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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 CooperChris 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 PittDiscusses 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 DamonNotes 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

Joey Pants Award

Bill SimmonsAdewale Akinnuoye-AgbajeAdebisi (the actor who plays Wambosi)▶ 1:02:10

Dion Waiters Award

Bill SimmonsNicky NaudéCastile, the machine gun agent▶ 1:04:08
Chris RyanClive OwenClive▶ 1:03:59

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 DamonArgues 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 DamonAgrees 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

Who Won the Movie

Movies Referenced (46)

Title (year)LinksMentionsMentioned byFirst
Jason Bourne (2016)IMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:37
Identity (2003)IMDb ↗Lb ↗8Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:40
John Wick (2014)IMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 9:08
Good Will Hunting (1997)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:16
Ocean's Eleven (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 6:23
Before Sunrise (1995)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan▶ 9:57
Inside Man (2006)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:17:53
Spy Game (2001)IMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 56:52
All the Pretty Horses (2000)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 7:03
Dawn of the Dead (2004)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 59:42
Enemy of the State (1998)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 17:00
Fargo (1996)IMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 28:14

Directors Referenced (9)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Doug LimanIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsEdge of Tomorrow, Swingers▶ 9:57
Mike NicholsIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Graduate▶ 22:35
Paul GreengrassIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Chris RyanUnited 93, News of the World▶ 12:38
Michael BayIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris RyanArmageddon▶ 12:07
Frank MarshallIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Raiders of the Lost Ark▶ 20:12
Gus Van SantIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 9:49
John WooIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 30:46
Steven SoderberghIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris Ryan▶ 9:49
Zack SnyderIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanWonder Woman▶ 59:48

Actors Referenced (74)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Matt DamonIMDb ↗Lb ↗46Bill Simmons, Chris RyanGood Will Hunting, The Martian, The Departed▶ 2:33
Clive OwenIMDb ↗Lb ↗25Bill Simmons, Chris RyanChildren of Men, Gosford Park▶ 14:39
Chris CooperIMDb ↗Lb ↗13Bill SimmonsAmerican Beauty▶ 14:39
Brad PittIMDb ↗Lb ↗9Bill SimmonsFight Club, 12 Monkeys, Mr. & Mrs. Smith▶ 7:29
Casey AffleckIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsManchester by the Sea, Light of My Life▶ 18:12
Gerard ButlerIMDb ↗Lb ↗5Bill Simmons, Chris RyanLaw Abiding Citizen, The Phantom of the Opera▶ 1:19:05
Josh HamiltonIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsAlive▶ 14:39
MobyIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill Simmons, Chris RyanThe Next Three Days, The Saint▶ 49:57
Tom CruiseIMDb ↗Lb ↗4Bill SimmonsTop Gun, Minority Report▶ 8:24
Brian CoxIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsTroy▶ 14:39
Jeff BridgesIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Big Lebowski, True Grit▶ 1:14:15
John BelushiIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsNational Lampoon's Animal House, The Blues Brothers▶ 42:01

Writers Referenced (8)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
Tony GilroyIMDb ↗Lb ↗6Bill Simmons, Chris RyanMichael Clayton, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story▶ 18:37
Robert LudlumIMDb ↗Lb ↗3Bill SimmonsThe Bourne Identity, The Bourne Legacy▶ 13:46
John SaylesIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Chris Ryan▶ 16:16
Aaron SorkinIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill SimmonsA Few Good Men▶ 55:51
James CameronIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanAvatar, Aliens, Terminator 2: Judgment Day▶ 12:07
Luc BessonIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Chris RyanThe Fifth Element, Lucy▶ 30:46
Michael ConnellyIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 14:10
Roger EbertIMDb ↗Lb ↗1Bill Simmons▶ 22:41

Cinematographers Referenced (2)

NameLinksMentionsMentioned byKnown ForFirst
JC ConklinIMDb ↗Lb ↗8Chris Ryan, Bill SimmonsThe Next Three Days, Warrior▶ 16:26
Michael GrantlandIMDb ↗Lb ↗2Bill SimmonsThe Other Guys▶ 28:44