Babes in Bookland
A podcast celebrating women's memoirs, one story at a time!
Babes in Bookland
BONUS: "The Holiday" Deep Dive with Jackie and Danielle of the No More Late Fees Podcast!
Ready for a holiday watch that actually holds up?
We close the year with Jackie and Danielle from No More Late Fees and dig into why Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday still hits. It's a rom-com where self-respect is the twist, friendship is the anchor, and charisma beats swagger every time. We trade Blockbuster memories for sharp analysis then get into what really matters: characters that feel real and show major growth.
Is Iris and Arthur’s bond the film’s best relationship? When he tells her to stop acting like the best friend and be the leading lady, it sets the standard for us all! We unpack the hard pivot from pining to gumption, the realism of saying no to Jasper, and the quiet win of choosing yourself. On the other side, we explore why Jack Black’s Miles works as a romantic lead: attention as attraction, care as chemistry, and a story that never turns his looks into a punchline. Jude Law’s Graham gets dimension through grief, daughters, and unexpected softness. He's proof that charm can coexist with responsibility.
We also tackle the messy, modern bits: the ethics of one-night stands versus real safety, smarter dating questions to avoid duplicity, and whether long-distance romance can survive airports and time zones. Along the way, we share fun trivia and reflections.
If The Holiday is your seasonal ritual--or you’re rom-com curious--you’ll leave with new trivia, fresh angles, and, hopefully, a little extra courage to be the lead in your own story. If you loved this, subscribe, share with a rom-com friend, and leave a review telling us your rating: buy it, five-day, two-day, or same-day return?
Want more movie fun? https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com/
Wishing you love, peace, and memorable moments this holiday season!
Xx, Alex
Connect with us and suggest a great memoir!
Follow us on instagram! @babesinbooklandpod
Hi, welcome to your final Babes in Bookland bonus episode of the year. My friends Jackie and Danielle, hosts of the No More Late Feast Movie Podcast, are here and we're closing up with the holiday. Hi, Jackie. Hi Danielle. Hello. Thank you, ladies, so much for joining, coming onto the podcast. I absolutely love your podcast. You guys dive deep into movies from which year to which year?
SPEAKER_03:Remind me 95 to 2005. So Jackie and I met in high school, 10th grade. Um, I bullied her, but not truly. She was absent one day, and there was a kid that sat behind her. And when she was absent, the kid was shaking my desk the whole day. So, like my first words to her was like, Don't ever be absent again. And that was, you know, a friendship bloomed right there on the spot. And then Jackie started working at Blockbuster before me. And then I started working at Blockbuster, and then she ended up being my boss. Poor thing. Again, torture. That's awesome. So we are Blockbuster babes. And when we were coming up with a name for our podcast, we were like, huh, no more late fees. The thing that crushed the dream of Blockbuster.
SPEAKER_02:It really did. I miss DVD rental stores. I was trying to convince my husband that like we need to bring those back because I think people miss going to the movie store and seeing the covers and I don't know.
SPEAKER_03:Letterbox is just just announced that they're um opening like a video, but not physical. Like you will be able to curate, look at curated lists of recommendations and then actually rent those movies, especially like some of those indie films, Sundance films, or the ones that are on the circuit that are maybe harder to find or you can't find streaming, they'll they're gonna make them available and you'll be able to just rent them. There's no streaming fees, you just go look at the list and rent it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's awesome. Like Head Over Heels, which you guys did an episode on. And you guys, I love that movie, and I feel like no one knows about it and you can't watch it. What is up with that? That's so annoying.
SPEAKER_03:It's so good. It is. We watched it on I was with Jackie, we bought it, and then we watched it on DVD. And um, I think one of the like the shining moment is that Monica Potter follows us on Instagram because of that episode, and she like shared some of our posts and we're like, we've made it.
SPEAKER_02:You have made it. That is incredible. I love Monica Potter. That's just that's such a great movie. I also loved your first wife's club episode where your moms came on. Yeah, that was so much fun. They were a miss.
SPEAKER_03:Like as moms can be. Yeah. I'm like, oh, this is a great memory that my mother and I shared, and she loved the movie too. And she was like, I didn't love it. And I'm like, what?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, when she said that at the beginning, I was like, oh, that that's a plot twist that we didn't see coming.
SPEAKER_03:That describes our entire relationship.
SPEAKER_02:Why are you here, Christine? But she changed her mind by the end, didn't she? Yes. Okay, so that's a great segue. I love how you guys have your rating systems at the beginning of all your episodes with how you felt about the movie the first time you watched it in the Y2K era. And then at the end of the episodes, you revisit your ratings, explain the ratings to us, and then give me your rating for the holiday, please.
SPEAKER_00:I'm gonna try and do it off the top of my head. Uh, would buy it, would buy it again.
SPEAKER_02:Would buy it is like a five-star, like not taking away. I need to own it. Right.
SPEAKER_00:I'm gonna rewatch it. Yeah. Then there was a five-day rental, like, it's really good. It's just not worthy of owning. Two-day rental is like, eh, it's all right. It's not terrible. And then same-day rental is like, put it back on the shelf. I don't ever want to watch this movie again.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Okay, so Danielle, what's your rental rating for the holiday?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I own this. I love this movie. It's a very comforting movie. I love it. Jackie?
SPEAKER_00:Same. I own this movie. I watch it at least once a season. My husband was very sad that I had to watch it without him because he was busy doing other things. He also really loves this movie. So I got lucky and I have a guy who likes rom-com.
SPEAKER_03:I love that. Jude Law is, I want to say this is my favorite Jude Law movie. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yeah. The best that he's ever looked, though, has to be um the talented Mr. Ripley.
SPEAKER_02:Well, the best all of those people have ever looked was the talented Mr. Ripley. For sure. For sure. Well, we'll get into how Jude Law looked in this movie, and I'll have to see if you guys clocked it. But let's let's go ahead and introduce our last bonus episode. We are talking about 2006's. So just outside of Jackie and Danielle's years, the holiday. It was released on December 8th. So very smart of them. What do you guys think is the allure of rom-coms? Are you guys romance novel readers too? Or strictly just like movie watchers?
SPEAKER_03:You know, it's I fell off. I need to start reading again. I have an entire I used to go to Barnes and Noble and just buy a bunch of rom-com books and just read them with that like completely cold, not knowing anything about them. And in the first few chapters, you know if you want to keep reading or not. But I love romance and rom coms a lot. So this would be up my alley if it was a book. Is it a book?
SPEAKER_02:It's not, but I'll get you a list because memoir, women's memoirs can be a little heavy. So when I go to fiction, I I pull I pull for the rom-coms. So yeah, I'll email you a list of some really good ones. So good.
SPEAKER_00:I listen to a lot of oh, you listen to them. Okay, good. But I like mine with spice. Yes, Jackie. And Tessa Bailey has written a lot, and so I'm still in my Tessa Bailey hole. Okay. But I have branched out.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. Now, but Jackie, tell me, girl, when uh when it gets spicy and you're and the reader is like reading it, do they do a good job or does it get a little embarrassing for everyone?
SPEAKER_00:Okay, so my favorite narrator is Teddy Hamilton. Okay. He is so good. And it's like weird now that I like recognize narrators' names, but it's because you get bad narrators and then it totally takes you out of the story. So if you get a Teddy Hamilton, then it it's gonna be it's gonna be a good time. Yes.
SPEAKER_02:That's absolutely amazing. All right, so the film had a budget of$85 million, and it grossed over 205 million, almost 206 million worldwide.
