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Linda Holmes
Show, you may have heard that President Trump has issued an executive order seeking to block all federal funding to npr. This is the latest in a series of threats to media organizations across the country. Millions of people, people like you, depend on the NPR network as a vital source of news, entertainment, information and connection. We are proud to be here for you. And now more than ever, we need you to be here for us. It's time to join the movement to defend public media. Visit donate.NPR.org and if you already support us via Pop Culture Happy Hour plus or another means, thank you. Your support means so much to us. Now more than ever, you help make NPR shows freely available to everyone. We are proud to do this work for you and with you. A Simple favor ended with Blake Lively's Emily being hit by a car and then arrested as she tried to crawl away in one of her many beautiful outfits. But as it turns out, you can't keep a good or in this case, a very bad woman down.
Stephen Thompson
Another Simple Favor reunites Lively and Anna Kendrick in a new story of murder, deceit and great hats. And this time it all takes place on the gorgeous island of Capri. I'm Stephen Thompson.
Linda Holmes
And I'm Linda Holmes. And today we're talking about another Simple Favor on Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr.
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Linda Holmes
A CO NPR joining us today is Christina Tucker. She's the co host of the podcast Wait, Is this a Date? Hello Christina, welcome back.
Christina Tucker
Oh hello, hello my gorgeous. To be with you, I only lightly wish we were on the island of Capri instead of our various office setups.
Linda Holmes
But alas, it's true. I do wish I were in an enormous hat right now, but sadly I'm not. All right, so there is something we want to mention because we're not going to get into it today. You might have heard that Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co star and director Justin Baldoni are currently suing each other over her allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies, and both of them have accused each other of conducting smear campaigns in the press. NPR has coverage of it if you're curious, but it is not related to this movie. So we shall move on back to another simple favor. In the first movie, Blake Lively's mysterious and dangerous Emily befriended Anna Kendrick's uber wholesome YouTuber mom Stephanie, and then disappeared. Stephanie joined Emily's husband Sean, played by Henry Golding, to look for her, and from there things just got more and more complicated. In the end, Emily went to jail, but as it turns out, she didn't stay long. At the opening of Another Simple Favor, Stephanie has written a true crime book about Emily, and Emily has managed to spring herself from prison.
Christina Tucker
Emily, why are you here? You came for vengeance in a suburban bookstore? Stephanie, please. You're my best friend.
Linda Holmes
I mean, you lit my life on.
Christina Tucker
Fire, but you saved me and gave me a clean slate. That's why I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to find ways to thank you.
Stephen Thompson
That's the most terrifying thing she said yet.
Linda Holmes
Emily has arranged a splashy wedding in Capri. She wants Stephanie to come. She orders Stephanie to come. So these two women end up together again in a very beautiful location and Emily is as well dressed as ever. It must be said, Stephanie is not the Trusting woman Emily originally conned. So now she's trying to figure out exactly what Emily's game is, what it has to do with the wedding, and whether she's secretly planning to throw Stephanie off a very scenic cliff. The film is again directed by Paul Feig, and much of the cast of the original, including Golding Returns. New to this film are Alison Janney as Emily's aunt and Elizabeth Perkins taking over for Jean Smart as Emily's mother. The film is streaming now on Prime Video, and we should note that Amazon supports NPR and pays to distribute some of our content. Christina, I remember you being a big fan of the first movie, of the vibes, of the general kind of like, oddness.
Christina Tucker
There's a lot of queer, coded behavior in the first movie.
Linda Holmes
Yes, I believe you did a whole podcast about the first movie.
Christina Tucker
I sure did.
Linda Holmes
Tell me how you felt about being back in the world of these women again.
Christina Tucker
It was a mixed bag for me to be back in the world of these women again. As noted, I did love and enjoyed the first Simple Favor. I similarly, at a screening, having no idea what I was walking into. It was very fun. It kind of gagged me. It was very silly. And again, there was a queer undertone that simply could not be ignored. This go round, I was kind of coming in with bottom of the barrel expectations. We're talking a streamer sequel going to Prime. Like, I kind of know where we're in. And on that level, I was like, you know what? We are in a gorgeous location. These streets look like people actually are on them. I'm seeing things. There were some moments that I was, this is fun. But the pacing really suffered for me. I think it's quite long for what it is. And as in the first movie where there's a lot of fun little bits that don't later mean anything, so we can forget about them. There's a lot going on here and you actually have to keep track of it all in a way that is a bit less fun for me than number one. So overall I was like, this isn't hitting the same goals, but if you need something to throw on, it's pretty fun. That's kind of where I landed.
