‘Magnolia’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Sean Fennessey
April 16, 2024 · Magnolia (1999) · Drama · 1:23:44 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Hanks or Cruise
Bill SimmonsTom Cruise — Cruise wins this one - credits Cruise's performance in Magnolia as potentially his best ever and notes Cruise is now leading Hanks 3-1 in the category▶ 2:54
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsCruz and Robards scene - Tom Cruise confronting his dying father Earl, including when he arrives saying he'll 'drop kick these fucking dogs' through his emotional breakdown▶ 27:18
Sean FennesseyInitially suggests the opening vignettes with Ricky Jay's narration, but lists several other contenders including Frank T.J. Mackey's grand entrance, Julianne Moore's pharmacy meltdown, the frog deluge, and Stanley's bathroom incident during the game show▶ 25:30
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsMelora Walters' performance and casting - he never thought she was a good actress and believes the movie's ceiling would be much higher with a better actress in that complicated role▶ 36:26
Sean FennesseyJulianne Moore's character/storyline - states he would cut her character entirely despite loving the actress▶ 40:07
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsJulianne Moore — Discusses Deborah Winger's career and work patterns, critiques Julianne Moore's actual performance as too similar to her Boogie Nights character and lacking character development▶ 48:18
Sean FennesseyDebra Winger — Lists Deborah Winger for Linda Partridge and Marlon Brando for Earl Partridge as casting what-ifs, says the movie would be better with Winger in Julianne Moore's role▶ 48:05
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsMichael Bowen — Initially considers Tom Cruise but rules him out for being in too many scenes; suggests Stanley's dad (Michael Bowen); mentions Felicity Huffman as just being good in her scenes▶ 49:00
Sean FennesseyMichael Bowen — Michael Bowen as Stanley's overbearing dad, saying he could win heat check and overacting awards▶ 49:10
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsThe Tom Cruise phone number gimmick (877-TAME-HER) should have been what's most 1999 about this movie▶ 54:27
Sean FennesseyPTA and Fiona Apple bit where she play-mimes as Magnolia while PTA acts as public reaction saying 'you're working out your psychoses on everyone else's $50, I still love you, but you're no Boogie Nights'▶ 52:09
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsAimee Mann — Aimee Mann for her solo career, also mentions Melora Walters and his mom▶ 57:41
Best Quote
Bill SimmonsRecites the full 'Respect the cock' speech and emphasizes 'The goddamn regret' monologue, showing strong appreciation for both▶ 1:01:39
Sean FennesseyDiscusses multiple quotes including 'We may be through with the past, but the past is never through with us' and suggests 'Respect the cock' is probably the most memorable▶ 1:01:32
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhat's up with the frogs? - calling it the most unanswerable question they've ever had, but defending it as brilliant and thematically appropriate▶ 1:05:55
Sean FennesseyDo you think that it only rained frogs in the San Fernando Valley? Or did it rain frogs nationwide? Also what happens next questions like what do Linda and Frank talk about the next day?▶ 1:06:18
Movies Referenced (36)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 15 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 2:07 |
| Babylon (2022) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:21:33 |
| Rain Man (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:16:47 |
| There Will Be Blood (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:18 |
| Forrest Gump (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 39:26 |
| Goodfellas (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 5:49 |
| Joker (2019) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | ▶ 10:09 |
| Risky Business (1983) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:18:21 |
| Twister (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:13:21 |
| And So It Goes (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:01:39 |
| Born on the Fourth of July (1989) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:17:23 |
| Eyes Wide Shut (1999) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 9:52 |
Directors Referenced (7)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Thomas Anderson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 10 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Punch-Drunk Love, Licorice Pizza, There Will Be Blood | ▶ 2:07 |
| Martin Scorsese | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Taxi Driver, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mean Streets | ▶ 7:16 |
| Robert Altman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Sean Fennessey | Gosford Park | ▶ 7:20 |
| Joel Schumacher | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | The Phantom of the Opera, 8MM | ▶ 1:13:31 |
| Cameron Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky | ▶ 11:44 |
| Ron Howard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 33:56 |
| Woody Allen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | Annie Hall | ▶ 1:11:05 |
Actors Referenced (57)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 57 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 2:41 |
| Frank Mackey | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 22 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | ▶ 22:18 | |
| Julianne Moore | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Far from Heaven, Boogie Nights, Magnolia | ▶ 3:01 |
| Melora Walters | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Magnolia, Boogie Nights, Dead Poets Society | ▶ 8:45 |
| Jason Robards | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | All the President's Men, Magnolia, Once Upon a Time in the West | ▶ 8:44 |
| John C. Reilly | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Sean Fennessey | Guardians of the Galaxy | ▶ 8:43 |
| Michael Bowen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Kill Bill: Vol. 1, The Last House on the Left | ▶ 49:10 |
| Henry Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | The Blues Brothers, Magnolia | ▶ 51:32 |
| Philip Seymour Hoffman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 8:40 | |
| Patton Oswalt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Ratatouille | ▶ 20:19 |
| William H. Macy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Fargo, Magnolia | ▶ 8:41 |
| Fiona Apple | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Bridesmaids | ▶ 43:27 |
Writers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damien Chazelle | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Sean Fennessey, Bill Simmons | Whiplash, La La Land, First Man | ▶ 1:21:33 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | ▶ 16:11 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Sean Fennessey | The Other Guys | ▶ 55:51 |