The Friendship Dilemma

Erik & Morgan are joined on this episode by Collin Souter and Kerry Finegan, hosts of the Christmas Movies Actually podcast to look at Walter Hill’s “rock and roll fable.” Featured within his anachronistic dystopian(?) western full of music, bikers and tough guys is the partnership between Michael Pare’s Tom Cody and Amy Madigan’s McCoy. Two soldiers on a rescue mission proving that at the core of...

Alfonso Cuaron’s resume speaks for itself and people should probably speak louder about it. Nearly 20 years ago, he took the core of P.D. James’ dystopian novel and crafted a film for the ages. Especially today. Morgan Gire and Erik Childress can’t help but gush a bit over Clive Owen along with the friendship that is forged with the young immigrant who may hold the, ahem, Key to humanity’s future....

Al Franken’s Stuart Smalley character was a hit on Saturday Night Live but not in theaters. Is it a comedy? Erik Childress and Morgan Gire debate that along with the arc of Vincent D’Onofrio’s Donnie and the mirrors the film may have held up to some of its audience provoking a negative response. But it is the relationship between Franken’s Stuart and Laura San Giacomo’s Julia that is the focus and...

It took 28 years but they finally made a sequel to Twister. New storm chasers, new research and a lot of the same old, same old. Instead of an estranged couple this time we meet estranged friends. Or are they? Erik Childress and Morgan Gire are joined by The Daily Herald film critic, Dann Gire, to put the relationship of Daisy Edgar-Jones’ Kate and Anthony Ramos’ Javi under the microscope. Does he...

Erik Childress and Morgan Gire dive into the inter-office dynamics of the trio within one of his favorite movies. James L. Brooks’ prescient look at the state of television media in the 1980s is matched by his rich characters played by Holly Hunter, William Hurt and Albert Brooks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vi...

Morgan Gire and Erik Childress believe that this tale of loss and emotional heartbreak is deserving of a rediscovery. In this episode they discuss how it smartly handles grief and the downfalls of shielding children from the harsher realities of life; a ball which movies tend to drop. Plus at its center is one of the sweetest pre-adolescent friendship tales beautifully portrayed by Anna Chlumsky a...

Is the friendship between Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Sofia Coppola’s sophomore effort entirely on the up-and-up? Erik and Morgan discuss the implications of jealousy between friends as well as how survival instincts translate into relationships. Just what was Coppola trying to infer with her opening shot if anything? Disagreements over the film’s content range from her style of filmmaki...

Shane Black made a little Hollywood history with his script for this movie even it’s not entirely the one he delivered. One element certainly not in dispute is the relationship between Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson is the rarefied platonic dynamic that the hosts seek out. Could even a brief shift alter the nature of their friendship or does it signal growth under temptation? Is this one of Jac...

 The late Ted Demme’s ensemble relationship dramedy was and remains a favorite of Erik's, but is it by the end of this episode? The discussion with Morgan covers just how shallow its male characters may be and whether or not their female counterparts could do better with their lives. What constitutes average and our own sense of self-worth in a society that places emphasis on perfection and are th...

There are not many films that attempt to deal with a collection of individual women’s stories and Morgan presents this as Exhibit A. Erik has his counterarguments but Morgan makes her case for a film pushing back on the societal norms thrust upon women from an early age from the damage of playground myths to the pressure of getting married. The cliches of romcom’s past are revisited by the hosts a...

Spike Jonze's Her remains one of the more profound films about loneliness. Together, Erik and Morgan discuss the elements of perfection and instant gratification, the psychological implications of a technological-free world and the underappreciated privilege of listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikt...

Horror films have always tested friendships and this personal favorite of Morgan’s certainly puts one into question. Her and Erik further break down the various genre tropes and archetypes, wondering how much more could have been explored if it had been franchised instead of messed with and delayed. Learn Morgan’s secret to watching horror while they wonder about the process in choosing the story’...

Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry star in this film about two broken people – mentally and physically – who find each other and begin hanging out. It is the beginning of a friendship examined by your hosts Erik and Morgan who look into the dynamics of casual invitations and the normally unexplored factor of comfortability that one partner can instill in another. Whether or not this manifests...

