Really Cameron Crowe wanted to do a typical rom-com, but he also wanted to ride on the coattails of the "Seattle grunge movement." He combined both and the finished product was "Singles." This isn't pulled off smoothly.
I have been in an interesting mood lately, trying to view things that I remember getting bludgeoned over the head with through advertising until I finally gave in as a middle schooler/teenager. "Singles" is my latest project. The idea is to see if there was any real substance to these old films or if it's just cultural fluff and a sign of the times. "Singles"=cultural fluff.
I won't deny that there is a special thrill in the first scene with Alice in Chains. And it is fun spotting Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell as youngsters. That thrill subsides pretty quickly when you find that you've entrapped yourself in a formulaic love story that tries to package itself as something modern.
Opportunities for a serious edge were squandered. Bridget Fonda's character makes some interesting and independent choices, yet the script couldn't resist putting her back where she she started. A serious plot twist that developed between Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick was quickly and conveniently done away with, after only a few moments of screen time.
The movie spends a few moments here and there at local concerts with the likes of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, and pans over the writhing "mosh pits" in an effort to remind this that this is the new 90's style of being young. Does not work with this story. As attractive as Kyra Sedgwick is (and a decent actress) I would not have chosen her for the lead female role.
Her personality and appearance to not fit the style of the movie, and she looks woefully out of place at an Alice in Chains concert, like she wandered out of an elementary school library to see what was going on.
Is it worth a watch? Yes it is. There are some genuinely funny moments that I had missed as a kid, involving cameos by Jeremy Piven and Eric Stolz. Bridget Fonda is just adorable and her style holds up pretty well after 2 decades.
However, from what I hear, we have "Singles" to thank for the parade of youth watching over the next 10-15 years, from "Reality Bites" to "Friends," bringing us more and more white post college young adults exchanging remarks and looking stylish. And let's not forget the coffee shop.
The question that begs is... Were Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden truly looking for a break through the big screen? I won't deny that this really helped a-list all those guys. Nirvana backed out. Is Chris Cornell ashamed? hmmm...
I have been in an interesting mood lately, trying to view things that I remember getting bludgeoned over the head with through advertising until I finally gave in as a middle schooler/teenager. "Singles" is my latest project. The idea is to see if there was any real substance to these old films or if it's just cultural fluff and a sign of the times. "Singles"=cultural fluff.
I won't deny that there is a special thrill in the first scene with Alice in Chains. And it is fun spotting Pearl Jam and Chris Cornell as youngsters. That thrill subsides pretty quickly when you find that you've entrapped yourself in a formulaic love story that tries to package itself as something modern.
Opportunities for a serious edge were squandered. Bridget Fonda's character makes some interesting and independent choices, yet the script couldn't resist putting her back where she she started. A serious plot twist that developed between Campbell Scott and Kyra Sedgwick was quickly and conveniently done away with, after only a few moments of screen time.
The movie spends a few moments here and there at local concerts with the likes of Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, and pans over the writhing "mosh pits" in an effort to remind this that this is the new 90's style of being young. Does not work with this story. As attractive as Kyra Sedgwick is (and a decent actress) I would not have chosen her for the lead female role.
Her personality and appearance to not fit the style of the movie, and she looks woefully out of place at an Alice in Chains concert, like she wandered out of an elementary school library to see what was going on.
Is it worth a watch? Yes it is. There are some genuinely funny moments that I had missed as a kid, involving cameos by Jeremy Piven and Eric Stolz. Bridget Fonda is just adorable and her style holds up pretty well after 2 decades.
However, from what I hear, we have "Singles" to thank for the parade of youth watching over the next 10-15 years, from "Reality Bites" to "Friends," bringing us more and more white post college young adults exchanging remarks and looking stylish. And let's not forget the coffee shop.
The question that begs is... Were Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden truly looking for a break through the big screen? I won't deny that this really helped a-list all those guys. Nirvana backed out. Is Chris Cornell ashamed? hmmm...