The 21st-Century (American) British Movie Canon, ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,’ and ‘Paddington in Peru’

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Big Picture – Episode: The 21st-Century (American) British Movie Canon, ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy,’ and ‘Paddington in Peru’

Release Date: February 18, 2025

Introduction

In this episode of The Big Picture, hosts Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins delve into the intricacies of the 21st-century British movie canon, focusing on two standout films: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Paddington in Peru. Throughout the episode, they explore the nuances of British cinema, compare it with Hollywood’s studio system, and discuss the latest entries in beloved franchises. The conversation is enriched by insights from Ringer colleagues and punctuated with personal anecdotes and thoughtful critiques.

---

British vs. American Movie Studio Systems [02:18]

Sean and Amanda kick off the discussion by contrasting the British movie studio system with Hollywood’s well-established structure.

Amanda notes, “There are two new British ish movies that are out in theaters or streaming at home,” emphasizing the distinctive qualities that make British films resonate with American audiences.

Sean adds, “I don’t believe in the monarchy, but I believe in British culture,” highlighting the deep cultural underpinnings that influence British filmmaking beyond political structures.

Notable Quote:

• Sean Fennessy [02:18]: “We didn't do that good on our own.”

---

Spotlight on Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy [03:54]

The hosts transition to discussing the fourth installment of the Bridget Jones series. They provide a comprehensive overview of the film’s plot and character development.

Amanda explains, “This movie is about grief and raising children by yourself,” pointing out the film’s departure from the traditional romantic comedy mold. The narrative centers around Bridget’s journey through middle age and single parenthood, offering a more profound exploration of her character.

Plot Overview: Bridget Jones faces new challenges as she navigates motherhood and romantic uncertainties. The film opens with the funeral of Daniel Cleaver, portrayed by Hugh Grant, setting a somber tone.

Character Development: Renee Zellweger reprises her role as Bridget, delivering a performance that balances humor with emotional depth. Amanda reflects, “They give her some dance sequences and physical comedy,” showcasing Bridget’s resilience and adaptability.

Cast Performance: Colin Firth appears as Mark Darcy, Bridget’s steadfast love interest. Emma Thompson joins as Bridget’s gynecologist, adding layers of wit and warmth to the ensemble.

Notable Quotes:

• Amanda Dobbins [10:01]: “This is handled in the book. So, the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby, kind of went out of literary canon, if you will.”
• Sean Fennessy [09:17]: “But I do watch it on vod.”

Comparisons to Previous Films: While the first three movies focused heavily on Bridget’s romantic entanglements, the fourth installment broadens the scope to include themes of grief and self-discovery. Amanda mentions, “The two romances aren't the central focus here,” indicating a shift in narrative priorities.

Audience Reception: The hosts discuss mixed reactions, noting that while some fans appreciate the deeper emotional layers, others miss the classic romantic plotlines. Amanda shares, “I rewatched it the night before, and then I watched Mad About the Boy,” illustrating the film’s sentimental value to long-time viewers.

---

Spotlight on Paddington in Peru [37:16]

Shifting gears, Sean and Amanda delve into Paddington in Peru, the third installment in the beloved Paddington Bear series.

Plot Overview: Paddington embarks on an adventure to Peru to uncover the mystery behind his missing Aunt Lucy. The Brown family joins him, leading to a series of whimsical and heartwarming escapades.

Character Development: The film emphasizes themes of immigration and cultural assimilation, reflecting Paddington’s status as a bear from another country trying to find his place in a new environment. Amanda notes, “It's an adventure film that also touches on deeper societal issues.”

Cast Performance: Hugh Bonneville returns as Mr. Brown, and new additions like Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas enrich the character ensemble. The voice of Paddington is maintained by Ben Whishaw, ensuring continuity in the character’s charming demeanor.

Notable Quotes:

• Sean Fennessy [37:16]: “It’s brown bread, specifically whole wheat bread. So that’s what I got.”
• Amanda Dobbins [39:22]: “I have sort of like a Ben Affleck. Like, I. They’re just, like, a little small, you know?”

Comparisons to Previous Films: The third installment differentiates itself with a jungle setting, offering a fresh backdrop compared to the urban landscapes of earlier films. Amanda describes it as “the Apocalypse Now of Paddington movies,” highlighting the more intense and adventurous tone.

Audience Reception: The film has been well-received by families and critics alike, praised for its production design and emotional depth. Amanda shares, “I saw this movie with my kid, and she loved it,” underscoring its universal appeal.

Themes and Symbolism: Throughout the movie, Paddington’s journey symbolizes the immigrant experience, and the family's adventures in Peru serve as metaphors for overcoming obstacles and embracing new cultures. Sean observes, “I thought it was an anti-capitalist, pro-immigration tome, which is a cool thing to do, you know, to indoctrinate the children.”

---

BAFTA Discussion and Best Picture Predictions [04:32]

The conversation shifts to the upcoming BAFTA awards, with Sean and Amanda speculating on potential winners.

Predictions: Sean predicts Better Man for Best Picture, though Amanda counters, suggesting Conclave as a strong contender.

Notable Quotes:

• Sean Fennessy [04:23]: “Better Man. I don’t believe he's nominated.”
• Amanda Dobbins [04:26]: “Let's see. They could go for Conclave. They could go for the Brutalist, I think.”

Outstanding British Film Category: They discuss the nominees, including Bird Blitz, Conclave, Hard Truths, Gladiator 2, Kneecap Lee, Love Lies Bleeding, The Outrun, and Wallace and Vengeance. Amanda expresses a desire to discuss Hard Truths post-Oscars due to its emotional weight.

Notable Quote:

• Amanda Dobbins [06:49]: “What happened to our Hard Truths episode? You said that we would get to talk about it.”

Critique of BAFTA Processes: Amanda criticizes BAFTA's nomination patterns, referencing the exclusion of actors like Denzel Washington, and highlights the confusion surrounding their revised jury systems.

Notable Quotes:

• Amanda Dobbins [05:11]: “They have literally never nominated Denzel Washington for an award. So crazy. Right?”
• Sean Fennessy [05:31]: “And they've got so many new rules. Right.”

---

Building the 21st Century British Movie Canon [51:22]

The hosts announce their project to curate a 21st-century British movie canon, emphasizing the importance of British sensibilities in film production.

Selection Criteria:

• British actors in prominent roles
• Stories set in Britain
• Films directed by British filmmakers with a distinct cultural sensibility
• American interpretations of British themes using British talent

Amanda assures, “But there's some loose delineations around this,” indicating flexibility in their selection process.

Categorization of Films: They categorize films into various segments such as Lads, Lasses, Normies, Cinephiles, and Gen Z, ensuring a broad representation of genres and themes.

Notable Quotes:

• Amanda Dobbins [54:36]: “Straight up, Shaun of the Dead.”
• Sean Fennessy [56:01]: “Pick and it's one of my favorite Mike Lee movies.”

Highlighted Films:

• Dunkirk – Multi-category appeal
• Love Actually – Lasses vs. Lads debate
• Atonement – Emotional depth and literary adaptation
• Snatch – For music-loving audiences
• Four Weddings and a Funeral – Classic romantic comedy inclusion

Notable Quote:

• Amanda Dobbins [63:55]: “I did love Fish Tank.”

---

Paddington in Peru: Detailed Review and Production Insights [42:12]

Sean and Amanda offer an in-depth analysis of Paddington in Peru, discussing its direction, production elements, and thematic coherence.

Direction: Directed by Dougal Wilson, Paddington in Peru differs from the first two films helmed by Paul King. Amanda notes, “This movie had a lot to live up to because of the reputation of the first two Paddington films.”

Production Design: The trio praises the film’s production quality, particularly the CGI used for Paddington, which they describe as “the most moving CGI.”

Notable Quote:

• Sean Fennessy [46:21]: “They’re knocking it out of the park with my Paddington CGI.”

Themes and Symbolism: The film intertwines adventure with social commentary, addressing issues like immigration and cultural assimilation through Paddington’s journey.

Cast Performance: The ensemble cast, including Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas, is lauded for their performances. Amanda emphasizes, “Olivia Colman was phenomenal.”

Notable Quote:

• Amanda Dobbins [44:22]: “They do homages and they reference various classic films, adding depth to the narrative.”

Audience Impact: The film resonates deeply with both children and adults, balancing humor with emotional storytelling. Amanda shares a personal story about watching the film with her child, highlighting its family-friendly appeal.

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Personal Anecdotes and Final Thoughts [73:00 - 77:02]

Throughout the episode, Sean and Amanda interweave personal stories, enhancing the relatability of their analysis. Sean recounts a memorable encounter at a yacht party, while Amanda discusses her daughter’s fascination with the movies.

Final Insights: Sean concludes, “In sum, British cinema continues to thrive with a blend of classic charm and modern storytelling,” while Amanda echoes the sentiment, emphasizing the importance of maintaining cultural authenticity in film.

Notable Quotes:

• Sean Fennessy [77:02]: “A big pick bands plane crossover live event for the end of the British season of Man’s Plane, which we then make into a film festival.”
• Amanda Dobbins [76:30]: “So should I not have let Alice get hand tattoos? Is that what you're saying?”

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a reaffirmation of the hosts' passion for British cinema and their dedication to curating a meaningful movie canon. They invite listeners to engage with their selections and look forward to future discussions on The Big Picture.

Notable Quote:

• Sean Fennessy [76:37]: “Thank you for having me.”
• Amanda Dobbins [77:02]: “That's a lovely time to go to.”

---

Highlighted Quotes with Timestamps

• Sean Fennessy [02:18]: “We didn't do that good on our own.”
• Amanda Dobbins [10:01]: “This is handled in the book. So, the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby, kind of went out of literary canon, if you will.”
• Sean Fennessy [04:23]: “Better Man. I don’t believe he's nominated.”
• Amanda Dobbins [05:11]: “They have literally never nominated Denzel Washington for an award. So crazy. Right?”
• Sean Fennessy [37:16]: “It’s brown bread, specifically whole wheat bread. So that’s what I got.”
• Amanda Dobbins [54:36]: “Straight up, Shaun of the Dead.”

---

Conclusion

Sean and Amanda provide a thorough exploration of contemporary British cinema, using Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and Paddington in Peru as focal points. Their in-depth analysis, coupled with personal stories and critical insights, offers listeners a rich understanding of the current landscape of British films and their impact on a global audience.

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Note: All timestamps correspond to the transcript provided and reflect the location of the quotes within the conversation.

Transcript

[Amy Poehler]

Hi, everyone, it's Amy Poehler and I'm launching a new podcast called Good Hang. In preparation for that, I asked some of my friends to send in some.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Videos and give me some advice.

[Amy Poehler]

Just be yourself and the guests will come. Don't be the celebrity that this is.

[Sean Fennessy]

Their, like, sixth thing they're doing. I love true crime and cooking podcasts.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Is there any way you could combine the two?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, everyone has an opinion and a podcast, so join me for Good Hang. It's rough out there. We're just trying to lighten it up a little. This episode is brought to you by the White Lotus Season 3. It's enlightened, it's twisted. And this time we're finding the dark side of an exclusive wellness resort in beautiful Thailand. Expect some picture perfect travelers that are anything but and some cheerful staff that have got a secret or two. Same luxury, new reservations. We can't wait to see what happens. Watch a new season of the Emmy award winning HBO original series, the White Lotus. New episodes now streaming on max.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Get the Angel Reef Special at McDonald's. Now let's break it down. My favorite barbecue sauce, American cheese, crispy bacon, pickles, onions, and a sesame seed bun, of course. And don't forget the fries and the drinks. Sound good? Ba da ba ba ba.

