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‘The Bourne Identity’ With Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan
December 23, 2020 · The Bourne Identity (2002) · Action · Mystery · Thriller · 1:24:16
Categories
Overacting Award
Chris RyanChris Cooper — Chris Cooper as Conklin - praising his animated performance that reveals character details without explicitly stating them▶ 16:33
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsBourne opening the security box ('My name is Jason Bourne'), Bourne escapes with the red bag (climbing down the wall), and Bourne's apartment scene with the machine gun guy▶ 34:08
Chris RyanDiscussed the diner scene where Bourne's training kicks in and he explains his situational awareness, and praised the apartment scene's shock value▶ 35:17
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsBrad Pitt — Discusses the casting history: Universal planned Burt Reynolds in 1983, then Brad Pitt turned it down for Spy Game (calls this a 'big miss'), Russell Crowe was approached and would have done well, Arnold Schwarzenegger was too old, Tom Cruise declined due to Mission Impossible, and Sarah Polley was wanted for female lead but turned it down▶ 56:12
Chris RyanMatt Damon — Notes that Damon feels 'every man-ish' compared to Russell Crowe who would have felt like a superhero after Gladiator, making Damon the better choice for the character▶ 58:28
Half-Assed Internet Research
Bill SimmonsShared extensive trivia including: Damon did his own stunts after 3 months training in Eskimo martial arts, climbed walls, did hand-to-hand combat; red bag becomes a planter in Marie's shop; 7-8 people died; Chris Cooper's character modeled on Oliver North; filmed in Prague not Switzerland; detailed story about Gilroy's contract dispute over Born Ultimatum script that Damon called 'unreadable'▶ 1:06:48
Chris RyanEngaged with trivia by asking questions about Swiss banks anonymity, minimum deposits, and discussing the Damon-Gilroy relationship and Bourne movie rankings (Supremacy, Identity, Legacy, then Ultimatum)▶ 1:08:22
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsMatt Damon — Argues Damon has multiple Apex Mountains but there's a strong case for this movie because it sets up the next 20 years of his career, gives him a franchise, and turns him into one of the three biggest stars in the world▶ 1:11:21
Chris RyanMatt Damon — Agrees there's a case for Damon, noting this is when he becomes a global action star▶ 1:11:03
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsIs it more fun to watch thinking Josh Hamilton's character is actually Grover from Kicking and Screaming working for the CIA?▶ 1:21:09
Chris RyanDid they mess up by killing off Clive Owen instead of keeping him as a recurring antagonist like Darth Vader for the Bourne series?▶ 1:16:31
Chris RyanIs Matt Damon the greatest actor of all time when it comes to saying the words 'fuck it'?▶ 1:22:36
Movies Referenced (46)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Bourne (2016) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 2:37 |
| Identity (2003) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 2:40 |
| John Wick (2014) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:08 |
| Good Will Hunting (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 6:16 |
| Ocean's Eleven (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 6:23 |
| Before Sunrise (1995) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:57 |
| Inside Man (2006) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 1:17:53 |
| Spy Game (2001) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 56:52 |
| All the Pretty Horses (2000) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 7:03 |
| Dawn of the Dead (2004) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 59:42 |
| Enemy of the State (1998) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 17:00 |
| Fargo (1996) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 28:14 |
Directors Referenced (9)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Liman | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Edge of Tomorrow, Swingers | ▶ 9:57 |
| Mike Nichols | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Graduate | ▶ 22:35 |
| Paul Greengrass | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Chris Ryan | United 93, News of the World | ▶ 12:38 |
| Michael Bay | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | Armageddon | ▶ 12:07 |
| Frank Marshall | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Raiders of the Lost Ark | ▶ 20:12 |
| Gus Van Sant | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:49 | |
| John Woo | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 30:46 | |
| Steven Soderbergh | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 9:49 | |
| Zack Snyder | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Wonder Woman | ▶ 59:48 |
Actors Referenced (74)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Damon | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 46 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Good Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed | ▶ 2:33 |
| Clive Owen | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 25 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Children of Men, Gosford Park | ▶ 14:39 |
| Chris Cooper | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons | American Beauty | ▶ 14:39 |
| Brad Pitt | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 9 | Bill Simmons | Fight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith | ▶ 7:29 |
| Casey Affleck | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Manchester by the Sea, Light of My Life | ▶ 18:12 |
| Gerard Butler | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Law Abiding Citizen, The Phantom of the Opera | ▶ 1:19:05 |
| Josh Hamilton | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Alive | ▶ 14:39 |
| Moby | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Next Three Days, The Saint | ▶ 49:57 |
| Tom Cruise | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | Top Gun, Minority Report | ▶ 8:24 |
| Brian Cox | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | Troy | ▶ 14:39 |
| Jeff Bridges | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | The Big Lebowski, True Grit | ▶ 1:14:15 |
| John Belushi | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | National Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers | ▶ 42:01 |
Writers Referenced (8)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Gilroy | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 6 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Michael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | ▶ 18:37 |
| Robert Ludlum | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Bill Simmons | The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Legacy | ▶ 13:46 |
| John Sayles | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 16:16 | |
| Aaron Sorkin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | A Few Good Men | ▶ 55:51 |
| James Cameron | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | Avatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day | ▶ 12:07 |
| Luc Besson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | The Fifth Element, Lucy | ▶ 30:46 |
| Michael Connelly | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 14:10 | |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 22:41 |
Cinematographers Referenced (2)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JC Conklin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 8 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | The Next Three Days, Warrior | ▶ 16:26 |
| Michael Grantland | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Other Guys | ▶ 28:44 |