Working Girl > The Rewatchables

Band/Artist

Book

Movie

Person

Play

Podcast

Song

Studio

TV Show

most debated

• Best Nazi Villain in movies (Zell vs. Landa) - Bill and co-hosts debate whether Christian Zell in Marathon Man or Christoph Waltz's Landa in Inglourious Basterds is the single best Nazi villain, discussing their unique 'moves' and screen presence. They can't definitively decide. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• Dustin Hoffman's standing among 70s actors - Bill expresses that he ranks Hoffman 'pretty far down' among 70s actors like Pacino, De Niro, Duvall, and Hackman, finding him more limited and always 'Dustin Hoffman in the movie.' Craig and other hosts agree it's not a common 'favorite actor' sentiment. - Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck, Co-hosts
  
  
• The ending of Marathon Man (Book vs. Movie) - There's a debate about the change in the movie's ending from William Goldman's novel, where Babe guns down Zell and Elsa. Hoffman reportedly pushed for the change, leading to a 'trash-talking' rivalry between Hoffman and Goldman for decades. Bill sides with Goldman. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• The 'absurdity' of Working Girl's premise - Bill, Amanda, and Joanna discuss how unbelievable Tess's rise and successful merger would be in real life, given she's a secretary pulling it off for two weeks without being caught. Amanda defends it by stating 'if the human emotion works' it doesn't matter if the premise is absurd. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson
  
  
• Harrison Ford's 'hottest' movie/moment - Amanda states that Harrison Ford is at his 'hottest' in Working Girl, surpassing Han Solo or Indiana Jones, a hot take given Molly Rubin's preference for 'Witness.' Bill pushes back with a specific vulnerable moment for his character in Working Girl. - Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson
  
  

deep dives

• Laurence Olivier's performance and real-life struggles in Marathon Man - The hosts dedicate several minutes (approx. 5-7 minutes) to Olivier's health during filming (dying of cancer, on pain meds), how filmmakers played to his 'remaining strengths,' and his unique balance of evil and vulnerability as Zell. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• Dustin Hoffman's method acting vs. Laurence Olivier's 'just try acting' anecdote - A 5+ minute discussion about the legendary on-set tension and a specific anecdote where Hoffman's method acting (staying up for three days) clashed with Olivier's classic advice. They debate the veracity of the story and Hoffman's prickly reputation. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• William Goldman's influence on 70s thrillers and writing process - The hosts discuss Goldman's novel as the genesis for Marathon Man, his unique writing style that 'reads perfectly as a movie,' and his detailed accounts in 'Adventures in the Screen Trade,' particularly regarding Hollywood egos and script changes. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• Melanie Griffith's personal life, career, and on-screen persona in Working Girl - Amanda, Bill, and Joanna spend a substantial amount of time (8-10 minutes) detailing Griffith's 'Hollywood royalty' background, her struggles with substance abuse during filming, her 'trashy' yet 'determined' character portrayal, and her comfort with nudity and vulnerability on screen. - Amanda Dobbins, Bill Simmons, Joanna Robinson
  
  
• Mike Nichols' career, directing style, and personal life - A 8-10 minute discussion on Nichols' fascinating career arc from comedy to theater to film (Virginia Woolf, The Graduate), his focus on strong female characters, his late-life romance with Diane Sawyer, and how his immigrant background influenced themes in Working Girl. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins
  
  
• Sigourney Weaver's unique career and 'man-written' roles - The hosts explore Weaver's diverse filmography in the 80s (Ghostbusters, Aliens, Gorillas in the Mist, Working Girl) and note that her roles were often originally written for men, which she brought a unique 'steeliness' and 'patrician' energy to. Her 'one-of-a-kind' status among actresses is highlighted. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson
  
  

childhood memories

• Watching 80s movies on cable TV - Joanna mentions 'growing up rewatching all of these 80s movies on TNT or TBS' and forming an impression that 'every movie is set at Wall Street.' - Joanna Robinson
  
  
• Parental views on workplace behavior - Amanda shares how her 'mom talks about this all the time when she gets mad at younger generations' about how women 'just knew how to navigate stuff' like 'jerks' and 'sleazoids' in the workplace in the 80s, creating a 'nuclear defense system.' - Amanda Dobbins
  
  
• Early exposure to 'Working Girl' and 80s culture - Amanda states she was 'born a few years before this movie came out so in some ways this is how I understand the 80s, you know and how I understand my parents, for better and for worse.' - Amanda Dobbins
  
  
• Son's reaction to 'Working Girl' - Bill describes his son's confusion and comedic reaction to the 80s aesthetic of Working Girl: 'what the fuck is this movie? ...is this a Mad Max movie?' - Bill Simmons
  
