Blank Check with Griffin & David
Episode: Drive Away Dolls with mxmtoon
Date: November 30, 2025
Guests: Maya "mxmtoon" Pog
Episode Overview
In this episode, Griffin Newman and David Sims, along with guest artist mxmtoon (Maya Pog), dive into Drive Away Dolls—Ethan Coen's first solo(ish) directorial feature, co-written with Tricia Cooke. This is part of their miniseries “Pod Country for Old Cast” examining the work of the Coen brothers together and separately. The conversation turns lively and reflective as they explore the film's queer caper sensibility, the context and intent behind its off-kilter humor, and questions of legacy and expectation for one of Hollywood's most beloved filmmaking teams. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, pop culture tangents (from SpongeBob to the Marvel Cinematic Universe), and thoughtful debate about what it means when an auteur cashes their "blank check" for something utterly silly.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Context for “Drive Away Dolls” (12:00–20:00)
- The film is Ethan Coen's first solo narrative feature, co-written and kind-of co-directed with Tricia Cooke (his wife), but credited to him due to DGA rules.
- Tricia Cooke’s background as a queer editor and filmmaker is explored, emphasizing how her experience shaped both the process and the tone of ‘Drive Away Dolls’.
“He’s said: Joel and I could never make a movie like this because we’re both dumb and straight. Trisha’s fun and queer.” —David Sims (39:08)
- The script originated in the late ‘90s as a loving riff on lesbian B-movie capers, especially as a reaction to the then-rare representations of carefree, trashy queer stories.
- Long gestation: Script kicked around Hollywood for 20+ years, initially intended as an “exploitation movie” called "Drive Away Dykes." Financing always elusive—studios didn't want a queer comedy that wasn't about tragedy.
2. Queer Representation and the 1999 Setting (43:24–44:35)
- Setting the film in 1999 served both logistical and cultural needs: more lesbian bars, fewer cell phones, and a capturing of a now-fading lesbian bar scene.
- Maya: “One of the things I was thinking about while I was watching the movie was… what about this is specifically in the 90s? For me it was hard to spot, but that [the lesbian bar culture] makes more sense now.” (44:21)
3. Intentional Sloppiness: Praise and Pushback (28:49–32:58, 100:08–104:34)
- The film is “sloppy” on purpose—embracing an intentionally ramshackle, irreverent tone akin to late Coen crime farce, but messier.
- Both admiration and irritation from the hosts and some fans; audience frustration is acknowledged, especially for those expecting “classic Coen craft.”
- David: “Some of the intensity around like, ‘what the fuck is this?’ will be removed if within the next five years we get the Coens doing their thing together again… then it’ll just be like, that was the weird exploratory period.” (126:41)
4. Performances and Characters
Geraldine Viswanathan as Marion (75:04–77:18)
- Universally praised: “She is very much the heart of the movie… the best Geraldine Viswanathan vehicle we have gotten so far.” – Griffin (77:03)
- Balanced understated deadpan in a high-energy world.
Margaret Qualley as Jamie (13:03–14:50, 78:08–81:04)
- Divides the hosts/guest: her zany, fast-talking, id-driven character is meant to be an “id fantasy,” but can feel overwhelming.
- Is Jamie’s arc convincing? Maya: “I didn’t feel like I bought her change at the end…” (80:39)
Supporting turns
- Guest shout-outs for Beanie Feldstein (angry ex), Pedro Pascal (“Penis Collector”), Colman Domingo (crime boss), and surprise cameos from Matt Damon and Miley Cyrus.
- The “briefcase full of dicks” MacGuffin is praised for its cheeky twist on the noir trope—“It’s literally a briefcase full of dicks.” (55:32)
5. A Queer Farce With a Soft Heart (59:12–59:59, 117:00–119:41)
- Sex and sexuality are frank, joyfully presented, rare in Cohen filmography: “It’s just… odd to watch this movie introduce characters in states of pure ecstasy, which is not a thing Coen movies usually open on.” — Griffin (59:21)
- The happy ending—unusual for Coen films, which often skew nihilistic.
- Maya notes that queer audiences might appreciate the rare “happy ending” for lesbians on screen.
6. Meta and Industry Talk: The “Old Master” Phase (102:11–104:34)
- The episode discusses how auteurs (like Ethan Coen, Coppola, the Wachowskis) gradually shift to “late style” – less obsessively crafted, more experimental or even “incorrect” by earlier standards.