[Amy Poehler]

I participate in restaurants for a limited time. I'm Sean Fennessy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm Amanda Dobbins.

[Amy Poehler]

And this is the big picture. A conversation show about British things and women's things. Women's things, absolutely. A woman is here. It is not Amanda. Yossi Salakhayasi.

[Sean Fennessy]

Hi. I'm so proud to be a woman here. On my character.

[Amy Poehler]

Are you a British woman spiritually? Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

You're adorning the Union Jack on your person today. You've also brought a flag.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm a known Anglophile, like, to the point where I'm like, we shouldn't have fought for our independence.

[Amy Poehler]

You would still like to be under the king's reign?

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, yes. King Charles.

[Amy Poehler]

King Charles. You believe he's a fearless leader?

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't believe in the monarchy, but I believe in British culture. So.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. And you agree, actually?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, at first I was like, no, but then I looked around and then I was like, maybe, yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

We didn't do that good on our own.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, they're also having some issues, I would say.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I mean, this is an interesting way to set up this episode because one of the things that we did do here in America is we did create the movie studio system. Right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay. You're talking about Hollywood, which was an amazing thing.

[Amy Poehler]

But what we're gonna talk about today is mostly the British movie studio system and British movies. There are two new British ish movies that are out in theaters or streaming at home. The one streaming at home is called Bridget Mad about the Boy. It's the fourth Bridget Jones movie. We're also gonna be talking about Paddington in Peru. This is the third Paddington movie. And we're going to use this as an opportunity to build a canon. You know, two years ago, Chris and I created the 21st century sci fi movie canon. We talked about the best science fiction movies that were made this century. This is the first one we're doing since then. I believe this is an odd wrinkle. These have to be British movies, but they're British movies that American people like.

[Sean Fennessy]

Now.

[Amy Poehler]

Bridget Jones and Paddington really fit well into this delineation. Americans really dig Bridget Jones. They also really dig Paddington. There's a lot of other kinds of movies like this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, so do they. When you say they have to be British movies, let's drill down on that definition.

[Amy Poehler]

British actors have to figure prominently or they have to be stories set in Britain or they have to be filmmakers who are British with a particular sensibility.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But it doesn't have to be like British filmmaker only.

[Amy Poehler]

No, no. I think there's some loose delineations around this. There can be an American's interpretation of Britain with British actors. For example.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, there is a lot of.

[Amy Poehler]

On, um.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm sure that we're just gonna really endear ourselves to our British listeners.

[Amy Poehler]

No, they're gonna be mad, but I don't care. You. You've been making them mad for months now in Bandsplain.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, when I said it was Northern Ireland and regular Ireland, that didn't go over well. And I.

[Amy Poehler]

We don't appreciate it.

[Sean Fennessy]

I apologize. I'm doing my best.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. We're gonna be as informed as we can be today on this podcast. So we're pre recording because it's wellness Week next week at Spotify. And over the weekend, Interestingly enough, the BAFTAs are occurring. I wish we could have been here, honestly on Monday for the BAFTAs. Cause that would have made this the perfect, perfect British episode. Any predictions for what's going to go down at the baftas? What's going to win Best Picture.

[Sean Fennessy]

Better Man.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't believe he's nominated.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Let's see. They could go for conclave. They could go for the Brutalist, I think.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, what do you think is going to happen if you had to guess.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I didn't. Conclave. Let's go with Conclave.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Any guesses? You've been catching up on the Oscar movies.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah. Can I ask a question? Do you feel like the baftas lean a certain way because of Britain's great care for art?

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, no, no.

[Amy Poehler]

I think they're like any other awards body.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. So they just.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And in fact, they're, like, a little weird because in their response to so along with Oscars so white, there is an ongoing bafta so white Colonialists. You know, they have literally never nominated Denzel Washington for an award. So crazy. Right?

[Sean Fennessy]

Even when he's Shakespeare.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Exactly. So they made their own revisions to their system. But they're, like, very, very confusing. And there's different jury systems and lots of things. So it's really hard to predict what's going on. Cause they've got so many new rules.

[Sean Fennessy]

Right.

[Amy Poehler]

And yet it is still weirdly kind of predictive of the Oscars. At least it's very. At least it shows us how certain contingents are thinking. Got it.

[Sean Fennessy]

I could see Conclave for sure. I'm a Conclave. Stan and Pope Mov. Stan.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

I would be happy with the Brutalist.

[Amy Poehler]

Same. I think those are two good guesses. Conclave and the Brutalist. If Anora wins, you can kind of just go home.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, right.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, this is what's happening. Maybe we shouldn't even record.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Have a nice party, you know, but not record it. Hey, Anora 1. We like Anora.

[Amy Poehler]

It would be great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It would be a nice.

[Amy Poehler]

It would be a nice thing, but it would say a lot. Anora, a very American film, I guess. A very Russian film in some ways, too. But the five nominees for best picture there are complete unknown. Honora Conclave, Emilia Perez and the Brutalist, probably the five leading contenders to win best picture. So we'll see what happens there.

[Sean Fennessy]

Notice they didn't nominate Wicked.

[Amy Poehler]

They did not nominate Wicked.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's interesting.

[Amy Poehler]

It isn't interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Are you a wicked person? Okay, good.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't like musicals pretty much. 90% of the time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't like modern musicals, so I'm with you.

[Amy Poehler]

There is another category. Outstanding British Film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessy]

What do we got?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, better man not recognized there. Bird Blitz, Conclave, hard truths, Gladiator 2, kneecap Lee, love Lies, Bleeding, the Outrun and Wallace and Vengeance. Most fell. Any faves there?

[Amanda Dobbins]

What happened to our Hard Truths episode? You said that we would get to talk about it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I kind of want to wait until after the Oscars.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, when it's more wet.

[Amy Poehler]

I also think it's gonna get a lot of attention on the alternative Oscars discussion, so I felt like it could be wended in time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Have you seen this film?

[Sean Fennessy]

No, unfortunately. Not to bring up my burnt down house again, but I had tickets the week of the fire and I was so excited.

[Amy Poehler]

You're a Mike Lee fan.

[Sean Fennessy]

I love Mike Lee and, you know, it was not the right timing for me, but I'm dying and now it's not in the theaters anymore.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm so sad.

[Amy Poehler]

It is on vod.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do honestly think that there's like, a little bit of. It's good to have some distance between the fires and. Cause I. I saw it the week after. Yeah, it's a very hard day.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's a hard day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's an. It's incredible. It, like, knocked my socks off. But I also was, like, feeling very emotionally. Not as emotionally rock. It's not a contest. And I was like, oh, okay. This is a lot. So, you know, when you're ready, I'll.

[Sean Fennessy]

Vod not with my parents because I don't think it's their. Their bag of chips.

[Amy Poehler]

It would be my pick of all these films for sure.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. Love Lies Bleeding I haven't seen, but every time I hear it, I believe it's a line in a Fuel song or something. Love lies Bleeding.

[Amy Poehler]

I think you have some Love Lies Bleeding energy. You might enjoy it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, I'm happy to see it. I love. I'll see anything where people have British accents. Do they have British accents?

[Amy Poehler]

It is pretty good. It's a odd nominee for best British film because Rose Glass is a British filmmaker, but it's a movie set in, like, Arizona or Las Vegas.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's a wrestling movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, there is a bodybuilding element.

[Sean Fennessy]

Bodybuilding?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, bodybuilding. Noir, sex, body horror, basically.

[Sean Fennessy]

I won't lunch with my parents, but.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, set that one out. Can you watch Bridget Jones, Mad about the Boy with your parents?

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Did you?

[Sean Fennessy]

I. Well, I didn't because I watched all four Bridget Jones movies yesterday, and so there was a really tight. That's right. It was a great day. Best day of my life. Honestly. I was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

For the first time.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, no. I had Memory hold the third one, to be honest.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I had as well. So I rewatched it the night before, and then I watched Mad about the Boy.

[Sean Fennessy]

By the time it was time to watch the. Also, my parents have the most. I'm living with my parents. They have the most complicated T system of all time. Like, it's like you have to like, turn the cable off. Turn the sound of the cable off with your phone in order to bring the streaming apps on. And Peacock is not available on their smart tv.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

And so I couldn't figure out how to get it with them. And I was like, I'll just go watch it on the laptop in my bed. So that's what I did.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, thanks for mentioning this. Movie is streaming right now on Peacock. Despite the first two Bridget Jones movies being big box office successes, not just in England, but here in America.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's misogynistic. I'm gonna say it.

[Amy Poehler]

The third film didn't do as well. It wasn' nine years ago. You could make the case that there's an audience to go see this movie in movie theaters, especially on Valentine's Day weekend.

[Sean Fennessy]

Babe, I would have had a whole bottle of Pinot Grige in one hand and a Kleenex in the other. Ready to fucking party.

[Amy Poehler]

So you denied me that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wept throughout this movie.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You want to talk about what this movie is about and what it is?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I guess. So were you. Have you read the book?

[Sean Fennessy]

I have not read the book. Are there more than.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So, yes. So there are three. There are three Bridget Jones books.

[Sean Fennessy]

But this is not handled in the book. Or it is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is handled in the book. So the third film, Bridget Jones's Baby, kind of like went out of literary canon, if you will.

[Amy Poehler]

Kind of Quantumania series.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And so they like alternate ending. It endinged it. But the book, Bridget Jones Mad about the Boy is a book that Helen Fielding, the author of all the books, wrote kind of based on her. Like, she also.

[Sean Fennessy]

I couldn't tell if she was actually widowed or just the father of her children passed away either way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. Yeah. It was autobiographical in that sense. So I had read the book and candidly wept through that. So I knew a little bit of what was coming. Okay. But anyway, nine years. So in Bridget Jones three, Bridget Jones one, you know, she's the big choice. She's Britain's Carrie Bradshaw. Right. And. And it's a light adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. And at the end, she does end up with Mark Darcy. Spoiler alert. With a speech that literally was read at my wedding. So I'm dead.

[Sean Fennessy]

I wrote in my notes, God tier romantic comedy lines is, I love.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I like. I like you just as you are. That. That whole little speech, like the. The jumper and the something. Yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Can I watch it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, I don't think we had video. Know what, Sean?

[Amy Poehler]

Read the whole thing on 70 millimeters.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you know what Sean read at our wedding? Just takes on a different valence this year. But in 2016. You know what?

[Amy Poehler]

Not my choice for the record.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Listen. In 2000, sometime, I think we have to be honest, like, we're millennials. And in 2016, we cared about Drake and he read the Take Care Outro. Yes, he did.

[Sean Fennessy]

But I Take Care is my. The only Drake song I like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, of course.

[Amy Poehler]

It's the best album.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was beautiful. So. All right, so Bridget Jones picks Mark D'Arcy. Bridget Jones. Two hijinks ensue, and once again, she picks Mark D'Arcy. Number three. What is Hugh Grant's character's name? Daniel Cleaver. Thank you. Daniel Cleaver has, like, quote unquote, died in the book. Which is funny. We'll get to it. But it opens with his funeral, and.

[Sean Fennessy]

Then it's a very, very funny scene, actually.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

It really has some redeemable things.

[Amy Poehler]

I can't even remember. I'm sure I watched it when it came out, but I don't know, it's.

[Sean Fennessy]

Like, filled with Russian.

[Amanda Dobbins]

One, I remember his funeral.

