The Banger Sisters (2002)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Bob Dolman

Writer (WGA):

Bob Dolman (written by)

Release Date:

20 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Some friendships last forever... like it or not.

Plot:

Lavinia and Suzette, former rock groupies and best friends, reconnect after 20 years; one is still as wild as ever, while the other has adopted a more conservative lifestyle.

Plot Keywords:

Bartender | Writer | Groupie | Road Trip | Gun

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Goldie Hawn	...	Suzette
Susan Sarandon	...	Lavinia Kingsley
Geoffrey Rush	...	Harry Plummer
Erika Christensen	...	Hannah Kingsley
Robin Thomas	...	Raymond Kingsley
Eva Amurri	...	Ginger Kingsley
Matthew Carey	...	Jules
Andre Ware	...	Jake
Adam Tomei	...	Club Owner
Sal Lopez	...	Pump Attendant
Kohl Sudduth	...	Hotel Clerk
Tinsley Grimes	...	Prom Girl
Larry Krask	...	Man in Bar
Marlayna Cherisse	...	Young Groupie (as Marlayna Garrett)
Josh Todd	...	L.A. Buckcherry Band Member

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use.

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Finland:K-11 (VHS) | Finland:K-15 (DVD) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38849) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Susan Sarandon and Eva Amurri are mother and daughter, and this is their fourth film together. Amurri can also be seen as the younger version of Lavinia in Suzette's photo collection.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Vinnie comes to cancel lunch to take her daughter the driving test, Suzette's bra strap is alternately visible/not visible between shots.

Quotes:

Hannah: [graduation speech] I hate feeling fake more than anything in the world. You wouldn't believe what people tell you; "you've gotta get into college, you've gotta figure out what you wanna do, you've gotta make money" and we're going... my God, I feel like I'm still a kid practically...

Movie Connections:

References Vanilla Sky (2001)

Soundtrack:

Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood

A great afternoon romp

I just saw this movie, and all I can say is that many of the critics don't `get it'-this is a fun romp, especially because of the efforts of the extremely gifted actors in it. Sarandon as an "uptight" matron is a hoot. Hawn giggles a bit, but shows us a force of nature as well. And Geoffrey Rush's character is a wondrous "mess."

Basically, a best friends story, with a few twists and turns. Yes, I'd love to see more of a back story on how Vinnie becomes Lavinia and more of the Bangers' `history,' but for an afternoon of memories and joy, this is it.

I really appreciate the central question Bob Dolman seems to be asking.what happened to us? Kids, for those of us living before AIDS changed the sexual revolution and the greed of the '80s turned most of us into yuppies, we were `free-er.' Gee, it's a chick flick. The theatre was filled with women when I saw it, and they were all laughing at the jokes and sighing at common experiences. The Harry Plummer character? Just think about his reaction to Suzette's caring for her friend's child. The scene shows her `real' character, not just the `floozy.'

If you want great meaning and angst, rent a Bergman DVD; for a fun romp, SEE THIS MOVIE!