Dana and Tom with returning guest, Heather Stewart (The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent) discuss Requiem for a Dream (2000) celebrating its 25th Anniversary: written and directed by Darren Aronofsky with Hubert Selby, Jr., cinematography by Matthew Libatique, music by Clint Mansell, editing by Jay Rabinowitz, starring Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans.

Plot Summary: In Requiem for a Dream, four residents of Coney Island chase transformative dreams at any cost. Sara Goldfarb (Ellen Burstyn), a lonely widow, becomes obsessed with appearing on her favorite TV game show and resorts to prescription diet pills. Her son Harry (Jared Leto), his girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly), and best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) envision striking it rich as drug dealers, fueling their ambitions with heroin and amphetamines. As each character’s dependency deepens, their utopian visions shatter, plunging them into a harrowing spiral of addiction and despair.

Guest:

Heather Stewart

• The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent
• @heatherjstewart on IG, X, Letterboxd
• Previously on Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for Requiem for a Dream

03:13 Welcome Back, Heather Stewart

04:29 Heather's New Role

06:37 A CLP Thank You to Heather and General Discussion

16:25 The Quintessential Bottoming Out Movie

20:11 First Impressions of Requiem

29:27 Plot Summary for Requiem for a Dream

30:22 What is Requiem for a Dream About?

42:35 Did You Know?

46:34 First Break

48:34 What's Up with Heather Stewart?

54:32 CLP Rankings - #50-41

01:09:29 Best Performance(s)

01:22:40 Best Scene(s)

01:32:55 Second Break

01:33:33 In Memoriam

01:34:33 Best Lines

01:37:26 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:45:49 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:50:18 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:56:43 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

02:01:20 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

02:07:44 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

02:11:50 Remaining Questions for Requiem

02:19:59 Thank You to Heather and Remaining Thoughts

02:21:49 Credits

You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.

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For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/requiem-for-a-dream-2000-ft-heather-stewart

For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list

Keywords:

Requiem for a Dream, addiction, despair, film analysis, Darren Aronofsky, character study, cinema legacy, movie podcast, film analysis, movie breakdown, performances, editing, best scenes, legacy, audience reception, originality, classicness, rewatchability, Jared Leto, Ellen Burstyn, Jennifer Connelly, Clint Mansell, Marlon Wayans, Jay Rabinowitz, Matthew Libatique

Ronny Duncan Studios