The Rewatchables - “Crazy, Stupid, Love” with Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, and Mina Kimes

Episode Date: February 24, 2026
Host(s): Bill Simmons, with Van Lathan and Mina Kimes
Film Discussed: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011)

Episode Overview

This episode brings together Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Mina Kimes, and producer Craig for a deep-dive into the highly rewatchable 2011 romantic comedy "Crazy, Stupid, Love," starring Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, and Emma Stone. The panel explores the film’s enduring appeal, star performances, script ingenuity, and the evolution of rom-coms. The conversation traverses everything from ensemble storytelling and rom-com tropes to career trajectories, generational icons, and the shifting culture around romance, masculinity, and movie conventions.

Key Discussion Points

1. Why “Crazy, Stupid, Love” Endures

• Airplane Movie, Date Movie, Hangout Movie:
  Van Lathan explains that "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is one of his top three airplane movies:

  “You can put it on…There’s like four or five scenes, you know, I’m gonna lock in, and then you can kind of dip out, do some emails while it’s on. When the kid stuff comes back in, in and out, in and out. It’s what I want out of an airplane movie.” (03:39)

• Ensemble Plot Execution:
  Bill praises the movie for pulling off intersecting storylines without feeling forced, unlike similar ensemble movies from the era:

  “Some of them were named after holidays…they normally do not work…But this one doesn’t waste a scene. Builds all of these separate plots and ties them up perfectly.” (05:03)

2. The Cast at Their Peaks

• Steve Carell’s ‘Thing’:
  Mina defines Carell’s unique on-screen appeal as “an emotional, decentered, hilarious character,” able to elicit both comedy and empathy, likable even at his lowest points (09:21).
  Van highlights how Carell is “secretly good looking,” carrying an innate goodness few comics have (10:01).

• Ryan Gosling Ascends to Leading Man:
  Mina:

  “Ryan Gosling is my guy…Cause I watch you see him in all of these movies…he is a fucking phenomenal actor.” (14:00)
  The hosts contextualize 2011 as a turning point in Gosling’s career—he starred in both "Drive" and "Crazy, Stupid, Love," cementing him as a leading man with range (14:29).
  Van:
  “I agree Steve Carell is the lead…But Ryan Gosling steals this movie and runs away with it.” (14:52)

• Emma Stone’s Meteoric Rise:
  Mina dubs Stone "one of the defining performers of her generation" (19:01), comparing her career arc to both Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep.
  The group notes Stone’s unique blend of likability and charisma—“the perfect combination of sexy and cute” (20:29).

3. Best Scenes, Memorable Moments, and Chemistry

• The “Dirty Dancing” Courting Scene
  Considered unanimously “the scene of the movie”—funny, sexy, vulnerable, and the heart of the film.
  Van:

  “They build a more believable, sexy, funny love story than I’ve seen over the course of entire films.” (46:13)

• The Climax/Everything Comes Together:
  Bill:

  “They’re like, this isn’t crazy enough. Should Bacon be in this? And they’re like, yeah, bring him in…They really go for it.” (50:11)

4. Generational Comparisons & Icon Analogies

• Meryl Streep vs. Emma Stone
  Mina:

  “She’s going to get there.” (21:10)
  Bill:
  “She might be Mahomes [to Streep’s Brady].” (21:50)

• Gosling’s Star Trajectory vs. Clooney and Pitt:
  Debated whether Gosling’s career charted the path Clooney’s could have; drew comparisons with multi-era Brad Pitt and athlete analogies (79:14; 80:07).

• Rom-com Chemistry—Hanks/Ryan vs. Gosling/Stone:
  Craig sees Gosling and Stone as “the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks of my generation” (25:58).

5. Script and Directorial Praise

• Written by Dan Fogelman (later of "This Is Us"), the script earns accolades for efficiency, comedic timing, and clever plot interweaving.
• Directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who have a distinctive, tangible style; past credits include "Focus" and TV work noted for quality ensemble storytelling (07:09).

