Edward Zwick – This Had Oscar Buzz

Can you believe that in 2010 we got Oscar buzz for a film about the rise of Viagara in the 90s that was also a sexy romance and was also about Parkinson’s AND was directed by your dad’s favorite director of macho war epics? It came true – we’re finally talking about Love and Other Drugs! Reuniting Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway after both had earned their first Oscar nominations, this film was sold on its frank depiction of sex but largely reviled for the many disjointed pieces.

This week, we have Vulture senior writer Nate Jones joining us as our tiebreaker to Joe’s hate for the film and Chris’ apologetic affection for it. We take a look back at the notorious (and misunderstood) Oscar hosting gig for Hathaway that year and Gyllenhaal’s pivot from charismatic leading man to weirdo. Topics also include examples of nudity sold to Oscar as creative risk, 2010′s stacked Oscar lineup, and just what kind of music played in mid-90s Circuit City.

Stay tuned to the very end of our episode for a special tease on an upcoming project we are doing…

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This week, we are taking you back to 1996 for Edward Zwick’s Rashomon-esque half-examination of the Gulf War and sexism in the military, Courage Under Fire. While most of the praise on release was granted to star Denzel Washington and supporting player Lou Diamond Phillips, we take a look at the case for Meg Ryan and how an Oscar nomination eluded her career.

Other discussion points include Zwick filmography as consistently mild Oscar success, Matt Damon “getting” thin for his breakout role, and the constantly shifting landcape of Meg Ryan’s southern dialect. And we change up the format and add a closing trivia showdown: The IMDb Game, AKA Known 4.

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Tag: Edward Zwick

040 – Love and Other Drugs (with Nate Jones)

005 – Courage Under Fire