cavalry to save Christian people since he had given up on religion
William Simmons▶ 1:21:12The timing of Swan's blue trinket appearing in the burial ground doesn't make sense - the Crows would attack when he enters the burial ground, not when leading toward the wagon train

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:25:23Dan Orlovsky — Dan Orlovsky - doing play-by-play analysis of Jeremiah's combat tactics
Chris Ryan▶ 1:24:30Nell (woman who loses family goes Nell) and Chris Collinsworth doing football commentary on the action

Just One Oscar

Bill Simmons▶ 1:26:06Robert Redford — Redford

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:30:06Don't pass through a crowbarrow
Chris Ryan▶ 1:30:13Don't leave your family alone on the range

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:21Robert Redford
Chris Ryan▶ 1:31:25Robert Redford — Acknowledges Redford will win, mentions voting Newman for The Sting previously

Movies Referenced (39)

The Revenant (2015)

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 11:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Wick (2014)

6 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 15:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:14:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken (2008)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, William Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 33:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dances with Wolves (1990)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

All Is Lost (2013)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cast Away (2000)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:33:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Out of Africa (1985)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 14:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rushmore (1998)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, William Simmons▶ 47:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Firm (1993)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 15:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Clint Eastwood

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 7:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Sam Peckinpah

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs▶ 1:05:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Iyi Tubi

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Ex Machina, World War Z▶ 50:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Mangold

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Logan, A Complete Unknown, Ford v Ferrari▶ 14:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Conspiracy Theory▶ 1:01:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Warren Beatty

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 49:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (48)

Robert Redford

40 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, William Simmons · Known for The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 1:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mountain Man

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Silver Linings Playbook▶ 2:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, William Simmons · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 1:16:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brad Pitt

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 1:07:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dogu Aytun

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:06:56IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Bronson

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Once Upon a Time in the West, The Great Escape▶ 11:19IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Churton Season

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Chicken Run▶ 1:16:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Molly Hatchet

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for North Country▶ 24:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Russell Crowe

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind▶ 1:07:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ryan Gosling

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Blue Valentine, La La Land, Drive▶ 1:09:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andrew Garfield

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Hacksaw Ridge, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Social Network▶ 1:10:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Billy Bob Thornton

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Sling Blade, A Simple Plan, The Man Who Wasn't There▶ 1:19:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (2)

John Milius

9 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Conan the Barbarian, Jeremiah Johnson, Apocalypse Now▶ 19:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 21:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