Welcome back to 3 Films We Need to Talk About! Timmie and Ryan are joined by interim cohost & friend of the show, Mike Bruno. Tune in to hear their discussion on 3 contemporary Americana films: Donnie Darko, American Beauty, & Magnolia!
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I. Intro
A. Guest Co-Co-Host: Mike Bruno
B. Welcome Back to the Series
C. What Is the Common Link Between These 3 Films?
II. Basic Info [00:06:30]
A. American Beauty (1999): Written by Alan Ball, Directed by Sam Mendes: Runtime 122 Minutes
B. Magnolia (1999): Written and Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson: Runtime 188 Minutes
C. Donnie Darko (2001): Written and Directed by Richard Kelly: Runtime 113 Minutes
III. Commonalities and Contrasts [00:15:15]
A. Ordinary People (1980)
- What plays out behind the scenes is not so ordinary
- Keeping up appearances
- Sleaziness
B. Characters With Hallucinations
C. Side Characters With Secrets
D. Meta/Breaking the Fourth Wall
E. Witty Dialogue
F. Strong/Standout Performances
G. Use of Popular Music
H. Score
I. End Panorama Montage
J. Guns
K. Death
L. Contrasts In Creation & Development [01:04:08]
M. Which Character Would You Cut?
- Donnie Darko
- Magnolia
- American Beauty
IV. Mini Segments [01:11:20]
A. Speed Round
- Did any of them make you cry?
- Where?
B. The Rotten Tomato Scores Might Surprise You
- Magnolia: 84%
- Donnie Darko: 85% (Directors Cut: 91%)
- American Beauty: 88%
VI. Conclusions
A. Related Links
Original Music
The music found in this episode was written and performed by the talented Jesse James.
Audio Editing
This show was edited by Ryan Jacobi.
