Two Geeks and a GIT Classic Movie Reviews

Our second film honoring the late Robert Duvall not only shows off his musical abilities, but it won him an Academy Award for Best Actor! Directed by Bruce Beresford, 1983's "Tender Mercies" tells the story of washed-up country singer Mac Sledge (Duvall) who, after a drunken night, finds himself stranded, penniless, at a small motel/gas station in Texas. He seeks out the proprietor, Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) who, with her young son Sonny (Allan Hubbard), tend to the business as best they can, and offers to work to pay off his room. He ends up staying on and cleans himself up, stops drinking, and becomes close with both Rosa and Sonny. He also begins writing new songs, although he tells no one about them. Eventually he professes his affections to Rosa and and the two get married. After a reporter (Paul Gleason) write a story about him in the local paper, a group of young musicians show up and tell him how much his music inspired them. He takes one of his songs to his ex-wife Dixie's (Betty Buckley) manager, Harry (Wilford Brimley) and asks him if he'd take it to her and see if she'd be interested in performing it. He also confronts Dixie and asks about his daughter, Sue Anne (Ellen Barkin) who he hasn't seen in a decade. Dixie throws him out, and Harry tells him she rejected his song outright, calling it substandard. Eventually, the young country band ask permission to record two of his songs, and Sue Anne comes to visit him against her mother's wishes now that she's turned 18. Things start to look up, but as Mac knows all too well, tragedy is always right around the corner - what matters is how you deal with it and move on. Plus, the trio FINALLY return to the list they began in early August and reveal which two films starring Dudley Moore will make up the next pairing!

We conclude our "In Memorium" pairings (for now) by paying tribute to the legendary actor Robert Duvall, who passed away on February 15th, 2026. Like with Rob Reiner and Catherine O'Hara, we've already reviewed several films, but there are no shortage of great performances left to choose from! Our first film is from 1979, directed by Lewis John Carlino. In "The Great Santini," Duvall plays Wilbur "Bull" Meechum, who referred to himself as "The Great Santini," a fierce and dedicated Marine fighter pilot who had the misfortune to enlist between wars, thus leaving him no one to fight. As a result, he is extremely disciplined... most of the time, until he isn't. He functions as the head of his family like he would as head of a military unit. Thus, his wife Lillian (Blythe Danner), eldest son Ben (Michael O'Keefe), his eldest daughter Mary Anne (Lisa Jane Persky), his youngest daughter Karen (Julie Anne Haddock), and youngest son Matthew (Brian Andrews) have adapted as best they can to a very military style of family life. As the oldest, however, Ben is the first to up-end the familial balance when he begins to assert control of his own life as his 18th birthday approaches. But even "The Great Santini" can find it in himself to bend when necessary, at least once it's proven to him, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he must.

The second film in this "In Memorium" pairing focuses on a gentleman who was primarily a television actor but did do enough film work to have turned in a few very memorable roles. James Van Der Beek passed away from cancer on February 11th, 2026. He is most famous for his starring role on the series "Dawson's Creek" which ran from 1998 to 2003. But his first major film role, in 1999's "Varsity Blues," demonstrated that he had the talent to be the lead in just about any project. Directed by Brian Robbins, "Varsity Blues" tells the story of backup quarterback Jonathan "Mox" Moxon, for the West Canaan Coyotes in the small town of West Canaan, Texas. This town eats, breathes, and lives high school football, and the team is headed for yet another district championship. Led by Coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight) and all-star quarterback Lance Harbor (Paul Walker), Mox spends most of the season on the bench watching Lance and friends Billy Bob (Ron Lester), Charlie Tweeder (Scott Caan), and Wendel Brown (Eliel Swinton) win game after game. Due to being hit by two defensive ends, Billy Bob is injured worse that Kilmer believes, and in the next game after his injury, he's sent out to block for Lance but passes out as the play begins, resulting in Lance suffering a severe knee injury, leaving Mox to fill in as quarterback for the rest of the season. But Mox is a scholar athlete, and wants to be done with football so he can go to college and get a degree that will allow him a professional, non-sports-related carrer. His sudden advancement to starting quarterback threatens to disrupt his relationship with his girlfriend Julie Harbor (Amy Smart), especially after Lance's girlfriend, Darcy (Ali Larter) attempts to seduce him. Add to that a confrontation between Mox and Kilmer about the coach's obsession with winning at the expense of his players, and you have a high school football film that doesn't go where you expect it to... mostly. Plus, the trio reveal which two films they've chosen to honor Robert Duvall who passed away on February 15th of 2026!

