The Fabulous Baker Boys is a romantic comedy-drama from 1989.
It was written and Directed by Steve Kloves who went on to script the Harry Potter films from JK Rowling's books.The Fabulous Baker Boys are a piano duo who had early success in their youth, but after more than 15 years in the business things are not going so well.
Jack, played by Jeff Bridges, is the fulcrum of the film and his interactions with the other characters are key to understanding the drama in my opinion. The film is not heavily plot driven, it is more a character piece. The film was nominated for several awards.
THE PLOT
The Fabulous Baker Boys are 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 her 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 several unsuccessful candidates, they meet Susie Diamond, a former escort who demands an audition despite being several minutes late. Although initially at odds with Frank because of 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 wins them better gigs and higher salaries.
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 for 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.
When the couple return to Seattle, Frank quickly deduces that Jack and Susie have slept with each other; tensions arise when both rebel against Frank's creative control and song choices. After spending another night with Jack, Susie tells him she has received a lucrative job offer to record television jingles for cat food, which would require her to leave the group. Jack is quietly heartbroken that Susie would even consider leaving, but refuses to admit how he truly feels, instead acting as though her departure is of no concern to him. Susie accepts the job after a final performance with The Fabulous Baker Boys, and the two part ways following a heated argument in which Susie accuses Jack of being a coward in his attitude to both her and his career.
Jack and Frank quarrel about the increasingly humiliating gigs Frank has been booking due to Susie's departure, which Frank blames Jack for. After nearly breaking Frank's hand during a physical altercation, Jack quits the band. He takes his frustrations out on Nina upon returning home but apologizes soon afterward, learning she will rely on him less once her mother marries her newest boyfriend. Now prepared to venture out on his own, Jack visits Frank to make amends. Having opted to offer piano lessons from his home, Frank accepts Jack's decision to pursue a solo career and explains he thought he was helping his younger brother live a carefree life, of which he was sometimes jealous. They reminisce about the early days of their act with a final duet.
Jack visits Susie, who is not particularly enjoying her new job, and expresses regret about his behavior towards her. Susie is not quite ready to resume their relationship but the two part as friends, with Jack telling her he has a feeling they will see each other again. Jack watches as Susie walks off to her new job until she is nearly out of sight the film finishing on what might be described as an interrupted cadence.
Themes in the Film
The film deals with many themes but fundamentally it is based on the tensions between several dualities
Creative freedom v Stability
Business v Talent
Family group v Independence
Commercial Success v Artisitic Fulfillment
Jack is the fulcrum for
- His Brother,
- Nina, the girl upstairs (for whom he is a reluctant father figure )
- His ailing dog
- Susie Diamond
Jack is perhaps a classic jazz depressive. He would rather live in the belief he is underrated in the duo rather than strike out on his own and risk failure. He also, however, doesn't want to let his brother down.
Frank is an optimist. He is the most normal guy in the band and feels responsible for his brother financially. Frank is also a family man and looks after business, although he is portrayed as the less talented of the two
Susie is edgy, embraces life and follows her dreams. She has been an escort in the past and knows her power in that regard, which she uses to great effect in the famous "Making Whoopie" scene
Nina, the girl upstairs is often dropping in on Jack to get away from her home situation. Her single mother has many different men in her life which Nina finds difficult. She wants a father, and likes Jack who has a detached fondness for her in return.
Eddie, the Labrador who Jack looks after perhaps as a way of showing that he has the capacity to look after another being. Interestingly the 'Dog Trope' is used in " The Old Man" that Jeff Bridges stars in for Paramount+
One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is that Beau and Jeff Bridges are real brothers, and perhaps some of the tensions they have come from their real experiences of both being actors. It certainly is an area worth pondering. Looking at the film thirty years on, Jeff has certainly had the more high profile career.
Seattle
Seattle is the backdrop to the film and is considered by some to be another character in the movie. Seattle has become a major film location since the last decade of the 20th century, (and continues to be up until the present day) but in 1989 it was an interesting choice. The city is known for being very verdant and is nicknamed 'The Emerald City' for that reason, mainly because it rains a fair bit! As a character in the movie it plays the part of "everyman" or " every city" . There are plenty of other places the film would work just as well in and the city does not have the role that say, New York does in Woody Allen's work. At the time the film was made Seattle was not as famous as a location for shooting as it is today. Sleepless in Seattle would raise its profile considerably in 1993.
MUSIC
Ultimatelyone of the only people to win a major award for the film was Dave Grusin who won Emmy's for the score and for his arrangement of " My Funny Valentine" Balihaus won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award for cinematography and Beau Bridges won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Studio musicians with jazz credentials were featured in the score
The score largely consists of jazz music and pop standards, most of which were performed by Grusin on keyboards along with tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, guitarist Lee Ritenour, trumpeter Sal Marquez, bassist Brian Bromberg, and drummer Harvey Mason.
[The music was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders in Hollywood, California in Studio 1.
Pfeiffer performed all of her own vocals for her part and on the films soundtrack. Although the 'Bridges' did play the pianos on set, they were later dubbed over by Grusin and John F Hammond.
Simon's Summing Up
I think it stands up well after 30 plus years. For me it does give a good insight into the day-to-day life of ordinary working musicians, and the character-driven writing is very good. It made quite an impact on me when I watched it on original release. There is a lot of music in the film worth hearing and the score is Dave Grusin at his best. Is it a bit long? Probably. But for me not so much to be an issue. It falls into the type of American film that somehow feels more European in its approach, and sometimes these lower budget films punch above their weight. Records show the film took more money in than it cost to make and that is always a good thing in Hollywood!
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