SPEAKER_05 0:21

Greetings and our salutations and welcome back to Imbibe Cinema. I'm Jonathan C. Leggett, along with my co-hosts.

SPEAKER_04 0:27

Michael Noins.

SPEAKER_05 0:28

Trisha Leggett. In this episode, we're going to be discussing Amy Polar's wine country, currently available on Netflix, while imbibing the fruity white wine cocktail. This recipe is on our website, which is imbibesinema.com. It is uh a Moscato and gin with some peach snops. Uh it's actually quite tasty, uh, even with the ginnover. Um, and and I say that uh and and I had relayed this story already to Michael and uh Trisha, but um my first experience with gin uh was on my 21st birthday when somebody gave me a Tom Collins. Uh and I can only liken the experience to uh uh going down on a Christmas tree.

SPEAKER_04 1:10

This is painful, it's a very specific job.

SPEAKER_05 1:13

Yeah, I mean it it it tasted like you were just licking a a pine uh pine cone or or or specifically like one of those pine air fresheners that you stick in your car. It was it was it was not a pleasant experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

See now here with this drink, we are having it in a wine glass, you know, to and embrace yes. Right, of course uh and then it this I think for the first time is when I really realized that the glass itself, how it holds in aromatics, yes, and it is potent, and I don't like it, but I'm going to commit to it like any woman who makes a plan, sticks to it, and is happy about it anyway.

SPEAKER_05 1:54

Okay, Amy Polar.

SPEAKER_01 1:55

I think it embraces the the film that we are and you know what I did pick the drink. I did.

SPEAKER_04 2:00

I think it's quite tasty. I'm not old enough for gin. I uh I'm a beer drinker, as you guys know. So really the only time I drank liquor is with with you guys during this podcast. And I've learned that actually there's a lot that I'm I'm I'm I'm pretty good with, and apparently I'm good with gin. Gin.

SPEAKER_05 2:20

Well, as long as it's cut. As long as it's cut gin. You you and I maybe during the uh the break we'll we'll just take a straight shot of gin and see. Ooh, let's do that.

SPEAKER_04 2:29

I don't know. I want to know.

SPEAKER_05 2:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 2:31

You know? Yeah. Then I'll know what's going on.

SPEAKER_05 2:34

My real tale.

SPEAKER_04 2:35

Like an old soul if I can.

SPEAKER_05 2:37

If you really suddenly like gin.

SPEAKER_04 2:39

Because old people do shots of gin.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

Yeah. I mean, why why wouldn't they?

SPEAKER_05 2:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

I mean, it's also, I think, very um cool, very hip, very gangsta if you drink gin, right? Gin and juice.

SPEAKER_05 2:50

Gin gin martinis, gin gin juice.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Um makes you kind of a badass. Yeah. Although I will state or an old lady, one or the other.

SPEAKER_05 2:58

See, I was I was going to say during the break, we might also pull out a game of bridge or canasta. Put on an Afghan. The Imbibe Cinema Podcast is brought to you by the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, otherwise known as Bwiff. Uh our festival seeks independent character-driven films of all lengths, styles, and genres. To learn more, visit us at Bwiff.com. Uh so, all right, Wine Country. Um, this was an absolutely hilarious film, full of extremely quotable and real moments. Um and one thing that I found absolutely fantastic is not only did you have your normal uh front-of-the-camera SNL ladies, but you also got a couple of uh the the people who had been on the writing staff at the same time, uh specifically Paula Pell uh and uh Emily Spivvy who who got to shine uh a lot in this and and and I'm very happy with with with how this film turned out.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

I agree. I I am I'm sad that we have not seen more of them uh prior to this.

SPEAKER_05 3:59

Paula's actually been doing a lot of of work specifically. This is her moment in the sun.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

This is her like you know, she's come out of of uh hiding or something. Yeah, she's dynamite, she's everywhere.

SPEAKER_05 4:11

Yeah, she's she's she's killing it on AP bio and she's done a lot of voice work before that. But uh but Emily, uh this, you know, she has not done a whole lot in front of the camera per se, but uh she's actually one of the writers uh of this film along with uh uh Liz Kikowski. Um and uh for both of them, this was kind of their first feature uh written. A lot of them uh both of them have done a lot of television uh up to this point. Uh obviously SNL and then you know all all sorts of other uh television you know episodics, but but this was really kind of uh their first especially joint feature film that was written by them. So right.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Well, and this is the first uh this is the directorial debut.

SPEAKER_05 4:52

Feature, yep, the feature directorial debut for Amy Poeh, who I thought did an amazing job of not only bringing uh an incredibly interesting cast together, uh, but also really kind of keeping the story uh moving and really driving this this along.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

And it was based uh the idea of it.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

I mean, I heard this in an interview, um, but it was the whole thing was based on on an actual birthday party trip.