  
• Daughter's favorite Rewatchables episode - Bill shares that his daughter, Zoe, 'who doesn't consume my content at all and actively disparage me at all times' thinks The Devil Wears Prada episode 'is one of the best podcasts ever recorded.' - Bill Simmons
  
  

funny moments

• Robert Evans impression - Bill does an impression of Robert Evans, describing his 'parody of a parody' style from a 'making of' documentary, including his foot up on the chair, V-neck, and a wall of his own pictures. Humor type: Observational/Impersonation. - Bill Simmons
  
  
• Jokes about 'Is it safe?' - Bill and co-hosts make several jokes around the catchphrase 'Is it safe?', including a humorous anecdote about John Henry asking if it was 'safe' before trading players, and the absurdity of a dentist asking it. Humor type: Situational/Running Gag. - Bill Simmons, Co-hosts
  
  
• Fear of being naked if about to be murdered - Bill and Craig humorously discuss the fear of being naked during a murder attempt, with Bill stating, 'I just got to get some pajamas on before you kill me.' Humor type: Observational/Self-deprecating. - Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck
  
  
• Harrison Ford's 'I haven't seen it' SNL comment - Bill reads an anecdote from Nora Dunn about Harrison Ford casually telling her 'I haven't seen it' when she mentioned working on Saturday Night Live. Humor type: Ironic/Observational. - Bill Simmons
  
  
• Kevin Spacey's character foreshadowing real-life events - The hosts create a new 'Kevin Spacey doing cocaine, showing porn, and inappropriately sexual harassing Tess in a limo award for craziest foreshadowing of a real life event' regarding Spacey's character in Working Girl. Humor type: Dark/Ironic. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson
  
  
• Harrison Ford's 'solo date' with Valium-induced Tess - Joanna highlights the scene where Harrison Ford's character, Jack, brings Tess home after she passes out from Valium and comically attempts to offer her a 'nightcap' or 'herb tea' while she's unresponsive. Humor type: Physical comedy/Observational. - Joanna Robinson, Bill Simmons
  
  
• Bride's 'Nicaragua' wedding statement - The hosts find humor in the scene where the bride cries in the bathroom, lamenting that her Luau-themed wedding 'looks like Nicaragua,' and they're 'making a statement.' Humor type: Situational/Observational. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins, Joanna Robinson
  
  

rewatch experiences

• First-time viewer confusion with Marathon Man's plot - Craig shares that on his first watch of Marathon Man, he 'kind of didn't know what was going on in this movie for like the first whole hour,' highlighting how this 70s pacing differs from modern films. - Craig Horlbeck
  
  
• Revisiting plot details in conspiracy thrillers - Bill notes that 'it's always awesome to rewatch these conspiracy thrillers when you know the plot. So you can go back and see Elsa the first time. It's like, oh, so she was stalking him.' - Bill Simmons
  
  
• Spotting Melanie Griffith's 'tough nights' during filming - Bill observes that 'one of the reasons this movie is rewatchable is because it's fascinating to see her scene by scene. You'd be like, ooh. Yeah, that was a tough night,' referring to her substance abuse during production. - Bill Simmons
  
  
• Son's reaction to 'Working Girl's' 80s aesthetic - Bill describes his son's reaction to the 80s hair and clothes in Working Girl: 'My son walked by the TV at one point and was like, what the fuck is this movie?' - Bill Simmons
  
  

catchphrase discussions

• 'Is it safe?' from Marathon Man - Extensive discussion of this iconic line, its 'incoherent' nature, and how it creates suspense. Craig mentions he hadn't heard it before and found the scene 'incredible.' - Bill Simmons, Craig Horlbeck
  
  
• 'A head for business and a bod for sin' from Working Girl - Amanda quotes and analyzes Tess's line to Jack, noting its effectiveness in the 'meet cute' scene and how it defines her character's duality. - Amanda Dobbins
  
  
• 'Make it happen' from Working Girl - Sigourney Weaver's character, Catherine, delivers this line to Tess while wearing ski boots over nylons, serving as a pompous yet motivating mantra that Tess later adopts. - Bill Simmons
  
  
• 'Never burn bridges. Today's junior prick, tomorrow's senior partner' from Working Girl - Discussed as a 'good best in life' quote that still holds relevance, reflecting the cutthroat yet networking-focused 80s workplace. - Bill Simmons, Amanda Dobbins
  
  
• 'Sleazoid' from Working Girl - Highlighted as a 'most 1987 thing' and a word that 'we don't use anymore, and that's sad,' showcasing the era's unique lexicon. - Bill Simmons