Swingers (1996)

Wannabe actors become regulars in the stylish neo-lounge scene; Trent teaches his friend Mike the unwritten rules of the scene.

Director:

Doug Liman

Writer:

Jon Favreau

Stars:

Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jon Favreau	...	Mike
Vince Vaughn	...	Trent
Ron Livingston	...	Rob
Patrick Van Horn	...	Sue
Alex Désert	...	Charles (as Alex Desert)
Heather Graham	...	Lorraine
Deena Martin	...	Christy
Katherine Kendall	...	Lisa
Brooke Langton	...	Nikki
Blake Lindsley	...	Girl with Cigar
Kevin James Kelly	...	Vegas Dealer
Stephanie Ittleson	...	Vegas Waitress
Vernon Vaughn	...	$100 Gambler
Joan Favreau	...	$5 Winner
Rio Hackford	...	Skully

Storyline

This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It's been six months since his girlfriend left him and he's not doing so good. So, his pal and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his 6 year relationship.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | actor | reference to quentin tarantino | tears | photograph | 

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Taglines:

There ain't nothing wrong with letting a girl know that you're money, and that you want to party.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 1997 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

Adiorthotoi gletzedes

Filming Locations:

5874 Franklin Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$74,118 (USA) (18 October 1996)

Gross:

$4,505,922 (USA) (31 January 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Pictures (II), The Alfred Shay Company Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When asked to approve use of the theme music for Jaws in a scene, Spielberg saw footage of Vince Vaughn, whom he hired for The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

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Goofs

When Charles first meets up with Mike and Rob in the bar, you can see Mike mouthing the line "Deep Space Nine" at the same time Charles say it.

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Quotes

Trent: I don't want you to be the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone's *really* hoping makes it happen. I want you to be like the guy in the rated R movie, you know, the guy you're not sure whether or not you like yet. You're not sure where he's coming from. Okay? You're a bad man. You're a bad man, Mikey. You're a bad man, bad man.

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Crazy Credits

The rabbit in this production was trained with care and concern for its safety and wellbeing.

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Connections

Referenced in Night of the Dog (2005)

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Soundtracks

"Knock Me a Kiss"
Performed by Louis Jordan
Written by Mike Jackson and Andy Razaf
Courtesy of MCA Records
By Arrangement with MCA Special Markets and Products

User Reviews

As enjoyable as any film in recent memory.

I think a few of the readers who have commented on this film seem to be missing the point. While it can be said that this movie has no plot to speak of and no central point to it, my response is: so what? Not every movie is made to teach you how to live your life. Some of us can watch a movie simply for the pure enjoyment of listening to characters interact. Swingers does a better job of achieving this than the majority of movies ever made. Anybody can make Godzilla or Independence Day, but it takes a truly special movie to become a "cult hit" with nothing more at it's disposal than no-name actors (at the time) and catchy dialogue. This movie was the springboard for virtually every actor in it, with each going on to more well known parts.

Ok, enough preaching, pure and simple this movie is great. Vince Vaughn's character is one of the most likable characters you'll see in a movie. Even if you have nothing in common with someone like him, you can't help but like him. He's hilarious, smooth, and a loyal friend, and he has some of the most quotable lines in the movie. Everyone else on this site has quoted it time and again, so no need for me to, but let's just say it's funny stuff. John Favreau's character, Mikey, makes you laugh while at the same time wanting to slap him for being so stupid. There's so many funny scenes in this movie, I can't even begin to describe them. But the best by far always involve Vaughn, and the part where he's in the trailer describing his experience auditioning for a pilot is classic. You know he's feeding the girls a line the whole time, but it's so convincing and everyone is so in awe of him, it's hysterical. And when Mikey tries to act cool in front of the waitresses they meet, and fails to do so, only to see Trent tell them he's a producer and watch them swoon, I can't see how people don't find that funny.

Anyways, if you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and go rent it. The buildup offered on this site is only a fraction of what you'll actually get out of watching it. 10+/10