SPEAKER_05 5:18

Yeah, apparently a lot of the Yeah, apparently a lot of the SNL girls would would go um on on trips like this. Um this is loosely based on the idea that it's a bunch of girls going out. I think there might be uh a few tidbits of actual events here, there, and everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 5:35

Yeah, there's something about, and I mean my memory is Swiss cheese at this point, but as I recall, there was something about like they do different theme stuff different, you know, and and it was like one of them was everybody was in a moo moo, something like that. Or maybe I just hallucinated that. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 5:50

Just a particular night. I do think Trisha was just like that's a great idea. Yeah. In Podcast Podcast, brought to you by Moo Moo Night. What uh what I found funny about that same interview, and I think that either was Amy Polar or it might have been uh Anna Gas Dyer who was who was on Seth Myers uh talking about it, but apparently Amy's character in it, uh Abby, uh is based on Amy Polar. Because apparently she is a planner, uh and it has uh apparently uh upset some of the other um girls at points uh because she over plans and like puts out an itinerary for them all to, you know, follow strictly and they just kind of want to be, you know, having fun.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Well, and I don't know about you guys, but it felt like there was a different uh off all the characters, there were moments of each character that I was like, oh, I'm that person on occasion. Like when uh when Amy Poeh has her whole breakdown about uh about how she lost her job and she's so upset and she's crying and she's like it's stupid that I'm crying about this because like the world is ending and the climate is changing and there's like one rhinoceros left. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm like and I'm like, oh my god, I feel your pain. Yes.

SPEAKER_04 7:02

Yeah, because uh uh just uh just a quick thing though about that particular moment as I was like, Whoa, this this movie's getting real, yeah. And I'm like, oh okay, yeah, I get this because I get that frustration when you're in a group of friends or you know, family or whatever, where you know, um the somebody in the group or even it even it could be half of the group is kind of like pushing one way and it's like you know, just let go. Yeah, and so I was like, whoa, this movie's getting real serious, and then all of a sudden, in this very serious moment, she she comes out with that stuff, and I was like, I mean, yeah, I guess you're right. But at the same time, I was just like laughing so hard. I was like, oh, that joke snuck up on me. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

But it's not a joke, it's real, like it's real, that's the other thing.

SPEAKER_05 7:45

Yeah, and and then that's again why why I found this film so interesting and entertaining is the fact that none of the characters go to the extreme SNL uh like you know, even though there are moments that are extreme, but you have like the there's some really deep moments.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

Like there's a point where they talk about Prince and um Maya Rudolph. Maya's in a band. They do um Princess instead of Prince, they're a prince cover band. And uh they uh like huge Prince fans. In fact, uh before Prince passed away, he had you know given them thumbs up and they have uh performed all over uh anyway. Uh so huge Prince fans, and they're you know talking about it in the hot tub about how you know you know you're getting old or when your idols are dying. And it's kind of like whoa, that kind of set in. Because I mean, last year or two, I mean, there's been a lot, um, even more than that. There's there's been a lot of people who passed on, like, was it 2016? 2016. 2016 was like the celebrity death. Anytime somebody brought up someone famous's name, you're like, oh no, them too, they died too. And then 2017 was like, oh no, you're a predator too.

SPEAKER_05 8:58

In fact, I think in 2017, more often than not, you were going, God, I hope they just died.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

Tangent aside. The idea that, you know, we've gotten to that point where, you know, the people we looked up to are are going. Uh and and that's kind of that's a wake-up call in a kind of a sense, that's a different perspective.

SPEAKER_05 9:18

So uh obviously the the the big thing is is this is Rachel Dratch's fiftieth birthday party, or f Rachel Dratch's character, Rebecca's fiftieth birthday party. And so the girls are all circling the wagons and going out on uh on a thing. And I I do like specifically that uh Rachel Dratch's character is is in denial.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

Oh yeah, let's not make it about me this weekend.

SPEAKER_05 9:38

Yeah. Let's just make it a a party and then I'll just kind of ease into 50 during the during it, you know. How they met. Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_04 9:46

They all worked at this pizza place. And what I think is kind of cool about it is I mean, they're they don't really talk about all of their ages, but it's like a range of ages. I like and and it makes sense why, you know, they they formed this bond, and yet, you know, there are clearly some people who there's probably I mean, I don't know how long the range is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's somewhere between, you know, 10-15 years from the oldest to the youngest. But 50 is probably the oldest person there, I would have guessed because otherwise, why wouldn't we have done this already? True.

SPEAKER_05 10:20

Well, I mean, this could just be her 50th specifically.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

Right. But but what I'm saying is it's like, oh, we're celebrating her big, you know, the the way that they keep approaching it, it seems like she's the oldest.

SPEAKER_01 10:31

It's she's the first to go through. Yeah. Exactly. Uh the uh but yeah, like the uh Emily's character. I love Emily's character, is that whole like, I'm probably not gonna go. Oh, it sounds great. I'm I'm excited. I'm not gonna go.

SPEAKER_04 10:44

There's a she is deaf, there's a part of me that is that right?

