Rewatchables Reference

• The key party – unanimous pick. Plays out across 30 minutes of the movie, cross-cut with other storylines.
• Sean: Joan Allen at the book sale, encountering the Reverend and then seeing Wendy riding her bike.
• Chris: Kevin Kline driving Tobey Maguire home from the train and giving the 'self-abuse' speech.
• Bill: This movie almost defies the concept of a most rewatchable scene – it needs to be experienced as a total package.

• Key parties as a pop culture concept – this movie made key parties iconic.
• The 'self-abuse' car ride scene – Kevin Kline's hilariously awkward speech about masturbation.
• Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver previously playing the President and First Lady in Dave, now reunited as a dysfunctional '70s couple.
• Sigourney Weaver's entire performance.
• The Tobey Maguire-Katie Holmes breakout – this was both of their launching pads to stardom.
• The Nixon/Watergate shadow hanging over the entire film – one of the few movies that elegantly triangulates the sexual revolution, Watergate, and cultural malaise.

• Waterbeds – Bill: 'Every time I see waterbeds, I'm always like, what were we thinking?'
• The premature ejaculation scene with Jamey Sheridan's character Jim Carver.
• The football scene where Elijah Wood just zones out – Bill says it's the only time he felt it was 'definitely directed by somebody who didn't grow up in America'.

• Natalie Portman turned down the role of Wendy. All three agree Christina Ricci was the right choice – 'slightly darker energy' and 'a little bit more withering'.
• Chris suggests Harrison Ford instead of Kevin Kline. Bill: 'I have trouble when Harrison Ford has to be horny.'
• Sean suggests swapping Elijah Wood for Macaulay Culkin.

• Bill's dream recast: Philip Seymour Hoffman in any role. Chris suggests Hoffman as the Reverend.
• Sean identifies the Jamey Sheridan part (Jim Carver) as the one to recast – suggests Jeff Bridges or Nick Nolte.

Michael Cumpsty as the Reverend – Bill calls him 'the definition of that guy.' The creepy long-haired reverend who looks like William Mapother (Tom Cruise's cousin from Lost).

• Allison Janney at the key party – unanimous pick. She's like an Oscar's host at the key party, the most excited person there.
• Henry Czerny when he gets the keys of the heavy-set woman and gives a 'let's do this' look.

• Bill: Jamey Sheridan at the end – 'Your son's dead. You had no idea he was dead until this moment and you're just kind of like, hey.'
• Bill: The Reverend (Michael Cumpsty) – his 'sometimes the shepherd needs to play with the flock' line at the key party. 'He really flies into the side of the mountain.'

• The real ice storm happened December 16-17, 1973, and was named Felix.
• Ang Lee had cast members study stacks of magazine cutouts from the late '70s to nail the period details.
• Two anachronisms: the MTA did not exist in 1973, and Marlboro Lights weren't around yet.
• The weather lady on TV is the same actress who plays the annoying date with Tom Hanks in 'Sleepless in Seattle' – Bill's wife spotted it.

• Joan Allen – Bill says yes. 1997 was her year with 'The Ice Storm' and 'Face/Off', leading to Pleasantville.
• Key parties – '100 percent, yes. Thumbs fucking up for apex mountain for key parties.'
• Premature ejaculation scenes – Bill still gives it to 'Forrest Gump' over this.

• Would someone in boarding school in 1973 really have a Nixon poster over their bed?
• If you're the dad of the dead kid, isn't your instinct that drunk Kevin Kline hit him with his car? No follow-up questions.
• Sean doesn't understand the logistics of the key party – why is there a single reverend there, and a woman who brought her son?

• What do the next few weeks, months, and years look like for both families? Chris: 'Guessing the worst.' Bill: 'Feels like two divorces for sure.'
• What happens to Sandy (the younger brother)? Bill: 'He's definitely in jail.'
• Did anyone ever have a worse night in a movie than Jim Carver that didn't involve jail? Car crash, embarrassing sexual moment, wife had sex with a young stud, and son electrocuted – all in four hours.

Sean suggests a five-part Netflix miniseries – one episode per day of Thanksgiving weekend (Wednesday through Sunday morning).

• Bill: The key party bowl with the fake keys.
• Chris: The Nixon mask.
• Sean: Jim Carver's Buick – 'minus the reupholstering'.

• Bill: Joan Allen – 'She had a really nice run of really good roles. This is probably her best dramatic performance.'
• Chris: Ang Lee – 'It confirms him as a major filmmaker.'
• Sean: Joan Allen wins among actors; Ang Lee among everyone.

Craig Horlbeck hated the movie – 'the most negative response we've ever gotten about a movie.' Craig: 'I'm going to sit this movie out.'

Sean: Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) – a movie about two couples exploring the early stages of the sexual revolution. 'This movie is about being at the end of that.'