‘Proof of Life’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
January 29, 2019 · Proof of Life (2000) · Action · Drama · Thriller · 1:12:14 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Dion Waiters Award
Bill SimmonsDavid Caruso — David Caruso as Dino - calls it the greatest Dion Waiters performance ever, comparing it to legendary achievements like Bill Walton going 21 for 22▶ 26:56
Chris RyanDavid Caruso — David Caruso as Dino - agrees it's the all-time best, noting he speaks three languages unnecessarily and acts like it's his movie▶ 27:00
Most Rewatchable Scene
Chris RyanTerry's exposition scene explaining the rebel guerrillas to Alice and Janice with montage cuts, and the extended fight between David Morse and Meg Ryan at the beginning▶ 43:19
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsCaruso - describes him as incredible and says nothing's ever aged better than Caruso in this movie▶ 48:09
What's Aged the Worst
Bill SimmonsThe opening Chesney scene should be cut, movie is too long and could lose 9-10 minutes, Meg Ryan's appearance with Botox/cosmetic work, and the missing sex scene between Crowe and Ryan makes the kiss feel weird and unmotivated▶ 48:32
Chris RyanAgrees the opening scene isn't needed and that Meg Ryan's character seems nervy and unhappy, making her less likeable▶ 48:37
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhy does Alice get to take time to say goodbye to Russell Crowe when her husband Peter is severely injured and traumatized after being rescued from kidnapping?▶ 52:55
Chris RyanAgrees the situation is problematic and notes that everything goes unsaid in the final scene, predicting the couple breaks up within two months▶ 53:30
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsHarrison Ford — Discusses Harrison Ford being offered the lead and turning it down (glad he did, would have ruined it), Russell Crowe turning down Wolverine for Proof of Life, and various other Russell Crowe what-ifs including Collateral, Matrix▶ 54:42
Chris RyanHarrison Ford — Agrees Harrison Ford wouldn't have worked (too old), discusses the butterfly effect of Russell Crowe casting decisions and how different their lives would be▶ 54:49
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsPresented multiple production facts: brutal shoot conditions (hailstorms, mudslides, altitude sickness, volcanic eruptions, tear gas), death of body double Will Gaffney, director Taylor Hackford losing control, Henry Cavill as extra who got advice from Russell Crowe, Just Cause reference on set, Russell Crowe's dangerous helicopter stunt▶ 57:28
Chris RyanProvided commentary on Russell Crowe's helicopter stunt details - noted he had no safety harness, questioned if it was really 100 feet high, compared to Tom Cruise's later Mission Impossible stunts▶ 59:51
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsDavid Morse — David Morris - definitely Apex Mountain because he's really good in this movie and holding his own with famous people▶ 1:00:30
Chris RyanDavid Caruso — Not Caruso - he was at base camp, having come down from NYPD Blue peak. The character lives on Apex Mountain but not the actor▶ 1:00:17
Who Won the Movie
Bill SimmonsRussell Crowe — Russell Crowe - calls it his favorite Crowe performance, better than Gladiator▶ 1:08:47
Chris RyanRussell Crowe — Russell Crowe - says it's 'unassailably' Crowe and that he 'really does own this role'▶ 1:08:45
Movies Referenced (43)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gladiator (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 16 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 12:22 |
| Man on Fire (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 3:50 |
| Body of Lies (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:28 |
| Iron Man (2008) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 23:43 |
| American Gangster (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 13:28 |
| Gone Baby Gone (2007) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 4:25 |
| It Follows (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 14:54 |
| Lethal Weapon (1987) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 16:46 |
| Mad Dog and Glory (1993) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 30:57 |
| Rushmore (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 4:06 |
| Superman (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 24:15 |
| The Crow (1994) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 13:22 |
Directors Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mel Gibson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Braveheart, Lethal Weapon 3, Conspiracy Theory | ▶ 12:30 |
| Taylor Hackford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 8:05 | |
| Ben Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Argo, Gone Girl, The Town | ▶ 14:12 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 41:22 |
| Cecil B. DeMille | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Greatest Show on Earth, Sunset Boulevard | ▶ 27:01 |
| David Morrison | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 53:15 | |
| Ridley Scott | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Martian, Blade Runner | ▶ 24:28 |
| Robert Parrish | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 35:04 | |
| Ron Howard | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 14:03 |
Actors Referenced (51)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Crowe | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 64 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind | ▶ 2:32 |
| David Caruso | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 46 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | First Blood, Proof of Life | ▶ 16:04 |
| Meg Ryan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 32 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | When Harry Met Sally..., Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail | ▶ 2:32 |
| David Morse | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | The Green Mile, The Hurt Locker, The Rock | ▶ 7:42 |
| Harrison Ford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive | ▶ 12:30 |
| Dennis Quaid | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Far from Heaven, The Day After Tomorrow | ▶ 18:50 |
| Chris Pratt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World | ▶ 22:28 |
| Pamela Reed | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Proof of Life, Kindergarten Cop | ▶ 6:10 |
| Joaquin Phoenix | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Walk the Line, Gladiator | ▶ 35:53 |
| Rachel Nichols | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | The Amityville Horror | ▶ 55:54 |
| Reese Witherspoon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Walk the Line, Legally Blonde | ▶ 21:33 |
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 55:34 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Milch | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:39 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 8:42 | |
| Tony Gilroy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | ▶ 8:15 |
| Jon Favreau | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Chef, Iron Man, Swingers | ▶ 27:45 |
| Kenneth Lonergan | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Manchester by the Sea, You Can Count on Me | ▶ 23:34 |
Cinematographers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mario de Dios | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Avatar | ▶ 33:52 |
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 1:36 |