SPEAKER_01 10:49

All the time. It's just like there's so much work involved in actually going to do something. I'm just not gonna go.

SPEAKER_05 10:54

Have fun.

SPEAKER_01 10:54

I'm not gonna like we didn't even think that she was gonna come. I didn't think I was gonna come.

SPEAKER_05 10:59

Yeah. Did you only pick a book a four-room uh uh place because you're five, five, yeah, or five room because you didn't want me to come? It's like, no, I I didn't even think she was gonna come.

SPEAKER_01 11:08

And then like the whole weekend she's like, Why am I here?

SPEAKER_05 11:10

Yeah. And that's that's Anna Gastyer, who is the workaholic, who is one of those people. And I this this is my character. Uh the Anna Gastyer character, the one who is so uh absorbed with work and with with their own personal things that they have stopped being invited to the girls' weekends or to any other big things because uh every time you reach out to this person and you go, hey, let's let's hang out, they are too busy to hang out, and so eventually you stop calling. And so she feels out uh of it because of that particular thing. Now, the cinematographer uh was uh Tom McGill, uh who has done uh The Office, Parks and Rec, uh Angie Tribeca, and and and to a degree uh there there was obviously that familiarity uh for Parks and Rec.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

The one part that actually stood out for me cinematography wise was the party where they have the well the first night where they're like we're gonna have a dance off because we're not gonna do rings, except for the ones we're already on.

SPEAKER_05 12:14

Yes. We're totally gonna get a little bit of a few years. Which is the things you say when you're uh things we say now.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

Things we say now. And uh they had uh like you know, they do the the list of uh uh songs and uh it's Emily and Amy that are uh They're in almost an extreme close-up with two of them in it. Right. So it's like half of one face, half of the other, on either like bordering the screen, and I thought it was a really cool uh look. It felt very intimate and and and silly and fun. And then and then during the dance sequence, um uh it there's this very last minute like when you the camera moves just past Paula and then it cuts out, and you're like, Did I just see boobs? Like it was just yeah that quick. And I was like, well played, very classy.

SPEAKER_05 13:02

I I I think that it was shot beautifully. Um I I think that uh you know they did a great job of uh the locations. Obviously, that was one nomination uh that they had gotten from specifically California Locations Award.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Uh uh but Yeah, they have such a high regard for Napa. You can tell comes through in the film.

SPEAKER_04 13:21

Yeah, actually. There's like enough of this wine bullshit. Yeah. This is really good. What's this one called? What I love because they're all very like I've never been I've never been to Napa, but I feel like that is exact like not even an exaggeration at all. I am certain that that is exactly how each of these um what do you call them? Yeah, what what uh what vineyard? Um are they umliers? Sumliers, yeah. Thank you. I'm like it starts with an S. Um very fancy. Sumlier. Fancy. I'm sure that's exactly how they are and and how they're slightly different too. Uh like they have their own little characters to them, yeah. But they're very passionate about what they're talking about, and they expect people who show up to be equally passionate about that. But what I think is funny, especially was the one in the vineyard, how she's just like uh it's like she can't read the room. No, not at all.

SPEAKER_05 14:19

Like anybody know what we call these? Anybody? Anybody?

SPEAKER_01 14:22

No, no, he could tell it's cannons.

SPEAKER_05 14:25

They're uh I like to call them white wine crystals?

SPEAKER_01 14:29

Wine diamonds.

SPEAKER_05 14:30

Wine diamonds, thank you.

SPEAKER_04 14:34

Can we just rush this up? Can we can we move on? Thank you. Uh the other thing I liked is the gentleman at the the place prior to that that they're talking to. So annoying. Yeah, but at the same time, like not over the top, just like a normal, I felt like like that's probably what would happen. But um, like the moment where they're all like, all right, let's pound this. And he's like, Well, actually, really, take your time with that. Sip and enjoy it. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 14:57

Yeah, no, there was um the other thing was when they uh they get cornered by the organic uh lady because they're walking through the vineyard. Yeah. And it's this whole moment of like, um, you're not supposed to be out here. Um, we put up a sign. Oh, look, there's one right next to me. You should come out never facing in the wrong way. We're so sorry, we're sorry, we'll go, we'll go, you know. And then as soon as she leaves, they're like, And then as soon as she comes back, they're like, Oh my god, you're back.

SPEAKER_04 15:21

Well, and that's the thing. I've done that. The comment about like it's facing the wrong way. I I loved that because uh to me, that was like a sheer moment of improvisation. Like I I would be shocked if that was not that moment specifically was not improvised. And I feel like there's obviously lots of improvisation throughout the whole film, but that's one of like one of those moments where it's like, well, yeah, it's you know, it's the production designer knew that the shot was gonna be from this angle, so it probably is only one-sided, even though it could have been double-sided. But the actress just called them out and just said it's on the wrong side.

