The Big Picture: Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag

Published 2021-01-12; 1:56:03 by the feed.

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

The extraction calls the show “The Big Picture (The Ringer)” and the episode “Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag”.

Hosts: Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins. Guests: Bobby Wagner (producer, reads mailbag questions), Matthew Hamachek (director, Tiger), Matthew Heineman (director, Tiger).

Subject films: Tiger (HBO documentary), Pretend It's a City, Nomadland, Malcolm & Marie.

On the transcript: No speaker labels and no punctuation of turn boundaries make attribution between Sean and Amanda uncertain in the Pretend It's a City, Malcolm & Marie and Sundance passages; the director interview cannot tell Hamachek from Heineman. Ad reads sit at about 0:36, 1:05, 1:18-1:21 and the end.

Films that came up

Claims (61)

theme (theme): Tiger → Earl Woods. The first half frames Earl as a Dr. Frankenstein making Tiger into a monster of power and emotional danger.
“to show Earl Woods, his father, as the kind of Dr. Frankenstein, and making Tiger Woods into this kind of Frankenstein monster, for better and for worse”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:04:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Tiger → The Last Dance. Unlike The Last Dance, where Jordan and his team were producers with some control, Tiger is unauthorized and Woods does not sit for it.
“this is interesting, especially as a contrast of the last dance, which was, of course, the last big super sports documentary of recent times that wasn't authorized piece in which Michael Jordan and his compatriots were on board his producers.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:10:28 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Tiger → O.J.: Made in America. Audiences are conditioned by Made in America and The Last Dance to expect soup-to-nuts sports documentaries that are really about larger ideas.
“we have become conditioned, in part because of OJ made in America, in part because of the last dance, to get this soup to nuts kind of story.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:15:55 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): The Last Dance → O.J.: Made in America. Both look bigger than their nominal subject: The Last Dance spans many years of Bulls teams, Made in America covers race in America over 60 years.
“O.J. Made in America is not just a story about O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson and that murder.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:16:16 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): Tiger → Pretend It's a City. Pretend It's a City, with its Spike Lee-Michael Jordan-as-artist archive, helps frame Tiger's moments as sublime, viewable only through footage.
“I do think those Tiger Woods moments probably are this sublime, and to be able to see them again, as friendly boys kind of points out, is really the only way that you can”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:18:47 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Pretend It's a City → Pretend It's a City. A streaming service giving great artists room to make projects like this is cited as the proof of what streaming can offer; it could not have happened a decade ago.
“I think it's a good testament to actually what a streaming service can provide, which is sort of the beneficence to great artists on projects that they otherwise would not be able to make.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:23:59 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Pretend It's a City → Public Speaking. Scorsese's 2010 HBO Lebowitz documentary was far more formalist than the loose Netflix series.
“There was a Martin Scorsese documentary about Fran Leboitz in 2010 called public speaking that aired on HBO.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:24:17 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Pretend It's a City → Ellen Kuras. The odd city-walking segments are beautifully shot by Ellen Kuras.
“It's really, it features these odd segments in which he's walking through the city that are beautifully shot by Ellen Curris.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:24:56 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Pretend It's a City → Martin Scorsese. Only Scorsese could have gotten away with making this hodgepodge omnibus show.
“It, an omnibus kind of a TV show, and I don't think anybody else could have made it or could have gotten away with making it in this fashion.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:25:06 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): Martin Scorsese → Fran Lebowitz. Scorsese's affection for his friend Lebowitz mirrors the speaker's own urge to platform brilliant friends like Chris Ryan.
“I can feel and Scorsese, the same urges with Fran Leboitz, where he's just like, my friend is so cool and funny.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:25:57 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Nomadland → Parasite. The National Society of Film Critics has picked Best Picture winners that later became cool-kid Academy picks, such as Parasite, Moonlight and Spotlight.
“they have picked some best picture winners, um, in recent memory parasite.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:29:10 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Malcolm & Marie → 1917. Like 1917 last year, Malcolm & Marie is a late-entrant Oscar movie that is suddenly competing everywhere with a ready-made narrative.
