Blank Check with Griffin & David Critical Darlings: Train Dreams, And Netflix’s Quest For Best Picture
Jan 29, 2026
They ride through Train Dreams, discussing its quiet lead performance, adaptation choices, and visual style. They dig into Sundance’s shifting identity, how premieres shape awards buzz, and the festival’s move toward mainstream clout. They debate Netflix’s long quest for Best Picture credibility and how streaming is changing which films get made and awarded.
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A Sundance Memory Thawing Out
- Alison recalls thawing out emotionally at a Sundance screening of Call Me By Your Name in 2017.
- The memory tied the film to relief from a snowy, tense festival atmosphere.
What Makes A Sundance Film
- A 'Sundance movie' often means American, auteur-driven films with quirk and discoverable talent.
- The festival favors films that feel like discoveries rather than established international art-house entries.
Train Dreams Feels Out Of Place
- Train Dreams premiered at Sundance yet doesn't feel like a typical Sundance picture.
- The film aims for poetic cinema rather than the festival's expected quirky, small-scale Americana.
