329 – The Devil’s Own (with Dan Mecca and Conor O’Donnell!)

What this episode covers

What a delight to have not one but TWO pals join us this week, The B-Side hosts Dan Mecca and Conor O’Donnell! Naturally, we’re going back to forgotten films from the 1990s with director Alan Pakula’s final film, The Devil’s Own. The film starred Brad Pitt as an IRA member hiding out in America opposite Harrison Ford as the police officer who shelters him. Presenting a very Americanized version of the Irish Troubles, The Devil’s Own is just about the mildest and best looking movie disaster you’ll find in the 1990s. This episode, we unpack the tumultuous making of the film and how its on-set tug-of-war is still discussed. We also discuss Pitt’s notoriously derided dialect in the film, Ford’s relationship with male costars, and Pakula’s tremendous filmography. Topics also include cinematographer Gordon Willis, Edward Zwick’s memoir, and Oscar movies about the Troubles.