SWINGERS
US, 1996, 92 minutes, Colour.
Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingstone, Patrick van Horn, Heather Graham.
Directed by Doug Liman.
Swingers was written by its leading star, Jon Favreau, based on his own experiences of coming to Hollywood, hanging out with male friends, trying to find women companions, going to the bars, wanting to be an actor. Favreau has written a witty and successful screenplay as well as establishing himself not only as an actor (Armageddon, Love and Sex, Daredevil) but also as a director, Made and the very successful Elf (in which he played a cameo role as a doctor). The film also stars Vince Vaughn at the beginning of his career. He then moved on to Jurassic Park II: Lost World as well as Gus van Sant's remake of Psycho. There is a sympathetic cameo towards the end by Heather Graham. The director, Doug Liman, went on to make the portmanteau story film, Go, about the drug scene in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and then the highly successful version of Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Identity with Matt Damon.
The film is strong in its portrait of male bonding, even though the males themselves are full of self-pity about their own inability to get a job, hold a job or are worrying about past relationships or looking for relationships. A lot of their action is childish, playing video games, hanging around together, observing people rather than trying to engage in real interactions. Vince Vaughn has most of the good lines in terms of the brash thirty-year-old who is trying to make an impression and fails. His final scene where he misinterprets a woman playing with her baby sums up the action of this kind of would-be actor. Others are much more intense, morose and self-pitying, like the Favreau character who has some kind of inner depth, especially in the scene he has dancing with Heather Graham. It is a marvellous dancing scene where the audience understands the change in his behaviour, his attitude towards Lorraine, her interest in him.
1. The audience for this film? Thirty-year-old males, females? Older audiences, younger audiences?
2. The Los Angeles settings, the apartments, the nightclubs? The visit to Las Vegas? Authentic atmosphere for this group of would-be friends and would-be actors? The musical score, the songs - especially the opening song of Dean Martin and "Someone To Love Me"?
3. The title, the swingers as middle class rather than upper class? Their moral stances, comparatively conventional, their just wanting jobs, genuine relationships, a place in New York and its society?
4. The screenplay, based on Jon Favreau's experience, authentic, funny, insightful? The different scenes of interaction of Mike with Trent, with Rob, with Sue? With the women, his hankering after Michelle to ring him? The phone calls to Nicky and the awkwardness of the many phone calls? His meeting with Lorraine and the talk at the bar, the dance, the aftermath and her phone call?
5. The character of Mike, age and experience, disappointment with Michelle? Wanting her to ring? Self-pity? Awkwardness, inability to relate? The meeting with Trent, going to Las Vegas, losing the money, their trying to pretend that they knew about gambling when they didn't? The two workers, the discussions, the woman dressed as Dorothy? The return to Los Angeles, his going out with Trent to the club, meeting Nicky, the phone calls and his awkwardness? His staying in, Rob coming to discuss things with him? Going out, the men, the video games? At the bar, the women, their observing people, their comments? The hoods and Sue drawing the gun, the mutual insults and truth-telling between Sue and Mike? The later apology, the stronger friendship? Mike, his seeing Lorraine, going to the bar, the awkward conversation, her taking the lead, the dance, his transformation? Michelle's phone call, putting her on hold, wanting to speak with Lorraine? The finale and his still listening to Trent?
6. Trent, all talk, dapper, a leader, schoolboyish in approach? Going to Las Vegas, pressurising Mike? Talking incessantly? The gambling, the girls? The playing of video games? Male bonding, friendship with Sue, Charles? The outings, the drinking, the observation? His not being able to really help Mike? The final scene and his being taken in by the woman playing with her baby?
7. Lorraine, from Wisconsin, entertainment law, her attraction towards Mike, the conversation, her taking the initiative, inviting him to dance? Saying goodbye, the exchange of cards? Her phone call, a future with Mike?
8. Rob, moving from the east, the auditions for jobs, wanting even to be Goofy at the theme park? Sue and his name, friendship, outings, discussions, pulling the gun, the anger with Mike, the apology?
9. The other men, the male bonding, their being much more at home with each other than with the women?
10. An insight into young Americans of the 90s?
