Best Movies To Watch On An Airplane

Summary

Pop Culture Happy Hour Episode Summary: "Best Movies To Watch On An Airplane"

Released: December 19, 2024 | Host: NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour Team

In this engaging episode of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, hosts Linda Holmes, Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris, and Glen Weldon delve into the topic of selecting the best movies to watch while flying. Balancing practicality with entertainment value, the panel discusses various criteria and personal favorites to help listeners make informed decisions for their in-flight movie selections.

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1. Introduction and Topic Overview

Timestamp: [00:21] - [02:38]

Linda Holmes opens the discussion by highlighting the challenges of watching movies on an airplane, considering the limited screen size and the unique environment. Stephen Thompson sets the stage by posing the central question: "What's the best movie to watch on an airplane?" The team acknowledges the common scenario of passengers seeking effective ways to pass the time during flights, especially long-haul journeys.

2. Establishing Criteria for Airplane-Friendly Movies

Timestamp: [02:10] - [16:12]

The hosts agree on several key factors that make a movie suitable for airplane viewing:

• Visual Clarity: Movies should be bright and colorful to compensate for the often dimmed cabin lights and small screens. For instance, Stephen emphasizes the importance of minimal nighttime scenes and easily discernible action sequences ([03:20]).

• Dialogue Clarity: Crisp and easy-to-understand dialogue is crucial to overcome the ambient noise of the aircraft. Stephen points out the need to avoid films with mumbling actors or heavy accents that might require subtitles, as these can be impractical on a tiny screen ([03:32]).

• Content Appropriateness: Movies should steer clear of excessive nudity, violence, or emotionally heavy themes that might distress fellow passengers or require sensitive handling of viewing material ([03:33], [04:02]).

• Duration and Engagement: Especially for longer flights, movies should be engaging enough to occupy the viewer for extended periods without becoming monotonous. Aisha underscores the necessity for films to be at least two hours long to match typical flight durations ([08:37]).

• Rewatchability: Familiarity with the movie can enhance comfort and ease, allowing travelers to enjoy the film without needing to follow complex plots or remember intricate details ([08:22]).

3. Stephen Thompson’s Pick: "Moana"

Timestamp: [03:20] - [07:45]

Stephen Thompson champions Disney's "Moana" as the ideal airplane movie. He outlines his reasoning based on the established criteria:

• Bright Aesthetics: "Moana" is visually vibrant, reducing the strain of watching in confined spaces ([03:32]).

• Clear Dialogue and Sound Design: The film's animated format ensures crisp audio quality, essential for overcoming the noisy airplane environment. Stephen highlights the film’s top-notch sound design that effectively captures every nuance of the characters' voices ([06:56], [07:54]).

• Engaging Yet Light-hearted: The movie balances humor and warmth with an engrossing storyline, making the flight time pass swiftly without inducing emotional fatigue ([04:13], [07:54]).

• Rewatchability: "Moana" is seen as a comforting and enjoyable choice that can be easily revisited if needed ([04:13], [07:45]).

Notable Quote:

Stephen Thompson [04:13]: "It makes the time move very quickly. The dialogue is extremely easy to understand."

4. Aisha Harris’s Pick: "Jackie Brown"

Timestamp: [08:22] - [12:53]

Breaking away from animated choices, Aisha Harris selects Quentin Tarantino's "Jackie Brown" as her top pick for plane viewing. Her selection is guided by:

• Length: At approximately two and a half hours, it fits well within typical flight durations ([13:33]).

• Engaging Narrative: The film offers a compelling heist storyline that maintains attention without being overly strenuous.

• Familiarity and Comfort: As a film she can relate to and perhaps rewatch, it provides a sense of comfort during travel ([08:22]).

• Appropriate Content: While it contains mild nudity and violence characteristic of Tarantino's style, Aisha ensures these elements are not excessive, making it suitable for the public setting of an airplane ([10:02], [11:04]).

