Watch The Fabulous Baker Boys For Free

Strong and Moving!

Admirable film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I really tried hard to like this film and the characters in it. The real life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges play the titular Jack and Frank Baker, two pianists who are at the end of a once successful career, reduced to playing gigs at seedy dive bars and cheesy lounges.They decide they need new blood in the act in the form of a female singer. After auditioning what seemed to be all the tone-deaf women in Seattle (Jennifer Tilly has a cute little role as a ditsy audition hopeful who sings "The Candy Man"), in walks Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer), who has a shady background as an escort, but a sultry voice that catches womanizing Jack's attention. The problem with this film that was eloquently stated by another reviewer, is that we never really get to know the history of the two Baker brothers, where they came from, what the height of their career was like when they were "fabulous", and the reason for their current downfall. We already see them when they're down and out, and we have no deep connection to their struggle for the rest of the story. We never really know the reason for Jack's anger and resentment toward his brother. The director should have learned this valuable lesson from Film Making 101: "Show, don't tell." A few flashbacks could've explained this beautifully, but it's never there. The little neighbor girl that Jack looks after because of a neglectful mother seemed like a plot device that was thrown in. She didn't add anything valuable to the story and was another stock character for Jack to get angry at. The character of Susie was someone I really wanted to root for and feel some kind of sympathy toward, but I didn't feel much for her whatsoever. I like Michelle Pfieffer as an actress, but I was so disappointed about her character. Although she was a sultry and sexy siren on stage, her voice wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be. It was a little rough in some places. Over the years her singing has gotten much better, most notably in Hairspray. Perhaps if there was a little more background on Susie and why she was the way she was, maybe if there was a little bit of a struggle about her wanting to be taken seriously as a singer, all that would have helped immensely in understanding her better.There were little moments that were just plain silly in the way the director tried to build sexual tension between Jack and Susie. At first Susie resists his advances, but I never understood why after the act goes on the road, Susie changes her mind all of a sudden about sleeping with Jack. The scene where they sneak into the bathroom separately to smell each others perfume and cologne was awkward. They stare and stare at each other in several scenes for what seems like ages. I love sexual tension between characters as long as it is done right and it doesn't take too long. I was anxious for them to finally get on with it. When they finally do the deed in a deserted hotel ballroom in the middle of the night after a New Year's Eve celebration, there was an attempt at an erotic moment, but it still seemed so awkward. A more realized piano sex scene occurred a year later in Pretty Woman, no doubt inspired by this film, only better. I never sensed there was enough of a reason why Jack and Susie would fall in love or care for each other. To me the romance felt obligatory.It was confusing at first to figure out what city this was set in. Seattle is a wonderful location to film in and I felt it was underused in this film, like everything else. We don't even see a shot of the Space Needle to establish that it is indeed Seattle. If it wasn't for certain posters and signs in the film that say "Seattle", I never would've known what city this was set in. Cities can be characters within films as well and Seattle is a glorious city to capture the ambiance of what the Bakers' lives were like because of its rich musical history. Not so much here, and that's a shame. The biggest irony was a movie about music had such poor sound quality! I'm not sure if it was the DVD or what, but the beautiful jazz standards that were showcased should have been given the full royal aural treatment.The actors in this movie really gave their all to an underdeveloped and mediocre script. They might have thought it was a great movie, or it was just another paycheck. Who knows? Whatever their feelings about it, the director's vision from paper to the big screen just didn't translate well. I was hesitant for some reason about seeing this film for so many years. It first came into my consciousness because of the parody scene in Hot Shots!. Now I can see why this movie was worthy of ridicule.The conflict between the two brothers was absolutely believable, but I wish there was more camaraderie there, which would make the scene in which they reconcile even more powerful than it was. This movie had potential to be great, but it fell flat. I read that several big names in Hollywood turned down a chance to be in this film. Based on this halfhearted effort, it's not difficult to see why.