6. Rom-Com & Culture Commentary

• The film is both a last hurrah and a time capsule for “pick-up artist” culture and the “metrosexual” archetype, acknowledged as a relic of early 2010s pop culture (51:51).
• Several jokes and plotlines (e.g., the babysitter's nude photos for the 14-year-old) have not aged well and are discussed thoughtfully as products of their time (71:16, 58:41).

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Script’s Clever Reveal:

  “Calling her Nana is the fake out of the entire movie.” – Van Lathan (06:04)

• The Makeover Montage:

  “Have we ever had a man-on-man makeover montage in a movie?” – Van Lathan (39:11)

• On Bar Culture Then and Now:

  “This bar did not exist in 2011… It feels like a hotel bar kind of vibe.” – Van Lathan (60:19)
  “What’s age the worst? All the babysitter stuff, it just wouldn’t fly now.” – Bill Simmons (71:16)

• Chemistry between Gosling and Stone:

  “Their chemistry in this movie is so much better than La La Land. And I would argue the romantic scene in this movie is better than any scene in La La Land.” – Van Lathan (18:05)

• Carell’s Likability:

  “My life got really fucked up and I don’t know what happened. But you’re still rooting for him and you don’t think he’s a fuck up. It’s a hard balance to pull off.” – Bill Simmons (10:34)

• Gosling’s “Damn, he got it” Factor:

  “Damn, he got…You just gotta hand it to him.” – Mina Kimes (75:29)

Segment Timestamps & Topics

• [02:29] – How the podcast episode came to be
• [03:20] – Airplane Movie Rankings
• [04:05] – Film strengths: cast, script, ensemble
• [06:01] – The “Nana” plot device/fake-out
• [09:17] – Steve Carell’s Appeal and Range
• [13:24] – Gosling’s Career Rise and Talent
• [17:48] – Gosling & Stone’s La La Land/Crazy Stupid Love Chemistry Debate
• [19:01] – Emma Stone’s Star Profile & Trajectory
• [31:07] – Toxic masculinity and changing attitudes (pickup artist archetype)
• [36:25 – 52:03] – Most Rewatchable Scenes (shopping montage, makeover, bar scenes, Dirty Dancing, ensemble climax)
• [52:03] – “Most 2011” cultural details
• [58:41] – “What’s aged the worst?”
• [60:02] – Favorite LA settings (the mall, the Valley)
• [62:41] – The Van Lathan Award: Did the movie need more Black actors?
• [65:36] – Movie title critique and alternatives
• [71:16] – Babysitter plotline: Why it no longer works
• [75:19] – “Damn, he got it” flex category (on-screen charisma)
• [80:01] – Gosling vs. Clooney career arcs/quarterback analogies
• [90:51] – Half-assed internet research & real LA locations
• [91:38] – Apex Mountain: Who reached their peak?
• [100:00] – If the movie won an Oscar, who deserves it?
• [109:32] – Who won the movie? (Unanimous: Gosling)
• [110:32] – Craig’s generation impact perspective

Highlighted Categories & Flex Segments

• Title Critique & Alternatives:
  – Consensus: "Crazy, Stupid, Love" is a bad title (“one of the worst of the last 20 years”), Carell campaigned against it. Alternatives suggested: “The Makeover,” “How to Pick Up Women,” “The Wingman” (65:36-67:32).

• The Van Lathan Award (Did This Movie Need More Black People?):
  – Panel imagines recasting Kevin Bacon’s “David Lindhagen” as Black: Kenan Ivory Wayans and Chris Rock considered (62:41– 64:25).

• “Damn, he got it” Flex Category:
  – Ranks male performances that are so cool/handsome it transcends sexuality—highlights Gosling in “Drive.” (75:19–79:09)

• Hottest Take:
  – Mina wonders if marriages would benefit from a “halftime” (i.e., a conscious break mid-marriage)—sparking debate about realism and cinematic necessity (85:25–89:34).