Notable Quote:

Aisha Harris [12:04]: "It's fun. It's a great movie to just get engrossed and get lost in. And if you've seen it many times, you can just be like, this is my comfort watch."

5. Linda Holmes’s Pick: "Holdovers"

Timestamp: [13:16] - [16:57]

Linda Holmes opts for the 2023 film "Holdovers", starring Paul Giamatti, Divine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sersi. Her choice is influenced by:

• Balanced Length: With a runtime of about two hours and fifteen minutes, it aligns well with flight durations ([13:33]).

• Expressive Acting and Facial Cues: The film focuses on character expressions and dialogues rather than expansive visuals, making it effective on smaller screens ([15:06]).

• Emotional Resonance: "Holdovers" offers a heartfelt narrative that can provide comfort without overwhelming the viewer ([16:43]).

Linda also shares a personal anecdote about managing unexpected content sensitivity while in-flight, reinforcing the importance of selecting movies that align with the viewer's comfort levels ([13:33], [14:25]).

6. Glen Weldon’s Pick: "The Lion in Winter"

Timestamp: [17:45] - [21:10]

Glen Weldon presents "The Lion in Winter" as his ideal airplane movie, highlighting:

• Dialogue-Driven Plot: The film's emphasis on intricate conversations makes it suitable for the confined viewing environment of an airplane cabin ([19:06]).

• Classics and Depth: As a classic with stellar performances by Katharine Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, it offers intellectual engagement without the need for grand visual effects ([19:29], [21:10]).

• Stagey Qualities: Its theatrical nature ensures clarity in performances and dialogue, making it easier to follow despite the small screen size ([21:02], [21:07]).

Notable Quote:

Glen Weldon [19:29]: "It's a great candidate. Bonus points if it's actually adapted from a play."

7. Discussion on Emotional Responses and Practical Tips

Timestamp: [16:43] - [22:16]

The panel explores the phenomenon of heightened emotional responses, such as crying, while watching films on airplanes. Glen hypothesizes that the isolating environment contributes to more intense emotional reactions ([17:03]), while Aisha humorously mentions using calming substances like Benadryl to manage anxiety ([17:39]).

Practical Viewing Tips:

• Headphones: Emphasizing the necessity of high-quality, noise-canceling headphones to combat ambient airplane noise ([16:10], [22:15]).

• Pre-Download Content: Linda advises downloading movies prior to the flight to avoid being limited to the airline's selection, which may not align with personal preferences ([16:12]).

• Screen Positioning: Effective strategies like leaning forward to maximize screen visibility are discussed, enhancing the viewing experience despite the environment's constraints ([07:10]).

8. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Timestamp: [22:15] - [24:18]

Wrapping up, the hosts reaffirm their picks and the discussed criteria, encouraging listeners to choose movies that balance engagement with practicality. They emphasize personal preference and comfort as pivotal in selecting the ideal in-flight movie.

Final Quote:

Linda Holmes [16:41]: "You need to download your movie before you leave. This is an important part of travel planning."

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Key Takeaways:

• Optimal Movie Selection: Bright visuals, clear dialogue, appropriate length, and familiar or comforting narratives make for excellent airplane movie choices.

• Technical Considerations: Utilizing quality headphones and preparing content in advance can significantly enhance the in-flight viewing experience.

• Personal Comfort: Choosing movies that align with personal preferences and emotional resilience ensures a pleasant journey.

This episode provides a thoughtful exploration of the nuances involved in selecting the perfect movie for airplane entertainment, blending practical advice with the hosts' diverse perspectives and personal favorites.

Transcript

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[Linda Holmes]

There are lots of ways to watch a movie in a beautiful theater, on your couch, even on your phone. But maybe one of the trickiest places is in the sky.

[Stephen Thompson]

So so many of us are traveling for one holiday or another and that means watching movies on the plane. But what movie should you watch? As always, we are here to help. I'm Stephen Thompson.

[Linda Holmes]

And I'm Linda Holmes. And today on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we're debating what's the best movie to watch on an airplane?