SPEAKER_00:That's pretty darn good.
SPEAKER_02:And it's the 12th highest grossing film of the 2000s to be helmed by a female director. Oh, I love that. Yeah, that's amazing. Nancy Myers. Written and directed by Nancy Myers, and it stars Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black. Now, apparently, Nancy Myers wrote this movie specifically for those four actors. Oh, wow. It's an interesting bunch. Yeah. I wouldn't put I wouldn't think those three, and then I think Jack Black is the one that like throws me off the most.
SPEAKER_03:Really? Yeah. I think she just saw potential. Like he the funny thing is, like maybe to come up with that initially, not seeing this movie, not knowing his potential as a leading man, maybe not. But like now that you've seen it, you just know, wow, he I actually was more attracted to his character than Drew Blaz in this movie. Just because he, I don't know, just he had so much charisma and he cared, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, he was so earnest about everything, and he was not ever doing anything for like personal gain. Like it happened to be they had a connection, but at first he was just being helpful. Yeah. And yeah, the charisma went a long way.
SPEAKER_03:Like you could tell he genuinely cared about her. The chemistry between the two, also like Jude Law is very handsome, him and Karen Diaz without a doubt, but just like I don't know, he you could just tell he's the kind of guy who's gonna go above and beyond to like take care of you and meet your emotional needs, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and he's a great mirroring of who she's been longing for this entire time, this very narcissistic, self-serving fox of a man. I mean, that man is very attractive. Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I love that you use the word earnest, Jackie, because I completely agree. There's an earnestness about him. Only thing that annoyed me was I was like, ugh, Maggie's not good for you. Stop pining over her. But you know, they both had to stop pining for these people who weren't right for them to see each other.
SPEAKER_03:I also like the fact that they never talk about his looks or his weight or that he's unconventional in any way. It just they just treated it normally. And I I really loved that because sometimes in some of those rom-coms, when someone is unconventional, they really put it in your face constantly and it just like throws everything off, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, there was no makeover montage here. Like you didn't need that.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And I think it's really coming from women writers because at the heart of it, it's like we lean into those emotional connections more than the physical most of the time. And having a female writer and director, it it we she really honed that um where we don't need to focus on his looks. It it's how he treats her, how he gives her attention, and it's just very doting. They were friends first, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Which I love. Yeah, and I think that's such a beautiful place to start. Jackie, you you said you're married. I am. Were you guys friends first, or was it love at first sight?
SPEAKER_00:No, Ken will say love at first sight. Like, and pretty much after we met, we were in Zupper Bowl.
SPEAKER_02:So that was the Jude Law Cameron Diaz. Yeah. Danielle, do you have a partner that you friends first or love at first sight with?
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I'm just in this trio with her and Ken.
SPEAKER_00:She watches all of the melodramas that I personally do not care for, but Ken loves like his favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice. So which version? He'll take either. He loves the score for the Kira Knightly version. And so, and then that one tends to be the one he puts on just because it's a movie length and not a series.
SPEAKER_03:But he will watch also that like the shooting, that one-shot scene, amazing. But for me, the way I fell in love with it was the Colin Firth version. But Ken and I will watch the things and cry about the things that Jackie just like command her eyes.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And like Nicholas Sparks just is like the being of my existence. And you don't like the notebook.
SPEAKER_03:You have to listen to our notebook episode. We go into great detail about how that came about. We watched it with Jackie's sister in college, and me and her sister are crying, and she's just like, she turns around and she's like, What, right? And then she sees us crying, she's like, Oh, this is stupid.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, but I have a question, Jackie. Have you read any Nicholas Spark books? Because I think it hits differently too when you read. I mean, the notebook is like a perfect movie, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:I I believe I have in the past, and I have watched other Nicholas Sparks movies to see if it's just the notebook that I have disdain for.
SPEAKER_03:If it gets too emotionally heavy, she's out. Like, she don't want that.
SPEAKER_00:And if it's like too like schmaltzy, like I don't need the like big acts of like redemption. I just can't. Yeah. Good to know.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Well, you know what? There's there's something out there for everyone, and that's what life's all about.
SPEAKER_03:If my extremely tall, handsome, nerdy guy's out there, hopefully he listens to this podcast and finds something. That's great.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I would watch that movie.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Our Meet Cute on a podcast. It's just like listening to your podcast, and oh my god, he recognizes your voice in a bookstore. I just try to invite everybody cute that I find on TikTok on the podcast and try to keep my composure. That's actually pretty genius. You can just guess which of our guests I've had the hotspore. They have no idea.
SPEAKER_02:They might now. No. This is the part that I'm putting on my Instagram. Yeah. They just sometimes they just need that nudge. You know what I mean? Sometimes guys really don't get it. They really don't get it. You have to like spell it out for them. You're like, hello, I like you. Um, okay. Back to the movie. Eli Wallach played Arthur, and you guys, he turned 90 during filming. Oh, he was so sweet. I loved his friendship with Iris. I mean, talk about charisma. It I feel like you're just born with it and it doesn't go away, even if you are 90 years old.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so did you guys know that Jack Black has a badass mom? Have you heard of this? All right. Yes. Judith Love Cohen was a pioneering aerospace engineer and one of the few women in the field during her career. She helped develop the abort guidance system for the Apollo program, which was crucial for the Apollo 13 crew's return to Earth after their mission malfunctioned. Jack Black, good job. You're a celebrity. We like you, good actor, but your mom is really where it's at. Women in STEM. A couple of fun cameos. Lindsay Lohan, who did the trailer as a favor to Nancy Myers, she had directed her in the remake of Parent Trap, which is one of my all-time favorite movies. I think that one probably falls out of your was Parent Trap before 2005.
SPEAKER_00:We've done the we've done the I Love and Jackie Does Not.
SPEAKER_03:Jackie!
SPEAKER_00:I prefer It Takes Two. I did an episode on It Takes Two, one of my dick dives.
SPEAKER_02:I do love that one too. I was a I was a member of the Mary Kate Nashley Olsen fan club.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, another cameo in this movie. I think John Kaczynski was in it. And then we see him later in It's It's Complicated, which is another Nancy Myers film. And then Dustin Hoffman randomly shows up in the blockbuster scene, which he was just at Blockbuster and he said, sure, I'll shoot, which I think is amazing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, he was just driving by and was like, hmm, a film set. I'm Dustin Hoffman. Let me just go see what's happening over here. And then we're like, yeah, we'll make it work. I know it's very fun. Hollywood really is such a small town. James Franco is also in this trailer situation. Well, yes.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, that too, but also in the trailer.
SPEAKER_02:Every movie's got a dark spot in it. Yeah. A stain, if we may. So the parent shop was Nancy Meyer's direct directorial debut, which I'm sure you guys covered. Although she'd already written some bangers by then, including Father of the Bride, and Hans Zimmer did the score, and it's beautiful.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I would own this soundtrack, I think. This would be a good one to play while you're like baking cookies or doing whatever, maybe decorating the tree. I would do that, Mariah's Christmas album, and Kenny G. You guys, I love Kenny G's Christmas album. I am an 85-year-old grandmother.
SPEAKER_03:Funny enough, I think I have beef with Kenny G now because I found out that one of the hardships that Tony Braxton went through was because of Kenny G. And you guys should really, if you want to take a little fun deep dive into that, definitely do that. He did some real punk ass shit to poor Tony Bro to Tony Braxton. And now I've got beef with Kenny G. Didn't think he, you know, I never really conceptualized him as like a real person. Right. He's just a saxophone. So when I found found this out, I was like, oh damn.