[Amy Poehler]

Two. A little bit. I definitely saw it and was paying attention. Three, I don't know if I memory hold it, but I couldn't remember any of the decisions that they made.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So it opens. Well, it opens with her doing the signature credit pajama dance to jump around. Right. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes, yes, yes, yes. They do great music in these.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They do do great music. And that is. I would like to talk about it. Okay. So Daniel Cleaver dies. And so then she goes to a music festival.

[Sean Fennessy]

Believe it's supposed to be Glastonbury, but.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They don't say Ed Sheeran is there.

[Amy Poehler]

Ed Sheeran, Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

He plays himself.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And she doesn't recognize him, which is funny.

[Sean Fennessy]

She thinks he's a barista at her local Starbucks. Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then. Oh, Bridget, she sleeps with Patrick Dempsey in their glamping yurt. And then she sleeps with. She runs into Mark Darcy at the. At a christening. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Of one of her. Jude, I believe. One of her.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And she sleeps with Mark Darcy. And she uses dolphin condoms with both. So surprise.

[Sean Fennessy]

That are like 20 years old.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. So she's pregnant and she doesn't know which one is the father. And so then it's, you know, a recreation of, like. Which one will she choose?

[Amy Poehler]

No recollection.

[Sean Fennessy]

The seat is not bad. I think the execution.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, better, respectfully, to make dreamy, but.

[Sean Fennessy]

It'S just not what my mother said.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We.

[Sean Fennessy]

I Did watch that with my mom, and she was like, so handsome. He should not speak.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, exactly.

[Amy Poehler]

Wonder where you get it from.

[Sean Fennessy]

We should bring her on the big picture.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That one. There's like, you know, like. Like the one romcom moment where he's like, we never got a second date. So he comes and he brings out.

[Sean Fennessy]

I liked it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's good writing. It's good rom com. Swedish.

[Sean Fennessy]

Swedish furniture for them to build.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Spoiler alert. At the end of Bridget Jones 3, she has the baby. It's a boy. She marries Mark Darcy. Finally, it's his.

[Sean Fennessy]

We get Emma Thompson, which is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And Emma Thompson is incredible. She's the gynecologist, which is very funny. And then the very last shot of three is a newspaper of, like, publisher found alive after one year. They do say at the funeral, they never found his body. And then the last shot of Bridget Jones 3 is like, he's still alive.

[Amy Poehler]

Daniel.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Yes. Daniel. Okay, so Bridget Jones 4. I mean, did you know going in. Yes, you did know. Okay. Did you know going in? Like, the.

[Amy Poehler]

What was the premise of the movie? Yeah. Not really. No. Again, like, I'm really happy for you guys. Cause you're having your, like, Star wars mythology moment here. You know, where you're, like, recapping all the. You know, the somehow this character returned thing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

You don't care about women's issues.

[Amy Poehler]

No. I'm excited for you to have this moment.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do understand that it was like my cinematic universe. This is a little bit like the British Sex in the City is like, the best way that I can compare all this.

[Sean Fennessy]

Like, I mean, and it's interesting comparison because that they kind of use the exact same premise to start the Sex in the City that we have now, which. With Mr. Big dying in the beginning.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

So in the movies, at least. Yeah. I can. I'll point out some differentiation that I find interesting that maybe is just cultural.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I mean, I think it is cultural, but, like, in the sense that held in. Bridget Jones started as, like, a newspaper column that Helen Fielding was writing that then turned into a book that then turned into, like, a movie series.

[Sean Fennessy]

She wanted to write a book about a woman running a refugee camp in the Sudan. And then they were like, we want you to write this. And she was like, okay, whatever. This is stupid.

[Amy Poehler]

Real brutalist vibes there.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Anyway, it worked out her whole life. Yeah. So Mark D'Arcy is dead. Which they, like. They kind of tease out. I thought the first cold open 15 minutes of this movie were fairly devastating. Because Colin Firth is briefly in it as a ghost thing.

[Amy Poehler]

And then they give us a flashback early on. And then he's kind of apparitional through the movie, Right? Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, but even when she meets him on the block to walk to the. To walk to the thing, he's apparitional. Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

That was not a flashback.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's like the anniversary of his death where she gets together, which was also so great because it was like bringing. They brought back so much stuff. And then bringing back the interrogational dinner.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. With the same actors 20 years later. There are, like, a lot of, and I'm sorry to use this phrase, Easter eggs in this movie. If you are like a Bridget Jones person, which comes for us all.

[Amy Poehler]

Amanda.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It comes for us all. And I did notice that. But primarily this is a movie about grief and raising children by yourself.

[Amy Poehler]

And I very much about middle age.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

In a way that is unusual in big movies. Like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I do think, like, both romances are sort of. There are two romances, like, in every Bridget Jones movie, but they're not quite afterthoughts. But they aren't the center of it.

[Sean Fennessy]

I agree.

[Amy Poehler]

They don't feel as essential to the mechanics as the first three movies. Yes. So we haven't mentioned the stars. Renee Zellweger, of course, is, as always, Bridget Jones, a not British person who's been playing this British character for quite some time.

[Sean Fennessy]

I did poll some British friends and they were like, her accent is perfect.

[Amy Poehler]

This has long been true.

[Sean Fennessy]

You never know. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

This was true on the first film. She got high marks. Right. For her ability to.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think everyone was outraged when she was cast. An American was cast.

[Amy Poehler]

You like her? She's a good Bridget.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, she's great. And I was reminded once again, watching this movie, like a great comedic actress. She is very funny. Like this scene in the elevator where she doesn't know how it works and is just doing, like, physical comedy. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Like, this is what she does best, in my opinion. This is like her completely.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And they give her, like, some dance sequences. They give her also.

[Sean Fennessy]

She looks fabulous.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She does.

[Amy Poehler]

So this movie is the first of the four films to be directed by a man, which I thought was notable. It's directed by Michael Morris. You may recall him from the film To Leslie, which very few people saw but did garner an Academy Award nomination for Andrea Riseborough.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, great.

[Amy Poehler]

Quite surprisingly, this was like the call in Campaign.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I remember Gwyneth and Edward Norton were like, this film to Leslie and me.

[Sean Fennessy]

Being like, I don't know who that is.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. I would not have guessed Bridget Jones 4 would be how he would follow this up. He is British though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think so when I googled him.

[Amy Poehler]

And in addition to Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth apparitionally are back. Emma Thompson.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hugh Grant is back.

[Amy Poehler]

I have lots of about him. He's wonderful. Chiwetel, Ejiofor and Leo Woodall, you may recall from the White Lotus season two.

[Sean Fennessy]

And Love actually.

[Amy Poehler]

And Love actually. And Prime Target, the new show on Apple tv. Leo Woodall having a little bit of a moment. Isla Fisher, weirdly, very briefly, it seems.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like they had a whole thing with her and they cut her. Yeah. But she was very funny. The one thing she did.

[Amy Poehler]

And yeah, as you said, she is single.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Hayley Atwell.

[Amy Poehler]

No, that's Paddington in Peru you're thinking of, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh yeah, you're right. Sorry. Okay, thank you. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

[Amy Poehler]

Got your appealing British actresses confused.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, it is really random when Hayley Atwell shows up in Paddington. I would like to talk about it.

[Amy Poehler]

Bridget Jones is a TV producer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, she has been since the first time.

[Amy Poehler]

That's her job. Okay. I couldn't remember that.

[Sean Fennessy]

No longer working. She's a stay at home mom.

[Amy Poehler]

She's a stay at home mom. She's got two children, 11 and 8. Something like that. A boy and a girl.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't even think eight.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I feel like seven. Yeah. Or something.

[Sean Fennessy]

Something very young where she barely knew the dad.

[Amy Poehler]

And I want to be gentle about how I characterize this, but next month Renee Zellweger will be 56.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And so I don't couldn't really figure out like the chronology of stories.

[Sean Fennessy]

They say in number three, she's 43.

[Amanda Dobbins]

When she has the first, which is possible these days.

[Amy Poehler]

So she was 47 when she had the second child. That's not saying it doesn't happen. It definitely does happen, but it's actually a little bit of a stress.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's way more common than you think. So the thing is that once you have one, it's quite easy to have later.

[Amy Poehler]

Let's. Let's ease up.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't want easy, but I don't mean easy. But the thing about the first one is hard when you're older, but once you've had one, they do say that age is less.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, we got you. We got what you're saying.

[Sean Fennessy]

47'S not dead, John. Jesus.

[Amy Poehler]

I am 42 and I'm dead.

[Sean Fennessy]

So let me tell you is functioning beautifully. Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean that's the other tricky thing about. It's like they do work until they don't, you know, they made a nice.

[Sean Fennessy]

Funny comment like that.

[Amy Poehler]

There's a woman in her mid-50s raising young children by herself. That alone is like pure empathy. You know, I'm like, this has got to be fucking hard. But there's usually like one who's 32 and one who's 56. You know, it's not usually two 56 year olds. And in this case, of course, she has lost her husband.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, pretty soon you're gonna be the 56 year old, so.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, but my daughter is gonna be 17 when I'm 56. That's so different.

[Sean Fennessy]

18 when she drops, when she's dropping the kids off at school and she runs into Mr. Is it wadding. Waddington. Wallacher.

[Amy Poehler]

Mr. Wallacher, played by Chiwetel.

[Sean Fennessy]

And he's blowing the whistle bench. And some, some kid comes up. It's like, why is your granny wearing pajamas? They do kind of like.

[Amy Poehler]

That was the biggest.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Which I thought.

[Sean Fennessy]

I thought was good.

[Amy Poehler]

I appreciated.

[Sean Fennessy]

They weren't like, this is normal. It's totally normal. They said something.

[Amy Poehler]

They did. I don't want to make too much of it. It just. It did jump out. I've been watching Renee Zellweger in movies for a very long time, going Back to like 1993.

[Sean Fennessy]

So anyhow, and she was that exact age I looked it up in. She was 43 at that time, at the time of three.

[Amy Poehler]

And then do you think they thought there would be a fourth when they made the third, which was nine years ago now.

[Sean Fennessy]

Maybe that's why they put the newspaper part.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I think they. That's a good point because they do keep it open. I mean, when I saw the third, I remember thinking, oh, interesting. They've like decided to take this, like, off book in like a happier direction because four is just like so devastating. And I was like. I was like, oh, I'm actually happy to see this character that I like get a slightly happier ending than. Than what we see. So I don't know.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you. Did you like the movie? Really like it? Love it.

[Sean Fennessy]

The fourth? Yeah, I loved it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I really liked it. I bet I. But I am, like, fully aware that I'm just like in the. In the Bridget Jones Matrix and was also crying a lot. So.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is it as good as one?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Of course, no.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is it nearly as good as two? I'd say it's on par with two.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it is just a different Movie. Right. I'm curious, what do you think? Not as a man, but as a movie watcher.

[Sean Fennessy]

Because film critic.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I thought it was solid. It's very long.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's very long.

[Amy Poehler]

It is long, very long for a movie like this. And I tend to think a movie like this is a really good 1 hour and 43 minute movie. And it felt a bit extended in its set pieces. You know, there's a long camping sequence where I was like, we are really making us wait for the payoff here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's how they fall in love.

[Amy Poehler]

But it's a rom com. I mean, we know where we're going here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's more that like Chiwetel Ejiofor, who is the like the new Mr. Darcy character doesn't have anything to do for the first 90 minutes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, they're kind of like hoping to trick you into thinking he's not the romantic lead. But it's very obvious the first time he comes across the screen. Leo Woodall.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I thought he was great.

[Amy Poehler]

He's very handsome.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And they gave him ample opportunity to show it off.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I've not really seen him before because one day, oh no, I didn't watch White Wolves. I am thinking about doing the third season.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, season two is really good.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's really good and he's great.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, well, I really liked season two.