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[Linda Holmes]

Us today are our co hosts, Aisha Harris. Hello Aisha.

[Aisha Harris]

On a plane, on a plane, on a beautiful plane.

[Linda Holmes]

I'm here. And noted Chaos agent in episodes such as this. Glen Weldon hello Glenn oh, no.

[Glen Weldon]

I got my tray table upright and locked right now. Hey, Glenda.

[Linda Holmes]

Excellent. Excellent. Well, we're here because watching a movie on a plane can be a great way to make the time pass as you float over the mountains and the sea, particularly if you're going a long way. But picking the movie you want to watch can be very challenging for a bunch of reasons. So what's the best movie to watch on an airplane? We've all brought our picks. Steven, kick us off.

[Stephen Thompson]

Well, Linda, I have the definitive correct answer based on the following criteria. One, the film should be bright and colorful. You don't want a lot of nighttime scenes. You want to be able to see the action.

[Glen Weldon]

Exactly.

[Stephen Thompson]

Two, the dialogue should be crisp and easy to understand. No Tom Hardy mumble corps. Nothing that requires subtitles in any way, shape, or form because you're already watching on a tiny little screen. No nudity or violence. Nothing that will traumatize any strangers who might be peeking over your shoulder. Not so wrenching that I will sob all over the place. Like the time I watched lion on a Plane and created a scene.

[Aisha Harris]

Okay.

[Stephen Thompson]

And it needs to really, truly, no pun intended, make the time fly by. The correct answer is 2016's Disney film Moana.

[Glen Weldon]

See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me, and no one knows how far it goes.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay, so Moana, to me, is like the perfect airplane Disney movie. It's not a movie that will necessarily make me, like, blubber all over the place, but I do find it moving. It's a journey that I find engrossing. It's a film that I really enjoy, start to finish. It's got laughs and warmth, but also, for me, it is a very easy rewatch. It makes the time move very quickly. The dialogue is extremely easy to understand. It's very brightly lit. Even the undersea moments of that film are pretty brightly lit. Shiny and shiny. Literally shiny. And so this film kind of checks every box of what I'm looking for on a plane while avoiding everything that disqualifies a movie from being a great airplane watch.

[Aisha Harris]

Huh? I have definitely watched Moana on a plane. I think that's a good pick, Steven. And on brand for you, Steven, Is.

[Linda Holmes]

This because the rock makes you feel safe?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes. I want to sit. I'm sitting in an exit row, but the rock is between me and the window, so I know that he will actually do any necessary heavy lifting if necessary.

[Glen Weldon]

But Steven, he would never sit in a middle row or even the window seat. He's too big. He would need to sit in your aisle seat. So that's why I would feel like.

[Stephen Thompson]

He'D want to kind of squish himself up against the window. Cause the biceps are gonna knock over any carts that are kind of passing through.

[Linda Holmes]

Yeah, that's true.

[Glen Weldon]

That's true. Steven, I don't know about this, because this is a gorgeous movie that you're gonna shrink down onto a wee little screen. I think you might be missing a lot of, like, some of that mo is vistas and spectacle and big musical numbers.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm not saying this is the only way you should watch Moana.

[Glen Weldon]

Yeah. But I'm saying that's what disqualifies it as the perfect airplane film.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay. But there is a maximalism to the beauty of this film that I think is designed to be viewed on a wide variety of screens. Of course, you're gonna miss some of the nuances when it is shrunk down, but you're not gonna miss all of them. And also, this does not have to be the only time in your life that you watch the movie Moana.

[Glen Weldon]

Glenn, I don't wanna come a Martin Scorsese film, bro. Here, but there's something about this notion of watching a beautiful film like that on a teeny, tiny little screen.

[Aisha Harris]

I think there should be an asterisk here. If you're gonna watch it on a plane, you either need to watch it on a giant iPad or your laptop. So at least the screen is a decent ish size. And it's not just the little tiny screen that's on the back seat, like the headrest of the seat in front of you.