SPEAKER_02:You know what, Danielle? Maybe she wrote a memoir and maybe you'll you'll be my guest on that episode. I'll have to find some like anti-rom-com lady for Jackie to be on the episode. Somebody who's just like doesn't cry, you know, doesn't like anything too G. I'll find books for you too, don't you, where you think you think you're gonna get out of my grasp just because I'm not doing movies anymore? I don't think so. All right, so we all talked about how dreamy Jude Law was, but did you guys notice there was like a skin tone change throughout the film for him? Oh no. Like he was less pale. Yes. Yes, he goes from pale to tan because so they shot the exteriors in the UK first and it was freezing. And then for whatever reason, as they do in Moviland, they filmed all the interiors, including the UK interiors. In LA, they were all built on a studio set. So they moved to LA. And when he came out to LA, there was a five-week hiatus, and he was just living in LA outside by the pool, getting.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, dude, messing it all up.
SPEAKER_02:Next time you guys watch, you'll see it. Because I read this trivia fact before and I was like, no, no, no, no, it's it's pretty obvious. He is significantly tanner inside of all of the places, which is really great. All right. Another fun fact homeexchange.com is real. Yes.
SPEAKER_03:Where would you go? Oh boy. I I think I I always wanted to go to Spain, but now I feel like I would change it to Portugal.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay. Jackie. I did really love Barcelona when I went, so I would a hundred percent go back. But my first, like the first place that popped into my mind was Japan. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I should have said Korea. That actually makes more sense, right? Yeah.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I changed it to Korea. That's more on brand for me. Okay, okay, very cool.
SPEAKER_02:And now, would you feel comfortable having someone live in your home while you lived in theirs? Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I don't have much. Yeah, we have a safe and same. It's just if you want to take something, it's fine. I love that for both of you guys. Very good.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, here's another fun fact. Jude Law's real life daughter is named Iris, and Graham's sister, Kate Winslett, is named Iris.
SPEAKER_03:So it's a sweet name. But did Jude name his daughter because of the character, or just it just is coincidence?
SPEAKER_02:I believe that he had a daughter at the time of filming. Yeah, yeah. But you know what? I should have looked into that. She was born in 2000. Okay, perfect. So she was about six at the time. Go Jackie. Thank you for that. Really quick. And Cameron Diaz kept all of her clothes after filming. We love a woman who writes that into their contract. Yes. Y'all know Reese Witherspoon kept her clothes after filming Lingly Blonde as well.
SPEAKER_03:So did Sharon Stone from Casino. She actually Sharon Stone put it in a lot of her movies. It's very smart to do that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, I have a fun question for you guys, and you guys are movie buffs, so you might actually get this. Okay. The four lead actors have all worked with which famous actor? By the point of making this movie, too. They've all worked with He had he was like the year of him. in like 1994. So kind of smack dab in the middle of your Leonardo DiCaprio. No. And look, the maybe now they have, but because I'm saying no so like adamantly, but honestly I don't know. But no, it's Jim Carrey. Oh. Cameron Diaz worked with him. A series of unfortunate events and Jack Black in the cable guy.
SPEAKER_03:I think the series of unfortunate events would have got me because I he was in makeup for that. Yeah. He didn't look like himself. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But I think that's really cool.
SPEAKER_03:So in yeah there's a movie we love well I my family loves called Cinephile. Um and so you kind of get these cards of the different actors. It's a game. What did I say? Did I say movie? My bad. It's a movie. It's a movie game. My bad. Cool. And so you pick a card, you pick two cards out and there's two actors and then you try to link them in a certain movies or less. It's a really fun game.
SPEAKER_02:That sounds amazing. And have you guys played the Blockbuster movie? Tell me you have. Yes. Yeah we played the game. Oh my God. Yes the Blockbuster game. It's late for all of us, y'all. Like super late for Danielle. Thank you. Okay, we're gonna keep going because I don't want to keep you up too late. My goodness. All right. That's cool. No, we're good. All right so let's get to the plot. I'll sprinkle in some trivia. We'll sprinkle in some thoughts. We open on a romantic scene and we pull back and meet Jack Black's Miles, who is composing the scene. And he has a super haughty girlfriend. She's on her way out. Next we're in a very cold car with Cameron Diaz's Amanda and her boyfriend Ethan. Then we meet Arthur who's lost his wife. Jude Law makes eyes with cuties at a pub and we stay with Kate Winslett's Iris. We learn about her unrequited love. Unrequited love is the worst. Do you guys have any unrequited love stories?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah it's called my 20s I was gonna say probably not since like high school there's a there's a man that I really really loved for a long time still waiting for him to call me up he's gotten divorced remarried all on my watch his name is Harrison Ford.
SPEAKER_02:It will go down unrequited for the rest of my life I'm sure okay when you guys talked about his oiled up body in what lies beneath I was like okay y'all y'all are bringing this obsession to the next level I did my Halloween deep dive on that movie too and I did not realize that his body had been oiled up.
SPEAKER_03:How was that that was prime real estate I was focused on her Michelle Pfeiffer man normally I would say yes but unfortunately I have this disposition towards this man and can't help myself.
SPEAKER_00:Danielle watches Air Force One like every month I love that that man has a running scene in almost every movie and it is even in this in that in um what lies beneath he's running on the dock and I was like look at him giving it a college try my God I love that I love that yes like you Jackie I my unrequited love was in high school lots of them lots of them yeah but I found out so Danielle and I were in New York and we randomly met a a classmate from high school and he was like oh my friend so and so had the biggest crush on you to meet and I was like what so apparently I was clueless too.
SPEAKER_02:Was this one of the guys you liked?
SPEAKER_03:No okay it was someone different but I was like oh it goes both ways yeah yeah sometimes we know and we just ignore it because we don't want to reject them but like sometimes we're oblivious too but honestly I hate that like one of the things that I hated after high school is like when you run into people that you went to high school oh I had the biggest crush on you. Eh get out of here I don't even want to talk to you now because like you could too little too late.
SPEAKER_02:Like you're right it is a very awkward statement to make because either it's annoying because you like them too and you're like oh we could have dated or it's just like okay now what do I do with that information. Yeah exactly and like I don't know what to tell you. Yeah yeah but Jasper in the movie like he's just a straight up douche yes it seems like they sort of dated but probably were never like official is one of those like really annoying things where he was like I don't want to make it official but she is she strung along like she's he seems to think that something is still there and he's engaged.
SPEAKER_00:Even when he was like calling her and like oh your red bikini blah blah blah I'm like bro you are like fully engaged to another woman why are like this is a highly inappropriate conversation and like Iris is so just head over heel she can't bring herself to be like you're engaged this is inappropriate we're only speaking on like professional terms.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah you have to you have to cut cut that stuff off like honestly when I understand that you could be in a situation of your own making because I truly believe any situ yes she was probably strong along but she participated right like she was a willing participant and that could be for many reasons. Maybe she didn't see value in herself and she damps she was insecure whatever it may be. But once you have that awakening and you realize I need better I deserve better cold turkey no contact at least for a while so that you can like truly just detox and then maybe you could if you for I don't know why but if you want to still talk to that person later but then you won't have any of those lingering feelings and you can't be brought back. And let me tell you nothing drives a man crazy more than you leaving in silence.
