Interstellar Episode #869

Interstellar Episode #869

Author: Todd and Cathy Adams May 20, 2026 Duration: 1:01:59

Cathy and Todd discuss Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar for Space Month – the dying Earth, the wormhole near Saturn, the black hole that swallows decades of a man’s life while his daughter grows old without him. They get into Matt Damon showing up two-thirds through as a villain nobody knew was in the movie, why Anne Hathaway’s love speech is the whole point of the film, the fact that Nolan grew 500 acres of real corn for the opening scenes, and the science behind the black hole Gargantua that was so accurate it accidentally produced two peer-reviewed papers. Plus the bigger question the movie keeps circling: what if love isn’t just a feeling, but something woven into the actual structure of the universe?

Some Ways to Support Us

    1. Sign up for Cathy’s Substack
    2. Order Restoring our Girls
    3. Join Team Zen

Links shared in this episode:

For the full show notes, visit zenpopparenting.com.

This week’s sponsor(s):

Other Ways to Support Us


Think of a song that instantly transports you back to a specific moment, or a movie line that perfectly captures a feeling you couldn't name. That's the territory explored in Zen Pop. Hosted by Todd and Cathy Adams, this podcast isn't just a review show; it's a conversation that uses the shared language of pop culture-from classic films and TV to the soundtrack of a generation-as a starting point for something more personal. Each discussion begins with a familiar piece of music, a film, or a cultural moment, then gently unfolds into a deeper look at our own emotional blueprints, relationships, and the ways our past informs our present. The tone is grounded, often humorous, and carries a distinctly Gen X perspective, treating the artifacts of our collective memory not as mere entertainment, but as mirrors reflecting our patterns, blind spots, and ongoing growth. Listening to this podcast feels like having a thoughtful, nostalgic, and surprisingly insightful chat with old friends who believe that the movies we quote and the songs we replay have a lot more to teach us about who we are and how we connect. It’s about finding the quiet wisdom hidden in the noise of popular culture.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Zen Pop
Podcast Episodes
Billy Elliot- Episode #860 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:56
Cathy and Todd discuss Billy Elliot (2000), the British film set during the 1984–85 miners’ strike about a working-class boy who secretly pursues ballet while his community expects him to box and follow the rigid rules o…
Flashdance Episode #859 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:34
Dance month continues as Cathy and Todd discuss the 1983 film Flashdance, directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Tom Hedley and Joe Eszterhas, a movie that helped define the early-1980s MTV-style of filmmaking with its f…
Footloose- Episode #858 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:40
Jump back! Cathy and Todd discuss Footloose to kick off Dance Month! Directed by Herbert Ross and released in 1984, Footloose made Kevin Bacon a star and helped define the MTV-era teen movie. But beneath the music this $…
The Wedding Singer- Episode #857 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:50
Cathy and Todd discuss The Wedding Singer and why this Adam Sandler–Drew Barrymore rom-com lived fully inside the 80’s, the music, the clothes, and all that emotional earnestness. They talk about the chemistry that made…
Misery- Episode #856 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:00
In this episode of Zen Pop Parenting, Cathy and Todd dive into the psychological thriller Misery and explore what makes it so deeply unsettling decades later. Through the intense dynamic between Paul Sheldon and Annie Wi…
Best Movie and TV Romances Episode #855 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:32
Categories Best 80’s RomanceBest 90’s RomanceBest Romantic ComedyBest Dramatic RomanceBest Forbidden LoveBest TV RomanceWorst TV RomanceBest Romance, Right Now (2026) Some Ways to Support Us Sign up for Cathy’s Substack…
Best in Show- Episode #854 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:48
Cathy and Todd discuss Best in Show to honor Catherine O’Hara and dive into America’s Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show in Philadelphia, where nothing “big” happens and that is exactly the joke. They examine Christopher Gue…
The Sure Thing- Episode #853 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:50
Todd and Cathy discuss The Sure Thing (1985), Rob Reiner’s early, quietly subversive road-trip rom-com starring John Cusack as Gib Lloyd, a smart, restless college guy chasing a guaranteed hookup that slowly reveals itse…
Why Heated Rivalry Matters- Episode #852 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:34
Cathy and Todd discuss Why Heated Rivalry Matters, digging into why this hockey romance has become such a cultural lightning rod and emotional touchstone. They talk about Rachel Reid’s novel and the TV adaptation, but mo…
A Few Good Men Episode #851 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:57
Cathy and Todd discuss A Few Good Men, a courtroom drama set inside the military justice system about power, loyalty, and what happens when following orders starts to feel wrong. They go through their usual categories, t…