Linda Holmes
Yeah, that's reasonable. Steven, how about you?
Stephen Thompson
Yeah, I came down very, very similarly to Christina. I think that I didn't necessarily merge with the first film to become one with it the way Christina did.
Christina Tucker
Yeah, it's hard to do, but I.
Stephen Thompson
Did approach this film, you know, with kind of similarly like, wow, that movie was seven years ago. I remember really liking it. A lot of the core boxes are being checked here. Beautiful location, you know, dresses beautiful, dresses beautiful. The chemistry between the leads is still very much present. Christina used a phrase that I think is very important in digesting this film, which is streamer sequel that does lower the stakes. Getting to kind of come back and swim in the shark infested waters of this story has its pleasures and there are kind of joys along the way. But I found the overall plotting of this film to be both extremely convoluted and extremely predictable. Yeah, there's a lot of twists in this film, as you might expect from a sequence will do a simple favor. But they're telegraphed and they're clunky and they're confusing at the same time as you know what's going to happen. There are characters in this film who kind of drop in and out of it entirely as devices whose behavior makes absolutely no sense in the context of what has just happened. But at the same time, did I kind of enjoy going back to this world and looking at these gorgeous locations and watching these characters mix it up?
Linda Holmes
Sure, yeah. I think that I am proud, probably modestly more positive than both of you. I did not enjoy it as much as I enjoyed the first one. But I think not only do I enjoy the aesthetic, which is like, listen, this general feeling has been done in, you know, the talented Mr. Ripley. And I mean, it's not the exact same place, but like the feel of this place. You know, we've mentioned the costumes on particularly on Blake Lively, which are spectacularly great. Like no one could possibly own this wardrobe. And yet it's, you know, she's got. When she wears a big hat to go out shopping, it's not just a big hat, it's a hat that it's a canopy.
Christina Tucker
They had to clear side streets for her to walk through.
Linda Holmes
And it looks great on her. She actually, because you know this character already and you know how she dresses, this enormous hat the size of a bathtub looks normal on her because the character's so exaggerated. But in addition to that, I really like both of these lead performances in this movie.
Christina Tucker
Me too.
Linda Holmes
I think Blake Lively. There have been a lot of things. I have not enjoyed Blake Lively in all that much. She has absolutely figured out this performance. The way she talks to Stephanie, the way she calls her baby. It is so kind of lecherous and also menacing and also ingratitude, ingratiating.
Christina Tucker
After all I've done for you. Look at all this. This is all for you, baby. Your numbers Just went through the roof. You can't thank me for this.
Linda Holmes
You sort of can't put your finger on it. You know, she's bad, but you understand why she's so magnetic, right?
Christina Tucker
Yeah.
Linda Holmes
And I think the interesting thing about Anna Kendrick in this film is that Stephanie's a very, as I mentioned in the intro, very different person now. Right. She's been through this whole mess with Emily and now she's super skeptical of her. And I found the scenes where she was sort of saying, like, what are you going to do? Are you going to. Are you going to kill me? Is that the idea? You know, I found a lot of that very funny. She also has a scene where she's being interrogated that I thought was very funny, in which I thought she was very funny. And it's just comedy. Please don't make me say, tell me.
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Tell me.
Christina Tucker
Okay. I knew I would be the best.
Linda Holmes
PTA president, so I stuffed the ballot box with my name.
Christina Tucker
But it shouldn't be a popularity contest.
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And Stacey's had it out.
Linda Holmes
We're talking about Olivia, Emily. I think this movie leans a little more into the comedy more straightforwardly than the first one did. I think the first one held its cards a little closer about whether it was gonna turn out to be sort of a noir.
Stephen Thompson
Sure.
Christina Tucker
Yeah.
Linda Holmes
This one is more obviously a comedy. I liked that. I also think they found a pretty good solution for the fact that Shawn, the husband, in the first movie, is pretty dull. I think they found a. Because that was one of the things when I went back and watched it, I was like, yeah, he's kind of an empty hunk.
Christina Tucker
It makes when she calls him a yeast infection so satisfying because you are like, yeah, unfortunately, that is that guy.
Linda Holmes
He's just kind of a very pretty, not that interesting guy.
