The Banger Sisters (2002)

For thinly scripted fluff, The Banger Sisters sure is a lot of fun. With Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon as former groupies now settling into their fifties, this predictable comedy gets a zesty boost of vitality and unsentimental nostalgia. Trouble is, Lavinia (or Vinnie, played by Sarandon) is an uptight Phoenix housewife with a lawyer husband, two spoiled daughters, and a calendar full of charity benefits. Free-spirited Suzette (Hawn) remained true to their past as the notorious rocker-lovin' Banger Sisters, and when she visits Vinnie after decades apart, it's not long before Vinnie rediscovers the lively self she'd buried under her drably expensive wardrobe. It's conspicuously formulaic, with Geoffrey Rush as another buttoned-up character liberated by Suzette's fun-loving wisdom. And yet, as Goldie channels the "Penny Lane" vibe that her daughter, Kate Hudson, brought to Almost Famous, this light and laugh-worthy movie reminds us that it's never too late to indulge a bit of rock & roll abandon. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com

 Absolutely Delightful!
I caught this one by pure chance with the DVD - a sanitized version with commercials, no less! I still found this film absolutely delightful, and laughed out loud on several occasions! Not deep, by any means, but Susan and Goldie are perfectly cast in this roles. I absolutely loved watching Vinnie's (Susan) transformation to be true to herself and pass this on to her daughters. While the drugs and sex references - even in the 'clean' version - aren't acceptable for the younger audiences, I'd highly recommend this film for a 'Girl's Night Out' DVD with your best friends and a pitcher of marguaritas! April 15, 2008

 BOB DOLMAN, OPUS 1
** 2002. Written and directed by Bob Dolman. Golden Globe nomination for Goldie Hawn. Twenty years after, two friends remember their debauched youth as groupies. If Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon's performances may please you if you're a fan, like me, of these actresses, you'll be alas horrified by the vacuity of the screenplay of this film. February 22, 2008

 Groovy Movie
I love this film. I tend to rate movies by how well they accomplish what they set out to do. Schindler's List is trying to do something much different than Fried Green Tomatoes, and they need to be rated on their own merits. In this case, The Banger Sisters deftly accomplishes what it's meant to do, and that's to provide a heart-warming, funny movie about friendship, with a bit of nostalgia thrown in for flavor.

I hadn't even heard of The Banger Sisters until I saw it for sale on the used rack at the local video store and picked it up because it had Susan Sarandon in it, a long time favorite of mine. Because I didn't know anything about it, I had zero expectations as to plot or movie quality, which sometimes helps. I ended up being totally charmed and have watched it several times and will surely watch it several more.

The movie has a lot to say about how people change, or don't change, how a person can lose her sense of self, how raising children has some inherent hypocrisy involved, and about how important friends are to our identities. But these are all said subtly and just add a bit of background depth to what is namely a light comedy about old friends.

The performances by Hawn and Sarandon are outstanding. As is the performance by Geoffry Rush. The three characters are all uniquely different, and yet somehow the three of them manage to make a wonderful and crazily believable whole. The fourth best performance in the movie is turned in by the fantastic soundtrack.

So maybe while not a movie for deep thinkers or for elite cinema buffs, it's a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half for those who love movies about the bonds of friendship, who like a bit of nostalgia for the great days of rock and roll, and who appreciate a suprise, side-splittingly funny scene or turn of phrase now and then. October 10, 2006

 Switch your brain off
I picked this film up purely cos it was there, and I thought "yeah, it might be alright". I think Susan Sarandon is an amazing actress, but haven't seen Goldie Hawn in anything, but I love her daughter.

It's amazing how you lose contact with friends over the years. You go through primary school thinking you'll always be friends; you go to high school, they become "cool", and you're no longer "cool"; you leave school totally bitter, and find some new friends, hopefully who'll remain with you throughout thick & thin. I'm an early 20 something, compared to the 40/50 somethings that Susan & Goldie were playing in this, but I know it hurts, especially when you find them online, and they look all happy. But to go through 20 years or so, and rediscover a friendship. Wow. Which is exactly what Goldie & Susan's character do in this.

What changes when you grow up? A lot, as Susan's character "Lavinia" goes from rock chick groupie "Vinnie" to uptight mother of 2. Suzette goes from rock chick groupie to ... rock chick groupie. Many women will find a lot of experiences that happen in this movie that they will find in common with the characters, and despite being young, I did too. I loved how rediscovering her friendship with Suzette, Lavinia became Vinnie again, shocking her husband and two teenage girls. I hated her haircut though! Yikes!

This is the fourth film that Susan & real life daughter Eva Amurri have starred in as mother and daughter, and they are such a joy to watch on screen, although Eva is wasted in this. The other daughter, played by Erika Christensen, gets a bigger role, mainly because she's going off the rails very, very slightly, and her mum catches her getting up to "no good" in the FAMILY swimming pool with her boyfriend. Shows you exactly uptight Lavinia is, although her day she took pictures of rock c***s, and still has them!

This is a perfect movie for a girlie afternoon of pampering and just looking after yourself, without having to think too much about a twist or turn in the film. Most enjoyable, and definitely worth getting & keeping. September 8, 2006

 Goldie Hawn is great in this
The subject matter is that two groupies who slept with pretty much every musician in the world during the 70's are now much older. The Sarandon character has suppressed all of that, is married with two kids, and has had her personality disappear. The Hawn character is still a free spirit and revels in her past. However, she is now wise. Of course, the Hawn character seeks out the Sarandon character and reinvigorates her life, and her family is grateful that their wife and mother was once a world class groupie.

I believe that there is a certain consensus about this film. The script is pretty weak regardless of its subject matter. Goldie Hawn is fantastic in it.

As my own comment, it is actually hard to tell if this is a movie about women achieving something or some kind of odd male fantasy. If Hawn had not saved this movie, it would be a real rotten tomato. Incidently, the title of this film is taken from one of the most famous/infamous porno flicks of all time. July 6, 2006

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