That Thing You Do!

“My name is Andrew Shepherd, and I *am* the President!” To wrap up our season 3, Frank returns to talk about the Aaron Sorkin penned film starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening, The American President (1995). As a self-professed fan of Sorkin, this film has special importance to me. Prepare yourself for a lot of The West Wing references and callbacks. We talk about liberal fantasy, the chemistry between the two leads, and Frank talks about needing to be in a certain mood to appreciate this film’s idealism. What would you rate this movie on a scale from 1 to 10? TW: this episode was recorded before the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde. There are mentions of gun control throughout the episode.

“He is the cheese to my macaroni.” This week, my friend Jess is back to dive into Elliot Page’s coming of age film, Juno (2007). We talk about how our relationship with this delightful film has changed as we’ve gotten older. We revel in the uniqueness of the story and its characters, Jess shares her hot take on Jason Bateman, and we agree on who the MVP is of the movie. 

This week, my friend Valerie returns to talk about the ensemble rom-com, He’s Just Not That Into You (2009). With such a star-studded cast, we break down each couple’s journey one by one. Val helps me see a different perspective for one of the film’s couples and we talk about getting relationship advice from the opposite sex.

This week, my friend Justin is back on the podcast to talk about the Queen Latifah and Common rom-com, Just Wright (2010). We talk about how Queen Latifah owns this movie and I wonder if Common plays a believable NBA player. We talk about when to show your true self during a relationship and we ponder about marshmallow treats and fan clubs.

This week, my friend Jon S returns to talk about the star-studded film, Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011). We talk about soulmates, masculinity, male friendships, and the special chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. We talk about different types of love among the characters and how the surprise “twist” is what makes this movie stand apart from other rom-coms. 

This week, my friend Whitney returns to dive into the Tom Hanks directed film, That Thing You Do! (1996). Catchy, wholesome, and plain fun, Whitney and I talk about this highly rewatchable movie from our pre-teen years. We talk about our love for The Wonders, share which member of the band we think we are, dive deep in the movie’s trivia, and realize that we both have a soft spot in our hearts for movies that we think have flown under the radar. 

“Am I a bet?!” This week, my friend Nirupa returns to chat about the teen rom-com classic starring Rachael Leigh Cook and Freddie Prinze Jr., She’s All That (1999). We walk down memory lane and reminisce about this fun and formative movie from our own high school years. We talk about the amazingly stacked supporting cast, The Real World, and briefly chat about the gender-swapped remake, He’s All That (2021).

We're back with season 3! To kick us off, Frank and I dive into Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson’s new film, Marry Me. This movie pleasantly surprised us both on many levels. I’m so happy JLo is back making rom-coms. Frank found many layers to this seemingly breezy rom-com and isn't afraid to claim that this is the best movie of 2022. 

To wrap up our season 2, my friend Jon S joins me to do our first redux of a film that’s been previously discussed on the pod, Crazy Rich Asians (2018). Jon thinks we (Frank and I) did a disservice in our initial conversation, so he’s here to set the record straight. We do a very deep dive and talk about the many layers this film has, from family dynamics, to the cultural impact this movie has, and to my continued desire to see more Asian American men sexualized on screen. 

“I’m not Josie Grossie anymore!” This week, my friend Vivian returns to the podcast to discuss the Drew Barrymore classic, Never Been Kissed (1999). Despite the obvious and problematic dynamic between Josie and Sam Coulson, we talk about the awkwardness of the high school experience and how relatable and likable Josie Geller is. We reminisce about how Michael Vartan was so dreamy and we share what our hopes and dreams were when we were 17.