SPEAKER_05 15:58

See, I don't even think the production to me, no, no, granted, you know, we we we we we can't really get into Keith P. Cunningham's uh head or or whether or not find out whether or not in that particular vineyard he had any control over the actual production. True, true. To me, they were probably shooting not gorilla, but that might actually be how the sign is in that vineyard, and Amy probably just called it out, just being like, look, look, great, you're pointing that out, but uh, you know, how the hell would I have known that if I were you know so um you know there's there's that and then one thing that I found very entertaining, obviously, when we talk about all the the the supporting cast, uh even though Liz uh Kakowski was the um the sumlier for the uh organics uh of Vineyard uh and also the writer, Alison Jones, who uh was the casting director also for Book Smart, which we've already done. I know. See? It comes full circle. Um so she obviously you know hit up all the the supporting casts, because I can guarantee that Amy probably just reached out directly to uh her her main cast um without fail. And in fact, actually, other things that I found interesting when it comes to the crew is uh uh Julie Monroe uh was was the editor for this film. Uh and the clip on this was absolutely fantastic. But what I found fascinating about Julie's uh IMDB page is uh her editing credits uh include Transformers Last Night, The Patriot, the Mel Gibson movie, and Lolita.

SPEAKER_04 17:30

That's a really that's like a summary. That's not all of them, right? No, that's not all of them.

SPEAKER_05 17:33

But but again, who you're not just the ones that uh that that she had been working on like there is not a style that you can say she lands in. So she's managed to edit Michael Bay and Amy Poe and Lady an amazing. It's true.

SPEAKER_01 17:52

It's just editing out other cameras, isn't it? It's the whole job. Must be the whole job.

SPEAKER_05 17:56

Just just finding oh, camera. All right, next cut or next next angle.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

I have about 30 hours of just explosions that I've got to go through.

SPEAKER_05 18:05

Nope. That's too much flame on this one. Uh nope.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

This isn't even a right movie. What is it?

SPEAKER_04 18:10

That's actually not very far off from the truth, by the way, Joe, but that's a topic for another movie.

SPEAKER_05 18:15

Jesus. Let's see. Other characters uh specifically to call out uh uh Jason uh uh Schwartzman uh from uh uh This isn't Devon.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Is that his Devin Devin? Oh my god, what a name. When you say Devin, you're like, oh, I expect somebody interesting.

SPEAKER_05 18:33

Devon.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

Just like Chad.

SPEAKER_05 18:35

Devon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 18:38

Uh but no, he uh cuddlefish that is that what he's squid, and then he's like, no, but this this one's a cuddlefish, yeah. You can tell it's like cuddling with the fish, basically. Yeah, entirely.

SPEAKER_01 18:48

The amount of time he touches that fish.

SPEAKER_05 18:51

Making a paella. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:53

Oh, also fun fact, um, evidently during uh one of the birthday party or one of the their gatherings, maybe the one it's based on, I'm not sure. Um, they did have some local uh chef put together um that paella.

SPEAKER_05 19:06

A paella, yeah, specifically. So again, I think that there's there's there's elements to this. I don't think it's necessarily based on one particular as much as like the collection of all of their outings.

SPEAKER_04 19:19

It's a lot of paella, though, that went to waste. Nobody ever got to eat the paella. Does it take more than twelve hours to cook a paella?

SPEAKER_01 19:30

Like that's gross.

SPEAKER_04 19:31

Because you're Devin. Because you're Devin.

SPEAKER_05 19:34

It's the paella or I just love that he keeps trying to get involved in the music.

SPEAKER_03 19:40

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 19:41

And and because they have they have a very specific jam that they listen to.

SPEAKER_03 19:45

That's right.

SPEAKER_05 19:46

How about this? No. No.

SPEAKER_01 19:47

This no. Would this really shape my life? Don't care. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:51

Um nothing more recent than Hey. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 19:55

Well, and what do they call them D UI songs? Or their DUI list or something like that?

SPEAKER_04 20:00

Yeah, it was the DUI list.

SPEAKER_05 20:02

It was the music that they would expect to get pulled over. I don't remember. God, I can't remember what the heck they called it or why they called it the DUI list.

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Yeah. But I mean, that makes sense. But one of the things is is is uh the film is full of little things that are inside jokes to them because they've known each other forever. And uh they don't necessarily explain everything. No. Which is great because you don't need that. No. Um just to know that they have a group. Yeah, like we have a little bit of their own language. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 20:32

Well, we even have we even have that, we even have that moment when Catherine is like, oh, I fell asleep before that. Is there there what what inside jokes do I need to know about? Yes. Like this. Fill me in. One moment I I would like to talk about um that kind of brings me back to um our first podcast um with Michelle Buteau. Uh I think I'm saying her name uh correctly, who played Veronica and always be my maybe. That that that extreme awkward pause. Extreme awkward pause, and how this movie did it entirely differently. It was like the same kind of bit, but played like a 180. And what I loved about it, first of all, it was also like maybe 30 seconds longer. And what I loved about it was it was like it wasn't necessarily for a laugh, I felt. No, I mean, you ended up laughing because it's just so uncomfortable, even like by myself, and I was watching the movie by myself. But what I loved about that moment was I was like, really, she could go either way with this. Like at any moment, she could be like, pure disgust. Get the fuck out of here, Devin. Or she could be like, sure.