SPEAKER_02:Well we see all of that play out Danielle and I mean it's tricky right they work together I understand she couldn't really cut him off cold turkey because she has to work with him right fine. But I think one of the things that I I personally really loved about this movie is yes it's a love story between Cameron Diaz and Jude Law and ultimately a love story between Kate Winslet and Jack Black but it's a love story between Kate Winslet and herself like she learns to love herself and value herself and she stands up for herself and I think one of the best moments of the entire movie is when she basically tells Jasper to fuck off you know? Yes. I was rooting for that more than I was rooting for like Jude Law and Cameron Diaz to to kiss even though I loved that scene when she runs back to him too. And so Rufus Sewell or Sue, they dated briefly in the 1990s after meeting at the Royal Shakespeare Company. They were together for about three months and then they just remained friends.
SPEAKER_03:That is hilarious. You know his wife came up on my TikTok feed like yesterday she did that um you know that trend where it's like make your husband say a list of all these things and it's really things they've put in their butt but it's not like I've never put anything up my butt but my husband has and then he starts listing stuff clearly he you set him up for this failure. And I was like wait a minute that's an actor but he always plays such a bad guy in all these movies.
SPEAKER_02:He does I've never seen him as a good guy. Yeah he's got that look behind his eye. I'm sure he's a good guy in real life which is why he can play bad so well. As we've all found out some of these really good guys are bad in real life horrible okay so with this scene specifically and with within Hollywood writer and director Nancy Myers is known for doing a rather large number of takes for any given scene when she's shooting her movies. And so apparently this scene this Christmas party newspaper scene there were a lot of takes and by the end of it Kate Winslet was basically begging for them to be done. She was like please tell me that we've we've gotten it like come on and as an actor you know it's interesting I think people have different styles some people like their first take is the strongest because it's the most organic off the cuff. Once you've done the scene 10 times it is hard to be surprised or you know react like it's the first time you're hearing something but I guess for whatever reason Nancy feels like her actor's best takes are 10, 15, 20 times in David Fincher does that too. People have like a really hard time with him. I remember reading about that with the network.
SPEAKER_00:I feel like like especially probably working with like Steve Martin who is a comedian by nature so every take is so extremely different because he's approaching it a different way. And those are some of her earlier movies maybe that's kind of blends to her technique is like okay if I keep making him do it maybe I'll get something different out of them and then I'll have options when editing the movie together.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah it also could be from a writer's perspective too like as in the process of writing you're changing and working reworking things a lot and so her brain might just work like that where she needs to have some options to see how the best way to put it together.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So did you guys find anything about that when you were doing the parent trap episode because I think that's where it would get tricky right like Lindsay Lohan's playing two different characters. You kind of need to know how you set it as Annie so that as Pally you can respond, right? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Back to the plot. We follow a forlorn iris to our home her charming cottage which was fake I was so bummed to read that the cottage is not real. The exteriors were built in Surrey, England but the interiors were filmed in LA and so then we go to LA Amanda's beautiful mansion which is real but was shot in San Marino California, though she's supposed to live near Brentwood which San Marino, Brentwood about an hour and a half away with traffic the interior sets for Amanda's house were built on a sound stage as well and cost approximately one million dollars without exterior walls, a roof plumbing heating or electricity. So that's crazy. I know and this is in 2006. Yeah so even more now we watch Amanda she's a trailer editor and her boyfriend Ethan break up because he slept with his receptionist or assistant type person.
SPEAKER_03:Which is funny because their first movie her and Ed what's his last name? Yeah what is his their first movie together he was cheating but with her with Cameron Diaz's character in that movie.
SPEAKER_00:Oh very interesting I just loved how she kept being like tell me you cheated on me and he's like I didn't I did it and then finally she's like it's over come on come on and he admits to it and I was like oh you should have just admitted to it at the beginning you asshole she knew women's instincts y'all we know when I was deciding on a major I majored in um film and video but like that was my goal to cut trailers for a living and I I never did it but that was like I want to be in a room by myself just editing and now I do a podcast where I'm in a room by myself editing after we record.
SPEAKER_02:So and how's your lower back doing these days Jackie Amanda starts having these like esophagical spasms which Nancy Myers also experienced so that's why the character has that which I think is really interesting. Cameron Diaz cannot cry but she's feeling things and this is how her body is reacting to pain and we'll later learn why she can't cry and we'll later learn that she will cry under the right circumstances. Okay so earlier we talked about how John Krasinski was in this movie which I had completely forgotten and also Catherine Hahn, whom I love. And I was like a very pregnant Catherine Hahn is in this movie, which is very cool. Amanda is like over her life she wants to take a vacation a holiday this might be her first one ever. She wants to eat carbs and read a book she says which is so sad and indicative of the way we all kind of felt in 2006 unfortunately she's also concerned that stress will make her look haggard. So she finds a home exchange website and she selects Iris's lovely cottage. We're back to Iris she is bawling her way through Christmas contemplating suicide? I kind of forgot about that. That got a little dark she's like turning on the gas and then she's like wait what am I doing? Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas is playing what's y'all's favorite holiday song too many there are a lot of good ones I know both of you guys puffed up your cheeks at the same time and blew out air that was adorable.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know Jackie you don't really love Christmas I I I like Christmas music but I am I am a very like I I love Thanksgiving Christmas starts after Thanksgiving like I better not hear a carol until I'm done with my turkey and unfortunately the stores don't follow my rules um Hansen has a Christmas album. The album is called Snowden it was released like in 97. Now I have umbop stuck in my head so thank you for that it's the silent night medley so it's oh holy night silent night oh come all ye faithful together and they just harmonize so well and it's a cappella and it's just very beautiful.
SPEAKER_03:That sounds really that is my favorite it's real hard I love Christmas music growing up my mom would play the Motown Christmas so like bangers right like every rendition especially all of the Jackson 5 renditions of Christmas songs. I do love George Michael's last Christmas that that's also a hit but more recently I really loved the Kelly Clarkson Christmas album she made. I don't know what year it came out but I can watch that I mean listen to that one through and through the one that's like so it's hard for me to choose and of course Mariah's is it even Christmas if you're not listening to Mariah Carey's Christmas album.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know. As long as it's after Thanksgiving I'm with you I'm with you I actually really hate that I cannot go into a store the week before Halloween and get a last minute Halloween decoration or anything because they've already brought out Valentine's Day stuff. Like it's so annoying.
SPEAKER_03:I don't mind I like Thanksgiving could go like honestly it yeah Jackie I mean it she doesn't like turkey turkey yeah unless her mom made it okay okay that's like the only time I'll I'll or smoke turkey but it can go like we are celebrating a genocidal holiday I don't understand like at least can we rebrand it call it some like base it on something else I wouldn't I wouldn't mind a rebranding I just really enjoy like everyone getting together for a really good meal and dessert and no present just watching yeah it's not about being a that's why like I'm with you Danielle realizing what we were taught in elementary school and what it actually was was bananas but this idea of like taking a day just to be grateful is beautiful. I love the food I do like I love it. I love it even more when I don't have to cook it. Yes I I also wish a kid come in a different time of the year. It feels like a lot of pressure to have thanks do all the prep for this one day and then literally days later we're at Christmas. So I think that's also where I'm like this is stressful for no reason.
SPEAKER_00:My family does do well we're very non-traditional and so we do have a Thanksgiving song and it's literally just the golden girls theme song that we sing before we eat. I love it. Like if we have new people or like invite friends that have not experienced that before like my brother gets really embarrassed like we don't have to sing the song because I was like no we're singing no no you have to sing it extra loud now.
