Singles

***Singles*** is a 1992 American romantic comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Cameron Crowe, and starring Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, and Matt Dillon.

The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and released theatrically on September 18, 1992 to generally positive reviews from critics and moderate box office success, grossing over $18 million.

## Plot

*Singles* centers on the precarious romantic lives of a group of young Gen X'ers in Seattle, Washington, at the height of the 1990s grunge phenomenon. Most of the characters dwell in an apartment block, a sign in front of which advertises "Singles" (single bedroom apartments) for rent. Divided into chapters, the film focuses on the course of two couples' rocky romances, as well as the love lives of their friends and associates.

The film revolves around Janet, a coffee-bar waitress fawning over Cliff, an aspiring, yet slightly aloof grunge rock musician of the fictional grunge/rock band Citizen Dick (which features members of the real-life grunge group Pearl Jam), Linda Powell and Steve Dunne, a couple wavering on whether to commit to each other, and Debbie Hunt, who is trying to find Mr. Right - a man who would make an ideal romantic partner. The events of the film are set against the backdrop of the early 1990s grunge movement in Seattle and features appearances from several musicians prominent in that movement.

## Cast

* Bridget Fonda as Janet Livermore
* Campbell Scott as Steve Dunne
* Kyra Sedgwick as Linda Powell
* Sheila Kelley as Debbie Hunt
* Jim True-Frost as David Bailey
* Matt Dillon as Cliff Poncier
* Bill Pullman as Dr. Jeffrey Jamison
* James LeGros as Andy
* Devon Raymond as Ruth
* Camilo Gallardo as Luiz
* Ally Walker as Pam
* Eric Stoltz as The Mime
* Jeremy Piven as Doug Hughley
* Tom Skerritt as Mayor Weber
* Peter Horton as Jamie
* Bill Smillie as Boston Doctor
* Chuch McQuary as Garage Opener Clerk
* Christopher Masterson as Steve at 10
* Matt Magnano as Kid #1
* Jaffar Smith as Kid #2
* Dana Eskelson as Club Girl
* Mykol Hazen as Club Bouncer
* Art Cahn as Magazine Stand Clerk
* Michael Su as Ted
* Jane Jones as Denise
* Johnny Willis as Rick
* Randy Thompson as Stu
* Paul Giamatti as Kissing Man
* Alicia Roper as Kissing Woman
* Xavier McDaniel as Himself
* Wayne Cody as Himself
* Stone Gossard as Himself - Citizen Dick
* Jeff Ament as Himself - Citizen Dick
* Cameron Crowe as Club Interviewer
* Pat DiNizio as Sid
* Tim Burton as Brian
* Peter Horton as Jamie
* Chris Cornell as Chris
* Thomas A. Doyle as Wrong Phone Number
* Alice Marie Crowe as Dr. Jamison's Nurse
* Joan Giammarco as Receptionist
* Jim Hechim as Rich
* Heather Hughes as Lauren
* Tim Burton as Brian
* 'Crazy Steve' Olsen as Rob
* Bernard Bentley as Spiro
* Stephen Rutledge as Charles
* Daniel Johnson as Sean
* Bruce Pavitt as Bruce
* Michael Gardner as Mike
* Sandra Grant as Waitress
* Karen LaVoie as Hostess
* Tom Francis as Deputy Mayor
* Jerry Ziesmer as Councilman Jordan Fisher
* Nina Escudero as Airline Clerk
* Dan Wartman as Single Kid on Plane
* Amy Hill as Hospital Nurse
* Mike Parker as Mover
* Lara Harris as Poetess
* Bradley Kok as Chas
* Debi Mazar as Brenda

