The 2008 Movie Draft

2008, before the draft

The Dark Knight 2008

Christopher Nolan's Batman sequel, which Sean calls one of the defining films of the century. Its Best Picture snub is credited with pushing the Academy to expand the nominee field to 10.

Slumdog Millionaire 2008

Danny Boyle's Best Picture winner, which the hosts say basically didn't lose a single race it ran in that awards season.

The Reader 2008

Kate Winslet plays a former Nazi camp guard having an affair with a much younger man. Amanda's verdict, flatly: bad.

Doubt 2008

John Patrick Shanley's adaptation of his own play. Amanda remembers seeing it and having a great time.

The Wrestler 2008

Darren Aronofsky and Mickey Rourke. Amanda tells the story of getting in a fight with a boyfriend over the ending and breaking up with him within the week.

Frost/Nixon 2008

Ron Howard's Best Picture nominee. Called okay, not much more.

Milk 2008

Gus Van Sant's Harvey Milk biopic starring Sean Penn. Called fine.

The 2008 Movie Draft drafting 2008 movies

Sean Fennessey

Oscar Nominee

The Dark Knight 2008

Sean's first-overall pick. He insists he does love Christopher Nolan's movie, despite the ribbing, and calls it some of the best action filmmaking of the century.

Action Horror

Let the Right One In 2008

Tomas Alfredson's vampire film, which Sean pairs thematically with Wall-E as two lonely people finding each other in the dark. He notes Alfredson followed it with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, then the much-mocked The Snowman.

Comedy

Forgetting Sarah Marshall 2008

Sean's favorite movie of the year, Jason Segel and Judd Apatow's breakup comedy set in Hawaii. He wishes Segel had kept making movies like it instead of moving into TV.

Blockbuster

WALL-E 2008

Sean's pick, which he calls a ballet of loneliness with a nearly wordless first act. Amanda and Chris needle him for not remembering the robot's name.

Drama

Rachel Getting Married 2008

Jonathan Demme's film, with what Sean calls Anne Hathaway's best performance and some of Demme's finest work behind the camera.

Wildcard

Synecdoche, New York 2008

Charlie Kaufman's film, which Sean calls a masterpiece. It was also, he recalls, one of his dad's questionable Thanksgiving movie picks that year.

Chris Ryan

Oscar Nominee

In Bruges 2008

Chris's second-overall pick and favorite movie of the year. Martin McDonagh's film with Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, and Ralph Fiennes, whose lone Oscar nomination was for original screenplay.

Action Horror

Cloverfield 2008

The found-footage monster movie, whose teaser trailer ran in front of Transformers before the film had even finished shooting. Chris says the marketing was as much of a feat as the movie itself.

Comedy

Burn After Reading 2008

The Coen brothers' spy farce with Brad Pitt and John Malkovich, who Chris and Sean call maybe the funniest either of them has ever been on screen.

Blockbuster

Tropic Thunder 2008

Chris calls it about as perfect a Hollywood comedy as it gets. Robert Downey Jr. earned an Oscar nomination for playing an actor in blackface.

Drama

Pride and Glory 2008

Gavin O'Connor's cop drama with Colin Farrell, Edward Norton, and Robert Duvall. Chris interviewed O'Connor at length after the film came out and calls him one of the most underrated American filmmakers working.

Wildcard

Pineapple Express 2008

David Gordon Green and Judd Apatow's stoner comedy, taken over The Strangers, which Chris passed on despite loving it.

Amanda Dobbins

Oscar Nominee

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2008

David Fincher's film with Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett. Amanda calls it one of her least favorite Fincher movies, beautiful but more him playing dress-up than fully committing.

Action Horror

Iron Man 2008

Amanda's first pick, taken third overall. She jokes that Chris cost a Marvel executive her job by talking about the franchise too much on the show.

Comedy

Step Brothers 2008

Amanda took it before Chris could, then rewatched it the morning of taping instead of doing errands.

Blockbuster

Twilight 2008

Catherine Hardwicke's film, which Amanda defends despite the ribbing, singling out Kristen Stewart and a young Anna Kendrick.

Drama

Two Lovers 2008

James Gray's film with Joaquin Phoenix, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Vinessa Shaw. Amanda calls it Gray's masterpiece, at least until The Lost City of Z.

Wildcard

Mamma Mia! 2008

Amanda's closer, with Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth. She describes it as Meryl and a bunch of handsome actors going on vacation in Greece and filming it, their version of Ocean's Eleven.

On the board, undrafted honorable mentions

Hellboy II: The Golden ArmyThe StrangersMan on WireCheQuantum of SolaceFour ChristmasesDefinitely, MaybeW.The HappeningValkyrieBody of LiesThe RuinsSex and the CityHappy-Go-LuckyMarley & MeRogueGran TorinoRedbeltSpeed RacerChangelingBe Kind Rewind27 DressesMy Blueberry NightsThe Bank JobThe VisitorShotgun StoriesRevolutionary Road

Also mentioned raised along the way

In passing Sleepless in SeattleThe Pelican BriefThe FirmGoodfellasMiller's CrossingThe Banshees of InisherinTitanicCape FearKillers of the Flower MoonNapoleonChallengersDune: Part TwoThe Dark Knight RisesHeat 2FerrariTo Die ForThe Lost City of Z10 Cloverfield LaneThe Cloverfield ParadoxTinker Tailor Soldier SpyThe SnowmanThe AccountantWarriorThe Way BackThis Is the EndDragged Across ConcreteThe GentlemenLayer CakeThe HuntAdventurelandWaiting...The MuleCry MachoGreat Expectations

Discussed, but ruled ineligible (2009 US release) Taken

Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads

TV Tokyo ViceAnd Just Like ThatThis TownGreat Expectations (2023 miniseries)

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