SPEAKER_02:So Iris sees Amanda's messages about wanting her house and she sees an opportunity and they decide to swap houses ASAP which I thought was really funny on the flight Iris is nestled back in economy she's like sending Jasper a note and she's like you gotta let me go and to Danielle's point just let him go yourself girl like come on what more do you need he has put a ring on somebody else's finger lady yeah that's rage bait right there. Seriously I just take take the initiative I mean she kind of did right she was like I'm getting the hell out of here I'm going to LA I love that Amanda's flying first class it's very very on brand she's sleeping flat on a plane which is definitely on my bucket list to do one day.
SPEAKER_00:Did you guys like the trailer narration that happened during Amanda's story parts I yes and no you're like yeah like it it at times what took me out more was her talking to herself a lot. Do you not do that some people do I was gonna say that I would that seem normal. Uh I I guess I just don't talk to myself out loud that often so I'm like what is she doing?
SPEAKER_03:But you I don't I don't know I thought I did it because I'm I live alone so like a lot of times it's me myself and I but I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:Oh I do Alex says she does it too I do and my husband's like wait hold up are you talking to me or are you talking to yourself? I'm like I don't even know when I live by myself I got a dog so that I did feel less crazy about talking out loud to myself.
SPEAKER_03:So they actually say scientists say it's really good for the brain to and and especially like you know people do affirmations and stuff like that to ask yourself like emotionally when you're trying to like deal with complex emotions to ask yourself certain questions and respond it actually helps your brain to digest it.
SPEAKER_02:So that's really cool. And I could see why because it takes you out of the emotion for a second to sort of check in with yourself. That's cool.
SPEAKER_03:Okay Danielle did you like the trailer narrator I I mean it it fit because she you know it goes with her character. So I don't think it really took me out it I I didn't really think about it honestly. Yeah it just kind of you just like oh you roll with it.
SPEAKER_02:That makes sense.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah trailers nowadays do not have the man who's like honestly I'm really excited that more recently studios have decided to partner with editors on social media to help them make promotional trailers and stuff because some of these editors on TikTok and YouTube are like amazing. Yeah I'm I think the trailers that are coming out now kind of annoy me because they tell the whole movie and yeah it's like you're not even surprised anymore.
SPEAKER_02:I agree with you. I try to avoid trailers now.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah I saw two movies recently where I did not watch the trailers beforehand and they both did not pan out for me. And so I'm like the strategy in theory seems great but then Jackie's going into 28 years later being like where's Sandra Bullock?
SPEAKER_02:Where is she in this? Where's Alan Tudek?
SPEAKER_03:I saw we saw a tweet like a while ago where somebody was like working at Blockbuster one of the best things that they used to do is that when people would come in they would recommend 28 days later as a sequel to 28 days. It was fun to mess with people like that. Yeah y'all are bad.
SPEAKER_02:That's why blockbuster went under okay because of that shit okay so back to the holiday iris is in LA it's warm and sunny very opposite of snowy Surrey where Amanda is being driven to as close as Iris's cottage as the car can get she's gonna have to hoof it in her heels. Also why are you wearing heels Amanda you just flew but when I who are you dressing up for herself maybe I don't know yeah but she gets there and it's adorable Iris is blown away at Amanda's house. Okay, guys, which one did you prefer? Amanda's house or Iris' cozy cottage? Amanda's house.
SPEAKER_00:Amanda's house. Like, without question. Electric blackout curtains. I would never leave that bed. And the DVD wall. Like between those two things, never leaving that room. Amanda is going to have to evict me from her house. Right.
SPEAKER_03:That cottage is cute, I guess, but like, look, when you are poor at some point in your life, this little quaint one room bungalow ain't doing it for me. Yeah, nah. I was just thinking about the plumbing, the electricity, like how old that place was. I'll pass you could pass me with that. Yeah. I'm good.
SPEAKER_02:I think I'd like to stay there for like a holiday. But you're right. I wouldn't want to live there. I'd feel very claustrophobic. Especially like you have to walk so many places. That was I didn't understand the car thing because then Amanda was able to take Iris' car and it's like, well, where was her car? Was she able to get it to the house?
SPEAKER_00:How come the driver couldn't do that? Iris's car is real tiny.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. That was a real actual logistic thing in the when they were shooting the movie that it really could not go that far. That's why it's written into that.
SPEAKER_02:Oh wow. Look at you. I didn't even find that anywhere.
SPEAKER_03:Thanks for also doing your due diligence. I have prepped for this movie and I don't remember why. And it must be that I watched like some behind-the-scenes something, but it's there. We are grateful for that.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, how do you guys feel about the exchanging of the cars though? How does that work? I feel like you would need insurance.
SPEAKER_03:Look, if I was Iris, girl, you could do whatever you want. I see this house, I don't know how much money you've got. That's true. I'm not worried about a thing. That's not, you know?
SPEAKER_02:Speaking of Amanda's amazing house, when Kate Winslett does her little happy dance that was improvised. Oh. I thought that was sweet. We get very a very beautiful Nancy Meyer kitchen. This lady is known for her kitchens and all of her movies. And I wish I could just pluck them and put them in my house. All right, Amanda settled in and she has a scary moment driving on the opposite side of the road. She ends up at a cute little market, just kind of like buying whatever looks good, and she's drinking her bottle of wine. Have you guys ever done that? Like had not wine, maybe while you're shopping, but like busted open the bag of chips.
SPEAKER_03:Never. Really? I just I just think of like my mom would have beat me if I did something like that. Like, look, I I don't want to bring race into it, but as a blunt person, ain't no way that I'm able to feel comfortable enough. I'm already thinking these people think I'm stealing something. So yeah, I'm just trying to get my shit, pay for it, and get out safely. So no.
SPEAKER_00:Ken will do it. And I'm just like, no, you haven't paid for that. Like that's that's against the rules. But it's the rules.
SPEAKER_03:No, Jackie's real real serial follower. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And Ken is like the kind of ADHD where he has like righteous indignation if people are not following the rules, as long as he thinks the rules are valid. But if he thinks like, like, oh, I'm gonna pay for this, of course I can open it. That's a silly rule that I have to wait till I pay.
SPEAKER_02:Then that's when the lines are blurred for him. I just took my kids to the grocery store and both of their water bottles were empty. Sometimes you pick them up from school, their water bottles are empty. They were like, We need water, we need water. Like, all right. I'm like uncapping it and they're like, Can you do this? Is this okay? We haven't paid for it. And I was like, We will pay for it. You are thirsty.
unknown:It's okay.
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, I'm I'm not the person who's always like going in, popping. Although I will say, if you're not supposed to shop hungry, maybe it is a good idea to sort a snack as you shop so that you're not overbuying. But this was funny. I just thought it was cute. She's like glugging a bottle of wine. She's like, Woo! Bread and carbs and wine, yay! Um, so then she gets cozy in Iris' bed. Iris's dog is there, which felt like sort of an afterthought too.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like wouldn't that be in like the the like summary of your house? Like, hey, by the way, you have to take care of my yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:What if she was allergic? I feel like she got the short end of the stick on this exchange. Because what do you mean I'm in a one-bedroom stone house from the 1800s and and I gotta walk your dog and it's snowing? And it's like a small town.
SPEAKER_02:I understand the appeal of England, right? But there's not even it's not even like she's in London where there's a bunch of stuff to do. Though that was kind of what she was looking for, the exact opposite of LA.
