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#048 Nancy Meyers: The Intern vs. What Women Want w/ guest Dru Miller of "Men Are Dogs"


Download MP3 In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Nancy Meyers' best and worst rated films, The Intern (2015) and What Women Want (2000), respectively. Nate's an independent millenial who don't need no man, Austin prefers Mel in the craft services department, and Dru has a new project he's working on. Dru's kickstarter campaign for Men Are Dogs can be found here. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare Guy Ritchie's Snatch (2000) and Swept Away (2002), his best and worst rated films.





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Also check out this behind the scenes footage from The Intern: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwNJteoQ5vs


What Women Want Notes
Worst Rated
PLOT: After an accident, a chauvinistic executive gains the ability to hear what women are really thinking.
  • Ratings: IMDb 6.4 | RT 54% C / 54% A
  • Released: 2001
  • Director: Nancy Meyers
  • Writer(s): Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa and Diana Drake (story), Josh Goldsmith & Cathy Yuspa (screenplay)
  • Cinematographer: Dean Cundey (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Apollo 13)
  • Notable actors: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei, Alan Alda, Ashley Johnson, Mark Feurerstein, Lauren Holly, Delta Burke, Valerie Perrine, Judy Greer, Sarah Paulson
  • Budget: $70 million
  • Box office: $374.1 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • In the scene where Mel Gibson waxes his legs in his bathroom, he actually did wax his legs, and it did not hurt him nearly as much as it hurt him in the movie. He kept taunting all the women on set, saying "come on, this doesn't hurt at at all!"
    • The Nike representatives are in fact the real Nike ad representatives and not actresses.
    • The film was originally titled Head Games and was pitched to Touchstone Pictures in 1996 as a star vehicle for Tim Allen.
    • The film cast includes three Oscar winners: Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt, Marisa Tomei; and two Oscar nominees: Alan Alda, Valerie Perrine.
    • The color of the main characters' wardrobe reflects their mood. Mel Gibson's character wears black and dark colors throughout most of the movie, while Helen Hunt's wears white and lighter colors. The opposing colors match their character's being at odds with each other. It isn't until later in the movie that both wear grey, singling their characters coming together.


The Intern Notes
Best Rated
PLOT: 70-year-old widower Ben Whittaker has discovered that retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be. Seizing an opportunity to get back in the game, he becomes a senior intern at an online fashion site, founded and run by Jules Ostin.
  • Ratings: IMDb 7.1 | RT 62% C / 74% A
  • Released: 2015
  • Director: Nancy Meyers
  • Writer(s): Nancy Meyers
  • Cinematographer: Stephen Goldblatt (The Help, Closer, Angels in America)
  • Notable actors: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Anders Holm, JoJo Kushner, Andrew Rannells, Adam Devine, Zack Pearlman, Jason Orley, Christina Scherer
  • Budget: $44 million
  • Box office: $194.6 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • In one scene, Robert De Niro's character is confused as to who Jay Z is. This is an in-joke about the beef Robert De Niro and Jay-Z have had since 2012.
    • Nancy Meyers approached Jack Nicholson for the role of Ben Whittaker. Nicholson is mentioned in Jules' philosophic rambling at the bar.
    • Reese Witherspoon was originally cast as Jules, but dropped out.
    • This was once set up at Paramount Pictures with Tina Fey starring.
    • In Anne Hathaway's opening scene, she's filling an order over the phone for a bride named "Rachel." This recalls the title of her earlier film Rachel Getting Married (2008), where she was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.

Intro music: Calm The Fuck Down - Broke For Free / CC BY 3.0


Check out this episode!

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