- Griffin: “You can only push yourself by trying to make something incorrectly on purpose… what more is there to do other than sit down and go, everyone knows a movie shouldn’t be edited like this, but what if I try it?” (104:03)
7. Cultural Tangents: SpongeBob, Nicktoons, and More (1:05–11:07)
- The hosts and Maya trade stories about their TV childhoods, connecting Margaret Qualley’s accent in the movie to Holly Hunter and even SpongeBob’s Sandy Cheeks.
- Wider generational rifts around children’s TV, parental censorship, and the “crunchy granola parents” phenomenon.
8. Pedro Pascal: The Case of the Overexposed Star (64:03–71:19)
- The group reflect on Pedro Pascal’s sudden “in-everything” stardom, how he’s often in films just for a day, and his best work remains Game of Thrones.
- “He’s become more of a star because of press tours than performances.” — Griffin (69:53)
9. Letterboxd, Ratings, and Fandom (113:13–114:41)
- Spirited debate on rating movies, especially “it's fine” three-star Letterboxd culture.
- Maya: “I used to actually give star ratings, then I was like, I don’t know what I’m talking about… If I like it, I’ll give it a like.”
- Griffin: “3.5 is either a glowing review, or somebody’s like, it’s fine.” (113:54)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
On queer joy & the importance of setting:
“This was like, where is the trashy, 50s B movie where that’s just the starting point for the world and the characters? ... She decided we should still set it in 1999… it actually just rings false to be like, two women can make a road trip itinerary based on multiple lesbian bars in every town.” — Griffin (43:49)
On intentional silliness:
“This movie is very sloppy… in a way that is purposeful. That’s not me creating, like, an armor of defense.” — Griffin (28:49)
On generational TV gaps:
“I had crunchy granola parents that were like, it’s going to rot your brain. You can’t do it… So shout out to PBS Kids.” — Maya (02:40)
On the joys of just going to the movies:
“Why must a movie be good? Is it not enough to sit somewhere dark and see a beautiful face? ... That is how I feel a little bit about Driveway Dolls.” — David Sims (104:34)
On the Coens going solo:
“We’ve split sodium and chloride into two separate elements. So now we don’t have table salt, we have two interesting things.” — David (127:51)
On queer representation:
“As someone who identifies as bisexual… there are so many queer stories in media where, like, you know, I want to see a happy end for lesbians as much as the rest of the world.” — Maya (27:14)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [12:00–20:00] — Discussing Ethan Coen, Tricia Cooke, and the film’s development
- [43:24–44:35] — Why set the film in 1999? Lesbian bars and road trips
- [59:21–59:59] — Discussing the differences in sexual candor between this and previous Coen films
- [64:03–71:19] — Pedro Pascal digression: stardom, best roles, and franchise appearances
- [75:04–77:18] — Praise for Geraldine Viswanathan and her character
- [80:39–81:04] — Jamie’s arc: is it convincing?
- [100:08–104:34] — Editing and “late style” auteurist looseness
- [113:13–114:41] — Letterboxd ratings and “it’s fine" movie culture
- [117:00–119:41] — The film’s happy ending compared to usual Coen nihilism
Conclusion & Final Thoughts
The hosts and Maya ultimately agree that Drive Away Dolls is a breezy, purposefully unkempt film—a “late style” lark from one of America’s most precise filmmakers, co-chaired with a collaborator who supplies genuine queer perspective and lived texture.
While it frustrated some expecting the classical Coen touch, the episode is full of affection for the film’s willingness to be messy, sex-positive, and unconcerned with legacy fandom. “Not every blank check has to be cashed on a masterpiece,” David suggests. For Maya (and likely others), it’s a rare example of a lesbian road trip movie that isn’t tragic, political, or scoldy—and for that alone, it’s quietly special.
Quick Takeaways
- “Drive Away Dolls” is not so much “failed Coen” as “deliberate little queer goof.”
- Geraldine Viswanathan, giving her all—please, Hollywood, give her more!
- Margaret Qualley’s performance is divisive, but undeniably big-swing.
- If you have a movie subscription pass, give this one a spin—especially in a dry month.
- Sometimes, “let them have fun!” is the best possible artistic legacy.