This pairing is a combined "In Memorium" to two more actors claimed by 2026. Our first film, and dedication to Bud Cort, a veteran character actor, who passed away on February 11th of 2026. Our first film is honoring him with his most famous film appearance! Directed by Hal Ashby, 1971's "Harold and Maude" tells the story of Harold Chasen, a young man who is obsessed with death in all its many forms. He spends his days attempting to terrorize his mother (Vivian Pickles) who has long since turned an exasperated blind eye to Harold's theatrics. Attending funerals is one of Harold's pastimes, and it is at one such even that he meets Maude Chardin (Ruth Gordon), a 79-year-old widow who seems particularly focused on the fact that she's soon to turn 80. The two forge an unlikely friendship, and Maude teaches Harold how to witness and enjoy life even as she acknowledges that she's approaching the end of hers. Harold's mother, however, is doing everything she can to try to turn Harold 'normal,' including sending him to a psychiatrist (G. Wood), setting him up on three computer dates, and getting rid of the hearse he drives and replacing it with a modern sports car. But Harold is his own man and chooses to continue his path, even as Maude manages to change his worldview through their adventures. Also starring Cyril Cusack (father of Sinéad Cusack), Charles Tyner, Eric Christmas, and an early appearance from Tom Skerritt!

Our second look at the life and work of Catherine O'Hara also rounds out our examination of Christopher Guest's classic film work! In 2006's "For Your Consideration," O'Hara plays Marilyn Hack, an aging actress in a little independent film called "Home for Purim." She's working alongside another veteran actor, Victor Allen Miller (Harry Shearer), young ingenue Callie Webb (Parker Posey) and her boyfriend and in-film brother, Brian Chubb (Christopher Moynihan). After being informed that a film-based website has mentioned that Marilyn's work could be creating some "Oscar buzz," things start to get a bit more tense on-set. Victor's agent, Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy) is trying to figure out how to turn this to his (and his client's) advantage. Director Jay Berman (Guest) is trying to ignore it and get the best performances he can from his actors. Producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) is only concerned with budget and promotion. Writers Phillip Koontz (Bob Balaban) and Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) are just trying to safeguard their script's inherent culture and make sure the concept remains intact. Then another member of the cast is mentioned as an Oscar contender, then another, and things go completely off the rails. Also starring Ed Begley Jr., Somon Helberg, Rachael Harris, Richard Kind, Fred Willard, and Jane Lynch! And the gents announce another honorary pairing, this time for two actors who recently passed away.

We dedicate this pairing to celebrating the life and talent of Catherine O'Hara, who we lost to complications related to cancer on January 30th of 2026. As we've done several of her best-known films over the last decade, we're going to focus on a couple lesser-known features. First off, O'Hara shows her dramatic chops as an Irish-Catholic mother tasked with raising five children basically on her own in director David Keating's 1996 film about a summer in 1977 Ireland called "The Last of the High Kings." Released originally in Ireland and the UK, when it was packaged by the studios for release in other markets (i.e. the United States), it was repackaged as "Summer Fling." The film stars O'Hara as Cathleen Griffin, whose husband Jack (Gabriel Byrne) is constantly on the road, working as an actor. This leaves Cathleen alone to manage Frankie (Jared Leto), Maggie (Renee Weldon), Noelie (Ciaran Fitzgerald), Ray (Peter Keating) and Dawn (Alexandra Haughey). Frankie is convinced he's failed his exams and torpedoed his chances at college. All he has to look forward to is planning a beach party and longing after two girls from his class, Jayne Wayne (Lorraine Pilkington) and Romy Thomas (Emily Mortimer). Along the way, Frankie's tasked with with chaperoning a visiting American, Erin (Christina Ricci), who is interested in him but Frankie doesn't feel the same until it's too late. And, through all of the chaos of the summer, a shared love of Elvis Presley motivates Frankie and his friends to keep pursuing their beach party, but will it ever happen? Also starring Colm Meaney, Stephen Rhea, and Mark O'Regan!

