Jane Adams – This Had Oscar Buzz

Outside of his place in the Star Wars canon, Lawrence Kasdan has a quick rise in the 1980s after his debut Body Heat. With multiple Best Picture nominees to his name like The Big Chill and The Accidental Tourist, Kasdan’s status took a downward trajectory in the 1990s, closing the decade with 1999’s Mumford. Starring Loren Dean as a man pretending to be a certified therapist who sweeps a small town off its feet, the ensemble film has its charms and problems in equal measure.

This week, we talk about Kasdan’s directorial career and his multiple screenplay nominations (but no director nomination). We also discuss Jason Lee as a quintessential 1990s performer, how Mumford‘s release was overshadowed by the arrival of American Beauty, and Hope Davis’ best-in-show turn as Dean’s patient-turned-love interest.

Topics also include David Paymer Six Timers, online shopping addiction, and Unsolved Mysteries.

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We are returning to the work of Jennifer Jason Leigh this week, and Jourdain Searles is joining us once again with an underrated and underseen gem. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle takes on the life of indelible writer Dorothy Parker, capturing her days with the insular Algonquin Circle and her later dissolution with the group, all with Jennifer Jason Leigh as the noted wit. Launched at Cannes, the film was celebrated for her performance even with a limited audience, including Golden Globe and Independent Spirit nominations for Best Actress. But even in a famously uncompetitive Best Actress lineup, Leigh was left out.

This episode, we talk about Leigh’s several close calls for a nomination in the 1990s and our feelings about the nomination that she eventually received for The Hateful Eight. We also talk about Pulp Fiction‘s domination on the independent film scene, the Cannes Film Festival, and the influence of producer Robert Altman.

Topics also include writer/director Alan Rudolph’s filmography, the film’s massive (and nepotism baby-inflected) ensemble, and the person-not-company Condé Nast.

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Tag: Jane Adams

367 – Mumford

248 – Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (with Jourdain Searles!)