'Cocktail' & Elisabeth Shue: The Rewatchables Companion Guide

Pop Fiction Women

We are breaking our own rules again to respond to an episode of the Rewatchables podcast from the woman's point of view. Like our episode on Boomerang, we love these classics as much as the Rewatchables does, but we examine them under the female gaze and have so much fun doing it!

*** Complicated Women: Not all “rich chicks” are created equal. Coral (Gina Gershon) is a photographer for Rolling Stone who orders up multiple orgasms. Bonnie (Lisa Banes) is a total boss in business who keeps a cadre of boy toys. Kerry Coughlin (Kelly Lynch) is a young Esther Perel who advocates for consensual non-monogamy. Jordan Mooney (Elizabeth Shue) is an independent, creative, beer-drinking “worker and a hustler” as per Coughlin’s laws. Listen to hear how this movie is ahead of its time from the woman’s point of view. (02:40)

*** Scenes. As with other great books and movies, our best scenes were wrapped up with our cringiest. What is actually going on with all the poetry at the Cell Block? And how it is somehow insane and amazing? The montage in Jamaica that starts off strong but ends with a controversial waterfall scene...it’s no surprise that our faves highlight the women! (09:40)

*** What’s Your Damage, Doug? We flip our regular segment to discuss the dysfunctional, toxic friendship between Flanagan and Coughlin. (28:32)

*** The Pregnancy Twist. Does this work as a plot device? Was abortion intentionally off the table? And did Fatherhood have its Apex Mountain in the late 80s? (38:55)

*** Crystal Ball. Do Jordan and Brian make it? Is Cocktails & Dreams in every suburban strip mall yet? Listen to hear our predictions and Carinn’s dream for a remake where the Brian Flanagan character is a woman! (49:39)

*** Who Won The Movie? Carinn picks one of the ladies and Kate goes with an obvious but well deserved choice! (53:24)

*** Takeaways. Kate reminisces about her love of bars and it gets strangely funny when Kate and Carinn end up wanting to create a bizarro romantic character that is a mix of a drunk and a guy who wants to spread his seed...whaaat? We end by discussing whether this is a good movie and whether people’s views on that question are colored by gender. (57:10)

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