For an adult love story for an older generation with one of the best jazz soundtracks ever set to a movie, The Fabulous Baker Boys remains a smooth delight, topped by the inspirational casting of Michelle Pfeiffer.Its laid back sophistication is peppered with brotherly rivalry, catty one-liners from Pfeiffer and a smattering of humour, that all just takes the edge off it all taking itself too seriously. I always wondered why Beau Bridges was so called, especially when contrasted here against his real-life (as well as in the story) brother. Beau is plain, balding (running joke about using a revolutionary new hair tonic, in a spray can) and married, while a smooth and fresh-skinned - with Fabulous hair! - Jeoff, we see waking up with his latest sexual encounter at the film's start and is dashing throughout.There's a wonderful predictability in the story that whilst obvious is essential as the piano-playing brothers, who've had the same act for the last 15 years, get the sack from their cosy cocktail lounge slot. Get a girl singer, to add glamour and class is what they decide and so the essential misfits and talentless line up to audition. Of course, Pfeiffer stumbles in late, swears, but, as only in the movies sways them and gets the job.This is, of course the most sublime part of the movie; Pfeiffer, in tight shapely dress, draped over a shiny grand piano, Jeoff and Beau tinkling the ivories and the excellent Dave Grusin score ever achingly evocative and playful. But, of course, the frictions start to seep in and of course, the magic can't last.As I said, the tried & trusted music/fame/film formula works well but is never obvious and we are left with an ending as open as the beginning, which is refreshing - and for the better. Any lesser film would have a sugary pigeon-holed finale that would raise the happy level but which would dissipate immediately after.Though there is some swearing, this film doesn't need, or resort to adult material and in this day and age, this is like a breath of fresh air. Actually, the whole experience could be summed up as such, yes, a breath of beautiful, fresh air.

Beau and Jeff Bridges, the sons of Lloyd Bridges really developed their careers apart from each other. Neither piggybacked on the other's success and while their father's name might have opened a door or two, Beau and Jeff never piggybacked on him either.When they did a joint project each had a well respected career. The Fabulous Baker Boys is about a pair of musician brothers who have a double piano act, something like Ohman&Arden from the Thirties or Jose and Ampara Iturbi, brother and sister in a more classical vein. But they're not anything as successful as the examples I mentioned. They eke out an existence in the clubs in Seattle trying to scratch a living at what they love.Beau takes a lot of guff to keep them employed as he's married with children and Jeff puts up with nothing. To liven up the act they decide a sexy girl singer is what they need and after some dismal candidates they find Michelle Pheiffer. But Michelle dishes out her own brand of guff and she causes The Fabulous Baker Boys to reexamine themselves and their lives.Pheiffer got a Best Actress nomination one of four categories of Oscar nominations the film received. She dominates the film when she's on and not through sheer beauty. It was a well deserved performance, I love the scenes when she cuts Jeff Bridges down to size. She isn't easy on Beau either.Lots of the kind of music I like, vocal and instrumental, is found in The Fabulous Baker Boys. That's a guarantee right there I would enjoy the film.It's only too bad that Beau and Jeff could not work their father into this one.

