Duets (2000)

A professional karaoke hustler reconnects with his daughter and a bored suburban businessman turns outlaw karaoke singer, among other plotlines.

Director:

Bruce Paltrow

Writer:

John Byrum

Stars:

Huey Lewis, Paul Giamatti, Gwyneth Paltrow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lochlyn Munro	...	Ronny Jackson
Carol Alexander	...	Beth the Hostess
Michael Rogers	...	Tulsa Bartender
Huey Lewis	...	Ricky Dean
Amanda Kravat	...	Redhead
Paul Giamatti	...	Todd Woods
Ian Robison	...	Sales Guy
Roger Haskett	...	Sales Guy
John Payne	...	Sales Guy
Scott Speedman	...	Billy
Tom Bougers	...	Desk Sergeant
Marian Seldes	...	Harriet Gahagan
Angie Phillips	...	Arlene
Steve Oatway	...	Ralph Beckerman
Erika von Tagen	...	Julie (as Erika Von Tagen)

Storyline

Duets is a road-trip comedy which revolves around the little known world of karaoke and the whimsical characters who inhabit it. There's the struggling singer who dreams of making it to the big time, a frustrated salesman who ends up on an unexpected road trip, the dysfunctional family performers which includes a con-artist and his long lost daughter, and an escaped convict with the voice of an angel. All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.

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Plot Keywords:

karaoke | singer | convict | salesman | ambition | 

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Taglines:

Just Duet

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2000 (Italy)

Also Known As:

A dúo

Filming Locations:

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£92,746 (UK) (17 November 2000)

Gross:

ESP 12,657,983 (Spain) (29 June 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hollywood Pictures, Seven Arts Pictures, Beacon Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brad Pitt was originally signed on to play the role of Billy Hannan, but after his engagement to Gwyneth Paltrow was called off, he dropped out of the movie. This also cause filming to be delayed from its original start date of September 1997.

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Goofs

When Ricky Dean starts eating his sandwich, he takes a bite out of the center of the sandwich. In the next shot, the sandwich has been eaten away from the corner.

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Quotes

Todd Woods: I'm just a little tired of the American dream.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Val Kilmer/U2 (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Islands in The Stream"
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb
Performed by Wyley Vlahovic (as Wylie Vlahovic) and Beverley Elliott (as Barbara Elliot)
Vocal Tracks produced by Dick Rudolph (as Richard Rudolph)

User Reviews

Guilty pleasure.

I often wonder why I watch so many movies, and why I love them so. It isn't because they often explore new territory or challenge my intellect, but then there's a whole public library and a Barnes and Noble in every strip mall for that. No, I think it must be the escapist delight of allowing myself to be absorbed for a couple of hours in a well-crafted imaginary world where unbelievable things happen to unrealistic people. It's a guilty pleasure, but hey, sometimes I eat my dessert first. I can handle the guilt.

With that said, as guilty pleasures go, this dessert is a banana split for two with extra nuts and cherries. And one spoon. Huey Lewis and the incomparable Gwyneth Paltrow are a father daughter team trying to get acquainted on the karaoke circuit. He's a karaoke hustler (who knew) and she's a third generation Las Vegas showgirl who is at once worldly and naive.

Paul Giamatti is a shocker. He's amazing as the frustrated salesman who's out "for a pack of cigarette." Along the way, he encounters Reggie Kane (Andre Braugher) a convict on the lam whose quiet desperation is a stark contrast to Giamatti's wanton abandon.

Maria Bello is hilarious as the resourceful bohemeian chasing a dream of big money. Angie Dickenson graces the scene with a tasty cameo. And then there's the singing. OK, Todd Rundgren isn't worried about Giamatti's rendition of the classic "Hello it's Me", and Andre used a voiceover, but Gwyneth can really sing, and her duet with Babyface in the closing credits is a chart-topper in anybody's book.

Directed by Gwyneth's dad Bruce, in his first feature since graduating from the small screen, the word "Duets" describes this enjoyable film in more ways than one. But in the end, the duet that matters is just you and this wonderful little film.