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‘Parenthood’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan

February 15, 2022 · Parenthood (1989) · Comedy · Drama · 1:47:52 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

IMDb ↗Letterboxd ↗

Bill's Ron Howard Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore · Bill Simmons · ▶ 26:33

  1. ·Night Shift (1982)▶ 26:33
  2. ·Rush (2013)▶ 26:34
  3. ·Parenthood (1989)▶ 26:57
  4. ·Splash (1984)▶ 28:46

Categories

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 34:56Lowell Gans and Babaloo Mandel screenwriting team - 'My fucking hitters. They never miss.'
Chris Ryan▶ 35:12Lowell Gans and Babaloo Mandel - compared them to 'if you had Fitzgerald and Hemingway writing your scripts'

Apex Mountain

Van Lathan▶ 35:52Steve Martin — Steve Martin - 'Steve was the man at this point'

Half-Assed Internet Research

Bill Simmons▶ 36:14Parenthood was adapted to TV in 1990 with Leo DiCaprio in the Leaf Phoenix role, canceled after 12 episodes; part of late 80s trend of failed movie-to-TV adaptations including Ferris Bueller, Baby Talk, Working Girl, Uncle Buck, Dirty Dancing; Roger Ebert gave Parenthood four stars
Van Lathan▶ 38:08Discussed hackiness of movie-to-TV adaptations, specifically criticized Ferris Bueller TV show's self-referential poster scene with Charlie Schlatter; expressed general skepticism about conversions including Friday Night Lights despite its quality

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 40:38Multiple scenes: opener with Steve Martin and minivan/kids, Larry's hydroponics dinner pitch, principal meeting about Kevin, and the entire birthday party sequence with Cowboy Gil
Van Lathan▶ 43:21Cowboy Gil from the birthday party sequence

Dion Waiters Award

Bill Simmons▶ 46:52Steve Martin — Steve Martin's Little League dance - calls it the best moment of Steve Martin's career
Van Lathan▶ 50:16Dianne Wiest — Multiple scenes including Diane Wiest going through the pictures, Larry and his father scene, and the vibrator scene

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 57:31Leaf Phoenix and Keanu Reeves early performances, the thumb trick, grandma inhaling helium scene, Gary's room scene, Phoenix calling his dad scene, The Cure poster in Julie's room, the tense face expression, and Harley Jane Kozak
Van Lathan▶ 56:46Kanye West referencing Parenthood in his song 'Gone' with the line about Jennifer Aniston

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 1:07:13School's handling of Kevin's emotional problems, tower shooting dream sequence, bomb threat joke, and Larry's gambling dialogue
Chris Ryan▶ 1:08:16Casual bomb threat joke and Tom Hulse's unconvincing gambling dialogue
Van Lathan▶ 1:07:35School expelling Kevin for emotional problems and using 'cool' as slang

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:13:22Robin Williams — Discussed Robin Williams as alternate for Steve Martin's Gil Buckman role, and Dan Aykroyd as age-appropriate option, but ultimately felt Steve Martin was miscast due to age (44 playing 35) rather than suggesting a definitive replacement
Chris Ryan▶ 1:13:02Agreed Steve Martin looked too old for the role but focused more on script issues than casting alternatives

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:36:02Multiple questions posed: Would you watch a 2000 sequel about Cool? What's Kevin Buckman's job now? What memorabilia would you want? Answered wanting Robards' car or Tom Hulse's hair as memorabilia
Chris Ryan▶ 1:36:17Would watch Cool sequel (pitched as thriller with Cool searching for Larry in Chile), thinks Kevin Buckman is GM of Padres using advanced analytics
Van Lathan▶ 1:36:11Would watch Cool sequel, criticized Cool's name as problematic, thinks Kevin Buckman probably works for The Ringer now

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:40:06Ron Howard — Ron Howard - coming off the Willow bomb, this opened the door for the next 30 years of movies for him
Chris Ryan▶ 1:39:05Dianne Wiest — Diane Wiest - she's amazing in every scene, funny and heartbreaking, gets nominated despite less screen time
Van Lathan▶ 1:40:31Steve Martin — Steve Martin - this role gives him latitude to show the complete limits of his powers, like a five-tool player showing off every skill

Movies Referenced (45)

Rush (2013)

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan▶ 26:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Happy Days (1978)

7 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 30:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amadeus (1984)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 1:09:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Night Shift (1982)

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 22:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Backdraft (1991)

5 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 22:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Hardball (2001)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apollo 13 (1995)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 26:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Father of the Bride (1991)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Friday Night Lights (2004)

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons▶ 37:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Meatballs (1979)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:46:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

American Graffiti (1973)

3 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 31:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gladiator (2000)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 56:20IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (12)

Ron Howard

27 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for A Beautiful Mind▶ 2:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Amy Hulse

9 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Only the Brave, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot▶ 14:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mel Gibson

6 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory▶ 29:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ivan Reitman

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Up in the Air, Ghostbusters▶ 1:43:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dennis Dugan

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Happy Gilmore, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Big Daddy▶ 1:16:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Barry Levinson

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Rain Man, Wag the Dog▶ 25:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

David Lynch

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for Inland Empire▶ 1:33:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gus Van Sant

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Drugstore Cowboy▶ 58:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Howard Hughes

1 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:23:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jonathan Demme

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married▶ 28:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Rob Reiner

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for This Is Spinal Tap, The Wolf of Wall Street▶ 25:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taylor Hackford

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Ray, Blood In, Blood Out, Dolores Claiborne▶ 1:36:26IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (45)

Steve Martin

38 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Roxanne, The Jerk, The Pink Panther▶ 2:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

River Phoenix

22 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for My Own Private Idaho, Stand by Me, The Mosquito Coast▶ 15:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jason Robards

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for All the President's Men, Magnolia, Once Upon a Time in the West▶ 9:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Keanu Reeves

12 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Matrix, Speed, Point Break▶ 17:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Harley Jane Kozak

10 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Arachnophobia, Parenthood, When Harry Met Sally...▶ 1:04:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Helen Shaw

8 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Parenthood▶ 14:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dan Aykroyd

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Ghostbusters▶ 1:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

LeBron James

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Trainwreck, Hustle▶ 41:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kathleen Turner

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Romancing the Stone, Peggy Sue Got Married, Body Heat▶ 1:17:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Howard

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Terrifier 3, Solo: A Star Wars Story, How the Grinch Stole Christmas▶ 47:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

John Kruk

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 54:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Neil Diamond

4 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Saving Silverman▶ 1:25:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (6)

Tommy Lee

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for The Dirt, Vanilla Sky▶ 55:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Babaloo Mandel

3 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Where the Heart Is▶ 34:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Brian Grazer

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13▶ 35:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Cameron

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 1:22:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Lowell Ganz

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Parenthood▶ 34:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 39:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 26:46IMDb ↗Lb ↗