Listeners will be captivated as Chris and Jessica unpack the film's clever structure, featuring coordinators portrayed by Divine Joy Randolph and John Early, who act as competing advocates in this cosmic custody battle for Joan's soul. They delve into how the film balances heavy themes of love and mortality with light-hearted humor, exemplified in scenes like the bickering couple heading to a gender reveal party.
The discussion also highlights the film's exploration of different kinds of love, contrasting the fleeting perfection of first love with the complexities of a long-term relationship. The performances of Miles Teller and Callum Turner as young Larry and Luke, respectively, are noted for making both relationships feel equally valid yet distinct.
With a score of 7.5 out of 10, this episode invites listeners to reflect on the meaningful questions surrounding love and choice, making *Eternity* a film that resonates universally, even amid its fantastical premise. Join Chris and Jessica as they explore how this engaging narrative manages to entertain while provoking deeper thoughts about life and the afterlife.
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This episode includes AI-generated content.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: What if the afterlife had a bureaucracy
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 complete with paperwork, deadlines and office
00:00:04 --> 00:00:07 politics? That's exactly what the new movie,
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 Eternity, explores. Turning the age old
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 question of eternal love into something
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 surprisingly fresh and complex.
00:00:14 --> 00:00:17 Jessica: The premise really does grab you. Uh, it's
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 like the Good Place meets Ghost, but with
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 this fascinating twist about having to choose
00:00:21 --> 00:00:22 between two great loves.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:25 Chris: You know what's really compelling about the
00:00:25 --> 00:00:27 setup? They've given Joan,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 played brilliantly by Elizabeth Olsen,
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 this impossible choice between her first
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 husband, Luke, who died young in the Korean
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 War, and Larry, who she spent
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 65 years with. And they only have a
00:00:40 --> 00:00:43 week to decide before being sent to some kind
00:00:43 --> 00:00:44 of celestial basement.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:49 Jessica: Hmm. That time pressure element really adds
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 something special to the story. It forces
00:00:51 --> 00:00:53 them to confront these big questions about
00:00:53 --> 00:00:55 love and mortality head on.
00:00:56 --> 00:00:57 Chris: Well, what makes it even more interesting is
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 how they've structured the afterlife itself.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 You've got these coordinators, Divine Joy
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 Randolph and John early, essentially acting
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 as competing lawyers for each husband. It's
00:01:07 --> 00:01:09 like a cosmic custody battle for Joan's
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 eternal soul.
00:01:11 --> 00:01:13 Jessica: The way they've balanced the tone must be
00:01:13 --> 00:01:15 challenging, though. How do you make
00:01:15 --> 00:01:16 something this heavy feel light enough for a
00:01:16 --> 00:01:17 romantic comedy?
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 Chris: That's exactly what makes this film special.
00:01:21 --> 00:01:23 They manage to find this sweet spot between
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 philosophical depth and genuine humor.
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 Like that opening scene where elderly Joan
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 and Larry are bickering on their way to a
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 gender reveal party. It immediately grounds
00:01:34 --> 00:01:35 everything in reality.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:39 Jessica: Oh, and speaking of reality, I love how
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 they've made the afterlife feel both magical
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 and mundane at the same time. You can choose
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 to spend eternity in the mountains or by the
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 beach, but first you have to fill out the
00:01:48 --> 00:01:49 proper forms.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:53 Chris: Right. And that bureaucratic element actually
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 serves the story in a fascinating way.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 It's like they're suggesting that even in
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 paradise, we can't escape these very human
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 systems we've created. But what really gets
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 me is how they're exploring different kinds
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 of love.
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 Jessica: Well, that's true. You've got this perfect
00:02:09 --> 00:02:11 but brief first love with Luke versus this
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 long, complex relationship with Larry.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:16 It's not just about who she loves more, but
00:02:16 --> 00:02:18 what kind of love means more.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 Chris: And you know what makes it even more complex?
00:02:21 --> 00:02:24 The casting of Miles Teller as young Larry
00:02:24 --> 00:02:26 and Callum Turner as Luke. They both had to
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 make their relationships with Joan feel
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 equally valid, but in completely different
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 ways. It's like comparing a perfect summer
00:02:33 --> 00:02:34 day to all four seasons.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 Jessica: The way Elizabeth Olsen handles these
00:02:37 --> 00:02:39 emotional complexities must be pretty
00:02:39 --> 00:02:41 remarkable. She has to make us believe in
00:02:41 --> 00:02:42 both relationships.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 Chris: Um, um, absolutely crucial point.
00:02:46 --> 00:02:47 Her performance is what holds everything
00:02:48 --> 00:02:50 together. She has to show us why both these
00:02:50 --> 00:02:53 men matter to her, while also letting us see
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 her genuine struggle with the choice. It's
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 not just about who she picks, it's about what
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 that choice says about love itself.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Jessica: So even though the review mentions it's
00:03:02 --> 00:03:04 somewhat predictable where it's heading, the
00:03:04 --> 00:03:06 journey still matters more than the
00:03:06 --> 00:03:06 destination.
00:03:08 --> 00:03:10 Chris: You know, sometimes knowing where you're
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 going allows you to focus on the more
00:03:12 --> 00:03:14 interesting questions along the way, like
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 what makes a relationship meaningful? Is it
00:03:17 --> 00:03:19 the quality of time spent together? The
00:03:19 --> 00:03:22 quantity? The potential of what could have
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 been? These are questions that anyone
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 who's loved multiple people has probably
00:03:27 --> 00:03:27 grappled with.
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 Jessica: Well, that's what makes this story so
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 universally relatable, even with its
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 fantastical premise. We've all wondered about
00:03:35 --> 00:03:38 the roads not taken in our lives, and in
00:03:38 --> 00:03:38 the.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:41 Chris: End, that's what makes this movie work so
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 brilliantly. It takes these huge universal
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 questions about love and mortality and
00:03:46 --> 00:03:48 examines them through this unique lens.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 The afterlife setting actually allows them to
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 explore very earthly concerns about choice
00:03:54 --> 00:03:57 and regret in a way that feels fresh and
00:03:57 --> 00:03:57 engaging.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:00 Jessica: Sounds like they've managed to create
00:04:00 --> 00:04:02 something that's both entertaining and
00:04:02 --> 00:04:05 thought provoking. Not an easy balance
00:04:05 --> 00:04:05 to strike.
00:04:06 --> 00:04:08 Chris: Like you said, it's not easy. But when it
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 works as it seems, to hear, you end up with
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 something special, a story that makes us
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 laugh while also making us think about what
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 really matters in life. And apparently in the
00:04:18 --> 00:04:20 afterlife too. Rated m
00:04:20 --> 00:04:23 Eternity scores a 7.5 out of 10.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:25 Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 player. You can also stream on
00:04:33 --> 00:04:35 demand@bytes.com this.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:37 Chris: Has been another quality podcast production
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 from tights. Com.
00:04:39 --> 00:04:41 Voice Over Guy: Um.