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 thewestwingweekly.com/merch.

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!

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

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!

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!

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)

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!

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, patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.