Stephen Thompson
If you want pretty and not that interesting, you get Henry Golding.
Linda Holmes
I think that's not necessarily fair.
Christina Tucker
I liked him drunk and angry.
Stephen Thompson
I think he is not often given good roles. I will say that.
Linda Holmes
Yeah. I think he's better in this, where he. By the time you catch up with him seven years after the events of the first film, he's essentially become an embittered divorced man.
Christina Tucker
Yeah, I think that works for him.
Linda Holmes
Well, celebrate is quite the strong word.
Stephen Thompson
Because I would rather shave my balls.
Christina Tucker
With a rusty knife than be at this wedding. Oh, let me do that for you.
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Yeah, please.
Linda Holmes
I am interested to ask Christina.
Christina Tucker
Yes.
Linda Holmes
You mentioned the first film, and this one is, too, being very queer coded. Like, on the one hand, it's very Blatant about it. And on the other hand, it's coy about it in a way.
Christina Tucker
Yes. This one, even more so I felt than the first.
Linda Holmes
Talk to me a little bit about that.
Christina Tucker
Yeah, this one was a little strange for me because it felt like the conversation, like, for those two, they were a little more skeptical of each other. Coming at each other with a different energy than the first one. Winner. It was very much Stephanie. Like, do I want to be this woman, or do I want to be with this woman? Very. A very classic queer conundrum. And Stephanie kind of coming in with a more skeptical energy. I also really liked. I think it made sense that her character would have grown in this manner. Their relationship still felt like it made sense in the same way it did in the first movie with those kind of like, you know, Blake is good at saying baby to Anna Kendrick. It's just like a skill set she has, and that's wonderful. But it was kind of strange that so many characters in the movie were kind of commenting on Stephanie's obsession with Emily in a way that felt very like, well, ew, is this a lesbian thing? In a way that was kind of like, that's a surprise. But then it was never really mentioned again. And then again, without spoiling, the end of this movie feels so gay to me that I'm just kind of like, well, what are we doing? What are we doing here? It's a confusing tale.
Stephen Thompson
I definitely think this film does benefit from the character of Stephanie being more knowing, and that allows them to kind of comment more directly on some of the dynamics that are going on in some ways that can kind of blunt the joy of it once you turn subtext into text. But at the same time, I do appreciate, as Linda said, this film kind of using that part of Anna Kendrick's toolkit, that more knowing quality, allowing that character to grow when there are so many characters in this film who are really just reduced to devices did give me something to kind of grasp onto as I was kind of going through the motions of watching this film.
Christina Tucker
Yeah, I just want to shout out my queen, Alice and Janney, I wish you had more fun things to do in this movie. It was great to see you as ever.
Linda Holmes
Just like, man, she's a little underutilized in this. I think, in terms of the relationship between Stephanie and Emily. The thing I kept thinking was, like, okay, so Emily tried to kill Stephanie a couple times in the first movie. I call and has. In fact, they reveal in the first movie has killed someone in the past. The Fact that Stefanie ends up going on a plane with her to be her maid of honor, as you do, can only be explained by lust. Like, only when you are very, very hot for someone will you do something that unbelievably dumb and reckless. And I should not.
Stephen Thompson
I think there is also. You can combine lust. Like one component of lust is curiosity.
Christina Tucker
Yeah.
Stephen Thompson
There's an element, a way to spin it where she's curious. She's like, what is she after? What is she trying to do? Why is she doing this? The only way I can get in her pants.
Linda Holmes
That's what she's curious about, what's in her pants.
Stephen Thompson
The only way she can fully find out what she's up to is in.
Linda Holmes
Her pants is when she gets to her pants.
Christina Tucker
Yeah. 100%. Like, why is your bachelorette party simply just candles and us in a pool? Like, what's going on here?
Linda Holmes
It's a very romantic setting. I'm sorry, Stephen, go ahead.
Stephen Thompson
No, no, I'm just offering a counterargument that there is a journalistic reason and kind of an opportunistic career based reason to get on that plane. There is this sense of like, you know, she's got her kind of book agent along with her for the ride.
Linda Holmes
That's true. She does.
Stephen Thompson
You know, where it's like, you gotta do this. You gotta do this. You can get another book out of it. You might get a better selling book out of it. So there is like a certain amount of kind of mutual exploitation that's going on at the same.