“This is definitely what 1917 was to the Oscar race last year, the kind of late entrant that's like, oh, okay, this is competing in every category and is going to be really noisy”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:31:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): Malcolm & Marie → Zendaya. The speaker finds undoubtedly amazing performances from Washington and Zendaya in an overwritten but beautiful film.
“undoubtedly amazing performances from Washington and Zendaya.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:32:42 · Sean Fennessey (0.50 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Malcolm & Marie → Judas and the Black Messiah. Both arrived late to the critical party and could change the nominations.
“I think that Malcolm and Marie and Jews and the Black Messiah are probably the 2 big, this kind of showed up late to the party and are going to change the constitution of the nominations”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:33:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): The Mauritanian → Tahar Rahim. The film is just okay but Rahim has an incredible performance and a chance at a nomination.
“an absolutely incredible performance from Taharaheim, that I would recommend to people, I think, is the movie is okay.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:34:18 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
career (career): Cherry → Russo Brothers. Cherry is the Russo Brothers' adaptation of the Nico Walker novel.
“This is the Russo Brothers, adaptation of the Nico Walker autofiction novel.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:34:46 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): The Father → Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins is a near-certain best-actor nominee, but the speaker did not love the film itself.
“I feel like I'm on an island here with the father.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:35:15 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Nomadland → Parasite. Nomadland has a very different energy and tone from Parasite, so it is unlikely to be memed the same way.
“So are people just gonna be like meming nomadland in the way that they meme parasite?”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:37:35 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Malcolm & Marie → Parasite. Malcolm & Marie is the frontrunner for memeable movie, a thing Nomadland is not likely to be the way Parasite was.
“I wouldn't say that Malcolm and Marie is a best picture frontrunner, but I do think it's a frontrunner for memeable movie.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:38:17 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): The Social Network → The King's Speech. The Academy was wrong: The Social Network should have beaten The King's Speech.
“obviously, should have been social network over King speech.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:40:53 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Do the Right Thing → Driving Miss Daisy. Do the Right Thing, not even nominated, should have beaten Driving Miss Daisy.
“I do the right thing, which was not nominated over driving was Daisy.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:03 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Goodfellas → Dances with Wolves. Goodfellas should have won Best Picture over Dances with Wolves.
“Goodfellas overdances with wolves.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:06 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Pulp Fiction → Forrest Gump. Pulp Fiction should have won over Forrest Gump.
“Pulp Fiction over Forrest Gump.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:09 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Brokeback Mountain → Crash. Brokeback Mountain should have won over Crash.
“Brokeback Mountain over crash.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:10 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Moneyball → The Artist. A less traditional do-over: Moneyball should have beaten The Artist.
“Gonna gonna put moneyball over the artist here?”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:13 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Get Out → The Shape of Water. Any of Get Out, Lady Bird or Phantom Thread should have beaten The Shape of Water.
“3 options over the shape of water, get out, Ladybird or Phantom Thread, take your pick.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:23 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Roma → Green Book. More recently, Roma or A Star Is Born should have won over Green Book.
“Roma or a Star is born over Green Book.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:41:29 · Amanda Dobbins (0.70 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Rocky → Network. Rocky won over All the President's Men, Network and Taxi Driver in 1977, and is not better than any of them.
“Rocky is not a better film than any of the 3 films I just named, in my opinion.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:42:14 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Network → Taxi Driver. Network is the extravagant experiment of collaborators at their peak; Taxi Driver is daring too, but less so.
“Taxi Driver is pretty pretty daring, but network is an extravagant experiment and a collision of people at the absolute height of their powers all working together.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:42:56 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): Working Girl → Rain Man. The easy-listening do-over: Working Girl deserved Best Picture over Rain Man.
“I would have picked working girl over Red Man.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:43:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.75 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Rain Man → Working Girl. Rain Man made around $300 million and was the year's biggest film in a very different era of moviegoing.