[Sean Fennessy]

His gays are trying to kill me.

[Amy Poehler]

He is hilarious in season two. His character particularly is very good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Anyway, I mean, he has the charisma. When he shows up in the tree climbing, I was like, oh, I get this. Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Is he like he's not every 55 year old mom's dream man. That's kind of what the movie is pitching.

[Sean Fennessy]

I mean me, he looks a bit young, even for a 42 year old man.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I thought so as well. But also like he showed up on screen and I was like, I get it. As opposed to the idea of you guy, what's his name? Nicholas Gazelteam. Where I was just like, no.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, that's the Anne Hathaway movie. I didn't see it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I mean you either have it or you don't. And he has it. Yeah. And his acting.

[Sean Fennessy]

I thought the part where he came back after ghosting, he did a good job. That acting was pretty good. Like you believed it. But he did a great job.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did.

[Sean Fennessy]

I have to say, I don't want to hear what you guys have to think. The Chiwetel Ejiofor. Is that his name? It did feel like they didn't Develop that enough. Like, that was the one part where I was like, I'm not buying that you're in love. I. It didn't.

[Amy Poehler]

That's sort of what I'm saying.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't like making a sit in this relationship.

[Sean Fennessy]

I get it. That he's a Mr. Darcy and I get that he, like, connected with the sun and that's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, my God. Sorry. I forgot about the scene.

[Amy Poehler]

That's by far the best scene is that performance. Are you talking about.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, when the kid is.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, I was moving.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Holy cow. Wow.

[Sean Fennessy]

Echoes of Love, actually. Which.

[Amy Poehler]

It was. It was. Which seemed like a very knowing nod to that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Peter in love, actually.

[Amy Poehler]

But.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but I mean. But Singing for the Dead. I mean, I can't. I was, like, weeping.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, that part is the game.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There's too much in this movie. And it. And I. I was like, this is like my MCU problem where I was like, okay, so you're trying to get, like, Shazzar and Jude and Tom, like, the friends in. Who are like, barely in three because. Yeah. They're her 30s friends also, like.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, no, it's two. That's broke down Palace. Bridget Jones and the Broke Down Palace.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You've got this extended world and you've got, like, actresses and actors, like, you know, Jim Broadbent and Shirley Henderson.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, that was so sad when Jim Broadbent died. That was great.

[Sean Fennessy]

I mean, there's really, really good. That was another one of those God tier lines, like, promise me you'll live. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

It's the same thing as in all the Boy IP movies where they cast overqualified actors. And you get one scene where you're like, holy shit. Jeremy Irons is in this.

[Sean Fennessy]

You know, he was the dad the whole time.

[Amy Poehler]

No, no, I know. I think. I'm just saying, like, throughout this whole series, by having the Jim Broadbent and the Shirley Hendersons, you're like, okay, this is always gonna be never less than solid. Right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And so you want all of them in the movie. That's what they're trying to do, but it is, like, it's too much. And so you don't get as much time on the new characters and you don't get as much time on. You know, and then they're, like, trying to bring in the perfect mom who, like. I thought that was a funny character.

[Sean Fennessy]

Persian representation. We love to see it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And the perfect nanny seemed like another slightly under. Like a thing where they filmed a lot more and. Cut it out.

[Amy Poehler]

Nico Parker Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean is there like a four hour cut of this film? It kind of feels like it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Maybe it's supposed to be a TV show. I keep thinking that it would have.

[Amy Poehler]

Been a great series in cinemas in England. So you know, the fact that it wasn't a streaming movie there is notable but you know, it has that feel of like the extensions of early aughts shows become or films become shows. So you could be onto something.

[Sean Fennessy]

Can I ask one more question?

[Amanda Dobbins]

You can ask as many questions as you'd like.

[Sean Fennessy]

I love it here. Marmalade sandwiches. What crossed my mind and again the feminism sometimes does be re entering my body where I was like I know it's not a Bridget Jones thing to do but I was like it would have been so interesting to have it end with no love match.

[Amy Poehler]

Like to be like I don't need.

[Sean Fennessy]

This, I don't need. Or like which is again not to galaxy brand. Then it's like ugh, it's too feminist. Like oh women hear me. I don't need anyone. But like I was trying to think of how they or even like honestly for her to end up with Leo Woodall would have been really interesting because he did. They.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He did.

[Sean Fennessy]

Clearly he wasn't like the Daniel Cleaver character where it was so clear that he was just like a womanizing shitbag and like she shouldn't end up with him. Like he actually seemed like a viable.

[Amy Poehler]

And he's like a ghosty Gen Z kid.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

But he, but he came back and he was like I'm ready for it. I want to be a stepdad. And like you know, I was like you can't do that. You know, why are you trouncing on my dream? You can.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I would love that for you.

[Sean Fennessy]

I plan to. Aaron Taylor Johnson. And if any Aaron Taylor Johnson's are watching, I'm here. Also an artist.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think they.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like they did that whole last scene where it's like it's about you know, everyone and like everyone's in the kitchen. It's a very sweet New Year's party.

[Sean Fennessy]

I did love the Italian womanizing 16 year old son.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That was really, really funny. Enzo and, and so like Chiwetel Egypt 4 is like there and you're signaled that he's the partner or whatever. But it's like not emphasis. It's not like three and two and like the rest end with just like Mark Darcy. Mark Darcy. Mark Darcy. You know. And this is more like look at my beautiful life. And it's gonna be okay. But, I mean, I agree with you.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm not. Not a criticism speech in the snow.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, it was. It was. They were like, what would. How. What kind of Mark Darcy would he be?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

And his.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it echoes the first. You know, Mark Darcy, Newton's law, third law, or whatever. Right.

[Amy Poehler]

I feel that we're not giving enough attention to Hugh Grant, who's one of the great unbroken streaks of success in movies in the last 10 years. He's very, very funny.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm sorry, but he's never shown up once for me in a film that I wasn't like. Absolutely. Yes. Standing ovation.

[Amy Poehler]

He's a great movie star.

[Sean Fennessy]

He's so charming, charismatic, and, you know, Helen Fielding, I did listen, a little research, as I do, she said that he writes a lot of his own lines.

[Amy Poehler]

You can kind of tell there's a. It feels like his press tour in the movie. Not in a bad way. It's a really interesting thing, though, because it is. This has always been true of this character, as I remember it. But it is the inverse of the Persona. I mean, it is him almost, like, rejecting the bumbling, adorable Brit thing that he trademarked, you know?

[Amanda Dobbins]

And when he did it in the original Bridget Jones Diary in 2001, it's like, right after Notting Hillary, and, like, he's doing it with Richard Curtis, who is. It's almost like, okay, finally we get to be. He's always talked about it, like, I get to be closer to who I actually am.

[Sean Fennessy]

Very few men have ever been more gorgeous and attractive than Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones 1. Or honestly, in Notting Hill or in Four Weddings and a Funeral.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Or I could.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's really, really powerful. But he also is. Looks fantastic in this. I just want to say, across the board, everyone over the age of 50 looks amazing in this movie, including Emma Thompson.

[Sean Fennessy]

Emma Thompson looks gorgeous.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Who's got, like, the Miranda Priestly hair at this point.

[Amy Poehler]

They have hair and makeup in these films, you know.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, no, no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But, like, they don't always get it right, as you never notice.

[Sean Fennessy]

Allow me to point something out.

[Amy Poehler]

These people are rich movie stars who are beautiful, and that's why they're in the business.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. The thing about a Renee Zellweger is that she looks her age, but phenomenal, which is not the same as looking. And also, let me say one thing about the British canon, which I believe so firmly and strongly in. They still keep their teeth.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

American movie stars. American movie stars, Please relax on the veneers. I can't take it anymore. I can't watch another show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I needed to hear this because I was thinking the other day about maybe I would do some. I know I can't. First, charming.

[Sean Fennessy]

Hugh Grant has this regular messed up here.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a YouTube insidious.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, it is. No, it's actually that I was just, like, watching Instagram and someone was like, here's how they put it on. Your teeth are perfect. They aren't, but thank you.

[Sean Fennessy]

But I have a bit of a British situation on the bottom. And you know what? That's fine.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have sort of like a Ben Affleck. Like, I. They're just, like, a little small, you know? And so Ben Affleck got that. That money.

[Sean Fennessy]

Go back and watch, like, what is.

[Amy Poehler]

My favorite After Hours, The Martin Scorsese movie. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

The teeth are teething. And you. Nicolas Cage. What happened, baby? He was so wonderful. And then what he made that. It was so good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Kirsten Dunst has kept her teeth, and that's really important.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's just so charming.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Even people should do what they want to do. Honestly. I think they should do what they want to do. You want to get veneers, Honestly, I'll make a point of it every episode, forever. But you should do it.

[Sean Fennessy]

Both my parents own them, so every day in my house, I'm like, okay, we're at the TV set.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There is a good. They look great. My parents. So another subplot in this movie, because there are. There are too many. There are like 45,000. But one of them is the TV producer. The TV show where Bridget goes back to work with her friends Talitha, and they're doing, like, the fourth hour of the Today show, but in the uk, and they talk about how the HD camera is the worst invention for TV presenters of all time, which is very true. We talked about it recently on an episode. Jack and I were just talking about filters. Shout out, Jack, for all the work that you're gonna do and let Jack know if you guys know about filters or let me know. You know, we're all learning together out here. We're doing our best. And. And then the lip thing was funny. That was. It was funny.

[Sean Fennessy]

Especially because it was like she got ghosted. Let's help you out. The implication was, like, you could. If you're just hotter, you wouldn't get ghosted.

[Amy Poehler]

Interesting double feature potential here with Baby Girl. I feel.

[Sean Fennessy]

I thought about Baby Girl while I was watching.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Are you pro or.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm like, Total neutral on Baby Girl. I thought it was like, did you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Watch Harris Dickinson's Criterion?

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes. And he is so hot.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's like odd. Harris, it's good.

[Amy Poehler]

We can all have a little bit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really?

[Sean Fennessy]

Tyson, are you watching? I'm here.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you feel threatened, though?

[Amy Poehler]

Threatened by what? Oh. Could a man so beautiful also be such a citophile dork?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Just kind of like.

[Amy Poehler]

It is like, you're on my corner, handsome guy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Exactly. It's like none of the rest of you can pull that off, you know?

[Amy Poehler]

No, I mean, for me, it's just like ball knower salute. Like, I gotta say, this man is recommending a obscure Filipino cinema to hot women around the world. This is super cool.

[Sean Fennessy]

He really sealed the deal for me on that.

[Amy Poehler]

We need more men like him, to be honest with you.

[Sean Fennessy]

Couldn't agree more.

[Amy Poehler]

I also. I was just reading. I didn't realize that Baby Girl is a big hit in England as well and in Europe, it's doing very well financially. It did okay in the US But.

[Sean Fennessy]

Europeans are more sexually free and pro age gap relations. I do think that's what I do.

[Amy Poehler]

Think that is a huge factor is it just feels like a very French movie in a lot of ways.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And of course and like a filmmaker's understanding of or a European understanding of America. And totally even like this girl boss. Simplistic girl boss, whatever.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then let's just like add a lot of sex. Yeah. Amen.

