We're starting the new year with a little break from our year-by-year examination, and instead we're talking about one of our favorite director's filmographies: Alexander Payne.

Brad Garoon and Jake Ziegler cover all of his features, from Citizen Ruth (1996) up through the Holdovers (2023). They talk about the themes and character tropes that pop up throughout these films, what works for them and what doesn't about Payne's style, and which characters they relate to most.

Other movies discussed in this episode: Election (1999), About Schmidt (2003), Sideways (2004), the Descendants (2011), Nebraska (2013), Downsizing (2017).