“That movie made like $300 million, and that was a totally different time in movies when Rainman could be the number one box office hit.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:43:35 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): The Godfather Part II → Harry and Tonto. Pacino beating Art Carney at the 1975 Oscars could have broken the habit of giving great actors their Oscars two decades late.
“I think we could have just changed the arc of history, if we had given Pacino best actor for Godfather 2 in 1975 instead of Art Carney for Harry and Tonto.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:43:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Glenn Close → Hillbilly Elegy. The late-career Oscar-owed pattern: there will be a movement for Close to win for Hillbilly Elegy.
“There's there's going to be a movement for Glenn Close to win an Oscar for hillbilly elegy.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:44:12 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
career (career): Al Pacino → The Godfather Part II. Speculating how an early Oscar might have altered Pacino's wild 1980s and later money-driven career.
“I just know that his performance in the Godfather Part 2 is arguably the greatest performance in the history of movies.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:45:19 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Full Metal Jacket → Stanley Kubrick. The boot-camp first hour is cited as one of the great first halves of any movie; the Vietnam second half is very good with Kubrick hallmarks.
“that 1st hour is funny, terrifying, emotionally wrenching.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:46:44 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
theme (theme): A Star Is Born → Full Metal Jacket. Offered as a second answer to best half-movie: everything up to the first time she sings Shallow is dynamite.
“everything leading up to the 1st time she sings shallow on stage, which is like, I think an hour, maybe a little bit less.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:47:14 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Preston Sturges → Nora Ephron. Sturges's writer-first absurdist romantic comedy style influenced Ephron, James Brooks and Albert Brooks.
“obviously, like the Nora Efron of the world were really influenced by Sturgis movies, um, as were like James Brooks and, you know, the people like Albert Brooks”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:48:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Preston Sturges → Howard Hawks. Sturges lacks the restored, boxed-set iconography that Hitchcock, Ford, Kurosawa and Fellini enjoy.
“the way that, like, Hitchcock and John Ford and Akira Kurosawa, like, they're not slipping through the cracks.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:49:23 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Citizen Kane → Casablanca. Younger viewers resist classics because they feel they must watch five canonical films first; a recent episode showed they refuse Citizen Kane even on streaming.
“we just went through a whole episode where people refuse to watch Citizen Kane on streaming.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:50:25 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Casablanca → Sullivan's Travels. Casablanca still means something to the American moviegoer, while a Preston Sturges carousel on HBO Max would mean nothing to most.
“is there a carousel on HBO Max that says the Preston Sturgis collection? And does that mean anything to anyone?”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:51:01 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Burt Lancaster → Sweet Smell of Success. Lancaster dared to play hated characters and pursue strange films, especially Sweet Smell of Success.
“his willingness to be hated as a character in movies, especially sweet smell of success, but many of his movies.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:54:39 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
career (career): Toshiro Mifune → Sanjuro. Sanjuro is the second Sanjuro-character film after Yojimbo, and Mifune is the most fun person to watch on screen.
“I just rewatched Sunjuro, which is the 2nd movie after Yojimbo about the Sunjuro character, and he is just a lightning bolt.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:54:51 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Bringing Up Baby → Howard Hawks. Hawks's fast-talking screwball comedies influenced every romantic comedy and dialogue-heavy film since.
“the Howard Hawks screwball comedies because just of the fast talking and the influence that they have on every single romantic comedy that is made”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:56:11 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
people (people): Bringing Up Baby → Katharine Hepburn. The Hepburn-Grant chemistry is why Bringing Up Baby is a favorite even if it is not the best performance of either.
“what they can do together and the chemistry between them is um, I'm very partial to it.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:56:34 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
contrast (contrast): Cary Grant → Jimmy Stewart. Grant simply shows up at ease and charming, the opposite of Stewart's transcending-persona acting.
“there's something about, and it's kind of the opposite of Jimmy Stewart.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:56:51 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
what-if (what-if): Cary Grant → Gunga Din. Grant could have been an action star given Gunga Din, but kept to screwball comedy and man-in-peril roles.
