Duets
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| Duets | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Bruce Paltrow |
| Produced by | Executive Producers: Tony Ludwig Lee R. Mayes Alan Riche Neil Canton Producers: John Byrum Bruce Paltrow Kevin Jones |
| Written by | John Byrum |
| Starring | Paul Giamatti Gwyneth Paltrow Maria Bello Andre Braugher Huey Lewis |
| Music by | David Newman |
| Cinematography | Paul Sarossy |
| Editing by | Gerald B. Greenberg |
| Distributed by | Hollywood Pictures |
| Release date(s) | September 9, 2000 (USA) |
| Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $16,000,000 |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Duets is a road-trip comedy film released in 2000, co-produced and directed by Bruce Paltrow. The film was written by John Byrum.
The moton picture features an ensemble cast co-staring Gwyneth Paltrow (Bruce Paltrow's daughter), Paul Giamatti, Maria Bello, Andre Braugher, Huey Lewis, and others.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The movie revolves around the little known world of karaoke and the wayward characters who inhabit it.
Ricky Dean (Huey Lewis) is a hustler on the karaoke circuit. We meet up with him in Tulsa on his way to a big competition in Omaha. He is detoured after getting a phone call and travels to Las Vegas for the funeral of an old friend. While he's there, he meets up with long lost daugter Liv (Gwyneth Paltrow), who decides she wants to join him on the road.
Meanwhile, a stressed out salesman Todd Woods (Paul Giamatti) realizes he's so burned out from being on the road that he doesn't even know what city he's in. When he gets home, his wife, Candy (Kiersten Warren), and his two kids are too self-absorbed to even say hello to him. He goes out for a pack of cigarettes and discovers karaoke and in the process makes a new friend, Reggie Kane (Andre Braugher), a convict on the lam.
We meet Billy (Scott Speedman), a young man who drives a cab and finds himself involved with sexy Suzi Loomis (Maria Bello). She's on her way to California, in a hurry.
Ultimately, karaoke becomes the vehicle through which this eclectic bunch begin to discover just what it is they're looking for.
The characters soon discover that all roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers and stars come together for a blow-out sing-off.
The characters, who search to find their way in the world, use both music and the people they meet in the karaoke bars as a way to alleviate the pressures of life and in the process connect with one another and form interesting friendships.
Each of the singers display their own unique and special talents which are funny and endearing as well. The characters in this eccentric film perform many well known cover songs throughout the film, hence the title of the film : Duets.
[edit] Background
This was the only time Gwyneth Paltrow and her producer/director father Bruce Paltrow worked together on a film project and it was also Bruce Paltrow's last production before his death.
Brad Pitt was first cast in Speedman's role, but, after he and Gwyneth Paltrow announced the end of their off-camera romance, Pitt decided not to take the role.
[edit] Film locations
The film locations include: Las Vegas, Nevada, British Columbia, Canada, and Omaha, Nebraska.
[edit] Boxoffice
Tagline: Six lost souls in search of a little harmony.
The film suffered at the boxoffice. The first week's gross was $2,002,588 (581 screens) and the total receipts for the run were $4,734,235.
In its widest release the film was featured in 583 theatres. The film was in circulation seven weeks.[2] The production budget was $16,000,000.
[edit] Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews. Even though film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper gave the film "a thumbs up," Ebert said, "Duets has little islands of humor and even perfection, floating in a sea of missed marks and murky intentions."[3]
[edit] Cast
| Ratings | |
|---|---|
| Argentina: | 8 |
| Australia: | M |
| France: | U |
| Germany: | 12 |
| Hong Kong: | IIB |
| Iceland: | 12 |
| New Zealand: | M |
| Spain: | 7 |
| United Kingdom: | 15 |
| United States: | R |
- Maria Bello as Suzi Loomis
- Andre Braugher as Reggie Kane
- Paul Giamatti as Todd Woods
- Huey Lewis as Ricky Dean
- Gwyneth Paltrow as Liv
- Scott Speedman as Billy Hannan
- Lochlyn Munro as Ronny Jackson
- John Pinette as Finals singer
- Angie Dickinson as Blair
- Maya Rudolph as Omaha Hostess
- Kiersten Warren as Candy Woods
- Marian Seldes as Harriet Gahagan
- Keegan Connor Tracy as Sheila, Albuquerque singer
- Aaron Pearl as Buddy
[edit] Gallery
 Character Ricky Dean |
 German DVD Cover |
 Character Todd Woods |
[edit] Soundtrack
An original motion picture soundtrack CD was released on September 12, 2000 by Hollywood Records. The CD contained twelve tracks including the original music composed for the film by Randy Newman.
The actors who sang their own tunes in the film, and included in the CD, are: Huey Lewis, Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamanti, and Maria Bello. Arnold McCuller sings all of Andre Braugher's songs including Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," performed a cappella.
The soundtrack spawned two hit singles in Australia, with Gwyneth Paltrow and Huey Lewis' "Cruisin" spending two weeks at #1 on the Australian singles chart, and Paltrow's "Bette Davis Eyes" peaking at #3.
The Canadian crooner Michael Bublé has a cameo singing "Strangers in the Night," but it is not included in the soundtrack.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ Duets at the Internet Movie Database.
- ^ The Numbers box office data.
- ^ Ebert, Roger. The Chicago Sun-Times, film review, September 9, 2000.
[edit] External links
- Duets at Rotten Tomatoes.
- Duets at Metacritic.