SPEAKER_03:And I think she gets the long end of the stick when uh well, my console's knocking pretty soon because he's got a peep. When napkin daddy walks in, yeah. She's she got a good consolation prize. So sweet.
SPEAKER_02:She is getting really bored though. Y'all are right. She starts yell singing Mr. Bright's side, which is very of the moment. That song. Love the killers.
SPEAKER_00:Of the moment. I just saw the killers at Easy. Oh no, I love the Killers too.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, they have a great Christmas song. Speaking of Christmas songs, but Mr. Bright's side, I mean, that song was everywhere in 2006. Iris is loving Amanda's home, though. Miles shows up to get Ethan's stuff, and we get these pesky Santa Ana winds, y'all. And Iris also spots Arthur going on a walk with his caregiver. All right, listen, being in SoCal, like we do get really bad winds. I mean, we had horrible winds obviously earlier this year that made the devastation of these fires just but this was the thing in this movie that was sort of not by accident, but it actually was really windy, I guess, when they were filming. So it was sort of yeah, this weird magical thing that was happening. I wouldn't call them magical anymore. They're more like devastating. Yeah. Back in England, Jude Law, Iris' brother Graham, shows up at Amanda's door. He's hot, but he's drunk. He has to pee. He tells Amanda that he's Iris' brother, but like she doesn't really know that. I mean, I guess it would make sense because why else would he show up? But it was a thing where, like, in the movie, I buy it, but in real life, I'm not letting this guy in. I don't care how hot you are. Very dangerous.
SPEAKER_00:And then it's like she immediately sleeps with him too.
SPEAKER_02:Like okay, growing up, did you guys feel like people did that way more often in movies than like real life? I don't know anyone in my life who's had a one-night stand who went home with a man night one. I just feel like maybe we grew up in a time where like there's too much, we knew too much, too many bad things could happen to you.
SPEAKER_03:I think we in a weird way, because we were coming off the cus with the height of HIV, that our generation definitely was drilled about like having safe sex. Yeah. I can't say that I don't know a lot of people who had one night stands, but when I I hate to say this, but when I watch these movies, I don't take it seriously because I'm like, oh, that's just white people shit. So, you know, it is what it is. Okay, well, as a white lady, I can tell you I don't do one night stands either. But that I mean, that doesn't always hold true because I know there's some black people who are letting it hang out, so you know, it is what it is.
SPEAKER_02:Listen, I guess if you feel safe enough to do that, you're not listening to enough true crime podcasts and you need to you need to find one.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know. I I do have friends who have done it, but I feel like they're at least a few years younger than I am. So, like like Danielle said, we we got a lot of stranger danger. Yeah. Whereas I think like the the younger generation, slightly younger, they weren't as worried.
SPEAKER_03:I will say I've had some some vacation trists, right? Which is like, I don't know what when you're on vacation, you your mind kind of shifts a little bit and the same rules maybe don't apply, and you're just like, I'm gonna have a little bit more fun because it's a vacation, and you don't maybe but I always trust my gut like when I'm hanging out with someone, but I don't think I could do it the first day. Like I just met you. Yeah, I can't do that. Yeah, I I I gotta do a Google search first. Jackie and I have experienced me Googling someone for the first time that I was dating, and I was like, Oh no, you found out some bad stuff. He was on 2020, girl. Oh and that's where I'll leave you.
SPEAKER_02:Which episode, but good for you for Googling.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, Google re reverse search those those uh pictures, ladies, from those dating apps. You will find a whole lot of something.
SPEAKER_02:Well, luckily for Amanda, this is a movie, and Jude Law is Jude Law's Graham is a good guy, right? So it's fine. They have a kiss and she's like, let's have sex, you know, because it's been a minute since she's had sex. That's what Ethan said. And like Danielle, Amanda is on vacation mode, she's in England. This is this is English Amanda, you know, she's fancy free. But Amanda says, I'm not going to fall in love with you.
SPEAKER_03:Which, like, girl, you're already in love just saying that.
SPEAKER_02:Why did you even bring that up? Exactly.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, like how to drive a man away. Yeah. Although in this case, it didn't matter.
SPEAKER_03:Because you know why? She's hot. I got two kids at home. So, girl, ain't nothing you seem is rocking my boat because I got some surprises, some bombs to drop on you.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. He's like, Shh, I just want to have sex. Let's do this, whatever you say. She's like talking about leaving, and he's like, But if you don't leave, here's this pub that you can come into. Okay, we will find out very soon that he has kids. And I'm like, who is watching your children? You're at these pubs every night. He must have an awesome mother or mother-in-law.
SPEAKER_03:Nanny? Nanny, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:That was a that was a plot hole that, like, fine, I was okay ignoring, but there was a part of me now that I'm a mom, I was like, who's watching your kids? Where are your kids?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, them kids were at home. They were latchkey kids. They're like six and four. They're just sitting with the napkin. It's like the talents of like five people. Yeah, it's nobody's coming to get you.
SPEAKER_02:Back in LA, Iris wakes up from the best sleep of her life, courtesy of blackout curtains. And anyone out there, if you don't have blackout curtains, I highly recommend them. They will change your life. But then Jasper calls. He wants her to read something of his. Ew. Back in England, Graham walks into the pub. He's looking for Amanda. He doesn't find her, he's all bummed out. And then the C parts, and she's there. She's beautiful. And Beauty and the Breakdown by Froufru plays, which was also a song of the moment in 2006. And that pub that that they featured is real. It's called The White Horse, and it's in Sheer, England. Back in LA. Iris comes upon a solo Arthur, who can't remember how to get to his house. And luckily she can't, I know. It was such a sweet moment. She takes him home and they become fast friends. He's very lonely. And Iris is lonely, and she asks him to dinner and she learns all about his incredible life. He's a famous Hollywood writer. And Iris tells our Arthur all about Jasper, and he tells her that Iris is a leading lady behaving like a best friend. Which I love. And I think a lot, I think that that term, be the leading lady of your own life, or like be the lead of your own life, it feels more recent. So it was kind of shocking to go back to 2006 and be like, wow, this was introduced by Nancy Myers 20 years ago. And we're all just now kind of being like, don't be the side character in your own life, you know.
SPEAKER_03:I did see a really cool tweet where it was saying that you're the lead, the best friend, the you know, the side character, all these different the day player all in one in in different people's lives. Like you play different roles at different times. And I'm like, oh, that is so true. You you never know, like somebody at work, you're a day player for them, but in your life, you're always the star. But like I just thought that was cute too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that is really cute. And it's a nice reminder that we can change people's days, even in really small ways, just like a simple smile or hello, you know. And I I loved Arthur and Iris's relationship here. I think it was a nice reminder too that like we should talk to the older people in our lives. Like they've lived incredible lives, they've done incredible things, and you miss that if you don't ask the right questions or talk to them.