[Stephen Thompson]

For me, honestly, though, the most important thing, even more important than visually, as somebody with a certain amount of hearing loss and a massive amount of tne, the fact that anything you are listening to through headphones on a plane is competing with a steady, loud, whooshing noise. It's very, very, very important to me that a movie have extremely bold sound design. And that was one reason I went immediately to animation and sort of felt like animation. Every voice that is recorded is recorded on the absolute top notch sound equipment to capture just like, every flavor of a person's voice. You're not losing any of the dialogue. And to me, that is frankly, more important than, like, oh, man, I missed how beautifully animated that water is.

[Glen Weldon]

So the audio component is equally as important as the visual component to me. You're making a case that a musical like that would cut through the noise.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yes.

[Aisha Harris]

Assuming you have good headphones.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, and I do. I travel with My work headphones for this exact reason.

[Linda Holmes]

I think the other option, in terms of making the most of the visuals, is just to lean forward until your nose is, like, on the screen. Immersive, like you're having a big screen experience, you know? That is a great pick to kick us off. I appreciate it, Steven and I. Next time I fly, maybe I'll watch Moana. Okay, Aisha, I assume you did not pick Moana despite being our Disney correspondent. So what did you pick again?

[Aisha Harris]

I contain multitudes. Now, Steven, there were a few requirements that you had that I agree with. There's one that I'm surprised you didn't mention. But this movie, whatever you choose, cannot contain any airplane crashes. No disasters like that.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, yeah, that's another good one.

[Aisha Harris]

Absolute must.

[Stephen Thompson]

Airplanes don't exist in the world of Moana.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, the one exception might be Airplane, the spoof film. But that's not my pick, because it's fun, but it's a little too short. And that is my big thing is the movie needs to be. And I'm gonna go against every fiber of my normal being here. It needs to be two hours plus long. Because, like, unless you're doing a very short hour long flight where you're up in the air for maybe 45 minutes before, you know, they're like, all right, you gotta put everything away. This needs to have your attention for at least two hours, preferably more. I'm also considering the fact that I hate flying. I fly pretty regularly, but I hate it. I hate everything about it. It's not natural. We shouldn't be this high in the air. And I also think that, ideally, when you are watching something on a plane, it has to be something you've seen before. So this is very specific to me. Perhaps you have not seen this movie, but it needs to be something that I find comfort in. I want to watch a good he when I am on a plane. Think about it. They're fun. They're relatively formulaic. They require just the right amount of engagement without being too heavy and too overbearing. That's not super serious. And there are lots of, you know, heist movies. I could go with. I could go with Rafifi. I could go with Ocean's 11 or Ocean's 12. I decided to go with Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown.

[Linda Holmes]

Now?

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, yes, now. Is there a little bit of nudity? A little bit. Whatever. The kid next to you can avert that. Eyes. What? It's fine or not. It's not excessive. And this is, of course, Tarantino's movie, which is based on the Elmore Leonard novel Rum Punch. It stars the fabulous, incomparable Pam Grier as the title character, who is, wait for it, a flight attendant. And her side hustle is smuggling money for the gun trafficker Ordell Robbie, who's played by Sam Jackson. And so it turns into a heist. She's caught by the feds. Ordell tries to kill her before she squeals, but she manages to negot by hatching this plan to trick the police while getting him the rest of his money. And this is where we can play one of the great scenes from this film.

[H]

Now, sooner or later, they're gonna get around to offering me a plea deal. And you know that. That's why you came here to kill me.

[Stephen Thompson]

I ain't come over here to kill you.

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Oh, it's okay.

[H]

It's okay. Now I forgive you. Now let's say if I tell on you, I walk. If I don't, I go to jail.

[Aisha Harris]

Uh huh.

[H]

I want $100,000 in an escrow account in my name.

[Aisha Harris]

Now give me a little round of applause, please, for finding about 20 seconds of audio that had no cursing.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was waiting for it and really shocked when it didn't come.