The second film in our tribute to the late Rob Reiner marks our 9th review of his first ten directed films. This time, it's a historical drama that Reiner helmed, telling the story of the 1963 assassination of African-American Medgar Evers (James Pickens Jr.), a civil rights activist who was shot in the back and killed in the driveway of his home in Mississippi by Byron De La Beckwith (James Woods). Due to a story released in 1989 by journalist Jerry Mitchell (Jerry Levine) which revealed that there had been jury tampering in Beckwith's two previous trials in the 60s, the widow of Medgar, Myrlie Evers (Whoopie Goldberg) comes to the office of the District Attorney to ask the D.A. Ed Peters (Craig T. Nelson) and the Assistant D.A. Bobby DeLaughter (Alec Baldwin) for a retrial. While the DA is reluctant, DeLaughter promises to pursue the case, some 20+ years later. His job is made difficult, however, by his wife Dixie (Virginia Madsen) who sees him as a traitor to his race, as well as repeated external threats against him and his family. Plus, many of the original witnesses have since died, the murder weapon is missing, and the official court transcript of the original trials has vanished. But Bobby continues, undaunted, to seek justice for Myrlie and her family. Also starring Susanna Thompson, William H. Macy, Benny Bennett, Darrell Evers, James Van Evers, Yolanda King, and Bill Cobbs! Plus, the guys announce which two films they'll be doing next as they pay tribute to Catherine O'Hara, who passed away at the end of December, 2025!

We begin our post-500 reviews with a tribute to actor, writer, and director Rob Reiner who was murdered in December of 2025. We have already done seven of his first ten films where he acted as director, this will be number eight. In 1985, Reiner led the story of a young man named Walter "Gib" Gibson (John Cusack, in his first film role) who begins college at an east coast Ivy-League school where his usual charisma isn't quite cutting it... in the classroom or in his social life. In his English class in particular, his sense of humor isn't enough to excuse his lack of grammar and spelling. But he also meets Alison Bradbury (Daphne Zuniga), a priss who has a masterful grasp of the mechanics of writing, but creates hollow and empty stories with no heart. After Gib blows his shot with Alison, the two find themselves on the road together, headed toward California. Alison is headed out there to spend the holidays with her boyfriend Jason (Boyd Gaines), while Gib is on his way to visit his best friend Lance (Anthony Edwards) who has promised him a sure thing (played by Nicollette Sheridan, also in her first film role). The trip out, however, is not uneventful, and sparks fly between Alison and Gib over and over and over... but is there something else going on beneath it all? Also starring Tim Robbins, Lisa Jane Persky, and Viveca Lindfors!

The third and final part of our 500th episode celebration is the culmination and conclusion to the Lord of the Rings saga: "The Return of the King!" Once more with Peter Jackson at the helm, the film begins by showing us Gollum/Smeagol's (Andy Serkis) backstory and how he came to possess the ring all those years before. The original fellowship reunites, sans Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) but with King Theoden (Berhard Hill), at Isengard after the Ents have made their feelings known. After some chicanery from Pippin, the group heads out toward the capital of Gondor, Minas Tirith. Frodo and Sam, with Gollum still in tow, are captured by soldiers from Gondor, but ultimately released to continue their journey. At this point, apart from following the hobbits and the ring, the film is all about preparing for Sauron's army to arrive at, and lay siege to, Minas Tirith. The effects are spectacular (especially for 2003), and the battle is extensive! But that's just the start of the end of this historic saga that blazed the path for more than half a century of epic fantasy stories (and the OG of tabletop role-playing games) to follow! Also starring Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, and Miranda Otto! Plus, the trio announce which two Rob Reiner films they'll be reviewing as they honor this legendary director in the next pairing!

Part two of our three-part celebration of our 500th episode is the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy: "The Two Towers!" Again directed by Peter Jackson, the story picks up right at the end of the previous film, showing the result of Gandalf (Ian McKellen) taking on the horrific Balrog in the depths of Moria while the rest of the Fellowship escapes back to the surface. Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) discover Gollum (Andy Serkis) pursuing them and end up making him travel with them. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) set off to rescue Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) from the orcs. Add to that a sentient tree known as Treebeard (also John Rhys-Davies), the Riders of Rohan, led by Eomer (Karl Urban), King Theoden (Bernard Hill) who is under the sway of Saruman disciple Grimma Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), the unleashing of Saruman's (Christopher Lee) orc and uruk-hai army, and the resurrection of Gandalf the Gray into Gandalf the White, and the story spins off in several directions, culminating in the sacking of Isengard!