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'The Fugitive' With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Andy Greenwald

January 4, 2022 · The Fugitive (1993) · Action · Crime · Drama · 1:10:08 · ▶ Listen on Spotify

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Most Rewatchable Scene

Andy Greenwald▶ 14:57The dam waterfall jump scene - specifically praising Harrison Ford's performance and the humanity shown in that moment
Bill Simmons▶ 13:00The aborted bus escape train crash, Tommy Lee Jones taking over the investigation, the damn waterfall jump, and the ending - identifies these as the big four most rewatchable scenes
Chris Ryan▶ 13:25The dam waterfall jump scene - emphasizing the realistic way Ford's character contemplates the jump and his desperation

Casting What-Ifs

Andy Greenwald▶ 17:24Adds that Michael Douglas, Kevin Costner and Andy Garcia were also considered for Kimble (director Andrew Davis loved Garcia); with Baldwin as Kimble you'd feel 'this guy had it coming'; and the only actor of that moment who could have pulled off Gerard is Hackman - a different vibe with that likable authority, though the sewer/dam chase would have been less of a fit.
Bill Simmons▶ 15:41Alec Baldwin was the first choice to play Richard Kimble - which flabbergasted him, since it means Baldwin had more juice in 1992-93 than Harrison Ford (who had already taken over Baldwin's Jack Ryan role in Patriot Games); Jon Voight and Gene Hackman were both offered Sam Gerard; and Walter Hill wanted to direct with Nick Nolte starring, but Nolte thought he was too old - 'I think it worked out how this played out.'
Chris Ryan▶ 17:34Of the Kimble alternatives, Costner is the only one he'd have bought - 'there has to be something a little bit wholesome about it' (Douglas reads like maybe he did kill his wife); and for Gerard, nobody of that generation works - a 70s William Holden, maybe - since Tommy Lee Jones ad-libbed the role into 'his Mona Lisa.'

What's Aged the Worst

Andy Greenwald▶ 24:50The tweed blazers worn by every character in the first 15 minutes and the overall concept that the movie couldn't be made today due to technology advances like cell phones
Bill Simmons▶ 23:03CGI and train scene, Harrison Ford's beard, and DNA evidence/lack thereof and the whole concept of Dr. Kimball getting convicted
Chris Ryan▶ 25:33The actual bus accident scene, which looks like a Matchbox bus rolling down a sand mound

Joey Pants Award

Bill Simmons▶ 31:35Joe Pantoliano — Joey Pants (Joe Pantoliano)

Half-Assed Internet Research

Andy Greenwald▶ 32:09Commentary on how Selah Ward and Julianne Moore had minimal roles despite being notable actresses; Julianne Moore was the 'next big thing' coming off Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Bill Simmons▶ 31:53Selah Ward lobbied for her character to be in a coma instead of dying; Julianne Moore's part was originally a love interest; two Cosmos in 1993 (Cosmo Renfro and Cosmo Kramer)
Chris Ryan▶ 32:51Julianne Moore's part was supposed to be a love interest but was changed because it wouldn't make sense for Harrison Ford's character on a vengeance mission; Jane Lynch's researcher character was also considered as a possible love interest

Dion Waiters Award

Andy Greenwald▶ 36:43Jeroen Krabbé — Made argument for Jerome Crabb (Dr. Charles Nichols) but didn't definitively pick
Bill Simmons▶ 36:29The bald black convict on the train
Chris Ryan▶ 35:04Matt Walsh — Nominated all the reporters at Tommy Lee Jones' press conference including Selena's ex-husband from Veep

Apex Mountain

Andy Greenwald▶ 39:55Tommy Lee Jones — Tommy Lee Jones - yes, though notes No Country for Old Men as related/competition; Joe Pantoliano - possibly, this was when he became recognizable and likeable before becoming 'his own guy'
Bill Simmons▶ 38:15Jeroen Krabbé — Jeroen Krabbé - this was his apex; Tommy Lee Jones - yes, though acknowledges No Country as competition; Harrison Ford - no, first Raiders of the Lost Ark is his apex; One-armed man (Andreas Katsoulis) - yes, this was his apex
Chris Ryan▶ 40:06Harrison Ford — Questions whether it could be apex for Harrison Ford but doesn't take a strong position; discusses Joe Pantoliano's prolific output making it hard to determine apex

Picking Nits

Andy Greenwald▶ 46:49The movie skipped 18-27 months of the justice system; the young cop saying 'book him' was odd; why did they need to kill Kimball and his wife at all; Dr. Nichols' existence in the movie makes no sense
Bill Simmons▶ 46:38Dr. Kimball should have gotten a lawyer when he was the only suspect; the justice system moved too fast; Harrison Ford shaving his beard with an old razor should have hurt; Dr. Nichols helping Kimball made no sense when he could have turned him in
Chris Ryan▶ 46:55The justice system moved ridiculously fast; the pharmaceutical plot with Pro Basic takes you out of the movie and doesn't make sense why they had to kill everyone

