Singles (1992)

A group of twenty-something friends, most of whom live in the same apartment complex, search for love and success in grunge-era Seattle.

Director:

Cameron Crowe

Writer:

Cameron Crowe

Stars:

Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bridget Fonda	...	Janet Livermore
Campbell Scott	...	Steve Dunne
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Linda Powell
Sheila Kelley	...	Debbie Hunt
Jim True-Frost	...	David Bailey (as Jim True)
Matt Dillon	...	Cliff Poncier
Bill Pullman	...	Dr. Jeffrey Jamison
James Le Gros	...	Andy (as James LeGros)
Devon Raymond	...	Ruth
Camilo Gallardo	...	Luiz
Ally Walker	...	Pam
Eric Stoltz	...	The Mime
Jeremy Piven	...	Doug Hughley
Tom Skerritt	...	Mayor Weber
Peter Horton	...	Jamie

Storyline

Romantic comedy about six of Seattle's young people, most of whom live in the same apartment building and whose lives revolve around the city's ever-expanding music scene. The inter-related stories about each character's progress through the singles scene are intriguing and often very funny, and the soundtrack is a grunge fanatic's dream, with the likes of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney.

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Plot Keywords:

female stockinged feet | foot closeup | camera shot of feet | tights | city | 

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Taglines:

Love is a game. Easy to start. Hard to finish.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for language, sex related dialogue and scenes of sensuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Vida de Solteiro

Filming Locations:

Washington, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$18,472,850

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Atkinson/Knickerbocker Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Matt Dillon was originally offered the part of Steve Dunne but turned it down.

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Goofs

Debbie's frantic bike ride on her video date has her darting all over the city. She starts at the first restaurant at the end of lake union. To get to the second restaurant on first avenue downtown, she circles all the way around to Waterfront park on the Sound. After leaving the second restaurant, she crosses a draw bridge over the ship canal, only to suddenly end up back downtown near post alley and first avenue (where she just left the second restaurant). After getting a flat tire, she finally walks all the way home to the apartment on Capitol Hill (nearly 2 miles away).

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Quotes

Linda Powell: I think that, a) you have an act, and that, b) not having an act is your act.

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Crazy Credits

David (Jim True) walks down a street. His voiceover says that Steve's search for the perfect girl is a trap, and that he lives his own life like a French movie where everyone is cool and no attachments are made. He enters a beatnik club where a woman (Lara Harris) recites a poem in French. She sits down with him for a brief conversation in French and they leave together.

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Connections

Referenced in Hindsight: I Never... (2015)

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Soundtracks

Birth Ritual
Written by Matt Cameron (as Matthew D. Cameron), Kim Thayil (as Kim A. Thayil) and Chris Cornell (as Christopher J. Cornell)
Performed by Soundgarden
Produced by Soundgarden and Terry Date
Mixed by Ron St. Germain
Courtesy of A&M Records

User Reviews

Hilarious rockin romcom & the last of the great American growing-up comedies

In the 80s, three directors perfectly captured the comedy of young American growing pains. These directors are John Hughes ("Sixteen Candles", "Breakfast Club", "Ferris Buehler"), Savage Steve Holland ("Better Off Dead") and Cameron Crowe ("Say Anything"). All of these films are characterized by witty, tongue-in-cheek dialogue (satirical but not sarcastic) and surreal, music-video-like gags such as, I dunno, a pigburger patty grabbing a guitar and rocking out to Van Halen's "Everybody Wants Some".

When the 80s ended, apparently so did their unique and idiosyncratic brand of humour. John Hughes stopped directing in 91, and Savage Steve's last feature film was also in 91. Cameron Crowe evolved into a different style with his hugely successful 30-something comedy "Jerry Maguire". Here, folks, in 1992 I believe we have the last (and possibly best) of the great 80s growing-up films. If you've seen the others I mentioned, don't consider your life complete until you see "Singles".

Even with Crowe's 1989 "Say Anything", focusing on high school graduation, Crowe was the most mature of the bunch yet every bit as quirky and hilarious. "Singles" covers the next age, 23-to-27, establishing careers and facing grown up problems but still as wild and emotionally reckless as high school kids. I suppose some of us carry that same crazy recklessness late into life which is what makes this movie great for oddballs of all ages.

The movie is perfectly cast with Cambell Scott in the lead (think John Cusack but a sharper dresser), Kyra Sedgwick as a slightly flakey control freak (maybe an early version of Tina Fey in "30 Rock"), and a host of awesome supporting characters: Bridget Fonda as the slightly neurotic groupie who refuses to admit that she's a groupie, Sheila Kelley (remember the hot paralegal in LA Law?) who plays a goofy, insecure maneater, Eric Stoltz (Caprica, Pulp Fiction, The Prophecy) in the oddest role he's ever played: an obnoxious mime who won't shut up, and of course the show-stealer Matt Dillon as the not-so-bright artist/rockstar whose magnum opus is a song called "Touch Me, I'm Dick".

Speaking of rock music, cameo appearances, as well as performances, include... are you paying attention, folks...?

Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard from Pearl Jam

Chris Cornell and the gang from Soundgarden

Thomas Doyle singer for TAD ("You got the wrong number, lady, but I'll be right over")

Pat Nizzio singer for The Smithereens

Everyone from Alice in Chains

Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold in Entourage) as the funniest checkout clerk you've ever seen

Bill Pullman as a nerdy breast implant surgeon

Paul Giamatti in one of his first speaking roles ever ("What?!!")

Cameron Crowe's mother

and none other than director TIM BURTON as Bryan the next Martin Scorcese (pronounced "Score-seeez" haha)

And if that's not enough to make you want to rush out and rent this movie, don't forget the killer soundtrack with tunes by the aforementioned bands plus Jane's Addiction, Smashing Pumpkins, Paul Westerberg (The Replacements) and others I'm probably forgetting.

The story itself is fantastic, not only hilarious but probably the most insightful peek into romance disorder since "When Harry Met Sally". This comedy has it all. See it, see it again. Live it. And praise the gods of 80s comedy that we were given this final masterpiece of a bygone era.