Morgan Gire and Erik Childress teamed up with the hosts of Christmas Movies Actually, Collin Souter and Kerry Finegan, to take a look at the 2005 “love you like a brother, not a lover” Ryan Reynolds/Amy Smart comedy. Needless to say there were reversals on some of the one-time enjoyment of this film as they examine the portrayal of this friendship even without the hopeful romance. Does Smart’s woe...

Who said the friendships on this show had to be just between humans? Then again this classic sci-fi film is also about the humanity that makes us so or at least what we hope to evolve into? Therefore a friendship between a man and the female scientist who tries to save him is well worth exploring since there is still much we can learn. There may be a bone of contention in the most referenced scene...

Kevin Smith’s Clerks films may be known for the ongoing friendship between Dante Hicks and Randal Graves, but there’s another in play in the first sequel. Rosario Dawson’s Becky may be Dante’s boss but she is so much more than that as evidenced by their backroom banter and nail polishing. As most movie friendships between men and women, theirs evolves into much more if not already there at the beg...

The 1993 film may not be known for its depiction of the women of the Old West, Morgan (Gire, not Earp) has found something of value in at least one of them. Briefly. But this is actually one of the discussions that was the inspiration for this very podcast. What friendship in this movie (besides Wyatt & Doc) was Erik (and most every fan of this movie) overlooking? Does its momentary exchange say m...

After a decade of raunchy teen sex comedies with a pubescent mentality and a momentary elevation through the work of John Hughes, the 1980s graduated with a teenage romance that took things to a new level. In the middle of Cameron Crowe’s tale of love between a directionless good guy and a driven valedictorian was a friendship rarely seen before or even since in the movies. John Cusack’s Lloyd Dob...

A perfect movie demands the perfect guests so Morgan Gire and Erik Childress invited colleagues Nick Digilio (of The Nick D Podcast) and Collin Souter (of the Christmas Movies Actually podcast) to join in their discussion of George Miller’s 2015 masterpiece. The central focus, as always, is on the evolving friendship of Furiosa and Max. How and when do they learn to trust each other? What silent c...

The search for positivity in male and female friendships on this podcast takes a dark turn this week with Nacho Vigalondo’s 2017 film. This tale of monsters and alcohol is not the typical lovey-dovey tale of old friends finding romance. Though the relationship between Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis starts off friendly, true feelings are not always manifested as a means for happiness. Erik and Mo...

Hugh Wilson’s tale of frenemies played by Nicolas Cage and Shirley MacLaine was once a favorite of Morgan Gire’s and it has been even longer since Erik Childress has seen it. Like VHS-long. So does their relationship stand the test of time for both of them or does the film’s mix of comedy, drama and, ultimately, thriller shortchange each other? A lot is devoted to some of the nonchalance of the bi...

Kogonada’s debut film was a standout at Sundance in 2017. His rumination on grief, lost opportunities and the family members that contribute to them also feature a trio of friendships between men and women. Erik Childress and Morgan Gire break them all down while reconciling different opinions on the style of how their stories are told. Does a little go a long way or does the film’s meditative app...

If there is a romantic comedy than Morgan Gire and Erik Childress can agree about it is James L. Brooks’ 2010 film, How Do You Know. While they may clash with those that dismissed it and audiences that turned it into a genuine bomb, the hosts have a lot to say about it that makes it worthy of a re-evaluation. Whether or not Jack Nicholson phoned his role in for his friend is up for debate, Morgan...

Peter Dinklage just brought new life to the tale of Cyrano de Bergerac, so Erik Childress and Morgan Gire went back and looked at the more comedic take on Edmond Rostand’s play that Steve Martin wrote in 1987. Fred Schepisi’s Roxanne put the big nose on Martin and cast Daryl Hannah as the titular character of his affection. His feelings are secret, but a friendship still develops that Erik & Morga...

James Cameron’s legendary sequel holds special places in the hearts of Morgan Gire and Erik Childress who look deeper within its mastery at one of the friendships within. Even deeper than Erik anticipated. Is Corporal Dwayne Hicks indeed a feminist or is he merely a piece of a greater tapestry around the film’s timeless heroine? Does an agreed-upon backstory by the actors provide insight into two...