SPEAKER_01 21:40

I I I and you feel like you're actually helping her decide. Like, no, it's not a good don't. Oh, like I think it's so well.

SPEAKER_05 21:49

I love that you don't even necessarily see her like make the decision. It's still the same deadpan, like, seriously, you just asked that question, and then it's yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

I am thinking about it.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Right, but not really. But then it's like chewing on his nails and it's like scratching his beard. And the more he does, the more you're like, you don't want to go there, honey. Don't do it.

SPEAKER_05 22:11

I slept with Debian. I also slept with Debbie.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

He truly comes with the house.

SPEAKER_05 22:18

We're going to uh take a few more moments to uh fill our glasses with some more gin and uh get ready to imbibe more after this.

SPEAKER_04 22:25

Hey dear listener, this is Michael with Imbibe Cinema and the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. Did you know that Imbibe Cinema isn't just a podcast? We've also got a variety of articles and reviews available to read on our website, plus a streaming membership that gives you access to a new batch of independent films every month. Become an Imbibe Cinema member today at watch.imbibesinema.com. That's watch.imbibecinema.com. Thanks for supporting and imbibing the various content we offer.

SPEAKER_05 23:00

Now, back to the show. You're listening to Imbibe Cinema. I am Jonathan C. Leggett, and I am along here with Michael Newens. Trisha Leggett. And we are discussing wine country. Is this your favorite episode so far? Want to hear more? Please subscribe or follow us on all of your favorite podcast providers to get all of our new episodes as soon as we release them. Rate and or leave us a review to help the show reach a larger audience. Uh and uh you can also follow us on Mbibe Cinema on Facebook. So this was clearly uh written by some witty and funny people. Um but one of the major things that uh I know Michael and I uh or we had wanted to discuss in general was knowing this cast, one has to ask how much of this film was improvised. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

So many good lines. You know, you're like once you look into the eyes of a raccoon, that's when you truly know your inner self or your true self. Oh god, uh the seriousness, the gravity with it. It was like I have really I've seen God. Yeah, when no one did it for me. Like I lost it. With the dad, how do you know it was the dad? I could tell.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

Yeah, he was the leader. He was the leader.

SPEAKER_05 24:13

Uh yeah, they they they have so many beautiful moments and and and you know, I mean, we know like curb your enthusiasm and and uh uh films like that or or or episodes like that or shows like that, um, have uh a theme or a or a or a scene synopsis that they want to get certain certain bits of information out, but at the same time they then just let the the the actors go. Whereas I do feel that part of this was pretty well scripted.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

I would think it was scripted and uh and then you know people got takes where they could improvise or just add it on the fly. The Harrison Ford. I know.

SPEAKER_05 24:51

And then Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_01 24:53

We've done this a hundred times and I give up. I know.

SPEAKER_05 24:56

Yeah, easily the best uh uh response to I love you. Yeah, I know of all time.

SPEAKER_01 25:01

Cut. That's it.

SPEAKER_05 25:03

Let's move on. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:05

So talking about the story, um, all right, so true confession. Okay, go ahead. I'm gonna I'm gonna have my confession. Oh, the big confession. I'm gonna I'm gonna have faith that nobody I know listens to this. Okay. So crying some sleep. Moment of honesty, folks. Uh so I'm watching this movie. Two things. One, uh, Paula's new knees. Oh my god. Yeah, taking her knees out first bend. Let me show you how good how great these beds are. So here's the here's the setup. Watching the knees in the beginning when she's like, they're like, How you doing? How you doing, Val? Because they're walking and it's longer than they anticipated to get to the restaurant. And she's like, Oh, I'm I love it. My new knees, watch this. And she runs ahead of them and she like jumps up, hits a sign, does it like tucks and rolls, like leaps over, like leaps over another sign. She's just and it's hysterical. It just, oh my god, cracked up. Loved it, right? So you establish that she's now a gymnast with these new knees, right? And then later in the movie, we we almost forget about that at that later in the movie, and then they're top of the hill. Climax. Yeah, and uh, they're at the top of the hill, and it's like, no, I've got to go down the hill, and she's like, I've got I'm gonna save you, I'm gonna use my knees. You know, you think that she's gonna ninja herself down this hill, and it's just awful.

SPEAKER_05 26:26

Yeah, we're we're talking we're talking Princess Bride rolling down the hill.

SPEAKER_01 26:30

She goes from like ninja to old lady and like that. Yeah, and just in that moment, um, which I think is a nice, nice uh uh way of looking at the whole film because they they start out so young and then they acknowledge, okay, we're not that young. And then it's like the longer the film goes on, the more we acknowledge, okay, we're really older than that. We're we're okay, we're getting older than that. And so when it's like, yeah, I could do all this cool stuff with my knees, and now oh my god, she falls on the hill. I laughed so hard.