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. When you release a movie, the first thing you want to do is make sure people know about it. And even more importantly, you want to make sure that people who like the genre know it's out. Because horror fans are more likely to go see new horror movies. Disney fans will go see new Disney movies. Rom com fans will go see new rom com movies. Targeting the right audience is key when it comes to marketing. If you're selling expensive new kitchen appliances, you probably want to sell to people who actually like to cook, not people who rely on food delivery services for every meal. And that's the tricky part. Making sure your message gets to the right people. You have to use the right tools. If you're in B2B marketing, that means using LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has a network of over 130 million decision makers and the targeting tools to make sure you're connecting with the right ones. You can target your buyers by job title, industry, company role, seniority skills, or company revenue. So you can stop wasting your time and budget on the wrong people. LinkedIn will even give you a hundred dollar credit on your next campaign so you can try it yourself. Just go to LinkedIn.com thebigpicture that's LinkedIn.com thebigpicture Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. Welcome to Nadia Yada island, next on.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Metro's Nadia Yada island podcast. I almost fainted when the four new bombshells arrived. Four free Samsung Galaxy A16. 5G phones at Metro.

[Amy Poehler]

No way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And finding out the fourth line is free. Things got heated. That's wild. Join Metro and get four free Samsung.

[Amy Poehler]

5G phones only at Metro plus tax.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bring four numbers and an ID and sign up for any MetroFlex plan not available currently at T Mobile or been with Metro in the past 180 days.

[Amy Poehler]

This episode is brought to you by Nerds Gummy Clusters. The sweet treat that always elevates the vibe with a sweet gummy surrounded with tangy, crunchy nerds. Every bite of Nerds Gummy Clusters brings you a whole new world of flavor. Whether it's game night, on the way to a concert, or kicking back with your crew, unleash your senses with Nerds Gummy Clusters Busters. Let's pivot to something more childlike. Okay, Paddington in Peru, we are gifted by marmalade sandwiches. By you or by you? By you. Very kind of you.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know that I've ever had just a straight up marmalade sandwich.

[Sean Fennessy]

Me either. I was just trying to be true to this, to the. I looked it up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know if I've ever had marmalade.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, I've definitely had.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Marmalade's great.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's brown bread, specifically whole wheat bread. So that's what I got.

[Amy Poehler]

And that is what Paddington likes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Paddington, of course, is a bear. Yeah, he's a bear from, as you would read in the story, Darkest Peru.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is that a real place? Did you look it up?

[Amy Poehler]

I believe it's just a reference to Peru, but more like in within Peru, there is undiscovered country.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It does feel learn in this film.

[Sean Fennessy]

Lightly racist, but I'm gonna let.

[Amy Poehler]

There is definitely some colonialist vibes to the story, you know, and they're, you know, Paddington is like the lost immigrant is definitely a sub theme in the original story. Yes. Learning to assimilate in the Brown family.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We reread the original story last night.

[Amy Poehler]

And they don't read it like every day.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They don't really get into the.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, but it has like.

[Amy Poehler]

It's like they Found him at the train station and he's orphaned. And, you know, like, it's kind of a classical stand in for a boy from another country, basically.

[Amanda Dobbins]

In the original movie, though, they try to. They draw the parallels to World War II and they're like. They sent the tag and so they, you know, sent kids away and were like, please take care of.

[Sean Fennessy]

So that's not in the book.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Makes me cry. No, that's not in the book.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, that was added.

[Amy Poehler]

The book is very slim.

[Sean Fennessy]

Got it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It actually has a lot of words.

[Amy Poehler]

But I read it all the time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it's like it. It is one of the. When the child requests original Paddington, it's like, are you gonna do the edited version or are you putting away 15 minutes?

[Amy Poehler]

You can't do the edited version anymore because my daughter knows every word to every story.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, Knox says two now.

[Amy Poehler]

I will do tonal shifting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Me too.

[Sean Fennessy]

But no British.

[Amy Poehler]

More excited if it's a female character. A different register.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Excuse me. That's. Wow.

[Sean Fennessy]

Sean is like. I go more shrill.

[Amy Poehler]

I'm not doing this without fire. Yeah. Just more annoying is really what I go for.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, just, like, don't give these YouTubers.

[Amy Poehler]

Does the energy go up? You know, the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, sure. Do I go like that?

[Amy Poehler]

No, I don't do that. Paddington proof.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do actually do that for the dads. The dads talk like this. Yeah. And you'll see size, like. Like eyes light up. I don't know whether, like, he's a budding misogynist or rather, it just gets his attention. We just like gender essentials, love performance.

[Amy Poehler]

And they love Paddington. This is the third Paddington movie. It's directed by Dougal Wilson. The first Paddington movie not directed by Paul King, who really made his name as a filmmaker on the first two Paddington films, I would say, especially Paddington 2, which is one of the most beloved movies of the 21st century.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's one of the best films of all time.

[Amy Poehler]

Many people are saying that. I don't know if I'm quite at that level, but I do like it quite a bit.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's wonderful.

[Amy Poehler]

This movie had a lot to live up to because of the reputation of the first two Paddington films. Paul King still did work on the story before moving on to Wonka, which is a movie that I don't like, but Amanda does okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, you like it?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I cried.

[Sean Fennessy]

Is it not a musical?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It is. It's more musical than even these movies, so you might not like it.

[Amy Poehler]

Hugh Bonneville's back. Julie Walters is back. Jim Broadbent is back. Olivia Colman is here. Antonio Banderas is here. And of course, Ben Whishaw has returned as the voice of Paddington.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

But who's not back that. I was so upset and angry.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I didn't know this. And I sat down.

[Amy Poehler]

I didn't know it either. You didn't know it either.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right. I was like, excuse me. And I also had to, like, go get popcorn for Knox because I took Knox to his second theater experience of all time to see this movie, and I bribed him with popcorn to sit through all of it. So I was like, did I miss. Is this, like, Mrs. Brown's sister? You know, like, what's going on? And they just, like, hard recast Sally Hawkins.

[Sean Fennessy]

As Sean put it, they Aunt Viv'd it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. This is a Fresh Prince of Bel Air situation where one day you turned on the Fresh Prince and Aunt Viv was just played by a completely different actress. And they did kind of acknowledge it.

[Sean Fennessy]

They winked. This was my biggest criticism. How easy would it have been to write a funny little line when Pat is like, this is brown. Did you cut your hair? You look different. That alone might have mollified me, but I was like. I was angry the whole time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know the difference between Sally Hawkins and Emily Mortimer. Two great actors.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, the thing is that Emily Mortimer is great.

[Sean Fennessy]

We love her.

[Amy Poehler]

Kind of weird because you're like, I know who that is. This isn't just a random British lady who kind of looks like Sally Hawkins. Like, they.

[Sean Fennessy]

She doesn't look like Sally Hawkins. Is the other thing she.

[Amy Poehler]

No, she does. So I guess more noticeable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They have dark hair.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, but Jen. Blue eyes. Isn't she.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm with you. I was just kind of like.

[Amy Poehler]

I was a bit strange.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like the one thing that insults the audience is intelligence.

[Amy Poehler]

This is going around, you know, with Harrison Ford replacing William Hurt and Mark Ruffalo replacing Edward norton in Captain America 4 Tinseltown.

[Sean Fennessy]

Intel from the biz about why Sally.

[Amy Poehler]

Hawkins didn't pound in the pavement and knocking on doors. Can't get any word on this. Where is Sally Hawkins and why is she not available? I'm sure somebody out there knows why. Anyhow, this third movie, an adventure film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Paddington headed back to old Peru to find out what's going on with his aunt.

[Amanda Dobbins]

With Aunt Lucy.

[Amy Poehler]

Aunt Lucy. Something's happened to her. She's disappeared. She's contacted him. The whole Brown family needs to go on an adventure. They're stuck in the malaise of middle age for the parents and Adolescence for the kids. Mix it up. Be fearless. Hugh Bonneville, he's. I don't know, he's doing something in the corporate world.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And that's why Hayley Atwood plays his boss.

[Amy Poehler]

She's an American girl boss, kind of a baby girl. Sit.

[Sean Fennessy]

Also for her, no sex.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I totally missed that scene. So at the end when she's just like in the boardroom, I was like, what is going on with my parents?

[Sean Fennessy]

Earlier in the movie, she comes in, she's like, we must embrace risk.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay?

[Sean Fennessy]

That's the big thing.

[Amy Poehler]

Which I would say, plot wise, not coherent, but that's okay. The family decides to go to Peru together. They get into some adventures. Yeah, some shit goes down. I also saw this movie with my kid. She loved it, but was absolutely terrified for about 18 minutes in the third act.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. What part was terrifying for her?

[Amy Poehler]

Just as soon as there was, like, storming and they were on the boat and the boat was getting destroyed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay.

[Amy Poehler]

That was like. She was like, no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She was like, get me out of here. I will say this morning when I asked Nox, Cause you know, we're in a phase of life where you can't, like, ask direct questions and, like, get answers. So after the movie, I was like, if you like it, yeah. And he was like, yeah, sure. So. But this morning I was like, hey, do you remember what movie we saw? He said, paddington in Peru. And he said, there was yellow. There was yellow in the boat. And I was like, oh, do you mean the life jackets? He said, yes, they were yellow in the boat. So I guess that also did stay with him.

[Amy Poehler]

It's really funny. The life jackets also resonated in our home because Alice keeps doing this to represent life jackets, which I thought was pretty creative. What did you think of Paddington in Peru, Yossi?

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, much like Bridget Jones, I will watch 27 more paddingtons of varying levels of being good, and I will enjoy all of them. I had a great time once I got over the Mrs. Brown Ness of it all. I thought it was an anti capitalist, pro immigration tome, which is a cool thing to do, you know, to indoctrinate the children. El Dorado. It's oranges. Yeah, it's not gold, babe.

[Amy Poehler]

I enjoyed that as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was. That was lovely. I love these movies too.

[Sean Fennessy]

I do too. I think Antonio Banderas is also having, to a lesser extent, a Hugh Grant year.

[Amy Poehler]

He is doing great in theater. Very well. Of course, he recurs in Baby Girl.

[Sean Fennessy]

He was one of the better parts for me of Baby Girl.

[Amy Poehler]

There's Something kind of weird in this where he's playing a song. Somewhat similar character in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny where he's also a man with a.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, I had. I had like, literally. That doesn't.

[Amy Poehler]

Kind of odd.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I didn't remember that. So I think also this movie. These movies do like, they're. They love other movies and they do homages and they reference. So I mean, he even does like a little Zorro thing at one point. Right.

[Sean Fennessy]

With the bow, respectfully of Antonio Banderas.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, I mean, he's an actor. I always love the former guest of this show.

[Sean Fennessy]

We love it looks gorgeous.

[Amy Poehler]

And he. He brings an energy that is fun to the movie. But I think actually kind of scared Alice a little bit because the like, multiple versions of Banderas was a little intense.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Pretty.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, it was pretty sinister. Also, I did get upset about his name. What was his name in the movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Cabot. Hugo.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. But it was actually Cabo.

[Sean Fennessy]

Right. This man is Peruvian. His last name is Cabot. It was like Martin Cabot or something.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was like Mr. Hunter. Mr. Something.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

I think there had been like, like maybe a. A Spanish conquistador front in his family, but then also an American prospector. I think they were trying to show that, you know, the immigration throughout the family lineage.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Great boat.

[Sean Fennessy]

Great boat.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, the production design in this.

[Amy Poehler]

It looks good, it's fun, is wonderful.

[Sean Fennessy]

Olivia Colman was phenomenal, I thought. She's so enjoyable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I laughed every single time.

[Amy Poehler]

She plays a nun with some suspicious.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Intention locked in to the frequency of the Paul King movies. It's really, really funny.

[Amy Poehler]

Agreed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also like the. The Sound of Music whole, like, montage song. Like, very funny.