SPEAKER_03:I think younger people should engage more with old people in general. I don't I think there's a huge gap with that. Yeah. I chill out with my grandma and aunts and stuff a lot, and I do think we're missing a lot of like information being passed on too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and wisdom. And I think the judgment exists because we're not talking to each other generationally. Yeah. Okay, so Amanda and Graham continue to be all cute to each other, and then Olivia calls, and Amanda's like, of course, he's a ladies' man. Very strange that Olivia had her own phone, but we'll get there too. Um, she's smitten with him, but she's like, ah, this is not good. But they get to know each other and they have this really like cute job interview style lunch because Amanda's out of date practice, but then they get real and Graham brings something out of Amanda. We learn that she hasn't cried since she was 15, but Graham is a weeper. They have a wonderful afternoon together, and Amanda isn't sure about continuing it because it feels complicated, but they make plans to see each other soon. You know, they're they're just kind of like, should we be engaging in each other? I'm only here for a limited amount of time, but there's that draw. They're drawn to each other like a moth to a flame. Back in LA, Miles comes back over to Iris's and he interrupts a Hanukkah party. And even though he still has a girlfriend at this point, he like lingers as he kisses Iris on her cheek twice on his way out. Xanna, Anna's are still being all crazy. Back in England, the narrator guy asks, it's not will she ever change, but does she want to? Which is a good question. It's a good question we should all ask ourselves. And Amanda decides to surprise Graham. We're made to think that he has another woman over, but actually he has two daughters. The daughters are so adorable. This was both of their first feature film, and I thought that they were amazing.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, they did great. They're so good. And not only with Jude Law, but like with each other. Yeah. It was very sweet.
SPEAKER_02:The scene where they're all like lying in the fort tent and they look up and it's very lovely. Like you believe that these little girls also lost their mom, which is not an easy thing for little kids to. I mean, that's a really heavy thing for them to have to play. Okay, so they're about six and eight or nine, it seems. And I did think it was really weird. They had their own phones because at one point Olivia calls and then Sophie calls too. And it's like, why do they have their own phones? Why don't they share one? And B, why do they have phones? It's 2006. Like, what's happening? That was a weird, I understood like why that was a plot device, but it was a stretch for me personally. This is where we meet Mr. Napkin. And if we didn't love Graham before, we love him now. He's very sweet. This is kind of an iconic moment from this movie, The Mr. Napkin Head. Iris is spending more time with Arthur, and she finds an invitation to an event in his honor, and she encourages him to go, but he's like, No, I feel really old. No one's gonna be there. And I don't want people to see me, you know, in my walker. I I don't, I just don't feel like a young man anymore. And so she promises to work with him so that he can walk across the stage without his walker. Iris and Graham are chatting on the phone, and then Amanda calls, and they're both trying to find out how the other one is doing. And Iris is like, oh my god, you slept with her, but she accidentally says it to Amanda first. And man, that brought me back like to the three ways and the switching, and it's very fun. Whack-a-doodle situation. Miles calls, he comes over. Okay, so this is at Blockbuster, and yes, the they had to remove all of Kate Winslett and Jack Black's films from Blockbuster. No meta moments for us. Miles is having a rough time because his ex-girlfriend broke up with him because she cheated on him. And Iris sees herself in Miles. She tells him about Jasper, and they're there for one another. Two good people pining for not good people. It's montage time. Amanda's trying to cry. Miles and Iris are helping Arthur find a good suit. They're movie watching, there's book editing. Amanda packs again to leave, but Graham comes over and kisses her. Miles writes Arthur's theme, which I thought was really beautiful. And Amanda and Graham are like, man, this sucks. We're so good together. What can we do? But they realize like Amanda doesn't really want to do long distance. Could you guys do long distance relationships? I mean, they're in two different countries. Like, this isn't even like the same country. There's like passports and customs to go through every single time.
SPEAKER_00:There would have to be like a pretty solid like end date. My husband and I, for the first year, we were long distance, but we got to see each other probably every couple of months, and we talked on the phone every night, which I think really helped like get to know someone without any distractions. But it was always like I knew I wanted to move out of South Florida, and he lived in Austin, so it was like, okay, well, I'll just go to Austin. Like that's fine. Yeah. Like I had no vision of where I wanted to move really, just I needed to get out of South Florida. It all worked out for me, but I we had like an end date in sight where it was gonna be like, okay, in a year, when I finish college, then yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I I prefer long distance, you know. Really? It's just you know, at this age, to to like invite a man into my house that's a lot. So it's like really fun. I I'm not gonna say prefer, but I I don't mind it because then they come and visit, and then it feels special. It feels like vacation boo time. And then you go back to your life. It's that moment where it's like, oh, you're gonna be here all the time.
SPEAKER_02:I just read a memoir where it's the woman's second marriage, and she and her husband have separate homes two hours away from each other, and she's like, it works for us. I think London to LA would be difficult because like the time zone is just you're missing each other all the time. And there is a companionship that I think it would just be really hard to sustain. Like even a friendship would be hard to sustain with that time difference.
SPEAKER_00:I think it'd be a little easier now with like FaceTime when you can actually like see someone rather than just the voice. But yeah, just like making sure you are available at the same time they are, and just logistically it it would probably become really, really difficult, really.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Eventually, like there's this thing that happens if you're not truly like even if you're really committed, life happens. Like you start hanging out with people in real time, and then it's like, oh, can we reschedule? And then it just things get pushed back, and then eventually it's done, you know. So yeah, it it can't be for too long, I think. I agree.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, back in LA, Miles and Iris are at sushi. The boob graze happens, and this was inspired by a real life Jack Black moment. I guess it happened like when he was talking to Nancy Myers, and she was like, Great, we're putting it in the movie. His ex Maggie calls, and Miles does that thing. This was the one moment where I was like, I don't know if I'm rooting for these two, because he's like, Oh yeah, oh no, we're almost done. I'm like, bitch, you didn't even get your food yet. Like, you are rushing. Yeah. You're running back to this girl who cheated on you when you have gold right in front of your face. I didn't like that. I felt like it took him a little too long to realize that Kate Winslet is the prize here.
SPEAKER_03:I I think it's just really important for us to see this because. Because we as women unfortunately love not all of us, but the women that love men, we love men. And they're not always great. So we have to always keep that in mind.
SPEAKER_02:Well, Miles is definitely being some sort of man here, man child, maybe, I feel like in this situation. Because he pieces out to go running back to Maggie. And Kate's like, Kate, Kate is Iris is like, don't forget about Arthur's thing that you're doing the music for. Like, very important. And he's like, yeah, yeah, I'll make it back in time. Don't worry. Back at Amanda's house, Iris pulls out Jasper's pages to read. And then Jasper calls and she's still answering and she's still, she's like a little puppy for him. It's so annoying. And he does the thing where he's like, I left you a package. And she goes, open the door. And this motherfucker is there in LA. Call the police. Intruder. I was like, oh my God. He felt her slipping out of his hands and he flew across the country to just continue stringing her along. He couldn't even give her an answer. Like, I want to. It wasn't, I left my fiance, I want to be with you. No, it was just kind of like, have you read my book yet or whatever? And then Iris straight up asks Jasper, Are you single? He won't answer. He's so snaky. Luckily, though, that is the straw that breaks the camel's back for her, and she's done. She has this great speech and she just delivers it so perfectly. It's perfect. She talks about getting having gumption, which I love. That's a great word. Can we bring back gumption? Like that's a great word.
SPEAKER_03:I feel like she should have gotten him naked in the bed, taking photos, and sent it to his fiancee. I'm fucking and rocking up all your shit. There's no way. I'm not giving no speech. I'm ruining your life. Oh my gosh. If she were as snaky as he is, but she's good.
SPEAKER_02:She's just sweet. And she's also realizing it in the moment. I don't think she has enough time to like think of the blackmail option, but it is smart.
SPEAKER_03:Because you're right, he's gonna run.
SPEAKER_02:It's not even blackmail, it's proof.