Best Quote

Andy Greenwald▶ 58:40I don't care
Bill Simmons▶ 57:39Offered multiple options including 'I don't care', 'You know we're always fascinated when we find leg irons with no legs in them', 'I don't bargain', and 'Our fugitive's name is Dr. Richard Kimball'
Chris Ryan▶ 58:12Discussed the 'I don't bargain' vs 'I don't miss' line and appreciated the context of whispering it to someone with hearing impairment

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Andy Greenwald▶ 59:39How much money did Charlie give him? ($580, yet Kimble rents a home, buys new clothes, eats fresh fruit); how did he eat during the yada-yada'd weeks on the run; and Tommy Lee Jones the master marshal's strategy misses a guy just running in a straight line next to the river for three days. For the remake he argued the fugitive or the marshal should be a woman (Viola Davis) and vetoed Hamm as 'too attractive.'
Bill Simmons▶ 58:49Three unanswerable questions: (1) the movie is pre-OJ, so DNA/blood tests would clear Dr. Kimble within a week; (2) no one survives the waterfall jump, let alone thrives after it (they sent Zach Mack to a waterfall; 'full body cast'); (3) if Netflix remade it as an 11-episode show, do you keep the Devlin MacGregor plot and who plays Kimble - his recast pick was Jon Hamm ('Ham is the fugitive'), with Viola Davis as the marshal.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:01:07Questioned the waterfall physics ('is the idea that the waterfall somehow lessens the impact?'); said the Devlin MacGregor plot is MORE believable now than in 1993; for the remake picked Mark Ruffalo as Kimble (intelligence, innocence, 'could buy him running a lot') and Michael Shannon as his 'slightly weirder' Sam Gerard suggestion; also asked how a remake gets around the internet/people tweeting Kimball sightings.

Who Won the Movie

Andy Greenwald▶ 1:06:11Tommy Lee Jones — Tommy Lee Jones - went from well-respected character actor to major star with subsequent roles in Client, Natural Born Killers, Cobb, Batman Forever, Men in Black
Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:36Tommy Lee Jones — TLJ (Tommy Lee Jones) - He's the star of the movie and it made his career
Chris Ryan▶ 1:05:51Tommy Lee Jones — Tommy Lee Jones - discusses his career trajectory from Coal Miner's Daughter through JFK and Under Siege to his post-Fugitive stardom

Movies Referenced (36)

Heat (1995)

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald▶ 18:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Under Siege (1992)

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 2:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Enemy of the State (1998)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 24:30IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Miami Vice (2006)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 4:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Patriot Games (1992)

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 15:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

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

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 2:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

The Matrix (1999)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 41:25IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Babylon (2022)

2 mentions · Andy Greenwald▶ 35:55IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bad Boys (1995)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan▶ 41:43IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Baywatch (2017)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 4:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Taken (2008)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald▶ 8:31IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Varsity Blues (1999)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 18:22IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (6)

Andrew Davis

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for The Fugitive, Holes, Under Siege▶ 5:40IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Nichols

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 34:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Kevin Costner

3 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves▶ 17:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Walter Hill

3 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for 48 Hrs., Aliens▶ 18:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 4:51IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Xavier Gens

1 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for Under Paris▶ 26:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (49)

Harrison Ford

39 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, The Fugitive▶ 1:12IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee Jones

29 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for The Fugitive, No Country for Old Men▶ 5:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Richard Jordan

23 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Logan's Run, The Hunt for Red October▶ 15:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jon Voight

11 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for Midnight Cowboy, Anaconda, Deliverance▶ 17:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Danny Trejo

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn, Predators▶ 56:29IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Gene Hackman

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald · Known for The French Connection, The Royal Tenenbaums, Unforgiven▶ 17:49IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mark Ruffalo

8 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for Spotlight, The Kids Are All Right, The Avengers▶ 1:01:07IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julianne Moore

7 mentions · Andy Greenwald, Bill Simmons · Known for Far from Heaven, Boogie Nights, Magnolia▶ 18:58IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Nick Nolte

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald, Chris Ryan · Known for Warrior▶ 18:27IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Alec Baldwin

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald · Known for The Departed, It's Complicated, Glengarry Glen Ross▶ 15:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Andy Garcia

6 mentions · Andy Greenwald · Known for Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather Part III▶ 5:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Joe Pantoliano

6 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Memento, Bound, The Matrix▶ 40:53IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Julie Siege

8 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Andy Greenwald▶ 2:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tom Clancy

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Andy Greenwald, Bill Simmons · Known for The Hunt for Red October, The Sum of All Fears, Clear and Present Danger▶ 16:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Al Gore

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for An Inconvenient Truth▶ 1:05:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

J.J. Abrams

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Star Trek, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens▶ 50:05IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Tommy Lee

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Vanilla Sky▶ 43:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Michael Grantland

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Taking of Pelham 123, The Other Guys▶ 21:10IMDb ↗Lb ↗