[Sean Fennessy]

So whatever they're doing with however they make that Paddington Bear CGI or whatever, the minute he is lightly upset about something, I start crying. It is just the most moving cg.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I agree.

[Sean Fennessy]

I love it. They. They're knocking it out of the park with my Paddington cgi.

[Amy Poehler]

Where do you. Is this the third best of the Paddington movies? So it's kind of. It's pretty different because of its locale.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, it's. It's not. It doesn't have the whimsy.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Of the. Of the, like, locations of the first two. Because, like, the brown department has all that, like, so wonderful cuteness and whimsy. And London in general is like such a portrait stuff.

[Amy Poehler]

In the second one is like, like more pink and colorful and exciting and some of that comes back. But I mean, this is like we're in the jungle in this movie, you know, it's kind of the Apocalypse now of Paddington movies.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. Heart of Darkness.

[Amy Poehler]

There is a Heart of Darkness quality.

[Sean Fennessy]

Heart of Darkness.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And they're definitely doing like, they also do Raiders at one point, which is very funny.

[Amy Poehler]

Giant.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I, you know, there was a boat and a plane. So in that sense, the three year old I was with was like absolutely out of his mind excited. And then the orange stuff was so nice and friendly. And then they all make marmalade together.

[Sean Fennessy]

I enjoyed that, you know, and the speech, the ending.

[Amanda Dobbins]

My family, I wept.

[Sean Fennessy]

I was literally weeping.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And then they all get to. And then everyone goes to London.

[Amy Poehler]

So I'll tell you a quick story. Yassi and I saw this at the same screening.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

And Yasi met Eileen. Yasi met Alice. She'd not met them before.

[Sean Fennessy]

Best day of my life.

[Amy Poehler]

Eileen was very friendly. Thankfully, Alice a little less friendly. As, you know, first timers, you never know with Eileen.

[Sean Fennessy]

So beautiful. Sean's wife. I was taken aback.

[Amy Poehler]

I used to have it back in the day. Not so much anymore.

[Sean Fennessy]

But I'm holding onto it. No implication there. Just praising your gorgeous wife, Alice.

[Amy Poehler]

You know, a little shy around Yassi. And then we didn't speak of Yassi until two nights ago where we're sitting at the dinner table, me, Eileen and Alice. And she said, dad, I need to make a podcast with Yassi. Talked about Yassi for 30 minutes straight. Said, dad, I need to see pictures of Yossi.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

We need to talk about Paddington.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. And is is pretty obsessed right now.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's awesome.

[Amy Poehler]

So that's really special.

[Sean Fennessy]

Once again, I did cry when he sent me a video of this. And I, you know, I'll say something. I'm very popular with children. Can't explain it. But one thing I've noticed is I have very long hair. And young children associate that with princesses.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

And so often I have a bit of a leg up over other ad.

[Amy Poehler]

And I would say Yassi also has a princess name vibe.

[Sean Fennessy]

Totally. I have a childlike, whimsical energy about myself.

[Amanda Dobbins]

See it as well. I like, I understand the response, but that's very exciting. Alice doesn't just choose anyone.

[Sean Fennessy]

I literally cry. And then the cutest.

[Amy Poehler]

She's a bit picky, to be honest.

[Sean Fennessy]

I mean, I'm gonna put aside how alarmed I am that she is like, I want to make a podcast, because that's what you do.

[Amy Poehler]

This is a whole other thing. This week she was like, I want to be a movie director. Like, I don't even I'm not even, like, telling her. I'm not like. Like, dear Steven Spielberg in 1987. Like, I'm not doing that with her.

[Sean Fennessy]

I wouldn't curse anyone to become a podcaster.

[Amy Poehler]

I think she's just. She's absorbing the general experiences of our lives, and she's thinking that this is just what anyone does, you know?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Knox just likes to use microphones, so anytime he can, like, Scrabble up and get access to my home microphone, he'll sit there and he's like, I podcasting. I do a podcast.

[Sean Fennessy]

Dead. He's gonna be a star. They're both gonna be stars.

[Amy Poehler]

I hope not. Paddington 3 is really. Is a really fun movie, A good family movie, and also good movie if you don't have a family. Honestly. They're just really well made.

[Amanda Dobbins]

They are. They are. Like, I tried to borrow a child.

[Sean Fennessy]

To take with me to the screening, but my little. My little nugget, Leo was unavailable. Leo Woodall. Harrison Dickinson didn't. He was busy that day. He's in the crochet in the closet. And I went with my adult friend, and we had. We had a blast.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a good movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can we closed the loop on Hugh Grant and his year at the movies?

[Amy Poehler]

Yes, of course. That's right. He. He. There's so many.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Knox was intersectional.

[Amy Poehler]

Jim Broadbent in this movie as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Knox was just like. Knox started pointing. It was like, him. Him. Hey, Paddington.

[Amy Poehler]

From Paddington. Knowing Paddington, too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Because, I mean, that's obviously.

[Sean Fennessy]

That was our favorite post credits, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was.

[Amy Poehler]

It was.

[Sean Fennessy]

We might have. I might have missed it if I hadn't come to, like, because, remember, the theater was empty when we saw that happen. I came to hang and talk to Aaron and Alice, and we were just like, chatting, and then all of a sudden, empty theater comes up here. I'm like, I'm so glad I caught this.

[Amy Poehler]

That's something that always happens for us. Because Alice is like, I want to stay for the credits for everything. Like, even if we watch a movie at home somewhere. I'm glad it worked out. And now she knows about Stingers, which is great for her. She can get right into the mcu. Now we can start right off with the Incredible Hulk.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Once again, Hugh Grant, very funny.

[Amy Poehler]

He did great. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

He's an international treasure.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. It's funny. It does feel like. I mean, this is perhaps a segue to our conversation, you know, that there's, like, 87 people making movies together in England, and they're all kind of all doing the same Stuff in different tones, different genres, but then their worlds are all interconnected.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

87 of the best people.

[Amy Poehler]

They're very good at what they do. Obviously, there's a long and storied history of British cinema. We're not talking about that today.

[Sean Fennessy]

No. With Neil and I today, we're not.

[Amy Poehler]

Talking about Noel Coward and David Lean and not talking about all those wonderful people. With Neil and I just announced to join the Criterion Collection this morning.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's just now just in time for.

[Sean Fennessy]

Me to go to the club.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What's wrong with that?

[Amy Poehler]

There was an Arrow release for a long time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No one cares.

[Amy Poehler]

Very good. Arrow British company.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Amy Poehler]

Also announced how to get ahead in advertising, which also stars Richard E. Grant. Another Bruce Robinson movie. Also announced another British filmmaker, one of your favorite filmmakers, the Three Musketeers and the Four Musketeers by Richard Lester, who, of course, directed A Hard Day's Night.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Criterion, just a banner morning, thank you to them. 21st century British movie canon. As I said, films with British stars and or directors filmed in England or in the extended kingdom, detailing British aspects of life from love to crime to war to governance.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you think of that?

[Sean Fennessy]

Are you counting Australia and Canada?

[Amy Poehler]

No, I don't think so.

[Sean Fennessy]

No.

[Amy Poehler]

I think that's a separate part because.

[Sean Fennessy]

You know how I feel about Australia in that sense.

[Amy Poehler]

I mean, Australia and Canada are not parts of the kingdom anymore.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, at one point they.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that the king is still on the money.

[Amy Poehler]

Africa. We're not really. No, no, no, no, no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I think that the king is. Is still on the money.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

In which country?

[Amanda Dobbins]

In Canada.

[Amy Poehler]

And Prince Charles is on the money in Canada.

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, the Queen was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Shout out. Prince Charles cinema, by the way.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. Hopefully they're doing well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Please support them.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Can you still sign the petition?

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, if you can do. If you. Have you been in the uk?

[Sean Fennessy]

To the uk?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No.

[Amy Poehler]

To the Prince Charles?

[Sean Fennessy]

No. But I'd like to.

[Amy Poehler]

It's really cool.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. Honestly, Paul the programmer is the best in the business.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes. It's a great place and I hope.

[Sean Fennessy]

More people are patronizing not to get the sub mad at you, but Ireland is not part of, as you know, only Northern Ireland.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't think I included any Irish films here.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't think the one that you just talked about in the musical.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, Sing Street Knock.

[Sean Fennessy]

What did we just say it was nominated for? Best Picture.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, Kneecap, Kneecap, Kneecap. It is. It is cited as best British film.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

At the baftas.

[Sean Fennessy]

I got yelled at a lot on my side sub for this, so I'm just not hyper aware to be respectful.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a thorny issue that has provoked significant strife over the years.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Kneecap is. Is Belfast right?

[Amy Poehler]

It is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which is. So that's. It's. It's. It's very complicated. I recommend the. The TV show say Nothing.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes, Wonderful TV show Shout Out. Brad.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, so I've broken this into a handful of categories. You've added some categories as well, hopefully. Thank you. This is all gender essentialist, generational, and.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Frankly, is this like 45 of my favorite movies overstated, but we will be.

[Amy Poehler]

Naming a lot of good movies. The categories are for the Lads, for the Lasses, for the normies, for the cinephiles, and for Gen Z. Gen Z, Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I mean, Gen Zed.

[Amy Poehler]

I think Gen Zed. It was very easy for me to make the list for the Lass. This was one of the easiest jobs I've ever had on this podcast. Every movie I name is a movie that I care about deeply.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that you've care. You've claimed a couple that go beyond the lads.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

24 Hour Party People is not a. For the lads.

[Amy Poehler]

What is it for? Who's it for?

[Sean Fennessy]

Music loving people.

[Amy Poehler]

But that's not one of the categories.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Tinker Taylor. Yeah, is. Is broader for.

[Amy Poehler]

Tinker Taylor is a film that. It's barely features a single woman.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's. But it's also for dads.

[Amy Poehler]

And it's for the dads.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, for the dads.

[Amy Poehler]

Lad dads.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, dad.

[Amy Poehler]

Lads. Lads.

[Amanda Dobbins]

In the Loop is for anyone who likes to laugh.

[Amy Poehler]

Everyone can come into the lad tent. Come join us in the lad tent where we also have the film Snatch. Of course, we love Guy Ritchie here in America. In Britain, the Cornetto trilogy. We love the Edgar Wright movies, especially that. That trio Layer Cake, which Chris would take a bullet for Sienna Miller in that film. Fabulous movie in Bruges, which is from an Irish British filmmaker, Martin McDonough. He kind of straddles the line. Okay, Sexy Beast. Really any Jonathan Glazer movie. But some of them are for the cinephiles and some of them are for the lads.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, but isn't.

[Sean Fennessy]

Get yourself in some hot water with these distinctions.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I was gonna say also, like, isn't. What's the Nicole Kidman one? Birth.

[Amy Poehler]

Sex. Birth.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah. Birth is like a New York.

[Amy Poehler]

It is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So I mean, I understand it's distinctly.

[Amy Poehler]

British sensibility, I would say.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure. But like, it's Danny Houston being an.

[Amy Poehler]

American with a British accent has always been confusing.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I think like. I think Birth is like the most underrated of the. Maybe the best of the Jonathan Glaser films, but it's not on this canon.

[Amy Poehler]

In this canon kill list. The Ben Wheatley movie in the Loop. You mentioned Attack the Block. Yeah, Sunshine. That's the Danny Boyle movie that the lads like. And Four Lions. Chris Morris is incredible comedy for the lasses. I took a shot at a couple and then you've added some more. Do you guys want to talk through these? Do you think that there should be. I think you could do more, honestly, on this list.