SPEAKER_05 27:04

How hard did you laugh? I beat. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

It was terrible with my pants. I laughed so hard. Um my yes, I did. What has given me this bravery to be honest and open about this is that she doesn't think anybody's listening. No, actually, not that at all. Um, it's an actress, um Kimmy Schmidt.

SPEAKER_05 27:24

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and it's Ellie Kemper.

SPEAKER_01 27:27

She was on an interview and she talks about like sometimes when she laughs really hard, she loses control over bladder. Yep. And I was like, oh my God, thank you. I thought I was a freak. But no. Thank you, woman. Thank you. So I can be I can be brave too and say, I laughed so hard, I peed. I did.

SPEAKER_05 27:45

She gave you the courage. She did. Maybe brave that you peed yourself.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

I'm trying to think Oh my god, it was so funny.

SPEAKER_05 27:51

Believe me, this this movie was pretty outlandish. But I I'm trying to think if if I've ever had a movie experience where I've peed myself from laughing. And sadly, I cannot say that I have. Show off.

SPEAKER_04 28:05

I have never peed from laughing.

SPEAKER_05 28:08

Ever. Ever. Are you real backed up?

SPEAKER_04 28:14

Poorly placed pause.

SPEAKER_01 28:17

I have never laughed so hard. I pee. The gin talking. What a what a great Oh, speaking of random things, John the things we say now uh bit the CPAP machine.

SPEAKER_05 28:29

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Fun fact that is Amy Polar's CPAP machine.

SPEAKER_05 28:34

She brought her own descent.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

CPAP? Yeah. She brought her own machine.

SPEAKER_05 28:37

Fascinating.

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Well, was Method, I'm sure. She brought it home, she worked with it, and she got comfortable with it.

SPEAKER_05 28:42

Well wow, that's the I I I know that the that that has become a uh a a newer newer thing is uh people addressing uh you know their their sleep apnea and uh and stuff like that. I mean again we're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 28:56

Well yeah, because the old-fashioned way the old-fashioned way is to think, oh my God, um a demon is sitting on my chest and squeezing life out of me. I am going to die. And then going, oh, wait a minute, I I gotta breathe now. Oh, okay. Wow. When my brain is is like lack of oxygen is there, the first thing that comes to my mind is diagnose this with Catholicism. And then as soon as I take a deep breath of air, I go, Oh my god, I wasn't breathing.

SPEAKER_04 29:23

Our Catholic upbringing did a number on you.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

Amen. So back to wine. Uh okay, so another thing as we're getting personal, um I just want to say I can't drink wine. I love wine. I know it's supposed to be a girl drink. Yeah. Uh and that's what a lot of my girlfriends drink. Right. Um, and it's because it gives me a headache that lasts for like days. Oh my god. As much as I love wine, even like drinking one glass and having like three bottles of water. I didn't know that. No my god. And it's sad because I love Chianti and I just can't have it anymore.

SPEAKER_04 30:01

Oh yeah. It's funny you say Chianti, and I immediately thank you.

SPEAKER_01 30:06

Immediately think of Anthony Hopkins.

SPEAKER_05 30:09

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 30:10

Yeah, that's why I love it, obviously.

SPEAKER_05 30:13

Yeah, Trisha loves the taste of cupid flesh.

SPEAKER_01 30:15

I opened the door trying to be funny and now I'm creepy. But uh as far as stories go, I mean, yeah, it's a you know, um a crazy weekend, a bunch of people get drunk and all kinds of funny things happen. We've seen films like this before. Yeah. Uh and yeah, to me, this one had a lot of heavy stuff underneath it.

SPEAKER_05 30:39

You know, this character is dealing with something. Maya Angelou that gin is powerful. Maya Rudolph. Maya Rudolph is dealing with uh she she's had uh a uh a mammogram, right, and she is concerned that she may or may not have uh uh breast cancer, and she's afraid to answer or uh to call the doctor back. Um Anna Gasdyer is uh you know a workaholic who feels ostracized by her friends. Uh Paula Pell is uh you know uh a people pleaser who is trying to find love but but is more concerned with other people's feelings than her own. Rachel Dretch is a psychiatrist whose husband is a complete mutter. Jackass. Um and you know, like everyone's oh good. Oh no, it's finally out. Brian is an asshole. All right, good, yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 31:35

Yeah. Right? I know. I mean, really, he's super supportive. Well, no, I just love that they none of them say it. None of them has ever said it. Oh no, we love him.

SPEAKER_04 31:44

Or show or showed even a sign of it, really, from at least her reaction.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

I know they just bent to each other behind her back. Oh my god, he's awful.