Linda Holmes
That's very reasonable.
Christina Tucker
I feel like Emily also threatens to sue her at some point for using her likeness. So, like, you know, there's some financial motivation. Nothing moves. Nothing moves. You like Lust in a Lawsuit, the two L's.
Linda Holmes
I do think it's fair to say that if you have seen the first movie, there are a lot of kind of repeat beats in this film. In fact, there's a plot point that is set up in the first movie where when it comes back, you're like, man, I should have seen that coming.
Christina Tucker
Yeah. I was like, well, it wasn't the first.
Linda Holmes
So it's like, listen, they did warn you. They did.
Christina Tucker
You can get away with it.
Linda Holmes
They gave you all the clues.
Christina Tucker
It was there.
Stephen Thompson
I just want to say I'm amazed that we've talked about this film as long as we have and have not mentioned the scene with her trying to escape from a hotel in a cleaning cart. And as mixed as I am on this film, that is a very, very Very funny scene.
Christina Tucker
That was a wonderful scene. And I was having a similar feeling of like, we've talked about this movie for so long, and yet I'm just sitting here remembering things that occur and being like, oh, right. Also in this movie, like, the Mafia is heavily involved.
Linda Holmes
The mafia is involved.
Christina Tucker
O Like, oh, yes. There are just kind of more bits that keep floating to my mind that I'm like, oh, that occurred.
Linda Holmes
I think it's also fair to mention, you know, the first film has this. This kind of little subplot that's not. They don't spend a lot of time on it. That is meant to be kind of very transgressive. That involves Stephanie and her brother. Her half brother. And I did actually, in the first one, I sort of understood what they were going for. I think they were going for making the movie weirder and darker. It was otherwise. And that made sense to me. It felt in bounds for what they were trying to do. There is a scene in this movie that is also meant to be transgressive and sort of like, yikesy.
Christina Tucker
And it is.
Stephen Thompson
It is.
Christina Tucker
Yikes.
Stephen Thompson
Yikes. I did say yikes.
Linda Holmes
I think that one is miscalculated. I would not have done that. I think there is another way to do that scene that's not quite. So it doesn't quite go so hard in the same ways.
Christina Tucker
Yeah, I'm glad you brought that up. Cause my theater, like, lost so much energy at that moment. And it was already kind of dwindling because there had been not much happening. And then it really took the air out.
Linda Holmes
They want these movies to feel weirder and darker than they are when they're just these women, like, running around with Blake Lively being super well dressed. But I think that's a mishit. And I think if you watch this movie, just be prepared to take a big breath and be like, ah, this is it.
Christina Tucker
You know, there's a low moment, a.
Stephen Thompson
Real low One thing that comes up a lot in movies like this, at some point you're gonna have to resolve what the hell is even going on. You're gonna have to do a certain amount of explaining at the end of this film. And that is going to kind of deflate the pleasures of the film in.
Linda Holmes
The end, like, on a Vibes basis. I did enjoy it for the most part, with the exception of that sort of, I think, badly miscalculated scene. Other than that, I did enjoy the Vibes. I did.
Stephen Thompson
It's a streaming sequel. Adjust your expectations accordingly.
Christina Tucker
I say adjust your expectations accordingly. And then like take them up like 5 degrees higher. I also want to shout out the gentlemen who are the bodyguards of the Mafia as they are providing my inspiration for my Cowboy Carter looks for tour this summer because they really were wearing some hats and I appreciated that hat.
Linda Holmes
Heavy movie. Yeah. This is a little bit of an odd one. We want to know what you think about another simple favor. Find us on Facebook@Facebook.com PCHH and on Letterboxd@Letterboxd.com NPR Pop Culture. We'll have a link to that in our episode description. That brings us to the end of our show. Christina Tucker, Stephen Thompson, thank you so much for being here. I'm only sorry we weren't in Capri.
Christina Tucker
Me too. But, but I'm thrilled to have been here.
Stephen Thompson
Thank you, buddy. Next year in Capri.
Linda Holmes
Absolutely. This episode was produced by Liz Metzger and Mike Katzeff and edited by Jessica Reedy. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Linda Holmes and we'll see you all next time.
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Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Another Simple Favor" Episode Summary
Release Date: May 7, 2025
In this engaging episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosts Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, and Christina Tucker delve into the intricacies of the sequel to the popular film "A Simple Favor," titled "Another Simple Favor." The discussion navigates through the movie's plot, character developments, thematic elements, and overall reception, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis.
