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‘The Fugitive’ Live From Chicago With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Mallory Rubin

February 6, 2024 · The Fugitive (1993) · Action · Crime · Drama · 1:51:55 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 19:56The opening interrogation scene and the bus crash/train crash sequence (lumped together as one extended action sequence)
Chris Ryan▶ 20:16Engaged with both scenes Bill mentioned, discussing the improvised nature of the interrogation and the technical aspects of the train crash sequence
Mallory Rubin▶ 20:27Discussed the opening interrogation scene extensively, praising Harrison Ford's hand acting, but considers the bus crash and train crash as separate scenes rather than one sequence

Picking Nits

Bill Simmons▶ 31:12Questions the unrealistic perfect swan dive from the dam (compared to Instagram fails) and the giant naked lady painting in Copeland's bedroom
Chris Ryan▶ 30:41Agrees with Mallory's wallet complaint - 'I lose my wallet four times a day, this guy jumps off a dam, he still has it'
Mallory Rubin▶ 30:18After Kimble jumps off the dam, his stitched-up wound doesn't rupture and the wallet in the stolen pants' pocket doesn't fall out

Big Kahuna Burger Award

Bill Simmons▶ 48:02Mr. Johnson's egg sandwich
Chris Ryan▶ 48:17Notes the moral complexity of the scene - how it breaks the Hippocratic oath by taking the patient's meal, but agrees it's a great food moment
Mallory Rubin▶ 48:08Agrees with the egg sandwich pick, praising the hand acting performance and the detail of licking egg juice off fingers

What's Aged the Best

Mallory Rubin▶ 48:27Mentions 'all of his acts of kindness' but context is incomplete

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 48:32The dam or the parade

Great Shot Gordo Award

Bill Simmons▶ 48:38Started to give a pick but was interrupted before completing his thought
Chris Ryan▶ 48:45Kimball walking into the tunnel - walking into the darkness as he's on his way back to Chicago
Mallory Rubin▶ 48:39The parade scene

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 52:05Charles Nichols for the Vincent Chase Award (characters who are bad at their job)
Chris Ryan▶ 52:19Agrees that Charles Nichols and Sykes are candidates, but defends Sykes as someone in over his head rather than incompetent
Mallory Rubin▶ 52:25Agrees with Charles Nichols for poor criminal execution and also suggests Sykes as a candidate for killing the wrong person initially

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 54:25The plot logic of why Devlin McGregor had to actually kill Dr. Richard Kimball - it seemed extreme when they could have framed him other ways
Chris Ryan▶ 55:03Agrees with Bill's criticism but suggests maybe they knew his defense attorney was weak

What's Aged the Worst

Bill Simmons▶ 55:16Multiple picks including: lack of DNA evidence (movie made in 1993 before DNA was standard), Kimball not testifying on his own behalf, pacing issues in the middle 30 minutes, giant font opening credits, Joey Pantoliano's wig, and pre-CGI one-armed man shots
Chris Ryan▶ 56:21Agreed on pacing issues during the prosthetics investigation scenes and made jokes about the one-armed man effects
Mallory Rubin▶ 57:37Giant font opening credits from the early 90s era

Is There a Better Title?

Bill Simmons▶ 1:01:55No, there is not a better title for this movie

Best Quote

Mallory Rubin▶ 1:02:11Top 3: 'Don't let them give you any shit about your ponytail', 'I didn't kill my wife', and 'It's a donut' line

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:02:31Nick Nolte — Walter Hill wanted Nick Nolte as the fugitive; Alec Baldwin was first choice over Ford; Gene Hackman and John Voight considered for Sam Gerard; Richard Jordan originally cast as Dr. Nichols but had to bow out due to brain tumor
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:47Nick Nolte — Jokes about Nick Nolte in hospital scrubs being concerning; discusses how this would be during Nolte's 'Another 48 Hours' era

Movies Referenced (22)

Under Siege (1992)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 13:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blade Runner (1982)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 7:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)

4 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 6:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Air Force One (1997)

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 7:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jurassic Park (1993)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 16:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patriot Games (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Philadelphia (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:36IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Regarding Henry (1991)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Schindler's List (1993)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 15:17IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Apocalypse Now (1979)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Blown Away (1994)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:33IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clear and Present Danger (1994)

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 8:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (3)

Andrew Davis

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Fugitive, Holes, Under Siege▶ 15:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Nichols

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 37:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Hill

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for 48 Hrs., Aliens▶ 27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (22)

Harrison Ford

23 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 3:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Jordan

17 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for Logan's Run, The Hunt for Red October▶ 9:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee Jones

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin · Known for The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 12:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Chuck Norris

5 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Expendables 2▶ 15:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 33:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Han Solo

2 mentions · Mallory Rubin▶ 6:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nick Nolte

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Warrior▶ 1:02:35IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Cruise

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Top Gun, Mission: Impossible II, Minority Report▶ 22:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Carla Gugino

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Watchmen, Gerald's Game, Sucker Punch▶ 47:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charlotte Caffey

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Spider-Man: Far from Home, Fast Times at Ridgemont High▶ 37:23IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Don Draper

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin0:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Empire of the Sun

1 mentions · Mallory Rubin · Known for Sex Tape, Hall Pass▶ 6:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (4)

Tommy Lee

14 mentions · Bill Simmons, Mallory Rubin, Chris Ryan · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 14:01IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Siege

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 13:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Greenwald

3 mentions · Mallory Rubin, Bill Simmons▶ 0:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 10:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