[Glen Weldon]

Yeah, I was waiting for the beep.

[Aisha Harris]

And that's the thing, right? Like we all know about Tarantino, he is a colorful screenwriter. He loves profanity. But you know what? You're on a plane, no one's gonna hear it except for you. It doesn't matter. And it's Sam Jackson, so it's like doubly profane. And on top of it, of course, there is a copious amount of use of the N wor, which was very controversial at the time. You know, Spike Lee, a lot of other people actually were not very happy about it. I could look past that because we've got Pam Grier at her best, finally getting a meaty role playing this iconic character who is also somewhat inspired by her earlier iconic characters from the 1970s. I think that this is just a great ensemble cast movie. It's a good looking movie.

[Stephen Thompson]

Robert Forster. Robert Forster, my God, he's the bail.

[Aisha Harris]

Bondsman who has a little thing with Jackie Brown, Robert De Niro, Michael Keaton, Bridget Fonda. This cast is stacked. And what I like about this film is that Tarantino knows how to make a good looking movie, but it doesn't necessarily require a big screen in the same way. And that's why I love this movie and think it's perfect, because it Is about two and a half hours long, a little bit less. It's just enough time to, like, maybe have an hour left of the flight. You can sleep or you can watch a TV show instead to top off the rest of your flight. And it's fun. It's a great movie to just get engrossed and get lost in. And if you've seen it many times, you can just be like, this is my comfort watch. And that is why I chose Jackie Brown, Quentin Tarantino as an ideal plane watch.

[Stephen Thompson]

Never would have thought of it, but it's a great pick.

[Glen Weldon]

No argument for me. This tips my hand. But, yes, I think a film that is grounded in dialogue is a great pick. I think that's a great Tarantino pick. Cause it's not particularly bloody. There is a sex scene. And so I'm just gonna say the flight attendant will come over during that sex scene to ask you chicken or bee, and they will think you're a perv. Because even if there's only one sex scene, that's when it's gonna happen on a plane.

[Stephen Thompson]

They'll find it.

[Linda Holmes]

Well, I think that's a great pick, Aisha, Jackie Brown, thank you very much. My pick. First of all, I wanna say that my standards for this pick were very similar to the ones that y'all have talked about. My movie is about 2 hours and 15 minutes, so that's good length.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes, Yes.

[Linda Holmes]

I agree that you don't want something that is super high on colorful visuals. I think dialogue is a good focus. I think personalities are a good focus. I do agree that you do not want significant sex scenes or violence. And I will say that on one occasion when I was flying and I do not remember exactly what I was watching, it may have been something on hbo and I was watching something and it got to a pretty intense sex scene. And just as I thought, I probably need to fast forward or redirect my screen. I. I swear this is true. From behind me, a nun walked down the aisle. And I thought, you know, I'm sure the nun is not shocked, but that's.

[Stephen Thompson]

What you get for watching Caligula on a plane.

[Linda Holmes]

So I didn't want it to be anything that was gonna attract attention from nuns or others. So I went with the Holdovers, which is a 2023 film starring Paul Giamatti, Divine Joy Randolph and Dominic Se. Giamatti plays a teacher who winds up being responsible over Christmas break for a kind of an errant student with nowhere to go at a boarding school.

[I]

You were supposed to be looking after me. I told you to stop. You said you washed your hands of me. No, I meant it metaphorically. Of course, you met it metaphorically. What were you gonna do? Actually go and wash your hands?

[Linda Holmes]

First of all, this is just a movie that I love. I think it should be a movie that you love. I think it should be a movie that's great to watch. I think it should be a movie that if you've already seen it, you may gain more from it the second or third time that you see it. And I think the subtlety of some of these performances is like that. Also, a lot of this movie is faces. It is people and faces and expressive acting. It is not a lot of vistas. There are some very nice. To the degree that it is about the look of the place. The whole point is that it's kind of a pretty but flat vista. And I think it can still be effective on a smaller screen. Now, I will say the biggest question about watching a movie on a plane is just what is your whole approach going to be? Because as we said, you got to have your own headphones. I suggest for a plane over ear headphones with the best noise canceling you can afford, if possible. Because there's just nothing going on in a plane that you need to hear in the world around you.