“if Carrie Grant wanted to be an action star.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:57:38 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
verdict (verdict): His Girl Friday → Cary Grant. His Girl Friday is the speaker's pure favorite Grant performance.
“I think his girl Friday is probably my pure favorite of his performances.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:58:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
programming (programming): Holiday → Bringing Up Baby. Holiday was long out of circulation and is now on the Criterion Channel, likely prompting the question.
“a lot of people have been watching holiday because that had been out of circulation and is now on the criterion collection”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:58:09 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
people (people): Penny Serenade → George Stevens. Scorsese corrects Lebowitz's title and credits George Stevens as director.
“George Stevens, and then he starts talking about Carrie Grant.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:59:21 · Sean Fennessey (0.55 sure it was them)
career (career): Penny Serenade → None but the Lonely Heart. Scorsese claims None but the Lonely Heart was Grant's only acting nomination, but he was also nominated for Penny Serenade, both when Grant was trying to break the persona.
“Carrie Grant has 2 Academy Award nominations in his career. For 2 movies that very few people have seen that are our age, none but the lonely heart and penny serenade.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:00:03 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
career (career): Michael Clayton → George Clooney. Michael Clayton was part of the hosts' recent George Clooney Hall of Fame run.
“Recently when we were doing the George Clooney Hall of Fame, I invited him to watch Michael Clayton with me”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:07:19 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
industry (industry): Wonder Woman 1984 → Trolls World Tour. Studios should release straight to VOD and live with unknown numbers; the likely VOD hits are Trolls World Tour, Tenet and The Croods 2.
“Trolls World Tour and Tenet and the Crudes 2 and a handful of other movies that if you just pull up, you know, iTunes or Amazon Prime right now, you'll see are dominating the charts.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:09:24 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
industry (industry): To Catch a Thief → Grace Kelly. The shoot overlapped with Grace Kelly being courted by Prince Rainier, a gossip draw to be on set.
“It's when Grace Kelly was being courted by Prince Rainier, and I would also like to kind of witness that from a, you know, gossip perspective”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:10:51 · Amanda Dobbins (0.75 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Eyes Wide Shut → Stanley Kubrick. The set would mean a long shoot with a great filmmaker, two stars in an actual marriage and untold stories.
“obviously you've got one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, 2 of our favorite stars in the midst of a marriage and a film about the potential dissolution of a marriage”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:11:53 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): On the Count of Three → Jerrod Carmichael. A favorite stand-up comic and unconventional thinker makes his directorial debut.
“Dried Carmichael's directorial debut, one of my favorite stand-up comics, and someone who I think is a... a unconventional thinker.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:14:00 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
people (people): Passing → Rebecca Hall. Passing is the must-see Sundance film, directed by Hall from the Nella Larsen novella.
“This is like the must see movie at Sundance.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:14:50 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): Prisoner of the Ghostland → Sion Sono. Sono, whose Why Don't You Play in Hell? and Tokyo Tribe are wild, teams with Nicolas Cage on an action movie.
“Prisoner of the Ghostland, which is a Sian Sono team up with Nicholas Cage.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:14:58 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
career (career): The Sparks Brothers → Edgar Wright. Edgar Wright's long-awaited documentary about the band Sparks.
“the long, long, long, long awaited the Sparks Brothers, which is Edgar Wright's documentary about the group Sparks.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:16:13 · Amanda Dobbins (0.55 sure it was them)
theme (theme): All the President's Men → Network. Both are comfort rewatches though not comforting: the pros get the job done and do not fail.
“there's something about, you know, they're going to get the job done that is comforting to me.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:18:13 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
lineage (lineage): Tiger → The Last Dance. The interviewer says Tiger sits in league with Made in America and The Last Dance as sprawling psychological athlete profiles.
“We've seen now with OJ Made in America and the last dance, these kind of sprawling, complex psychological profiles, really, of these historic athletes.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:43:48 · Sean Fennessey (0.85 sure it was them)
craft (craft): Tiger → The Sopranos. The cliffhanger-ish end of part one, scored to the song Evidently Chickentown, is an homage to a Sopranos final-season baptism episode.
“that moment is kind of an homage to, um, the, an episode of uh, the Sopranos during the final season.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:45:33 · unknown (one of the directors) (0.40 sure it was them)