### Uncredited Appearances

* Jennifer Bassey as Unnamed
* Matt Cameron as Himself - Soundgarden
* Jerry Cantrell as Himself - Alice in Chains
* Michelle Crane as Alice in Chains - Girl in Crowd
* Victor Garber as Kid's Dad
* Sean Kinney as Himself - Alice in Chains
* Annie Lareau as Popcorn Girl
* Scott Allen Logan as Man in Bar
* John Nelson as Street Person
* Roger Petan as Office worker / Pikeplace Market shopper
* Rachel Seymour as Café Patron
* Ben Shepherd as Himself - Soundgarden
* Layne Stanley as Himself - Alice in Chains
* Mike Starr as Himself - Alice in Chains
* Kim Thayil as Himself - Soundgarden Guitarist

* Eddie Vedder as Himself - Citizen Dick

## Production

Filming began on March 11, 1991. Principal photography wrapped on May 24, 1991.

The film was shot at a number of locations around Seattle and includes scenes at Gas Works Park, Capitol Hill, Jimi Hendrix's original grave at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton and Pike Place Market. The central coffee shop featured in the film is the now-closed OK Hotel. The apartment building is located on the northwest corner of the intersection of E Thomas St & 19th Ave E. Additional concert footage was shot in the now-defunct RKCNDY bar. Alice in Chains' concert was filmed at the Desoto nightclub. Also, Soundgarden makes an appearance in the film.

Most of Matt Dillon's wardrobe in the movie actually belonged to Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament. During the making of the film, Ament produced a list of song titles for the fictional band, Citizen Dick. Chris Cornell took it as a challenge to write songs for the film using those titles, and "Spoonman" was one of them. An early acoustic version of the song was created and can be heard in the background during a scene of the film. Citizen Dick's song name "Touch Me, I'm Dick" is a word play on the song "Touch Me, I'm Sick" by the Seattle band Mudhoney. Also, in the inside cover photo of the soundtrack, there is a Citizen Dick CD with the track listing on the CD itself. One of the songs is called "Louder Than Larry (Steiner)", a wordplay on the Soundgarden album, *Louder Than Love*. The band name Citizen Dick is a play on the Seattle band Citizen Sane, which itself is a play on the 1941 film, *Citizen Kane*.

## Reception

*Singles* holds a 79% critical approval rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 52 reviews with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads "Smart, funny, and engagingly scruffy, *Singles* is a clear-eyed look at modern romance that doubles as a credible grunge-era time capsule".

Tim Appelo wrote in *Entertainment Weekly*, "With ... an ambling, naturalistic style, Crowe captures the eccentric appeal of a town where espresso carts sprout on every corner and kids in ratty flannel shirts can cut records that make them millionaires." Meanwhile, Seattle's The Stranger was less kind to Crowe's use of the local background, reviewing "he's relying on the general hipness of our little burg and on the star power of a few local musicians/bit actors to make a bundle of dough, and he hasn't bothered to back them up with anything worth remembering. Pleasant is about the only word I can think of to describe the thing."

Warner Bros. Television immediately tried to turn *Singles* into a television series. Crowe claims that *Singles* inspired the television series *Friends.*

On July 5, 2015, Derek Erdman held a public screening of the movie in the courtyard of Capitol Hill’s Coryell Court Apartments—the building in which some of the main characters live. The event was attended by over 1,000 people. Despite initial concerns by the landlord, the event went off smoothly. The crowd was respectful and cleaned up after themselves. Reports of Bridget Fonda being in attendance were false. It was actually her aunt, Jane Fonda.

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

* 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated

## Soundtrack

> *Main article: Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack*
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The *Singles* soundtrack was released on June 30, 1992 through Epic Records and became a best seller three months before the release of the film. The soundtrack included music from key bands from the Seattle music scene of the time, such as Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. Pearl Jam performed two previously-unreleased songs on the soundtrack: "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust". The Soundgarden song "Birth Ritual" and Chris Cornell's solo song "Seasons" appear on the soundtrack. Paul Westerberg of The Replacements contributed two songs to the soundtrack and provided the score for the film. The Smashing Pumpkins also contributed to the soundtrack with the song "Drown".