Beautiful Girls (1996)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Ted Demme

Writer (WGA):

Scott Rosenberg (written by)

Release Date:

9 February 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

good times never seemed so good

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Girlfriend | Reunion | Town | Pianist | Winter

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and nude pin-ups.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #34304) | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Bryant-Lake Bowl - 810 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

Ted Demme told Timothy Hutton to kiss Natalie Portman on the cheek. She did not know it so her reaction in the film is spontaneous.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Andera first meets the guys in Stinky's bar she orders six shots of whiskey. She pours four of the six glasses and pauses to hand the fourth glass to Willie. It cuts back to three empty glasses. You watch two fill up and then it cuts away to her face as she pours the seventh shot but she keeps pouring - at least three shot glasses worth.

Quotes:

Andera: So why the sad face?
Willie Conway: Job requirement. Happy piano players work the circus.

Movie Connections:

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

Soundtrack:

Easy to Be Stupid

Beautiful Girls... beautiful movie...

Easily one of the most overlooked movies considering how good it is. There are several ensemble movies out there, but this movie is definitely one of the best ones.

The key word in ensemble cast is obviously "cast". And this movie has a stellar cast. Timothy Hutton, as Willy, is perfectly cast. Yes, this is an ensemble movie, but it sort of hovers around his character and he carries the movie so well. And to play off him, Natalie Portman is tremendous in this movie. Despite being the youngest cast member, she outacts most of the adults in this movie. Her chemistry with Timothy Hutton is amazing.

The other cast members, including Rosie O'Donnell, Michael Rappaport, Uma Thurman, and Matt Dillon are also really good in their respective roles. Rosie O'Donnell delivers a hilarious monologue about the differences between men and women and it should not be missed.

The story is relatively simple... a man going back home to attend his 10 year reunion. But because of the complex characters and their various storys, it becomes much more than just a high school reunion. Its a story about a man finding himself. Its a story about a young girl getting a taste of what love might be, despite it being in an unlikely person. Its a story of a man who has to grow up and let go of the long gone high school glory years. Its a story about relationships, between friends, family and couples. All these tales are interwoven into a heartwarming story.

This movie ranks as one of my all time favorite movies.