In this tired tale, two brothers – semi-content with playing a lounge or two here or there – living in the past, consider the option of bringing a female singer into the act. One is the organizer, one is the chain-smoking wild-card that continually impresses the ladies, yet has a stronger passion for the keys. It won't take a rocket scientist to realize which is which based on mere talent alone. Throw into the mix a husky female singer, a mistaken love, and chaos between a seemingly stable piano act. As our film winds down, cliché over recycled cliché is used to tear these brothers apart, and slowly bring them back together – in an awkward way. While the film boasts collaboration between two of Hollywood's biggest brothers (one a recent Oscar winner), great piano music, and the quintessential red-dress-on-piano scene, what this film actually delivers is merely a tired script, an overused plot devise, and lines that could have been promoted by anyone with an Acting 101 degree. While the concept seems dramatic, the final result of this feature (despite the numerous awards) felt disappointing. Brotherly love destroyed by inevitable change? There were a couple of small elements to this film that worked, ensuring that "The Fabulous Baker Boys" was more than just a one-star movie. Bridges, muscled down by the day-to-day life of being a piano player, is watchable. His apathy towards all situations coupled with his "Joe Cool" smoking-attitude, creates the correct amount of tension with unknown to keep the plot slowly moving in the right direction. Beau, the weaker big-screen actor (better able to manage the television roles), tries to keep up, but what tries to be anger ends up just being a man with big eyes and anger-spit. But, on with the positives…the Bridges' music was, for lack of a better word, fabulous. Without making the guess if it was them playing, the tone of each of the songs respectively worked in their scenes. Along with the music, the visions of LA worked to show that in a city that never sleeps, these two brothers will always have work. Keep the drinks flowing, and you are sure to be a crowd pleaser.With some slight parts to make you enjoy the hour and a half of a band's destruction, the rest just crumbled quickly. To begin, while the pairing of Beau and Jeff seemed powerful on paper, the screen told otherwise. Absolutely, the two were able to play their respective roles well – Jeff the darkened, smoking, looming brother – while Beau played the optimist, looking to keep his dream (or business) alive. The issue with the Bridges' is that they are too far apart. There is never a scene to show their chemistry together as amazing pianists. Instead, we see through posters that at once they were happy, but those days are long gone. We begin our film on a downtrodden note, and it never quite picks itself up from that even when the brothers seem to be back on top again. Director Steve Kloves never gives us, the audience, an opportunity to cheer for Jeff and Beau's happiness. Instead, we are forced to suffer right along with them, picking ourselves up after each depressing hour. The same can be said for Pfeiffer, and while Oscar-nomination, Golden Globe-winning, still means something – her portrayal of Susie Diamond just wasn't breakthrough enough to be remembered after 1990. The prostitute-turned-singer routine has been done in Hollywood, over and over and over; and not to sound repetitive, better. Pfeiffer's husky voice (at times in tune, at times not), and butch demeanor, did create a sex-symbol, but instead another tragic character. While I agree, the story isn't conducive to happiness; somebody should have considered it as an opportunity to see these characters differently. It would have added a new layer to their characters, allowing for a stronger emotional punch at the end.As our characters floundered through their roles, playing piano and off-beat singing, the story was another part that just fell short – forcing our characters to have mixed material to work with and missed character opportunity. "The Fabulous Baker Boys" as a film doesn't work, as a television mini-series perhaps it would have been better. There is too much left on the table from writer-director Kloves that nothing evolves. Scenes like upstairs neighbor of Jeff's that is like his mother, busting the dog out of the vet, smelling bathroom equipment, and destroying memorabilia, look good on paper, but without the correct backing just doesn't feel finished. That is the overall feel with "Baker Boys", a sense that scenes, moments, and plot-points went unfinished. Kloves isn't the best in handling the talent he has hired. From leaving cameramen in shots to overusing the piano music, Kloves believes in his work (there is no argument there), but his execution is fallible. Why would you use piano music as your theme music when the Bridges are playing piano music as well? This was horrible. With strong keys being played by the brothers, the cheesy background music just diluted the overall feel. It is the perfect example of having authentic reality and a cheap knock-off. With lacking characters, it would be up to Kloves to cover the differences, but he can't control what is happening. His camera direction, musical focus, and story have too many flawed plot holes that instead of a creative story, we are left with a sad overused cliché. I would agree that these boys are "Fabulous", but Kloves couldn't prove it. His scientific directional equation remains a hypothesis.Overall, I wasn't a fan of this film. Our mood, music, and plot points were all misused and poorly developed. Our story, cliché after cliché, didn't feel original or exciting. There needed to be some brightness at the end of our tunnel, but nobody could demonstrate this. It was corrosive and disappointing.Grade: * ½ out of *****