The Big Picture — "The 25 Best Movies of the Century: No. 10 – Marie Antoinette"

Hosts: Sean Fennessey (A) & Amanda Dobbins (B)
Release Date: October 1, 2025
Episode Focus: In this installment of the "25 for 25" countdown, Sean and Amanda dive deep into Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, breaking down its significance, style, and place in Coppola’s filmography, while reflecting on its cultural influence and critical reception.

Episode Overview

This episode explores Marie Antoinette’s placement at #10 on The Big Picture’s list of the 25 best movies of the 21st century. The conversation celebrates Sofia Coppola's vision, the film's unapologetically feminine perspective, and its lasting impact on both cinema and pop culture. Amanda, whose passion for the film drives much of the discussion, explains why Marie Antoinette deserves recognition over other Coppola favorites like Lost in Translation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Why Marie Antoinette? (00:12 – 01:12)

• The hosts address the surprise at choosing Marie Antoinette over Lost in Translation, with Amanda emphasizing its singularity:
  • “There is the best movie, my favorite movie, and the movie that only I could make. And this is the movie that only Sofia Coppola can make… the complete Sofia Coppola cinematic universe package.” (B, 02:23)
• Amanda shares how her husband disagreed with the pick, echoing listener reactions, but stresses the personal nature of the selection.

The Uniqueness and Vision of Sofia Coppola (02:21 – 04:31)

• Coppola’s use of her Lost in Translation success (i.e., a “blank check” from Hollywood) to make an offbeat, unconventional costume drama at Versailles—with unprecedented resources and creative freedom.
• The film’s “all-in” visual and musical style is discussed as its defining feature.
  • “It’s such an aural and visual overload. It’s just such an incredibly realized execution of her idea…” (A, 04:31)

Feminine Worldbuilding & Female Gaze (05:44 – 09:17)

• Amanda elaborates on Coppola’s focus on “girl world,” where women drive the narrative and shape the protagonist’s journey:
  • “Everything that Marie Antoinette, as played by Kirsten Dunst, is experiencing is like, dictated by women.” (B, 07:04)
• Commentary on how, unlike Coppola’s other films, male influence recedes into the background.
• The film is described as “enclosed and awesome”—an unapologetically feminine space full of flowers, fashion, and emotion.

The Language of Style: Fashion, Music, and Visuals (09:34 – 10:45)

• Amanda highlights the film’s fashion and art-world influences, referencing Coppola’s visual taste and connections to Marc Jacobs and the world of fashion photography.
• The color palette was inspired by a Marc Jacobs show modeled after Ladurée macarons.

Historical Fudging & Thematic Purpose (10:53 – 14:31)

• Both hosts discuss Coppola's reimagining of history, opting for emotional authenticity over strict factual accuracy.
• The film focuses on Marie Antoinette’s subjectivity and innocence rather than her infamous downfall.
  • “Not showing the beheading is obviously very intentional.” (A, 13:26)

Subverting Costume Drama Conventions (14:40 – 16:17)

• The film contrasts with classic British costume dramas by injecting youthful energy and a contemporary score (rock and new wave music like The Strokes and Bow Wow Wow).
• "This movie feels like it's plugged into something and that's hard to accomplish in costumes." (A, 15:48)

Soundtrack and Coolness (16:18 – 18:16)

• The choices behind the post-punk and indie soundtrack are dissected and celebrated for their personal connection to Coppola and Amanda.
  • "To me, the music in this movie always felt like this fine-grained combination of here’s why I'm cool and here's why I'm sincere." (A, 16:50)
• Musical cues express Coppola’s identity and add layers of mood and meaning.

Coppola’s Late Style & Recurring Themes (18:16 – 20:03)

• Discussion about how Marie Antoinette connects thematically to later films like Priscilla, with both exploring the sensation of “a young woman in a gilded cage with perfect taste.”
• Comparison to Paul Schrader: “Every Paul Schrader movie’s kind of the same movie… if you see 10, you're like, well, I'm so happy to be back inside this person's head. And this movie is a very, very elevated example of being inside of Sophia's head.” (A, 19:26)

The Creative Team & Performances (20:51 – 27:24)

• Cinematographer: Lance Acord—details on his collaborations with Coppola and Spike Jonze.
• Costumes: Milena Canonero (four-time Oscar winner, here and for Kubrick).
• Wardrobe scale: "60 people on the wardrobe crew, seven transport drivers, ten rental houses near Versailles..." (B, 22:31)
• Flowers: Thierry Boutemy.
• Cast/Notable Performances: Kirsten Dunst, Jamie Dornan (early role), Tom Hardy, Rose Byrne, Judy Davis, Rip Torn, Marianne Faithfull, Steve Coogan, Danny Huston.
• Kirsten Dunst’s performance is celebrated for vulnerability, depth, and comedic moments:
  • “Her face can communicate so much. And this is a film… maybe the ultimate reaction shot film because it just cuts to people either in the crowd or Kirsten Dunst just being like…” (B, 25:52)
• Not faking a French or British accent: seen as an intentional, modernizing artistic choice.

