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The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. The film follows a piano duo consisting of brothers, who hire an attractive singer to help revive their waning career.
Oct 13, 1989 · The Fabulous Baker Boys: Directed by Steve Kloves. With Jeff Bridges, Michelle Pfeiffer, Beau Bridges, Ellie Raab. The lives of two struggling musicians, who happen to be brothers, inevitably change when they team up with a beautiful, up-and-coming singer.
- (26K)
- Comedy, Drama, Music
- Steve Kloves
- 1989-10-13
Oct 12, 2019 · Filmed in the Seattle-movie prime of the late ’80s and celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, “The Fabulous Baker Boys” reminds us of who we were.
- Moira Macdonald
"The Fabulous Baker Boys" is a new version of an old show-biz formula about longtime partners whose relationship is threatened when one of them falls in love with the sexy new singer.
- The Lead Roles Were First Offered to The Quaids
- Beau Bridges Was Initially Reluctant to Act with His Brother
- Jodie Foster and Madonna Were Both Considered For The Role of Susie Diamond
- Some of The Baker Brothers’ Issues Were Based on The Bridges’ Feuds
- Michelle Pfeiffer Took Singing Lessons For Two Months
- Jeff Bridges Shaved The Bald Spot in His Brother’S Hair
- Pfeiffer Shot The Piano Scene For Six Hours
- Jeff Bridges Loved Filming The Fight Scene with His Brother
- It Was Both A Box Office Flop and A Critical Darling
- Jeff Bridges Has Pushed For A Sequel
Whilst we can’t imagine anyone but siblings Jeff and Beau Bridges as lounge pianists Jack and Frank Baker, the truth is that they weren’t the first brothers to be offered the role. Reports at the time revealed that Dennis and Randy Quaid, who had already acted together in the 1980 Western The Long Riders, turned down the opportunity to star in the ...
Beau Bridges was initially unsure about appearing in the film alongside his younger brother, recalling that he was “a little reluctant since Jeff had initiated it and I didn’t want anyone to feel that [the role of] big brother had been forced.” Beau quickly changed his mind however, remembering that “by the time I’d finished reading the script … I ...
A number of big-name Hollywood actresses were considered for the role of Susie Diamond, including Jodie Foster, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Debra Winger. Another talent in the frame was Madonna, who went on to publicly criticise the finished film as “too mushy.” [rtk_adunit_middle]
The Fabulous Baker Boys was the first time that siblings Jeff and Beau Bridges had ever acted together, and some of the brothers’ issues in the film are said to have been based on real-life disagreements.. The pair would also go on to star together in the 1996 TV movie Hidden in America, for which Beau, who played a father struggling to support his...
Despite having sung on-screen in Grease 2, her breakthrough role, Michelle Pfeiffer was not a professional singer. To account for this, the star took two months worth of singing lessons prior to the start of The Fabulous Baker Boys’ shoot. Pfeiffer was taught by vocal coach Sally Stevens, who remembers the star being an extremely dedicated student....
The script called for Frank Baker to have a bald spot, something that actor Beau Bridges didn’t have. Thankfully, his brother Jeff had a razor and a few bottles of wine to hand. Suitably inebriated, Beau eventually allowed his younger brother to shave off a portion of his hair. [rtk_adunit_middle]
The film’s best-known scene, in which Susie sings Makin’ Whoopee on top of a piano, took six hours to shoot. Pfeiffer, who wore knee and elbow pads in rehearsal, only had one choreography lesson to prepare for it! The New York Times singled out this particular scene, writing that “when Ms Pfeiffer, draped across Jeff Bridges’s piano and setting som...
Jeff Bridges later revealed that one of his favourite memories from the shoot was choreographing and filming the scene in which he gets into a fistfight with his brother. Because, come on, who wouldn’t love to have a fistfight with their sibling without getting reprimanded for it? [rtk_adunit_top]
Released in the US in October 1989, The Fabulous Baker Boys was a box office failure, making less than $19 million from a budget of $11 and a half million. It was, however, a big success with critics, and went on to be nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Actress (for Michelle Pfeiffer), Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography and Best Original...
Jeff Bridges later admitted that he was once extremely keen for the film to have a sequel that would reveal what the brothers got up to after they parted ways. Sadly, nothing ever came of Bridges’ plans. The brothers, now septuagenarians, continue to act, so there’s still hope! [rtk_adunit_end]
97% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 70% Audience Score 10,000+ Ratings Frank (Beau Bridges) and Jack Baker (Jeff Bridges) are brothers who have performed together in a small but successful piano act for...
- (31)
- Romance, Comedy
- R
Nov 6, 2014 · The cast from "The Fabulous Baker Boys" is far from the only one Entertainment Weekly reunited. Check out the magazine's special double issue, on newsstands Friday, to see them all.
