The West Wing Weekly

Pivots, lit bits, and a hookup in a pond. Plus plenty of plenipotentiary, as Hrishi and Josh welcome Ambassador A. Elizabeth Jones and her husband Don Ruschman to tell us what it’s really like inside the world of high stakes diplomacy.

For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-105.

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You’ve said you’d listen to us talk about anything, and today we test this thesis. We touch on pigs, contractions, James Bond, and offscreen butts. And we still find time to discuss Russian mercenaries, a sudden death, and onscreen butt.

For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-104.

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We’re joined by director Andrew Bernstein to discuss his work on this episode (as well as his work on The West Wing)—and that fight scene between Kate and Hal!

For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-103.

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We’re digging into the dynamics of Kate & Hal, Eidra & Stuart, the breathless pace of the show, and its “no good guys” worldview. Josh has an important PSA about drugs.

For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-102.

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Our discussion of The Diplomat begins at the beginning with the creator of the series, Debora Cahn, who tells us about the show's origin story.

For more info and to discuss the episode, visit thewestwingweekly.com/thediplomat-101.

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We’re very excited to announce a new series here on The West Wing Weekly, discussing the Netflix hit political thriller The Diplomat, episode by episode. Coming soon!

Join us LIVE in London for the season 1 finale, on Saturday November 14. Tickets here: http://thewestwingweekly.com/live

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We're discussing the 1976 Oscar-winning classic directed by Alan Pakula and written by William Goldman (one of Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting heroes). WOODSTEIN!

If you'd like to watch the video version of this episode, subscribe to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

Here are some extra tidbits:

• "Telling the Truth about Lies" - a featurette on the making of the film
• An article Gordon Willis wrote for American Cinematographer in 1976 about his work on the film, including his use of split diopters.
• Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later - which features Josh Malina in the role of Deep Throat

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Did you order the Code Red? You're goddamn right I did!—if by "Code Red" you mean an hour of Josh & Hrishi discussing this Aaron Sorkin / Rob Reiner classic. (We're not in the Marines, but we still like giving things code names.) We wanted to pay tribute to the late Rob Reiner and this film that, in some ways, would eventually lead to The West Wing. Plus, A Few Good Men was Josh's film debut, based on the play that was his Broadway debut, so he has lots of stories. We hope—we strenuously hope—you'll join us for this conversation about one of the all-time great courtrooms drama.

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We've got a bonus installment of the Film Fest—with special guest Adam Scott! In addition to his work on Severance, Parks & Recreation, Party Down, and so much more, he's just a genuinely thoughtful and kind person, so we are thrilled to have him back on the podcast. We're discussing the 1992 film Bob Roberts, a satirical mockumentary by Tim Robbins.

• Tim Robbins on SNL - October 3, 1992 (via Peacock)
• Tim Robbins 2017 interview in Entertainment Weekly
• Tim Robbins post on X - July 14, 2024

You can find The West Wing Weekly lapel pin, t-shirts, and more at https://thewestwingweekly.com/merch.

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We're trying to savor the Capra-esque quality of this experience by wrapping up with Mr. Smith.

Supplemental materials:

• James Taylor - You've Got a Friend
• Mr Deeds Goes to Town trailer
• Sokovia Accords debate from Captain America: Civil War

Thank you so much for joining us again for this series!

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Starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, and Kevin Kline. This one was a Patreon subscriber pick!

Additional materials:

• an article about the making of Dave
• Kevin Kline plays Mr. Fischoeder in Bob's Burgers
• "clever" as an insult in Fight Club

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Is The Candidate, in fact, the anti-West Wing? A political story that ends not with a bang, but with a question of existential dread.

• Interview with screenwriter Jeremy Larner in Brooklyn Magazine
• The trailer for Downhill Racer (1969)
• Jerry Seinfeld on Letterman: "You're rooting for clothes."

Let us know what you thought of the film!

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Did this movie predict Trump back in 1957? We discuss the film debut of Andy Griffith in a role so dark, anyone who knows the Andy Griffith show might experience some uncomfortable dissonance.