Awards, Recasting, and Nitpicks

• Dion Waiters Award for Best Scene Stealer:
  – Marisa Tomei, in just three scenes

• Weak Links & Modern Nitpicks:
  – The babysitter-teen subplot (wouldn't fly in 2024+) – Unlikely bar overlaps between generations

• Aged Poorly:
  – Metrosexual/GQ fashion advice, pick-up artist scripts, and aspects of toxic masculinity (51:51) – Answering machines, text devices, babysitter giving risqué photos to a minor

• Best Double-Feature Choices:
  – "La La Land" (panel debate: where’s better chemistry?) – "Pretty Woman" (great makeover double bill) – "Focus" (Bill’s pick for Ficarra & Requa synergy)

Standout Insights on the Movie and Genre

• The script is lauded for juggling multiple story arcs without losing sight of character stakes or tone—unlike similar, “holiday ensemble” films.
• Gosling’s and Stone’s on-screen chemistry is ranked among the top rom-com pairings of the past two decades.
• The episode dissects the rom-com era change: from playful male pick-up artistry and mall/club culture to a more cautious, tech-driven, and self-aware landscape in 2026.
• The film is discussed as a cultural artifact—a marker of pre-Tinder romance, LA bar culture, and transitional social mores.

Memorable Quotes by the Hosts

• “Their chemistry in this movie is so much better than La La Land. And I would argue the romantic scene in this movie is better than any scene in La La Land.” — Van Lathan (18:05)
• “It’s one of the best written scripts to me…like of this decade, honestly.” — Mina Kimes (06:43)
• “He is as uniquely entertaining as a performer as we have, like in this movie.” — Mina Kimes on Steve Carell (08:36)
• "The movie’s efficient. It doesn’t waste any scenes. It can’t. It’s too many characters." — Mina Kimes (52:01)
• “But Ryan Gosling steals this movie and runs away with it.” — Van Lathan (14:52)
• “Choosing between couples in the divorce has aged the best. It feels like you’re asked to do this once every six months in Los Angeles.” — Mina Kimes (55:22)
• “Don’t put yourself in that situation. You just pay for their Uber.” — Van Lathan and Bill Simmons on babysitter etiquette, 2026-style (54:02)
• “He does have a lot of good compliments…if you’re wearing a nice dress, he’s going to tell you.” — Bill Simmons (33:06)
• “A lot of times there’s a trope in movies with the makeover montage where the woman is obviously hot already…But I think this one is partially…it’s mostly effective.” — Van Lathan (40:02)
• “You can fake some of that, but some of it has to be real.” — Bill Simmons (48:26, on Gosling/Stone chemistry)

Summary Table: Host Awards & Superlatives

| Category | Winner(s) | Rationale/Quote | |-----------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | Most Rewatchable Scene| Dirty Dancing romance scene | “The scene of the movie.” | | Best Scene Stealer | Marisa Tomei | “Dion Waiters Award is clearly Marisa Tomei easily.” | | Who Won the Movie | Ryan Gosling | “He wins almost every movie he’s in.” | | Best Double-Feature | La La Land, Pretty Woman, Focus | Chemistry & genre links | | Best Flex Category | "Damn, he got it" - Gosling, Pitt, etc. | Transcendent charisma, irrespective of gender |

For Further Listening

• The Rewatchables archives include deep-dives on "Focus," "Pretty Woman," and "The Big Short"—all referenced.
• Upcoming: "Sicario" and other Chris Ryan picks in the podcast’s next themed month.

TL;DR

“Crazy, Stupid, Love” stands as a near-perfect, densely plotted, big-hearted rom-com where career-peak actors meet a deft script. Its wit, iconic scenes (esp. Gosling/Stone’s “Dirty Dancing” sequence), and acute sense of romantic possibility resonate now as both a time capsule of 2011 dating culture and a gold-standard in genre chemistry.

Unanimous Panel Take:

• Scene MVP: The Gosling–Stone romance night
• Who Won the Movie: Ryan Gosling
• What’s Aged the Best: The script, the fashion, Stone’s star power, the Westfield Century City Mall
• What’s Aged Worst: Pick-up artistry, the babysitter/teen plot, now-cringeworthy bar culture

Quote to Remember:

“When you watch this movie, you almost wish they ran off and had their own movie.” — Mina Kimes (39:25)