SPEAKER_05 31:52

And that's I think what what what made this the good friends? The they're they're such good friends. Uh Tina Faye's character specifically is calling out the fact that, like, you know, okay, you're you're in Napa. Uh, you know, anything that is said over this weekend, uh know that most likely that's always been their feeling. They're just, you know, the wine has finally let it out. It's just the alcohol letting it out. And if anybody starts a sentence with uh uh it's not I'm only saying it's uh let me just say can I just say can I just say something here that that uh feedback. Yeah, and and uh uh uh Rachel Dratch is the only one who uses can I give you some feedback? And that's because she's a therapist at that point. Yes, specifically how she addresses that particular type of thing. But I love that every character is dealing with their own shit. Yes, their own level of stuff. And like any true friends, they're trying not to let it address this weekend. They're trying not to let their own emotions put at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

It is harder and harder to get a group of people together.

SPEAKER_04 32:53

Yeah. To hang out.

SPEAKER_01 32:55

To be able to have that moment where you can just have fun.

SPEAKER_04 32:58

That whole opening credits sequence shows you, as funny as it is, it shows you how difficult it is to be.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

But there's that that comes with time, right? And the fact that you have a friendships that a group of friends that stands the test of time, that uh is uh all over the country uh and doesn't get to get uh together often. And that you know, like any group of friends, you have members of those groups that are closer to each other. And then you know, so uh that and uh yeah, but I mean when you're young, you you know it's like, oh my god, what are you doing tonight? You want to hang out? And then it becomes, hey, what's up next week? And then it becomes how's March looking for you guys? Can we put something down on paper? Because I'm booking up and that's it.

SPEAKER_04 33:43

And then as soon as March rolls around, oh I forgot I actually had something.

SPEAKER_03 33:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:48

The beginning of the movie. When I when I started watching the movie, it seemed like everybody that they came in contact with was trying to prepare them for the fact that they're not as good of friends as they actually think they are. You're right. Yeah there was a lot of references to that, even you know, when Lady Sunshine, Lady Sunshine, right? Yep. Yeah, when she shows up, she's like, Well, we'll see how long that lasts, you know. And Tina Faye makes reference to it as well. Right, and then I think it's Amy's husband or somebody says Emily's husband. Yeah, like uh something about crying.

SPEAKER_05 34:26

Like this is already three days longer than it needs to be. It's only a three-day trip.

SPEAKER_04 34:31

But it was right. Oh, it was before that. There was something like there was some reference, I don't think we actually heard him say it, but like something, some comment about um Yeah, she's relaying it. Yeah, something about it being negative, like, oh, it's not it's not actually a good, you know, happy, exciting reunion.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

Because a bunch of girls can't get together, there's gonna be a cat bite, there's gonna be an alpha situation. And they they they talk about that, they mention that very early. Like, why can't we just hang out? Why does everybody act like we can't just hang out? Except so weird.

SPEAKER_04 35:01

And and and as a viewer, I felt like it was the r it was like the outside world that was saying you're not as good of friends as you actually are. And I was like, oh, this is a really interesting take on that.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

And then speaking of the outside world, when you get to the uh millennial intervention.

SPEAKER_05 35:17

Oh yeah, the nanny fine. Oh my god, that we're we're fine, fray and fun.

SPEAKER_01 35:23

Oh it's part of the show. It's part of the show.

SPEAKER_04 35:25

So you come back for future shows.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

Oh my god. So like you're just angry at us? No, no, not angry, but you guys can get porn real easy. Do you know how hard it was before the internet? And you're so confident. I spent my whole life hating myself. And it makes me angry.

SPEAKER_05 35:46

That was one of the most beautiful moments.

SPEAKER_01 35:48

Oh my god, Emily's delivery on that was perfect.

SPEAKER_05 35:51

Everything you would ever want to say to a millennial, you're just like, oh yeah, that's that that's right.

SPEAKER_01 35:56

When Kate Thompson on Saturday Life did the whole uh millennial versus I think it was Baby Boomer uh um game show, and it was hysterical. And he's like, and like a Gen Xer, I'm just gonna stand here and not care.

SPEAKER_05 36:08

Yeah, but it is kind of true that we've just been noted as being the observers.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Especially on gin.

SPEAKER_05 36:17

I'm not observing anything on gin. God this is this is not a good thing. Who made gin? Gin is awful.

SPEAKER_03 36:23

No offense to anybody.

SPEAKER_05 36:26

You know, ten gray.

SPEAKER_03 36:28

When it's not by itself.

SPEAKER_05 36:30

Yeah, it it's a great mixer.

SPEAKER_03 36:32

Uh-uh.

