The Banger Sisters (2002)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Bob Dolman

Writer (WGA):

Bob Dolman (written by)

Release Date:

20 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Some friendships last forever... like it or not.

Plot:

Lavinia and Suzette, former rock groupies and best friends, reconnect after 20 years; one is still as wild as ever, while the other has adopted a more conservative lifestyle.

Plot Keywords:

Bartender | Writer | Gun | Road Trip | Lawyer

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15

1:00 AM

VH1

Cast

Goldie Hawn	...	Suzette
Susan Sarandon	...	Lavinia Kingsley
Geoffrey Rush	...	Harry Plummer
Erika Christensen	...	Hannah Kingsley
Robin Thomas	...	Raymond Kingsley
Eva Amurri	...	Ginger Kingsley
Matthew Carey	...	Jules
Andre Ware	...	Jake
Adam Tomei	...	Club Owner
Sal Lopez	...	Pump Attendant
Kohl Sudduth	...	Hotel Clerk
Tinsley Grimes	...	Prom Girl
Larry Krask	...	Man in Bar
Marlayna Cherisse	...	Young Groupie (as Marlayna Garrett)
Josh Todd	...	L.A. Buckcherry Band Member

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and some drug use.

Runtime:

USA:98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL (uncut version) | Malaysia:U (cut version) | Finland:K-11 (VHS) | Finland:K-15 (DVD) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A | France:U | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #38849) | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

During the "Rock Cock" sequence, the girls were shown Polaroids of the crew who had volunteered to be photographed especially for that sequence. The surprise on Susan Sarandon's face is quite genuine when she saw who the photographs were of and recognized the faces.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the end of the movie, when Suzette and Harry are driving away, Suzette puts her glasses on. In the next shot, they are off again.

Quotes:

Ginger: He failed me for NO REASON.
Lavinia: It says here you ran a red light.
Ginger: Mom, as if I'd do that in a test.

Movie Connections:

References Vanilla Sky (2001)

Soundtrack:

Home

The inclusion of Geoffrey Rush reinforces The Banger Sisters

I rather enjoy this film. Geoffrey Rush (as Harry) made it worthwhile beyond just watching Goldie Hawn (as Suzette) and Susan Sarandon (as Lavinia aka Vinnie). It's a comedic turn for Rush here and no less colorful being opposite the talented, ever so humorously in control Hawn. It was rather an ingenious pairing. The storyline may not be deep per se - come to think of it, there's quite a bit of psychological situations involved, in spite of its dramatic comedy format. The movie touches on parenting and teenage daughters (portrayed by Erika Christensen of "Traffic" and Sarandon's daughter Eva Amurri ), of the self-effacing predicaments of a well-to-do suburban wife & mom, of the endearing lasting friendship of two women and their crossroads to life beyond 40 - one in self-deceiving fashion, the other in self-depriving mode. Somehow through cascading events in the course of a few days, yes, things change. People change. You might say Rush's character Harry, who is self-conscious and direly needs to build self-confidence, in a way bridges and complements the reunion of the two women, and adds meaning to Suzette's life, vice versa. It's a decent Hollywood movie with drama and comedy, and there's a few lines here and there that can be life lessons, should you see it so. It meets the entertaining quotient for a first feature film written and directed by Bob Dolman.

Really appreciate Rush's performance in "Tailor of Panama, The" 2001 as Harry Pendel the tailor (opposite 'James Bond' Pierce Brosnan in a handsome sleaze No. 1 role, and Jaime Lee Curtis). He's good in every role: be it playing the manic uninhibited genius of The Marquis de Sade in "Quills" 2000 (opposite Kate Winslet), or the bereaved father and taciturn husband in "Lantana" 2001 (opposite Barbara Hershey).

Sarandon has three recent film releases: besides "Banger Sisters, The", she's part of a wickedly cool ensemble cast in yet another debut film, "Igby Goes Down," a dark comedy by writer-director Burr Steers, with Kieran Culkin turning in a strong leading performance as Igby. She co-executive-produced and again in a sensitive Mom's role in "Moonlight Mile," written and directed by Brad Silberling, with Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko" 2001) as lead character Joe opposite Sarandon and Dustin Hoffman. She looked so radiantly approachable when appeared on NBC's Last Call hosted by Carson Daly on her birthday Oct. 4.

Hawn was also looking fabulous for her age when she appeared on PBS's Charlie Rose Show. She has down to earth viewpoints on living. Besides the very successful "First Wives Club, The" 1996 with Diane Keaton and Bette Midler, some of her many enjoyable movies are: "Housesitter" 1992 with Steve Martin, "Overboard" 1987 with Kurt Russell, "Foul Play" 1987 with the incomparable Chevy Chase, "Butterflies Are Free" 1972 with Edward Albert and Eileen Heckart, and "Private Benjamin" 1980 with Armand Assante and Eileen Brennan.