SPEAKER_03:He deserves it. Yeah. He does your man is naked in my my bed right now. I just want you to know who you're about to marry. She's saving another woman from more heartache. And I would have said, Yeah, I read your book and I edited it and it's great. And I would have put some weird shit in it. And then I would have told him that get the stepping because he deserves all the bad things.
SPEAKER_02:Karma takes a long time. I think telling other women, it can be hard because people want to blame the messenger. But I do think woman to woman, we should tell one another if we are the other woman that that situation is happening. I mean, it's an uncomfortable, it's an uncomfortable situation to be put into. She sidesteps it by like, she asks him, you know, are you single? before it gets much further. But like, she didn't ask him right away, right when he showed up. You know what I mean? Like, she so, anyways, luckily for her, he's gone. And in our minds, we can imagine that she does somehow send his ex-fiance or fiance some proof, and that's another happy ending for her and not Jasper.
SPEAKER_03:My favorite thing to ask men is not are you in a relationship, but is there a woman out there that thinks that they're in a relationship with you? Ooh, yeah. Because those are two different questions, and sometimes you get two different answers from it.
SPEAKER_02:No, that's actually a really great question to ask. I hate that. I hate that you have to think about that, but that's really smart on your part to have realized that there's like duplicity happening there.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, yuck. My favorite thing is when Danielle starts getting on the apps and then she screencaps some of the guys, some of the options, and it is wild. But they're just putting out there on Front Street. There was one man just wearing pantyhose. Like you could see his penis? Were they shears like you couldn't see the junk, but he was definitely wearing pantyhose. And I was just like, is and and she's like, This is his profile picture.
SPEAKER_03:I was like, okay, well, anytime I for a second get lonely or I feel like, oh, I should start dating. I love going on the dating apps. It's like someone throwing cold ice water on me to make me remember that these streets are not hot. Yeah. The South Florida streets. But here's the thing, I always have my travel mode on. So if I go, I you know, if I go somewhere else, it I'll tell you, it's trash everywhere. If you have a man right now at your home and you're okay, satisfied with him, hold on tight, ladies, because I'm telling you, ain't nothing in these streets for you.
SPEAKER_00:It's my favorite and like it, and it she'll send them out of the blue, so it'll just be like, I I'm just at work, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh well, I need to take a break and swipe through these fine uh specimens.
SPEAKER_03:If I knew the legal ramifications of posting these, I would have a blog so fucking cool. Just do the black bar over their eyes, right?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Swiping in these streets. Lucky for our leading ladies of this film, these guys that they eventually end up with are decent enough to where they should just stick with them for a while. Iris goes to Arthur's beautiful event, and he stands up and walks without his walker to accept his honor. It's a very sweet moment, and the room is filled with people who are there to celebrate him and hear him speak. Miles makes it just in time. He says he and Maggie are over, and he kisses Iris on the cheek for like the tenth time, and then he asks her out for New Year's Eve in London. She says yes, and they kiss. I think I would have loved a little bit more. I'm glad that they they did get together, but they both got together real fast after deciding that they didn't like these other people anymore. I don't know. I think I could have waited almost for New Year's Eve for that to be like their big kiss. Their kiss didn't feel very like rom-com to me, you know? Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:There was no like build-up and but it felt kind of real, you know, like and for their pace, which I think there's not a lot of representation for late bloomers, because not everyone's having that kind of rom-com effect. So I think that's why this movie resonates with so many people because it's it gives you some different options, I guess you could say, or shows showcases something that other people are experiencing. Not everyone's hot and heavy. Some people are very shy, some people are very introverted. So I think it was very sweet. And some of the best rom-coms from like the back in the day, I love that there was no kissing, that the most that you were getting were hand holding. You get that a lot in K-dramas. The yearning, the other parts show up more. I think it'd be nice to see a little bit more of those kind of things.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So back in Surrey, Graham and Amanda are trying to figure out how to say goodbye or be seeing you on the car ride back to the airport. Our girl cries and she realizes, what am I doing? I found love. And she tells the car to stop and she runs back to Iris' house. In the special features, Cameron Diaz claims that this movie is her most physical ever due to all the running she had to do, which she like dances in the mask. So, you know, I think that's kind of saying a lot.
SPEAKER_03:And she does full-on kung fu or whatever in both Charlie's Angels movies.
SPEAKER_02:All right, well, there you go. She says she was running like seven miles a day in heels, and the whole scene, this scene of her running back, took a week to shoot. Cause at first, they had all of these different scenes of her running through things, and then eventually it's cut down to like 10 seconds. She must have been so pissed in that screening. She was like, Really, Nancy? Really? I run for a week and you show three seconds. Come on. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:And and and Kate was annoyed that she had a redo like drinking champagne. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Me Cameron. Um, so she makes it back to the house and she finds Graham crying. And she's like, Why would I leave before New Year's Eve? I should stay. And then we cut to New Year's Eve at Graham's house. Iris is there, Miles is there, Amanda is there, everyone is dressed up and merry. Darling, you send me by Erethra Franklin plays, and champagne is toasted, there's dancing, and we pan away from the twinkly light-covered home as the credits roll. That is the holiday. It's amazing. Okay, one less fun nugget. So it's a rom com, but only one character ever says I love you to another character. Do you guys remember which one? Was it Cameron Diaz character to Graham? Graham to Cameron Diaz's character, Amanda. He's like crying and he's like, I love you. And she's doesn't say it back, but she's crying too. And we can feel it, you know, we can feel it. Jackie and Danielle, thank you so much for joining me today. Any last thoughts about the holiday?
SPEAKER_00:It just is cozy. Like it's just like a warm little hug. I'm tempted to like light a fire while I'm watching it and like drink some tea or some cocoa. It just makes me so happy. And it's not that it's technically a Christmas movie, even though it happens kind of around the holidays. It's just a good movie to start like the winter season.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. I love all Nancy Meyer films, honestly. So I just kind of feel like you can't really go wrong with the Nancy Myers movies. This one is just one of the top ones, I think. Yeah. It's really good.
SPEAKER_02:It has something for everyone, like we've said. It has these grandiose moments, but it has these really grounded moments. It has cheese, just enough cheese, but then just enough like real life quiet, kissing each other at Arthur's event. Hey, I see you, I like you, I choose you now moments.
SPEAKER_00:So and you get to know the character. There's so much character developed. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of times we go into these rom coms and it's just like they meet and like they hate each other for like an unspecified reason, and then two scenes later they're making out. So like the the slow burn of these characters really getting to know each other, with the exception of Graham and Amanda. Uh, but they sleep together first, but then they get to know each other. So that there's still that development. And I think that's what sets Nancy Myers' movies apart from some of the other rom coms, is she's just so good at writing characters, and you know these people by the end of the movie.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and you feel like they exist in the world. I I just love Iris and Arthur. Iris and Arthur. I love Iris and Arthur's characters because it's so rare that you see friendships being built in a rom-com.
SPEAKER_02:So I completely agree. All right, guys, thank you so much for joining me today, and thank you all so much for listening and supporting the show on these movie deep dive bonus episodes. I'm changing up the bonus structure next year instead of movies. My friends and I will be discussing some potentially lesson-inspiring memoirs. Think Real Housewives, Vanderpump Rule's ex-waitresses, celebrities that may have some nuggets of wisdom, but also documented moments of bad behavior. We'll break down the good, the bad, and the crazy. So if you need a movie podcast, head on over to No More Late Fees. I guarantee you they've covered at least one of your favorite movies, probably more. Jackie and Danielle, thank you so much again for joining me today. Happy holidays, happy new year, and be kind rewind.
