Hello!

Hello, welcome to the bonfire of the vanities episode of Slate Money goes to the movies. I'm Felix Hammond of Axios. I am a grubby Inksd Wrenchd Wretch Hack. I am here grubby ink-stained wretch hack.

I am here with Emily Peck of Axios, who is also just a normal journalist.

Not stained.

And we are joined by a true industry professional here.

Taffy Brodosa Acner, you used to be a journalist like us.

And now you are a Hollywood person. And so now you have seen both sides and so we have to talk about Bonfire

of the Vanities because it is the classic example of a movie that at least when

it came out was completely hated because a bunch of people

read the book and didn't think the movie was as good as the book.

Well, that's true and I was very confused about it.

I actually re-watched it when I was doing a Tom Hanks story in 2019.

I found no real complaint with it.

What?

Mostly because, like here, there's a very, I have a very complex theory of, I mean, not a complaint with it,

not like a socialist, I mean, I have a socialist complaint with it but I didn't have a

movie going complaint about it because it just seemed like an okay and I said and I watched it again and my husband and I were like I said what's going to happen when I say when I look these people in the eye and I say I don't think this movie is that bad I I agree by the way taffy Emily have her jaw on the floor here but I am

Emily have her jaw on the floor here but I am with you I don't even think Emily is

I stopped breathing I pulled out my remaining shreds of journalist industry cred. I texted Aio Scott, the co-chief critic at the paper where I still work, the New York Times Times though I am on leave and I said I said and it was

and I got an answer that made my jaw drop I said what's wrong with me I don't think this

movie is so bad he said that's because it isn't it's better than the book

right he said wow I love to me Brian I was coming on here to sort of sheepishly try to say that and now I have actual

...