27. Romeo + Juliet

Romeo + Juliet (1996)

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire Danes, Brian Dennehy, John Leguizamo

Synopsis: Coming soon.

Bechdel-Wallace Pass? Yes

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The Episode

We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet, but can we recall what happens in Romeo + Juliet (1996)? We know it's an updated version of the story because of the plus sign (clearly). We know there is a nurse. We know it's going to be a bummer. But we definitely did not remember that Paul Rudd was in this movie. By the way, Paul Rudd is in this movie.

Listen

The Ratings

Data to Come

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The Trailer

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Totes Regrets

By Molly Chase

Of all the things I struggle to remember and get right during the podcast, trying to remember the Jimmy Eat World lyric about being bored was the hardest. I could not figure it out, even though I'd heard it just days before, when this 19-year-old lyric struck me as brand new:

But if you're bored then you're boring

Preach! This is the truth. If I had a journal, I'd journal about it. The thing is, though, it is most definitely not from a Jimmy Eat World song. It's from Harvey Danger's song, Flagpole Sitta. Oops. Well, regrets within regrets.

All this brings me to Paul Rudd's character, who is supposed to be a bland alternative to passionate Romeo. But I ask you: would you rather spend time with a pouty guy who lets his cigarette go to ash while writing tortured love thoughts in his journal? Or would you rather be with this guy:

PAUL RUDD LOVES BALLOONS, Y'ALL

Based on hair, sure, journal guy. But based on pure joy, there is no substitute for the nation's most beloved time-traveler, dream BFF, and everyman, Paul Rudd.