Fun items (24)

fun, about Tiger: Amanda's husband Zach, a golf maniac, whoops quietly at every golf shot as they watch, like a gallery of one.
“every time a golf shot would be showed, Zach would just be like, whoa.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:05:32 · Amanda Dobbins (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Tiger: The end of part one cuts to a famous woman sidling up to the camera, called great filmmaking; one director says the moment is a Sopranos homage scored with the song Evidently Chickentown.
“Because of a very famous woman, just sidling up to the camera.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:07:01 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Tiger: Amanda points out that the documentary shows a magazine photo shoot taken five days after the birth of his first child, which cannot have been accidental, and that a viewer has to look for the clue.
“there is no way that a posed photo shoot is taken 5 days after the birth of a child without the participation and not just the participation, but the planning of the people involved.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:14:59 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about The Ringer / Chris Ryan: Sean says he founded the Ringer to platform brilliant friends, naming Chris Ryan as the prime example.
“I would like to support and show the world how clever, entertaining smart and useful my friends are.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:25:31 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Oscars 2021: The hosts catalogue the thirteen awards movies not yet widely seen and where to stream them, with Nomadland the clear frontrunner.
“There are 13 more movies that most people have not seen that I think are going to be meaningful to the Oscar conversation.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:30:00 · Sean Fennessey (0.75 sure it was them)
fun, about Malcolm & Marie: A joke: Malcolm & Marie compared to 1917, until it turns out Malcolm & Marie is about World War One.
“Malcolm and Marie is about World War one, which was a twist when I when I got to look at it.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:32:11 · Amanda Dobbins (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Malcolm & Marie: A famous meme: Sean says the Malcolm and Marie meme sums up the podcast, with one person saying something unforgivable and the other punching a wall.
“It's just like you saying something unforgivable and me punching a wall.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:38:40 · Amanda Dobbins (0.50 sure it was them)
fun, about Working Girl: Amanda's easy-listening Oscar do-over is Working Girl over Rain Man, and she rallies Justice for Working Girl.
“I'm going for easy listening over here and I would have picked working girl over Red Man.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:43:18 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about The Godfather Part II: Sean says giving Pacino the 1975 Oscar might have changed the pattern of waiting twenty years too late to reward great actors, and wonders if Chris would still be yelling Pacino impressions.
“Would Chris would Chris still be yelling Al Pacino impressions on every single podcast?”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:44:34 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about A Star Is Born: Dave Chappelle suddenly turns up in the film while Bradley Cooper hides in a bush for half the scene.
“Bradley Cooper's like in a bush for half the seat anyway.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:47:40 · Amanda Dobbins (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Casablanca: Producer Bobby admits he saw it once in college and it is not important to him; the hosts hold a gentle on-air intervention.
“I think I watched it once in college, but it's not important to me.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:51:29 · Bobby Wagner (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Casablanca: Sean tells Bobby to watch it and text him when they start singing La Marseillaise.
“And then when they start singing the Marseilles, just text me like you were right.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:52:08 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Pretend It's a City: Scorsese's on-screen role is mostly laughing at Lebowitz; the one time he talks over 20 seconds, he corrects her Penny Arcade into Penny Serenade and explains Grant's career.
“Martin Scorsese's role on the show, his physical role, is largely just to laugh at the things that friend Leboitt says.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 0:58:40 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about Penny Serenade: Sean fact-checks Scorsese on air: Cary Grant was nominated twice, for None but the Lonely Heart and Penny Serenade, not once; Amanda dubs it very un-Cary Grant energy.
“And when a person says a fact about a movie that I know to be not correct, even if it is perhaps the greatest living filmmaker, I just have to note that.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:00:45 · Sean Fennessey (0.60 sure it was them)
fun, about A Muppet Christmas Carol: Sean's wife Eileen, who will never appear on the podcast, has an unhealthy addiction to the film, and also yells Heat Miser at dinner.
“she has like an unhealthy addiction to a Muppet Christmas carol.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:02:52 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about The Imitation Game: The only complete film Amanda has watched with her husband's parents, who do not watch movies; the mother asked at the end if they could do something else.
“I've watched one complete movie with Zach's parents.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:06:33 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Reds: Amanda and her husband never finished Reds, and Sean spoils it.
“I've never seen the end of Reds.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:07:15 · Amanda Dobbins (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Michael Clayton: Amanda's husband Zach refuses to rewatch it with her, and instead reenacts it, yelling I am Shiva, the god of death about fourteen times.
“he did yell, I am Shiva, the god of death like 14 times.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:07:33 · Amanda Dobbins (0.85 sure it was them)
fun, about Pretty Woman: Amanda's husband claims her favorite movie is Pretty Woman, which she says is not even in her top 50 rom-coms.
“I was like, what have I ever talked to you about Pretty Woman in my entire life?”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:08:13 · Amanda Dobbins (0.90 sure it was them)
fun, about Eyes Wide Shut: Sean's pick for a day on a historic set: a long shoot, one of the greatest filmmakers, two stars in the midst of a marriage, and some of the wildest scenes ever shot.
“just some of the wildest scenes ever shot in the history of movies occur in that film.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:12:07 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about Sundance 2021: Sundance goes virtual, roughly 50 to 100 films in three-hour blocks, and anyone can buy tickets for the first time.
“many people out in the world can just buy tickets.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:12:52 · Sean Fennessey (0.80 sure it was them)
fun, about 12 Monkeys: Sean fired it up on his iPad at one in the morning when he could not sleep, and enjoyed it.
“let's just fire up 12 monkeys to see how that goes down.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:28:04 · Sean Fennessey (0.70 sure it was them)
fun, about Tiger: The directors found the footage of high-school Tiger dancing and doing air saxophone in his girlfriend's living room; nobody had seen that Tiger.
“I still remember sort of sitting in the edit room when we 1st got them and saying nobody's seen this version of Tiger Woods before.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:34:43 · unknown (one of the directors) (0.40 sure it was them)
fun, about Tiger: A friend recalls Tiger scuba diving to the ocean floor because the fishies did not know his name down there.
“he would go scuba diving at the bottom of the ocean, so he could go to a place where, you know, this tiger said, the fishies don't know my name down there.”
The Big Picture · Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag · 1:52:23 · unknown (one of the directors) (0.40 sure it was them)

