Beautiful Girls (1996)

A piano player at a crossroads in his life returns home to his friends and their own problems with life and love.

Director:

Ted Demme

Writer:

Scott Rosenberg

Stars:

Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton, Noah Emmerich

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matt Dillon	...	Tommy 'Birdman' Rowland
Noah Emmerich	...	Michael 'Mo' Morris
Annabeth Gish	...	Tracy Stover
Lauren Holly	...	Darian Smalls
Timothy Hutton	...	Willie Conway
Rosie O'Donnell	...	Gina Barrisano
Max Perlich	...	Kev
Martha Plimpton	...	Jan
Natalie Portman	...	Marty
Michael Rapaport	...	Paul Kirkwood
Mira Sorvino	...	Sharon Cassidy
Uma Thurman	...	Andera
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Stanley 'Stinky' Womack
Anne Bobby	...	Sarah Morris
Richard Bright	...	Dick Conway

Storyline

New York based jazz pianist Willie Conway heads back to his small hometown of Knights Ridge, Massachusetts for a high school reunion. The trip is as much to go to the reunion and see his old friends - none of whom left Knights Ridge after graduation - as it is to get away from his current life, at which he is at a crossroads both personally and professionally. He is just eking out a living with his piano playing gigs, and as such he is thinking about taking a sales job. He's also not sure if he's ready to marry his long time girlfriend, lawyer Tracy Stover. Most of Willie's Knights Ridge blue collar friends' best days were in high school, they still having that "trophy" mentality of girlfriends and wives. Only Michael "Mo" Morris is happily married with a family. Paul Kirkwood, whose room is plastered with magazine pictures of models, wants his waitress ex-girlfriend Jan back only because he knows now that he can't have her. And Tommy "Birdman" Rowland, who was the big man in high ...

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Plot Keywords:

cheating wife | skank | loves knows no age boundaries | lolita | bangs | 

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Taglines:

good times never seemed so good

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and nude pin-ups

Did You Know?

Trivia

Noah Emmerich and Natalie Portman would go on to play husband-wife in Jane Got a Gun (2015) twenty years later.

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Goofs

As Willie, Tommy, and Gina are exiting the drugstore (after her rant about guys unrealistic physical expectations of women) the signage of the store clearly reflects Valentine's Day season, while several times the movie shows it's Christmas season.

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Quotes

Willie Conway: How old are you?
Marty: Thirteen. But I have an old soul.

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Connections

Referenced in The Dialogue: An Interview with Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg (2006)

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Soundtracks

Can't Get Enough of Your Love Babe
Written by Barry White
Performed by The Afghan Whigs (as Afghan Whigs)
Courtesy of Elektra Entertainment Group for the world excluding the U.K. and Mute Records for the U.K.

User Reviews

Yeah a few pretty girls

I never get tired of seeing this ensemble movie. Countless times I've watched it since the 1st time seeing it in the cinema, it holds up well; still gets to me. There's sadness, sexiness, dreams fulfilled and failed, mystery and joy. Great actors, Good actresses, some early in their careers. Well worth the watch a couple times a year.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beautiful Girls

Filming Locations:

Lake William, Shorewood, Minnesota, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,761,790, 11 February 1996

Gross USA:

$10,597,759

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$10,597,759

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, Woods Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1