[Glen Weldon]

Nothing that none wouldn't have sneaked up on you.

[Aisha Harris]

That's true.

[Linda Holmes]

That's true. I'm also gonna argue, you know, if you leave yourself to the vagaries of what movies are being shown by the airline. Somehow every time I have done that, I've been like, oh, maybe I'll check out the movies and see what they have. It winds up being a lineup of movies that I have already decided not to watch. And you need to download your movie before you leave. This is an important part of travel planning.

[Stephen Thompson]

Also, all three of our picks so far, phenomenal music.

[Aisha Harris]

Yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

That film has a wonderful soundtrack.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, That's a great pick, Linda. Also, I'm not one prone to crying, but, like, that is the type of movie where it's like you could get in your feelings very easily by the end of it, for sure.

[Glen Weldon]

But we should talk about this idea of crying on airplanes, this notion that you cry more easily on airplanes when you're watching a film.

[Linda Holmes]

Did they pollute exclusively babies?

[Glen Weldon]

Not exclusive to babies, although that certainly is certainly true. People say it's the oxygen mixture. People say it's the pressure in the cabin. I think if it is true, and I'm not sure it is, it's that you are completely. You know, you're unmoored. You're not connected to the earth. Think about it. Even in the tallest skyscraper, you're still grounded, right? You're still rooted to the ground. But in the air, you're isolated. And I think you're where you're not supposed to be. To your point, Aisha. Which means that you're anxious, which means that your emotions are closer to the surface. That's my theory.

[Aisha Harris]

See, this is why calming substances are my friend. When I am flying. Benadryl.

[Linda Holmes]

Hello, Glen Weldon. I cannot wait to hear what you have chosen.

[Glen Weldon]

My gut reaction was to pick something that. Because I am, first and last, a pretentious snot, my gut reaction was to pick something that would impress the other people. Because you are watching this movie in a public space. So people walking by my row and seeing, oh, he's watching Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries or Last Year at Marienbad or is that the Bitter Tears of Petro von Kant?

[Aisha Harris]

Who are you flying with? That would. That's the thing.

[Glen Weldon]

This is only if you're flying in, like, into Telluride or Cannes. Right? Nobody else is going to know these films.

[Aisha Harris]

Is Scorsese on your plane, Glenn, I.

[Stephen Thompson]

Know you really lose some of the colors of the Umbrellas of Cherbourg.

[Glen Weldon]

Exactly. It's not. That's why I didn't choose any of them.

[Linda Holmes]

To me, it's always dudes who are reading, like, business books, so they're probably not going to care.

[Glen Weldon]

I do think action movies lose their impact. I do think anything, as we talked about, anything epic or sweeping is not going to land you. And from a practical perspective, we've touched on this. But you can't have a lot of scenes taking place at night because the light in the cabin is going to reflect on your screen, and all you're going to see is your big, dumb reflection looking back at yourself from a very unflattering angle. Which leaves out, you know, a lot of horror, I think, you know. And Aisha and Linda, we have the same instinct here, is to get out of spectacle. No big effects, no big sound design, no big backgrounds. You just drill down onto the most human level, which is people talk. So any film that takes place entirely in, like, alternating medium shots over each other's shoulder, the women, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby, the Philadelphia Story, All About Eve.

[Linda Holmes]

Okay, wait. I'm setting up my prediction in my head, and I'm gonna see if it's right.

[Aisha Harris]

Yeah, same. Yeah, I've already got mine.

[Glen Weldon]

Okay, here's a good shorthand. If a film has ever been dinged for being, quote, unquote, stagey, then it's a great candidate. Bonus points if it's actually adapted from a play. The most airtight, the one you can bounce a quarter off of. This is the pick. This is the lion in Winter.