Who's talking

Sean Fennessey (host): Loves canonical 1970s American cinema (Network, All the President's Men), the Hitchcock and Kubrick end of the dial, Japanese cinema (Mifune), and golf and sports documentaries as an avowed golf fan. He rewatches movies as comfort food even when they are not comforting (True Romance, Clerks, 12 Monkeys). He is a sucker for classic stars like Jimmy Stewart, Burt Lancaster, Ingrid Bergman and for rediscovering neglected directors like Preston Sturges.
Amanda Dobbins (host): Loves old Hollywood glamour and comfort (Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Singing in the Rain), screwball comedy and Nora Ephron, and Sense and Sensibility. She leans toward joy, escapism and fast dialogue, and also likes a good Oscar-race pundit take. She does not enjoy her husband's golf lectures and is skeptical of award-season over-narratives.
Bobby Wagner (guest): Producer who reads the mailbag. He is a Mets fan, openly unattached to the classics (saw Casablanca once in college), and prefers watching Lindor press conferences in bed. He is a good sport about being hazed.

The show's recurring bits

Drafts: Hosts and guests draft films in rounds; every pick is a recommendation with an argument.
Hall of Fame: A star's or director's best, ranked and argued.
Countdowns: Ranked lists, top five or top ten.

Names the transcriber got wrong

Sean Fantasy / Sean Fennasy → Sean Fennessey
Amanda Dabbins → Amanda Dobbins
Matthew Hamachek and Matthew Heineman (appears also as 'Hodman', 'Heinman') → Matthew Hamlachek/Hamachek and Matthew Heineman, as spelled in the intro
Armin Catan / Army Katain → Armen Keteyian (guess)
Friendly Woods / friendly boy / Fran Leboitz / Fran Leibowitz → Fran Lebowitz
Ellen Curris → Ellen Kuras (guess)
Tony Morrison → Toni Morrison
Carrie Grant → Cary Grant
Preston Sturgis → Preston Sturges
Catherine Hepburn / Catherine Hepper → Katharine Hepburn
Sunjuro → Sanjuro; Tashiro Mafune -> Toshiro Mifune
Paul Rocky → Paul Raci
Red Man → Rain Man
Ruth Naga → Ruth Negga; Alexander Scarsgard -> Alexander Skarsgard
Sian Sono → Sion Sono
Biden Fu Wang → Nanfu Wang; Dried Carmichael -> Jerrod Carmichael
Taharaheim → Tahar Rahim; Kevin McDonald -> Kevin Macdonald
Billy Holiday → Billie Holiday
Tremfaya and similar → Tremfya (ad copy)
Eileen is Sean's wife, Zach is Amanda's husband (said in context)

The Big Picture: Thirteen Awards Movies to Watch Out for, Oscar Do-Overs, and More From the Mailbag

As extracted (engineer-sonnet-2026-10-13)

Films that came up

subject (4)

compared (24)

passing (26)

recommended (36)

dismissed (10)

anecdote (13)

Claims (61)

Fun items (24)

Who's talking

The show's recurring bits

Names the transcriber got wrong