Divided Critical Reception & Context (27:24 – 33:13)

• Critics were split: Roger Ebert loved it (“a brilliant act of realization”), while others saw it as “a silly, soft defense of Marie Antoinette.”
• Parallels are drawn between Coppola and Marie Antoinette’s own experiences as misunderstood or maligned women.

Influences & Cultural Connections (29:00 – 31:24)

• Film influences cited by Coppola: Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, Terrence Malick, Milos Forman, Ken Russell’s Lisztomania.
• The soundtrack and cross-pollination with band Phoenix (and frontman Thomas Mars, Coppola's partner).
• Marie Antoinette was influential in fashion and pop culture, ushering in a pastel aesthetic.

Awards, Premiere, and Reception (31:45 – 33:06)

• Won Academy Award for Costume Design (Canonero).
• Premiered at Cannes to a "mixed" reception—rumors of boos, but also ovations.
• Seen as a bold, divisive, and boundary-pushing entry in Coppola's career.

Legacy, Personal Rankings, and Recommendations (34:05 – 35:15)

• Amanda and Sean agree Marie Antoinette, Virgin Suicides, and Lost in Translation are Coppola's top tier, with Somewhere and Priscilla just below.
• “This is the movie that kind of gets to the absolute core of you.” (A, 34:14)
• Standout “if you like” recommendations: Barry Lyndon, Clueless, The Favourite, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Bring it On (another “girl world” Kirsten Dunst film).

On Rankings and List Placement (38:10 – 39:03)

• Amanda expresses some anxiety about the film’s #10 ranking, calling it “my big movie” and noting the importance of placing buzzworthy films at list edges.
  • “If anyone did a top 10, this is good list-making that Marie Antoinette is number 10.” (B, 38:39)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “This is the movie that only Sofia Coppola can make.” (B, 02:23)
• “[T]he judging is communicated through a camera angle... She sees all. And this is like, a pretty vicious movie about everyone involved.” (B, 11:53)
• “Not showing the beheading is obviously very intentional. It is very purposeful that what we don't need to do is to show a woman being butchered in the face of this revolution.” (A, 13:26)
• “There is something special about... look at all these flowers. I really do like flowers that much. I want to see this many flowers.” (B, 09:17)
• “It's plugged into something... and that's hard to accomplish in costumes.” (A, 15:48)
• “To me, the music in this movie always felt like this fine-grained combination of here’s why I'm cool and here's why I'm sincere... that's kind of the Sofia Coppola project, right?” (A, 16:50)
• "Her face can communicate so much... It's maybe the ultimate reaction shot film..." (B, 25:52)
• “People, I think, are receiving... Marie Antoinette, the movie from Sofia Coppola, as they received Marie Antoinette, you know, at the time.” (B, 28:51)
• “Every Paul Schrader movie’s kind of the same movie... if you see 10, you're like... I'm so happy to be back inside this person's head. And this movie is a very, very elevated example of being inside of Sophia's head.” (A, 19:26)
• “If anyone did a top 10, this is good list-making that Marie Antoinette is number 10.” (B, 38:39)

Key Timestamps

• 00:12–01:12 | Surprise over picking Marie Antoinette over Lost in Translation
• 02:23 | “Movie only Sofia Coppola can make”
• 04:31–05:44 | Budget, scale, and artistic achievement
• 07:04 | Women as drivers of narrative and power
• 09:34–10:45 | Inspirations from fashion and Marc Jacobs
• 13:26 | On omitting the beheading scene
• 16:50 | The “sincerity vs. coolness” of the soundtrack
• 19:26 | Comparison to Paul Schrader’s auteur consistency
• 22:31 | Monumental costuming operation (“This is your Michael Bay movie…”)
• 25:52 | Kirsten Dunst’s performance and the power of reaction shots
• 27:24–28:51 | Split critical reactions; personal and public readings
• 29:00–31:24 | Cited influences: Barry Lyndon, Malick, Lisztomania, Phoenix
• 31:45–32:32 | Cannes debut and reception, rumors of booing
• 34:05–35:15 | Where Marie Antoinette stands in Coppola’s canon
• 38:39 | List-making philosophy and placement justification

Final Thoughts

The hosts celebrate Marie Antoinette as a "deeply Sofia Coppola" experience—part visual feast, part emotional memoir, part historical confection. They champion its idiosyncrasies and singularity within the current cinematic landscape, ultimately justifying its placement (and Amanda’s personal affection for it) as a landmark film of the century.
If you love lush production, sly wit, anthemic soundtracks, and “girl world” narratives, this is an essential entry in the conversation about modern movies.

Suggested “If You Like” Watchlist

• Barry Lyndon
• Clueless
• The Favourite
• Portrait of a Lady on Fire
• Bring It On

Next up: #9 on the list—coming soon!