[Sean Fennessy]

You could do more for weddings.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, it's 94, so this is. I mean, that's the thing.

[Amy Poehler]

These are all movies in the last 25 years.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, I'm a love actually truther. Just so you guys know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And like, like, I love it.

[Amy Poehler]

And the truth is that it's fucking terrible and should be abolished from society.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, here's the thing. It's powerful and I like to watch it every time.

[Sean Fennessy]

I don't know if we can be friends anymore.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like.

[Amy Poehler]

I'll tell.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, it is. It's deeply problematic and.

[Sean Fennessy]

God, not. Bechdel Test. Leave me alone. Let me just enjoy it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bechdel Test. It's just like. It's just like how many different secretaries can we have affairs with? You know what I'm saying?

[Sean Fennessy]

Listen, if the shoe fits, babe.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, it's true. This how they be Emma Thompson like all time in that movie. Really, really beautiful. Listen, we talked about this and you know, like in many ways you can't have Landman without love, actually, so. Because the Billy Bob Thornton character is just sort of. That's what happens next. It's like George W. Then and George.

[Amy Poehler]

W. I hadn't really put that together, which makes a lot of sense.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so love, actually. Obviously. Atonement. Where are you on Atonement?

[Sean Fennessy]

I could only watch it the one time because it's devastating, but I did really like it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Had you read the book? Did you know it was coming?

[Sean Fennessy]

I didn't read the book.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, so how did that twist work for you?

[Sean Fennessy]

It was very painful.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'll never forget. The book is one of the great novels of our lifetimes. But like it's like buried in the last paragraph and I read it and then like 30 minutes later just like started weeping uncontrollably in my parents home. I'll never forget it. Okay, Atonement. Wuthering Heights.

[Sean Fennessy]

Love.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Love. Actually, Joe Wright. Pride and Prejudice of About a Boy. Yes. It's the Hugh Grant of it all. Bridget Jones diary. The original 2001. The holiday, which for the record, I do not endorse, but it's undeniable.

[Amy Poehler]

What do you think of the Holiday?

[Sean Fennessy]

It's. I'm not. It's fine.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's. Yeah, it's not very good.

[Sean Fennessy]

The Misuse of Kate Wesley.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And everything.

[Amy Poehler]

Like the three movies before and the two movies after. Nancy Myers. Great. Love it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But the Holiday is sort of like the cults. Yeah. I mean it is the Christmas aspect of it. People love it. Whatever. It's no hot, frosty young Victoria.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I like this movie too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's a really good.

[Sean Fennessy]

I have not seen that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Emily Blunt. Rupert Friend. Sort of. It's like. Yeah, free crown, but like crown esque.

[Amy Poehler]

I saw this on a plane one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Time and I was like the edges sanded off. It's kind of like a romance. It's pretty nice. Paul Bettany plays Lord Marlborough, I think. Prime Minister. Yeah, It's a good movie. Okay. The Normies.

[Amy Poehler]

So these are the movies that break through. They're usually box office successes. They sometimes get awards, attention. They feel distinctly British, I think is the thing they're almost about say the tropes of British life. Dashing spies, the class system, the King.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The Queen, the Empire.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The disintegration of empire.

[Sean Fennessy]

Their spies are better than ours.

[Amy Poehler]

I think they're considered cooler for one obvious reason. Because you know Casino Royale and Skyfall.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Are you had Casino Royale? I as always am the Skyfall stand. But it also.

[Amy Poehler]

They're both great. I think Casino Royale is more this. No, but like because it was the first one.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But Skyfall is like about the empire. It is. And mommy issues and it has the, you know the shot of like all of the coffins and him like running through London like while they're doing Tennyson. Like it's about.

[Amy Poehler]

What you're talking about are high minded ideas.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

You could make the case that Skyfall is for the cinephiles and the Casino Royale is for the normies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, that's fine. It's on the list.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Skyfall is a incredible 1970.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It also has. Javier Bardemi was very bad.

[Amy Poehler]

1917 Paddington 2. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay. Do you guys know a little piece of trivia how beloved Paddington is in the UK that apparently when the Queen was ill she did a little video. Do you remember this was she had jubilee of her jubilee and she did had tea and marmalade sandwich With Paddington. And there was like, public outcry, people being like, Paddington. No, we. She is anti. You're an immigrant. Paddington. How dare you sit and take tea with the queen.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Which I love that.

[Sean Fennessy]

That people were really upset about Paddington.

[Amy Poehler]

That's interesting.

[Sean Fennessy]

Aligning with the monarchy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like they're like, Knox is fully Paddington pilled. But in large part because loved ones have gone to the uk, including, like, Chris Ryan, and they're just like the only souvenirs to buy.

[Sean Fennessy]

There's a whole Paddington store. I've. I've.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. No, I mean, but it's just like. It's like everywh. Fully.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do we have one of those? You could say Mickey Mouse, but Mickey Mouse has no like, like, ethical and moral compass that I'm aware of. You know, like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, just like America. You know.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's what I'm saying. Maybe Winnie the Pooh, but that's fallen on hard times.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So. Isn't Winnie the Pooh British?

[Sean Fennessy]

Probably.

[Amy Poehler]

I tend to think the Muppets occupy this space and like the Sesame Street Muppets.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's a Sesame Street.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Muppets.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's okay.

[Amy Poehler]

And.

[Sean Fennessy]

And yeah, Grover is giving us some life lessons.

[Amy Poehler]

Big Bird and Kermit are kind of like the moral center of those two properties.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. But they're like not as big as Paddington internationally.

[Sean Fennessy]

No way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Elmo is probably.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Big Bird is not what he once was. I just saw follow that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Almost just like a dumb kid. You know, he doesn't bring anything to.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The K. Is like trying to like. Is pushing Paddington like Big Sesame is pushing Elmo. It's like Elmo is like doing Spawn Con with Roger Federer right now, which on the one hand, target audience. On the other hand. What are we doing?

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I think the thing that Elmo does that is nice is that he preaches a kind of sincerity that I think the world could use to do.

[Sean Fennessy]

Which is what Paddington does. Paddington does this in a less annoying way.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I love Paddington. I love Elmo. I love Roger Federer. Like, why are we advertising for on.

[Sean Fennessy]

Running Grover would never be is all I'm saying. Elmo.

[Amy Poehler]

It's a good question about what are the equivalents we don't really have. Like, quite the same thing.

[Sean Fennessy]

Sorry to bring it back to Paddington. We can continue to the canon Slumdog Millionaire.

[Amy Poehler]

Bit of a thinker here. Obviously not a film set in England, made by a distinctly English filmmaker. A huge hit, kind of sort of empire bound because of the history of India and England. I wasn't sure of whether it should Go in. It's a tougher call than something like Darkest Hour, which is about Churchill and you know about that. The country during World War II. Same for the King's Speech and the Queen. These are very standard, entertaining, sometimes better than average movies about the space.

[Sean Fennessy]

Didn't say the King's.

[Amy Poehler]

King's Speech, you know, has a dreadful reputation now because it beat the Social Network at the Oscars, but it's not bad.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Like a Harvey Weinstein, while he did leave some stage.

[Amy Poehler]

Did you like it when it came out?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, sure.

[Sean Fennessy]

Who is the star? Colin Firth.

[Amy Poehler]

Colin Firth, we love him. And Guy Pierce, wonderful Guy Pierce.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh right. He plays.

[Amy Poehler]

Is the brother who can't step up. What's that guy's name?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Uncle David is what they call him. What? Edward something? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Dick went off and married him.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Helena Bonham Carter plays.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh yeah, I love him. Yeah, great story in the Crown too.

[Amy Poehler]

What an asshole, that story for the cinephiles. There's been a lot of really good British films last 25 years. So ones that popped into my mind. You guys added some to the souvenir and part two, I suppose. Weekend Andrew Hayes movie. I've got two weekend Andrew Hay movies here. 45 years this year. I guess all of us strangers should be considered.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was going to say. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Fish Tank.

[Sean Fennessy]

Love Fish Tank.

[Amy Poehler]

One of my faves, I think Andrea Arnold's great movie Hunger. Steve McQueen's first film. Happy Go Lucky was my Mike Lee.

[Sean Fennessy]

Pick and it's one of my favorite Mike Lee movies. Maybe like top three.

[Amy Poehler]

It's. It's a favorite of mine as well. And I feel like it's the most British until hard truths you know about life. And obviously a lot of his movies in 80s and 90s and 70s even are about that. That one in particular is not like a period piece. Morvern caller.

[Sean Fennessy]

I love Reverend Keller.

[Amy Poehler]

Bloody Sunday. Paul Greengrass's first movie, the Deep Blue Sea. The late Terrence Davies. I don't know if it's his most. Maybe not his most recent movie, but the movie before that with Rachel Weisz, you added Dunkirk, which I think is a great call. Now Dunkirk to me occupies basically all of these categories.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Of course, this is a rare Tic Tac toe. It's definitely Lad dad.

[Amy Poehler]

Something for the lastes with Hardy at the end. The normies of course, love dung.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Gen Z loves Dunkirk.

[Sean Fennessy]

Gen Zed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, that's right. Gen Zed.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. An education is an education for cinephiles or for the last.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know what Ple Excuse me.

[Amy Poehler]

Excuse me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's really well made that.

[Amy Poehler]

My wife loves this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is a huge favorite. So why does it just have to be for girls?

[Sean Fennessy]

Women enjoy all cinema because we are so superior.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Because it's about women not bear to watch anything that doesn't have a war.

[Sean Fennessy]

Or a spy in it.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah. Great.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There you go.

[Amy Poehler]

Good for you guys.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also featuring Emma Thompson. I mean, that this is like, another subset is like, does the movie have Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Tom Hardy, Peter.

[Amy Poehler]

Sarsgaard pulling a. Renee Zellweger in that movie. Very incredible British guy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Keira Knightley.

[Amy Poehler]

Kira Knightley. She's in the hall of fame of these movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

And then Phantom Thread, you know? Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

I say it is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It is.

[Amy Poehler]

It's pta. But it is one of my faves of all time for Gen Z. I'm glad you added this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Just because I, like, I don't need the children yelling at me about what a girl wants. I know it's, like, very important to.

[Amy Poehler]

Them what a girl wants.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So Colin Firth is another person of, like, if Colin Firth is in the movie.

[Amy Poehler]

So what a girl wants in my head is a Christina Aguilera song, and.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It is an incredible song, and I think it, like, what a girl wants, the Aguilera song is tied to. So it's an Amanda Bynes film where Amanda Bynes finds out. Oh, yes, yes, yes. That her dad is Colin Firth. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So then she, like, goes to London.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's actually a great movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Princess Sofia vibes there. Sophia, the first princess.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sophia becomes a princess because her mom marries the king. Okay. Like, it's not.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't acknowledge that part of it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's like a, you know, a combined. A joined family situation.

[Amy Poehler]

Have you seen Sofia the First?

[Sean Fennessy]

No.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I watched it with Alice, and then I was not a fan, and I mean, it was total garbage. I love watching Alice. It's like a computer CGI animated show.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And Sophia finds out that. So Sophia was not born a princess, but then she becomes a princess. And the episode that we watched was about Mother's Day and how Sophia used to celebrate it with just her mom, but now she has to celebrate it with her stepchildren, with her stepbrother and sister as well, who are the reason that she's a princess. But anyway, so I came into Sophia cold, and so I was asking Alice a lot of questions about kind of like, family structure, and Alice wasn't really willing to engage with me during the.

[Amy Poehler]

She was kind of locked in the show, it's a little hard to talk. She was kind of like me.