Linda Holmes opens the episode by addressing a significant real-world issue: an executive order by President Trump aiming to block federal funding to NPR. She emphasizes the importance of public support for NPR during such threats, urging listeners to contribute to sustain the network. This segment, located from [00:17] to [01:29], underscores NPR's role as a vital source of news and entertainment.
Quote:
Linda Holmes [00:17]: "Millions of people, people like you, depend on the NPR network as a vital source of news, entertainment, information and connection."
Linda Holmes provides a synopsis of "Another Simple Favor," highlighting the return of Blake Lively's character, Emily, and Anna Kendrick's role as Stephanie. Set on the picturesque island of Capri, the film unfolds a narrative filled with murder, deceit, and, notably, extravagant fashion.
Quote:
Stephen Thompson [01:29]: "Another Simple Favor reunites Lively and Anna Kendrick in a new story of murder, deceit and great hats."
The trio shares their varied responses to the sequel. Christina Tucker expresses a mix of enjoyment and disappointment, noting that while the film offers visual pleasures and fun moments, its pacing and convoluted plot detract from its overall impact.
Quotes:
Christina Tucker [06:20]: "There's a lot of queer, coded behavior in the first movie."
Christina Tucker [07:45]: "This isn't hitting the same goals, but if you need something to throw on, it's pretty fun."
Stephen Thompson echoes similar sentiments, appreciating the film's aesthetic but critiquing its predictability and character development.
Quote:
Stephen Thompson [07:56]: "The overall plotting of this film to be both extremely convoluted and extremely predictable."
Linda Holmes offers a more positive take, praising the film's visual style and the performances, particularly Blake Lively's portrayal of Emily.
Quote:
Linda Holmes [09:15]: "The Happy Hour team leaves room at the table for exploring a range of reactions and opinions on every bit of the pop universe."
The hosts delve into Blake Lively's and Anna Kendrick's performances. Lively's character is described as both menacing and charismatic, drawing audiences in despite her antagonistic role. Kendrick's portrayal of a more skeptical and evolved Stephanie adds depth to the narrative, showcasing her comedic timing and character growth.
Quotes:
Linda Holmes [10:03]: "I really like both of these lead performances in this movie."
Linda Holmes [10:49]: "You can't put your finger on it. You know, she's bad, but you understand why she's so magnetic, right?"
Christina Tucker [12:17]: "I liked him drunk and angry. It makes when she calls him a yeast infection so satisfying because you are like, yeah, unfortunately, that is that guy."
A significant portion of the discussion centers on the movie's queer-coded behavior. Christina Tucker highlights the film's handling of queer themes, noting both overt and subtle representations that add complexity to character interactions and relationships.
Quote:
Christina Tucker [13:19]: "This one was a little strange for me because it felt like the conversation, like, for those two, they were a little more skeptical of each other."
The hosts compare the sequel to its predecessor, acknowledging that while "Another Simple Favor" maintains the original's charm and aesthetic, it diverges in pacing and plot execution. They discuss the challenges of creating a sequel that lives up to the first film's legacy, especially in balancing suspense with comedic elements.
Quote:
Stephen Thompson [20:09]: "It's a streaming sequel. Adjust your expectations accordingly."
Throughout the episode, several memorable quotes and moments stand out, reflecting the hosts' candid opinions and humorous takes on the film's elements.
Examples:
Linda Holmes briefly touches upon the off-screen tensions involving Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, clarifying that the ongoing lawsuit between them is unrelated to the movie. This segment provides listeners with a broader context of the actors' professional relationships.
Quote:
Linda Holmes [03:53]: "Blake Lively and her It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni are currently suing each other over her allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies."
As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the overall experience of watching "Another Simple Favor." While acknowledging its flaws, they recommend the film for its visual appeal and standout performances, suggesting it as a light and entertaining watch for audiences.
Quote:
Linda Holmes [19:37]: "I did enjoy the Vibes. I did."
Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts on "Another Simple Favor" through NPR's social media platforms:
Produced by: Liz Metzger and Mike Katzeff
Edited by: Jessica Reedy
Theme Music: Provided by [Artist Name]
For more insightful discussions and recommendations on the latest in pop culture, tune in to Pop Culture Happy Hour four days a week. Support NPR and enhance your listening experience by subscribing to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour.