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The Fabulous Baker Boys
The lives of two struggling musicians, who happen to be brothers, inevitably change when they team up with a beautiful, up-and-coming singer.
1989 · Directed by Steve Kloves · 114 min · Comedy · Drama · Music · Romance · Screenplay in the scene database · 9 frames
Tagline
For 31 years it's been just the Fabulous Baker Boys... but times change.
Plot
The Fabulous Baker Boys are a piano duo consisting of brothers Jack and Frank Baker. For 15 years, they have been performing show tunes in bars and lounges throughout Seattle, Washington on a pair of matching grand pianos. While Frank dutifully serves as the duo's manager, Jack has grown weary of the hackneyed material they have come to perform over the years, but his complacency leaves him uninspired to pursue his talents further. Apart from occasionally playing the music he enjoys at a local jazz club, Jack's personal life largely consists of meaningless one-night stands; caring for his aging Labrador, Eddie; and spending time with Nina, a lonely girl from his apartment building whose single mother neglects her in favor of romantic pursuits.
Concerned about a sudden decrease in stable gigs and loss of income, Frank decides to hire a female singer to revive interest in their act. After auditioning 37 unsuccessful candidates, they meet Susie Diamond, a former escort who demands an audition despite being over an hour late. Although initially at odds with Frank over her boldness and unprofessionalism, Susie impresses both brothers with her audition and they hire her. Their debut performance as a trio is flawed but ultimately well-received and the rebranded act gradually receives better gigs and higher salaries in return.
The now in-demand trio is booked for an extended engagement at a luxurious resort. Jack and Susie flirt with each other cautiously in-between gigs, but neither acts upon their feelings. Noticing a growing attraction between them, Frank forbids Jack from pursuing Susie in fear that a relationship between the two would compromise the group's stability and newfound success. Frank returns to Seattle prematurely when one of his children suffers a minor injury. Taking advantage of his absence to contemporize their setlist, Susie and Jack deliver a sultry performance of "Makin' Whoopee" during the hotel's New Year's Eve festivities, after which they finally succumb to their feelings and sleep together. Susie opens up to Jack about her past as an escort, but Jack remains emotionally distant.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Written by: Steve Kloves
- Cinematography: Michael Ballhaus
- Edited by: William Steinkamp
- Music: Dave Grusin
- Production design: Jeffrey Townsend
- Produced by: Paula Weinstein, Mark Rosenberg
Cast
- Michelle Pfeiffer as Susie Diamond
- Jeff Bridges as Jack Baker
- Beau Bridges as Frank Baker
- Ellie Raab as Nina
- Jennifer Tilly as Monica Moran
- Xander Berkeley as Lloyd
- Terri Treas as Girl in Bed
- Dakin Matthews as Charlie
- Ken Lerner as Ray
- Albert Hall as Henry
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Gladden Entertainment, Mirage Enterprises
- Budget: $13,000,000
- Box office: $18,428,904
- Themes: success, liquor, aspiring singer, singer, playing piano, nightclub singer, nightclub entertainer, nightclub act, nightclub performer, instrumental jazz
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