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| Genre: | Comedy |
| Year: | 2002 |
| Rating: | R |
| Length: | 1h 38mins |
| Cast: | Bob Dolman, Goldie Hawn, Susan Sarandon, Geoffrey Rush |
Here's a lighthearted romp that gleefully thumbs its nose at today's youth-oriented comedies -- and, in the process, supplies two mature, Oscar-winning actresses with delightfully playful roles. Goldie Hawn portrays Suzette, a bubbly, middle-aged barmaid whose sole claim to fame is her checkered "career" as a 1960s rock groupie. After being fired, she goes on a road trip to find her former partner, Lavinia (Susan Sarandon), now a staid suburban mother with two rebellious teenage daughters (Erika Christensen and Eva Amurri). Director Bob Dolman deftly integrates plot and character, gradually drawing detailed and not altogether flattering portraits of the two women, who are shown to have taken different life paths after swinging through the '60s and '70s together. Hawn's Suzette seems to regret never having had a family of her own, even as Sarandon regrets surrendering her independence and losing her joie de vivre. Rekindling the friendship results in some tempestuous moments, but under Dolman's direction the mood never gets too heavy, and various minor crises are resolved without undue angst. Sarandon, with the more demanding part, delivers a marginally better performance than her costar, but they're both excellent, as is Geoffrey Rush, playing a chronically depressed screenwriter Suzette picks up en route to Lavinia's home. Charming and funny without being saccharine or condescending, The Banger Sisters is sure to revive pleasant, long-dormant memories in its older viewers while beguiling younger ones. Dolman supplies a commentary for the DVD, which also includes an HBO "First Look" special and a blooper reel. Ed Hulse
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