[Aisha Harris]

Oh, my goodness, I was close.

[Glen Weldon]

1968. Peter O'Toole. Katharine Hepburn. An infantile Tony Hopkins in his first major role. A fetal Timothy Dalton in his first, very first role. Bonus. It's a Christmas movie, so watch it when you're going home for Christmas. It is Christmas Eve in 1183. King Henry II has summoned his family to join him at his castle in France. Or as they say in the film, France. And he also included his estranged wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was played by Katharine Hepburn, whom he keeps imprisoned in England for the rest of the year. And then they proceed to argue over who should inherit the throne. That's it. That's the movie. The perfect alchemical mix. The Platonic ideal of matching dialogue with performance that a lot of movies never attain. Here is an example. This is Katharine Hepburn, who won an Oscar for this as Eleanor, recalling how she used to enjoy traveling with her first husband.

[J]

I even made poor Louis take me on crusade. How's that for blasphemy? I dressed my maids as Amazons and rode bare breasted halfway to Damascus. Louis had a seizure, and I damn near died of windburn. But the troops were dazzled.

[Aisha Harris]

Hmm?

[Glen Weldon]

The troops. The troops were dazzled. So you got Katharine Hepburn doing that, which is only she can do. She won best Actress for it. It also won Best score, Steven. And best Adapted Screenplay. And of course, you got Peter O'Toole doing his thing where he speaks very intently. Peter O'Toole whispering something very intently. And then he starts shouting at the top of his voice and a piping tenor. And then he goes back to speaking very intently.

[Stephen Thompson]

I mean, Glenn, one thing you have in this movie are stagey voices.

[Aisha Harris]

Exactly.

[Stephen Thompson]

People who enunciate very clearly.

[Glen Weldon]

For people like me who cannot hear dialogue very well, very clearly. This movie is funny, it's smart, it looks great, but not so great that you feel like you're gonna miss something, which is important to me. And, you know, it goes back to my first thing. Cause people who walk by you on the way to the bathroom are gonna think you got good taste. Because you're the only one on the plane not watching the Office again. Right.

[Aisha Harris]

That's how I felt when I was on the last time I flew And I was watching the women. There you go. I named it George Cukor's the Women. I did think you were gonna say either Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or the Long Hot Summer, both of which could also kind of stand in, in a way, talkie, stagey, Southern, stagey, but stagey.

[Linda Holmes]

You know, I thought you were gonna say My Dinner with Andre.

[Stephen Thompson]

I was gonna say My Dinner with Andre. That was my guess too.

[Linda Holmes]

And I do wanna say I think this is a great pick and I think you're going in a very good direction here. You also could, along these same lines, pick something like Before Sunrise. You know, things that really are about the quality of conversation. I think this is a really good pick. I have not seen this movie. I'm pretty sure we were shown this movie in high school.

[Aisha Harris]

I'm sure you were.

[Linda Holmes]

I could not have told you anything about it except robes. All I remembered about this movie is robes. I could have told you the time period was like a long time ago. And it's one of those things where people are walking around a royal space in robes. But it makes me think about going and watching it because I do like Katharine Hepburn talking about bare breasted maidens and all that stuff dazzled troops. That sounds like my cup of tea. I very much like Glenn's pick the lion in Winter. So we have run the gamut here of a lot of good movies to watch on airplanes. We want want to know what you think is the best movie to watch on a plane. Find [e-mail] PCHH that brings us to the end of our show. Aisha Harris, Glenn Weldon, Stephen Thompson, thanks so much for being here. Never fly away from me again.

[Glen Weldon]

Aw, thank you.

[Aisha Harris]

Thank you, Linda.

[Stephen Thompson]

Thank you, buddy.

[Linda Holmes]

This episode is produced by Liz Metzger and Mike Katsif and edited by Jessica Reedy. Research was performed by Barclay Walsh and Nicolette Kahn. And 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 tomorrow.

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[Glen Weldon]

Off.

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