[Sean Fennessy]

She was like, can you not talk? No. She didn't even see Amanda.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And so then I start yelling to Sean. I'm like, so, Sean, is this a stepdad situation?

[Amy Poehler]

And the whole time I was just like, well, Amanda, shut the fuck.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No. And no. Sean's just like on his computer being like, no. I am like, emailing about, you know, episodes in 2028. It's really amazing what you can do with an hour of free time. I've been meaning to say that to you. It's just like, very productive. I know, but it's like the light.

[Sean Fennessy]

Goes off at what cost?

[Amy Poehler]

We're gonna find out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I just. I hear from you and then I know what's gonna be happening for the next three to five years.

[Amy Poehler]

Yep. I know how to plan. What else is in Gen Z. Ben Delay, Beckham.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Speaking of Keira Knightley.

[Amy Poehler]

Never seen.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's very nice.

[Amy Poehler]

Not for any reason. I just never saw it. I was in college when it came out.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, you should also show it to Alice. Eileen and Alice should watch it. Yeah, great.

[Sean Fennessy]

It's a good one.

[Amy Poehler]

Let them know I believe it. Parmander Nagra. Is that the star?

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Harry Potter movies.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, this is a good point.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

This is kind of for normies too, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

They've been tinged a bit with a Weinstein esque scandal, but movie's innocent, though.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Fabulous movies.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, I like them too.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I didn't add Sing street, so Sing Street.

[Amy Poehler]

Irish. So maybe not Sing Street. Any other. Any other movies that we haven't listed here spring to mind? I'm sure there's a great many that people are like, how could you not have named?

[Amanda Dobbins]

So everyone, just to be clear, we're doing 21st century only, so like a lot of Hugh Grant movies, like the Parent Trap for all my Gen Z kids, which was also. That's a bridge between my generation and your generation, but that's 98, so.

[Amy Poehler]

What about Philomena?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Keep it to yourself. Oh, sure, yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

That's a good one, right? Or the Trip movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Judi Dench is another one where. If Judi Dench is in your movie.

[Amy Poehler]

Then yes, Judi Dench is there. If Steve Coogan is there, in many ways there's some angle file. Yeah. Honestly, if Stephen Frears directed it, more than likely it's a part of this family.

[Sean Fennessy]

I noticed you didn't include Batterman.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, yeah. Mamma Mia. Yeah, not a film I've seen.

[Sean Fennessy]

I actually haven't seen Mamma Mia. There.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, we talked about this last time. Okay. So it's like the biggest ever British movie, but I guess it's filmed in Greece and she half American cast. Right. But the other half of them are British. I guess it doesn't count.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's more international In Mamma Mia 2, I think, like Donna was in London. I wish someone here could work with me on this, you know, maybe I'll just show Mamma Mia to Alice and she'll love it. And then you have to watch the whole universe for it's all in play.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay, it's all in play. Honestly, I encourage her to have well rounded ideas. I don't want her to just be a vessel for my taste.

[Sean Fennessy]

I thought of something by doing a Google. Okay. Shaun of the Dead.

[Amy Poehler]

I said the Cornetto trilogy.

[Sean Fennessy]

Okay, Sorry, my bad. Yes.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay. Shaun of the Dead.

[Sean Fennessy]

It was showing my lack of cinephile knowledge.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You were being a little bit of a letterbox nerd just then.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'll be honest, I didn't know. I didn't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What's happening.

[Amy Poehler]

Huge Edgar Wright fan. Very excited for the run.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, aren't they all? Do you think Harris Dickinson uses letterbox?

[Amy Poehler]

I would be surprised if he doesn't based on that level of correspondence at a time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But he doesn't really seem like a, A, A phone guy, you know, so.

[Amy Poehler]

She said aspirationally.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, I know.

[Amy Poehler]

She said longing picture.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't really look at that. You know, it's really powerful, I think. I mean, it's just like he's like reached a level where he like, doesn't have to be on his phone, like, like the rest of us.

[Amy Poehler]

I think his accent is camouflaging. An unfortunate truth for you, which is that he's more similar to me than he is to you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But like, like. Yes, but there are some material differences. I'm sorry, Aspirational for you.

[Sean Fennessy]

I'm gonna be.

[Amy Poehler]

I don't know. He was in his bag. Yeah, he was like, oh, of course. World Cinema Project, Volume two. Thank you, Martin Scorsese. That was really.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But like, this is what I'm saying. Like, I know you think that's good for you, but like, I don't know if it's good for you.

[Amy Poehler]

You think he's gonna. He's market correcting me.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm just sort of. I'm just sort of like, if that's available, then like, we don't have to accept this. Do you know what.

[Sean Fennessy]

Best version of what you could be.

[Amy Poehler]

It's one of those things where should I invite him on the show or should he never be allowed on the show?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really?

[Sean Fennessy]

If you invite him on the show, unfortunately, I will have to be under the table.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I. I literally, I. I can't be anywhere near it. You know, like, that's.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, he's a handsome guy. You know, I was also kind of thrown. He also had a side part, and I was like, side part too. Like, you're really. Yeah, you're in all my spaces right now, which is much better. It's tough. He's very tall.

[Sean Fennessy]

Did I ever tell you about the bizarre interaction I had with Jason? Stay the.

[Amy Poehler]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Well, this is a great way to finish British.

[Sean Fennessy]

In one of my many lives, I was in St. Bart for the holiday season and visiting a.

[Amy Poehler]

Was St. Bart a British isle? At a certain point?

[Sean Fennessy]

I think French.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I thought it was French.

[Sean Fennessy]

I think French. Yeah. And there, you know, all the rich people go and they have their yachts and what they do is they host celebrities on their yachts. That's kind of like their.

[Amy Poehler]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessy]

Fun little game.

[Amy Poehler]

You get all the paparazzi opportunity.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

And then you go to parties on yachts via small boats. So we'd gone to a party on one yacht.

[Amy Poehler]

This was witnessed most recently in a season of industry.

[Sean Fennessy]

Oh, okay. So they got in on the truth of the matter. So we're at this one party. I'm like 27 or 28 at this point. The Pussycat Dolls perform stuff on this yacht.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow. Who's your favorite Pussycat doll?

[Sean Fennessy]

Well, I only know the one.

[Amy Poehler]

Scherzinger.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yeah, Scherzinger.

[Amy Poehler]

She currently on Broadway in sunse. The world is so strange.

[Sean Fennessy]

Nicholas Hexum. And amber is the color of your energy, I believe is about her. That's right.

[Amy Poehler]

That's right.

[Sean Fennessy]

Yes. So they're performing. Martha Stewart is dancing over here. Anthony Kiedis. I'm losing my whole mind being like, why am I here?

[Amy Poehler]

Why were you there?

[Sean Fennessy]

My college roommate is a billionaire.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Sean Fennessy]

So me and my cousin are together. We all live together in college. And so now it's time to go to another party. So we are getting on the mini boat and, you know, I think I had my makeup like this. I always wear makeup like this. I get on and I'm separated from my cousin. I'm sitting next to Brian Grazer and his wife. I don't know them. They're just sitting next to me. And then Jason Statham and Rosie Huntington Whiteley get on the boat and he looks at Me. And he goes, wow, you were phenomenal in there. Implying that perhaps he had mistaken me for a Pussycat doll. Now, everyone on this little boat looks at me, and we're talking. Brian Grazer, we are talking. Lawrence Bender, we are talking, you know, And I'm horrified, mortified. And then I go. And then. Because then. Then he realizes I was not a Pussycat doll. And he goes, oh, no, no, sorry, that wasn't you. My bad. And then everyone's still looking at me. And I go, I was amazing in there. I'm amazing all the time. And you. You are mistaken. And then everyone claps. They start clapping. And then I was like, I don't understand what just happened.

[Amy Poehler]

Wow.

[Sean Fennessy]

So that was my.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then how much longer are you.

[Sean Fennessy]

On the small box exactly? A long enough time that it's awkward.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Yeah. Like, incredible.

[Sean Fennessy]

Seven to ten more minutes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Hats off to you. That's really good.

[Amy Poehler]

And no one was like, did you do it in a British accent, assassinated, or.

[Sean Fennessy]

No, I should have.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really? Yeah. I sort of, like, I had to.

[Sean Fennessy]

Think on my feet to avoid further evasion. Thank you.

[Amy Poehler]

Are there any Jason Statham films that belong in this conversation? He's frequently playing an American guy with a very clearly bad American and covering up a British accent. I mean, obviously, he's in Snatch.

[Sean Fennessy]

Do you guys watch Snatch with the subtitles? Because I. Do. I have to. Or are you able at this point to determine exactly what they're saying?

[Amy Poehler]

Doug. Doug's okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I don't totally understand everything, but that doesn't really matter. You know, I just kind of let it wash over me. Yeah. Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

Any closing thoughts here? Do you feel we did great work?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Should we try the marmalade sandwiches?

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah, let's. Let's try one.

[Sean Fennessy]

Pass them around.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Amy Poehler]

People love to listen to people eat.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, there's a review.

[Sean Fennessy]

There's a whole cottage industry.

[Amy Poehler]

Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay. Thank you so much.

[Amy Poehler]

I do love whole wheat bread.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's Pat. I looked it up, and that's the bread that Paddington uses, or Aunt Lucy used.

[Amy Poehler]

Oh, yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, this is great.

[Amy Poehler]

So, marmalade first time?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think so. I mean, it's just orange jam.

[Amy Poehler]

What did you think about the machine that they built? Built instantaneously at the end of Paddington and Peru to create jam.

[Sean Fennessy]

Why did they have sugar?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think that.

[Sean Fennessy]

Where did it even come from? Jars.

[Amy Poehler]

Really? Good question. This is good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You know, I thought that the son needs to get his inventions out in the world, you know? So as a. As a boy, mom, I found that inspiring. It's how to bring your son's, you know, gifts to the, to the broader world. Get them away from the video screen.

[Sean Fennessy]

Tiny extra criticism.

[Amy Poehler]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessy]

They showed a close up of the daughter's hand. At one point she had hand tattoos and I was like, she's supposed to be 17 and not yet at college. Who let her get hand tattoos? And I think perhaps the actress is older and has them and they forgotten to put makeup on them.

[Amy Poehler]

So should I not have let Alice get hand tattoos? Is that what you're saying?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm going to take her so back when the mom.

[Sean Fennessy]

That's the kind of aunt I am.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Venice beach.

[Sean Fennessy]

We're going the minute she turns 10.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sounds great.

[Amy Poehler]

Please don't do that.

[Sean Fennessy]

She's getting a belly button piercing. Okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

My verdict is this is good.

[Amy Poehler]

Same. Yasi, thank you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Thank you, Yasi.

[Amy Poehler]

Great job.

[Sean Fennessy]

Thank you for having me.

[Amy Poehler]

You brought really brought the Anglo spirit. Three Americans here talking.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm, I'm willing to go back to the UK anytime. We were talking about this last week, just, you know, wherever you need me to come and talk to people.

[Sean Fennessy]

A big pick bands plane crossover live event for the end of the British season of Man's Plane, which we then make into a film festival.

[Amy Poehler]

When is that? Isn't that season ending fairly soon?

[Sean Fennessy]

In June.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's a lovely time to go to.

[Sean Fennessy]

The UK Maybe once you're done golfing.

[Amy Poehler]

Well, I'll never be done golfing, as you know. Thanks, Yossi. Thanks, Jack Sanders. Thanks to our producer Bobby Wagner for his work on today's episode. Later this week, we're drafting best picture winners here on the Big Picture. We'll see you then.