Some goodies that came up in our conversation:

• The dance of joy from "Perfect Strangers"
• This essay about the film on the Criterion website
• Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter in a great scene from Broadcast News
• The 'ten-word-answer' scene from The West Wing

What did you think of the film, on a scale of 1–10 grains of inert matter? Let us know!

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This week, we dive deeper into the role of the fourth estate, as we discuss Network, the Oscar-winning film that was meant to be a wild satire at the time it was released, but ended up uncannily predicting the future.

Some additional reading material:

Mad As Hell, Dave Itzkoff's book about Network

Directors' Guild of America post about Sidney Lumet at a 2003 screening of Network

Vanity Fair article on the legacy of Network(which includes thoughts from Aaron Sorkin)

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This week, we're discussing the 1998 film Bulworth, which features a rapping Warren Beatty, a young Josh Malina, a few problematic moments, and some wonderful and strange ones, too.

For a real treat, watch the music video for Ghetto Supastar, which also features a young Josh Malina!

What did you think of Bulworth? Join the conversation over on our Patreon and let us know on a scale of 1–10 forced calls!

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What's more terrifying in Martin Sheen's depiction of J. Edgar Hoover—the racism, or the makeup?! We discuss ALL the important aspects of this cat-and-mouse thriller, which was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya.

For additional viewing:

• The Lucas Brothers
• William O'Neal's full interview for Eyes on the Prize II

Hoover and Sheen-as-Hoover, side by side:

What did you think of Judas and the Black Messiah? Let us know on a scale of 1–10 simultaneously played saxophones over on our Patreon page, https://patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

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This week, we're discussing the hilarious — and terrifying—Dr Strangelove.

A few goodies:

• An interview with title designer Pablo Ferro
• "Are We the Baddies?" from That Mitchell and Webb Look

George C Scott side-by-side with Tim Robinson (from I Think You Should Leave)

Let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 precious bodily fluids! Join the conversation on our Patreon at https://patreon.com/thewestingwingweekly.

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This week, we're discussing the razor-sharp dialogue and side-splitting comedy of In the Loop (2009), one the greatest political satires. Here are footnotes for some of the stuff outside of the film that came up in the conversation:

• A tiny clip from the unaired pilot of "Legally Mad"
• The stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera"
• The Roy Kent chant

Join us on Patreon to let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 Lemons Difficult.

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It's the first installment of the Political Film Fest, and we've got: Martin Sheen in the oval office! "What is the virtue of a proportional response?" The GDC! There are so many familiar elements in The American President, and yet, the film feels dramatically different from The West Wing (and at times, comedically different). It's our first episode, and we're going to talk about what we loved, what we didn't, and everything in between. Let's dive in! We’ve gotta start early because we're having lunch at the Kremlin.

Some goodies:

• Here's the trailer for the film.
• Check out this great poster from Italy forIl Presidente.

What did you think of The American President? Let us know how you would rate it on a scale of 1–10 Virginia hams. Sorry: Virginias ham.

To join in the discussion, listen to ad-free versions of TWWWPFF, and get additional benefits, subscribe to our Patreon at https://patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

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After four years away, we're bringing back The West Wing Weekly in a new form. As this election season heats up, we're taking a weekly respite from the stress of reality, and turning towards political cinema instead. We're watching and discussing some of our favorite films. It's the same mix of analysis and nonsense that you’ve come to expect from The West Wing Weekly, but applied to a different movie each week. We're starting our journey in the familiar territory of Aaron Sorkin dialogue, with The American President.

We're launching this podcast on our Patreon page, for paid subscribers. Go to https://patreon.com/thewestwingweekly to subscribe and join us. There are different tiers to choose from, starting at $5/month. Every paid tier has access to the podcast, with additional benefits and ways to connect with us and other TWWWPFF listeners at higher tiers. Okay, what's next? We're back! Let's go!

https://patreon.com/thewestwingweekly

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