SPEAKER_05 36:33

I I I don't know what it would be like to mix that with olives, though. Oh, is that the thing is like denon olives? No, so dirty martini. You could do a vodka martini, or you can do a gin martini. And to me, Christmas and olives, I don't I don't think I'm sold on.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

No, no. And you know what? I spent so much of my childhood trying to like olives. Oh. Keep it in a dull roar there. You know, make me pee my pants. So anyways, so uh no, but I spent a good deal of my childhood trying to like olives, especially, you know, obviously uh green olives are used in alcoholic drinks, and I watched a lot of old movies as a child because I had no friends. And so I really wanted to drink martinis because they were all the rage in all the movies. And I was like, okay, um, I I'll start by you know having olives because I can't, you know, make a martini. I'm a child. So I would I was like, I will I will do that. And it took me years and I love olives. I did not like them initially. I love them. And then I finally got a martini and I was like, this is terrible. But if you have a dirty martini and it's like 90% olive juice, then I'm like, extremely dirty, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 37:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 38:00

So one thing I I know we we we've kind of already discussed cast and crew, we've we've kind of already discussed characters, but uh I I find it funny that like we've we've hit on Tina Fey, but we haven't really delved into the fact that she wasn't she wasn't one of the main crew because of her schedule. Oh, was that specifically okay? So you were you you you found that all right.

SPEAKER_01 38:22

Right. Um, and uh so they they did this where they had her be the owner of the property.

SPEAKER_05 38:27

The the lonely groundskeeper uh knows everyone.

SPEAKER_01 38:31

Yeah, and you only have two moments where you actually see her interact with anybody else in town. Yeah, and it's like your password is still this, uh, your Wi-Fi password is still this, and the bartender's like, yeah. And then she talks about how like the receptionist at the hospital, like, you're how's the chess team going with your kid? Like she knows these really oddly specific things about people, and yet she doesn't have to be not friends with anybody.

SPEAKER_04 38:54

Yeah. Well, and she was perfect for the characters she played. Beautiful. I felt like that was perfect.

SPEAKER_01 38:59

Right, and they got the uh I think the wardrobe they talked about, the her wardrobe came from somebody they actually uh location scouting, somebody they actually talked to, and they're like, okay, we're taking this and we're making it part of this.

SPEAKER_03 39:10

Oh, that's fantastic. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_01 39:14

Oh, hey, are we gonna poke the bear?

SPEAKER_04 39:16

Oh yeah, let's poke that bear. So our first review here is from Cinema Blend, and uh they said it just won't hold the audience over throughout. And fans of the female SNL icons will be disappointed. I love these moments where you guys are internalizing and you both take air. A deep at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 39:46

Like, I'm trying to be patient with another human being. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 39:49

Yeah, so I mean, granted, I I can understand those people who like um bridesmaids um as as as an SNL cast uh film, this was not a bridesmaids. This was much more a a coming of age, but not the age that normally. Yeah, it's not a coming of age film. Yeah, it's what it is coming of age film, but not a normal coming of a film.

SPEAKER_01 40:12

Well, and I'm sorry, how many movies are made about women in uh of a certain age? Yeah. And how many movies about women of a certain age have more than one fucking woman in the film?

SPEAKER_05 40:21

Yeah, that's also true.

SPEAKER_04 40:22

Well, what I would say too about this is it's I mean, it's a movie, and I've talked about this a little bit, but it's like it's a movie that has it doesn't, it's a continually surprises you as you watch it. And I mean, that's why I wanted to bring up improvisation. I don't think it was the improvisation that actually changed the course of the film. It was very good writing. But um, it's a movie that you think you know what's going to happen and it pleasantly surprises you at every turn.

SPEAKER_05 40:51

Yes. What uh what I commented on very almost at the beginning of this entire podcast was the sheer fact that at no point is this them going to the nth. They're not going beyond the human looking.

SPEAKER_01 41:05

Uh over the top, which I'm sorry, is not something I would see in a film because that kind of stuff doesn't l have the to me the endurance to go for a full feature.

SPEAKER_05 41:15

When it goes crazy, and it's very hard to keep that for And that's also what makes it a coming of age film is they are coming of the age of 50. And that's why I think that this is such a beautiful film.

SPEAKER_01 41:27

It's a wonderful film, and I'm sorry that Simma Blend isn't old enough to understand it.

SPEAKER_04 41:31

Slate says a waste of talent that makes wine country even more forgettable than its jokes. I don't guys say like wine. Or jokes.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 41:46

Chicago Reader. You're shitting me. Of course. How the Chicago Reader says only three words. And I'm confused by these three words.

SPEAKER_01 41:56

It only says three words, or does it lead up to saying that? Their entire review is three words.

SPEAKER_04 42:00

Well, it's not their entire review. It is it is Rotten Tomatoes. This is the summary of their review. A curious letdown.

SPEAKER_01 42:13

Well, that's kind of how I feel about Chicago River every time I read this stuff. See, there's this this let's just clink our glasses, please.

SPEAKER_05 42:24

I'm gonna clink your glass. We greatly appreciate all of our listeners for choosing this podcast and specifically for supporting independent films. Uh keep our your ears out for another next episode, and uh to check out our show notes or drop us a note, please visit us at imbibesinema.com. Once again, I'm Jonathan C. Liken. Thank you again for imbibing with us. Cheers.