Movie Quote of the Day (‘Out of Sight,’ As a Bank Robber and Marshal Chat About What Might Have Been)

Jack Foley [played by George Clooney]: “You sure are easy to talk to. I was thinkin', if we met under different circumstances...if you were in a bar and I came up and we started talkin'...I wonder what would happen.”

Karen Sisco [played by Jennifer Lopez]: “Nothing.”

Jack: “If you didn't know who I was….”

Karen: “You'd probably tell me.”

Jack: “Just saying, if we met under different circumstances...”

Karen: “You have got to be kidding.”— Out of Sight (1998), screenplay by Scott Frank, based on the novel by Elmore Leonard, directed by Steven Soderbergh

I try to stay on top of upcoming film, book, and music anniversaries for purposes of this blog, but this sly, really enjoyable heist film —which premiered 25 years ago this week—came to my attention again through Jason Bailey’s account in today’s New York Times.

There are some movies that you can’t believe succeeded at the box office, they’re so criminally stupid. On the other hand, it’s criminally stupid when a movie with such wickedly offbeat dialogue and great chemistry between Clooney and Lopez underperforms.

Well, that’s what cable, DVD and streaming are for: to allow you another crack at a movie that, for reasons best known to you, you never got around to before. As Bailey notes, the movie ultimately helped turn around the careers of the two stars and Steven Soderbergh.

As for me: I was one of the lucky ones, sitting in a movie theater a quarter century ago, trying to figure out what would happen next between Clooney’s smooth, smiling career criminal and Lopez’s tough federal marshal who takes a liking to the bad boy despite herself.

Twenty years ago, Lopez’s character was turned into the ongoing center of a TV series, Karen Sisco, starring Carla Gugino. I never got around to watching it, even though it was on TV for three seasons. I guess I couldn’t see how it could top what was on the big screen.

TV Quote of the Day (‘Gilmore Girls,’ on Jennifer Lopez, Once and Future Wedding Maven)

“Mom, it’s a pretend wedding. J-Lo has them all the time.”—Lorelai Gilmore [played by Lauren Graham], reassuring Emily (nervous about renewing her marriage vows), in Gilmore Girls, Season 5, Episode 13, “Wedding Bell Blues,” original air date Feb 8, 2005, written and directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino

It’s amazing how some sitcoms just feel really dated, while the jokes in others have a habit of coming around again. Jennifer Lopez is the gift that keeps on giving.

When the episode from which this joke was taken first aired, Facebook had only gone public within the past year and was still unknown to many members of the public. Alexa, Netflix “streaming,” “Grubhub,” TikTok, Instagram were not around at all.

But audiences then and now would nod approvingly and chuckle at “J-Lo.” The year before Lorelai Gilmore tried to cheer up her mom by invoking her name, the actress-singer had broken off her engagement up with Ben Affleck.

Recently, you may have heard, “Bennifer” reunited and married. It’s hard not to escape the suspicion that she wed the Oscar-winning actor-writer-director-producer on the rebound from her broken engagement to former baseball slugger Alex Rodriguez.

In case you’re not keeping count, this is J-Lo’s fourth marriage. She’s also been engaged six times. Don't ever try to keep track of the men she's been with in between.

No wonder she confessed eight years ago to being a "love addict."

Many economists tell us that a recession is around the corner. But, as long as Ms. Lopez is around, it’ll always be full employment for entertainment reporters working the celebrity matrimonial beat.

TV Quote of the Day (Jennifer Lopez, Putting ‘Gigli’ in Perspective)

"There's worse movies than Gigli out there, OK?" —Jennifer Lopez, on the bomb she made with then-fiance Ben Affleck, speaking on Late Night With Seth Meyers, quoted in “Yes, I Did Say That!”, The Hollywood Reporter, Feb. 6, 2015