September 13, 2022
'Singles'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan were just nowhere near your neighborhood, so they decided to rewatch Cameron Crowe's 1992 romantic comedy 'Singles,' starring Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, and Kyra Sedgwick.
Cast
Campbell Scott as Steve Dunne
Kyra Sedgwick as Linda Powell
Bridget Fonda as Janet Livermore
Matt Dillon as Cliff Poncier
Bill Pullman as Plastic Surgeon
Eric Stoltz as The Mime
Jeremy Piven as Party guest
Paul Giamatti as Cameo
Victor Garber as Cameo
Tom Skerritt as City official
James LeGros as Sensitive ponytail guy
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Written by: Cameron Crowe
Notes
- $9 million budget, grossed $18 million.
- Filmed March-April 1991 but didn't come out until September 1992 – 18 months delay. Bill believes it would have been bigger if released in early 1992.
- Pearl Jam was still called 'Mookie Blalock' during filming. Ten came out August 1991, Nevermind September 1991, Badmotorfinger October 1991 – all after filming wrapped.
- The soundtrack was released before the film and became a bestseller. Bill calls it 'the greatest soundtrack of all time.'
- Chris Cornell recommended Smashing Pumpkins to Cameron Crowe; Billy Corgan sent three songs including 'Drown.'
- Nirvana refused to participate. Cobain dismissed it as just a love story set in Seattle.
- 'Spoonman' by Soundgarden originated from Jeff Ament's list of fake Citizen Dick song titles.
- Warner Brothers tried to turn Singles into a TV series. Crowe turned it down. The same people (Marta Kauffman and David Crane) went on to create Friends. Crowe's mother still tells him 'you really screwed up on Friends.'
- The studio wanted to call the movie 'Come As You Are' – Crowe refused.
- Originally written in 1984, set in Phoenix. Relocated to Seattle after the death of Andrew Wood from Mother Love Bone.
- The apartment building still attracts visitors; the landlord told Crowe 'You ruined my life.'
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“I found myself smiling a lot during the movie, sometimes with amusement, sometimes with recognition. It's easy to like these characters and care about them.”
Ebert appreciated the film's warmth and relatability, giving it a solid 3 stars.
Most re-watchable scene
- Bill: Meeting Janet / introduction of Citizen Dick; Steve's life goes bad and Janet visits him ('in a parallel universe, we're probably a scorching couple'); the phone booth scene.
- Van: The breast implant scene with Bill Pullman – loved his sincerity and how it made Janet realize her worth.
- Chris: The entire Alice in Chains sequence including the Mime scene, the car ride, 'not having an act is your act.'
What aged the best?
- The soundtrack – gaining strength over time.
- The Java Stop coffee shop – possibly the first prominent coffee shop in a movie/TV show.
- The album title cards ('Have Fun, Stay Single,' 'The Hourglass Syndrome,' etc.).
- Matt Dillon's comedic performance – a side of him audiences hadn't seen.
- Cameron Crowe's corny one-liners that still work.
- Breaking the fourth wall – slightly cutting edge for the time.
- Steve's line 'In my day society, there's almost no need to leave the house' – prescient.
- 1990s Seattle as a setting (music scene + Sonics/Shawn Kemp).
What aged the worst?
- Fear of casual sex / safe sex party ('Casual sex doesn't exist anymore. It's lethal.').
- Campbell Scott's wig issues from reshoots.
- Nirvana not being in the movie.
- Linda wanting a combo of Holden Caulfield and Mel Gibson ('Why, Mel? Why?').
- Answering machines and fax machines as plot devices.
- Video dating as a concept.
Weak link of the movie
The characters are too old for what they're supposed to be – Dillon 28, Sedgwick 28, Campbell Scott 30, feeling like late-20s pretending to be early-20s.
The hottest take award
- Van: Bailey was completely misused – no arc, gets nothing.
- Bill: Actually liking that Nirvana refused because that refusal is what made Nirvana great.
- Chris: Steve was not a good train designer; his Super Train pitch was all vibes with no substance.
Best needle drop
- Chris: 'State of Love and Trust' by Pearl Jam.
- Bill: Alice in Chains coming out of the Mime scene, or Paul Westerberg's 'Waiting for Somebody' (opening credits).
- Van: Paul Westerberg's song as the backbone/theme of the movie.
Casting what-ifs
- Johnny Depp turned down Steve – didn't want to say 'I love you' in a movie; 'way too good looking.'
- Matt Dillon also turned down Steve (too handsome) – ended up playing Cliff instead.
- Cameron Crowe wanted Chris Cornell as Cliff Poncier – Cornell declined.
- Paula Abdul was the runner-up for Debbie ('a photo finish').
Best "that guy"
- Jim True-Frost (Bailey / later Prez on The Wire).
- Jeremy Piven (one scene, comes on hot).
- Eric Stoltz as the Mime.
Best "heat check" performance
- Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament as members of Citizen Dick.
- Eric Stoltz as the Mime.
- Bill Pullman as the plastic surgeon.
Apex Mountain
- Cameron Crowe: No – Almost Famous is higher.
- Xavier McDaniel: Yes.
- Long anguished 90s phone messages: Yes.
- Garage door openers: For sure.
- Video dating in a movie: Yes (Tim Burton directs the video).
- Seattle: Strong contender ('Sleepless in Seattle' is next year).
Picking nits
- Giving a guy a garage door opener is weird.
- Campbell Scott's apartment becoming a hoarder den too quickly after his breakup.
- Ruth never gets asked how she's doing; Linda dominates every conversation.
- The ethical plastic surgeon who refuses the surgery (unrealistic).
- How independently wealthy is Janet? Elective surgery at 23 while working at a coffee shop.
Sequel, prequel, prestige TV or untouchable?
- Bill and Van: An all-black cast version set in Atlanta (ideally 1995), using hip-hop instead of grunge.
- Chris: A prequel set in the DC punk scene circa 1989 (Fugazi era).
Best double feature for this movie
- Chris: 'Say Anything' (as prequel – Seattle high school, then Singles as post-college).
- Van: Love Jones (similar vibe); or 'Jerry Maguire' for a Cameron Crowe trilogy.
What memorabilia would you want (or not want!) from the movie?
- Chris: Jerry Cantrell's long johns; or the garage door opener.
- Bill: The Citizen Dick 'Smarter Than You' poster.
- Van: Shards of broken glass from Janet's/Linda's car.
Best (or worst!) life lessons from the movie
'Love is finding someone who says God bless you when you sneeze.'
(Probably) unanswerable questions
- What NBA player would be the 'Steve don't come yet' guy in 2022?
- Was the Super Train a good idea? (Seattle got light rail in 2003.)
- Should the movie have ended with Steve and Janet together instead?
Who won the movie?
- Van: Grunge won the movie.
- Producer Craig: The 90s won the movie.
Producer review
Craig loved it – now up there with 'Kicking and Screaming' as one of his favorite 'early 20s' films.