Satisfaction (1988 film)

Last updated
Satisfaction
Satisfaction film.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJoan Freeman
Written byCharles Purpura
Produced by Aaron Spelling
Alan Greisman
Starring
Cinematography Thomas Del Ruth
Edited byJoel Goodman
Music by Michel Colombier
Production
company
NBC Productions
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date
  • February 12, 1988 (1988-02-12)
Running time
93 minutes
LanguageEnglish
Budget$13 million
Box office$8,253,123 [1]

Satisfaction (also titled Girls of Summer) is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Joan Freeman and starring Justine Bateman and Liam Neeson. Primarily known today as Julia Roberts' first credited big-screen role, [2] Satisfaction is also one of the few theatrical productions by either Aaron Spelling or the NBC network.

Contents

Plot

Jennie Lee is the lead singer of the all-girl Baltimore rock band, the Mystery. At her high school graduation, Jennie gives her valedictorian speech while fellow band member, bass guitarist Daryle accepts a proposal from her high school sweetheart Frankie.

Jennie and the band are going to Florida to audition for a gig at a nightclub for the summer. However, many problems arise, first Jennie's older brother doesn't want her to go because it could alter her college plans; second, the band's keyboardist has unexpectedly left the band, and third, their drummer Mooch insulted a gang member who then destroyed their van. She tells the band that she borrowed a van from her friend but in fact, with guitarist Billie's help, she stole the gang member's personal van.

After recruiting a male keyboard player Nicky, the band heads south for the audition. Arriving at the nightclub after closing, they fear they missed their audition. Not wanting to have to return, the band finds the owner Martin Falcon's home address to make him listen to them play. However, when they arrive at his beach house, they let themselves in and find Falcon is not home. They do find Hamlet, Falcon's pet Doberman Pincher dog, who, after Billy sings him a song, becomes fast friends with them.

Falcon arrives, drunk and assumes they are thieves. Explaining who they are, Jennie pleads that he listen to their music, but Falcon informs them that they are in fact a day early. Having very little money and no place to stay, he offers them the room that the winners are supposed to be staying in for the summer. The "room" is a tool shack with room for 5 beds. The next night, the band auditions and the overwhelming applauding crowd response convinces Falcon to hire them for the summer.

The band members stick out like a sore thumb in the preppy beach side area, especially Mooch, who refuses to take off her black leather jacket, although the weather is hot. Daryle (who has broken up with Frankie) starts dating a local rich boy and gets the band invited to his parties. Billy, uncomfortable, starts taking more pills than usual to cope with her depression. Jennie encourages Mooch to spend time with Nicky, who has a crush on her, and Jennie begins seeing the older Falcon.

Falcon tells Jennie he has a music agent friend who books bands for European gigs, and is coming to the club to watch the band perform. When Falcon learns that she is considering moving in with him, breaks up with her as he doesn't want her to give up any opportunities because of him. Billy nearly overdoses, and Frankie causes a small riot when he goes to the club and sees Daryle on stage being ogled by the locals.

On the night the agent goes to the club, Jennie runs out just after performing a song written by Falcon especially for the band, and the street gang finally catches up with Mooch for taking their van. The band all helps Mooch fight off the leader and, finally, Hamlet the dog chases them from the club, who are then arrested. When asked what the agent said, Jennie implies that the agent loved their music but she turned down his offer for the band to play in European clubs.

Upset with Jennie that she would turn down such a huge opportunity, Nicky explains to the rest that the music agent did not want the band, but only Jennie with studio musicians. She decides it wouldn't have been any fun without them. Jennie says goodbye to Falcon, and the band heads home with Hamlet now a part of the band.

Main cast

Production

The film was a theatrical film made by NBC Productions, an offshoot of the NBC network, then under Brandon Tartikoff. It was a vehicle for Justine Bateman who was then on the network's popular sitcom Family Ties . [3]

"I admire her courage to stand up there and sing," said Bateman's brother Jason, who was starring in the sitcom Valerie's Family at the time and had also just made his starring debut in a feature. "You can bet her movie is going to do better than [my feature] Teen Wolf Too ." [4]

""The film is about that time in your life when you want to do something with your life within a creative environment in a constructive way," said Bateman. [5]

Bateman took singing and guitar lessons and she and the cast rehearsed for six weeks. Filming took place in South Carolina. Bateman could not sing but said "Luckily, we're just supposed to be a garage band because my voice is very far from Sarah Vaughan's." [4]

Bateman's Family Ties co star Michael J. Fox had recently made a rock movie called Light of Day . "The only similarity between the two movies is that both characters are in a band," said Bateman. "I wouldn't call Satisfaction light comedy, but it's . . . remember the Jodie Foster movie Foxes ? It's similar to that feeling." [6]

"I can't worry about 'changing my image' or whether I even have 'an image,'" said Bateman. "It's just me. I've done enough work that illustrates I'm just acting. Mallory [her character in Family Ties] is one character, the character in the film is another. I don't have any great plan, or feel that I need one. I feel I've balanced things pretty well. I try not to take myself too seriously. I'm 21, after all—you can't plan your life out till you're 80." [5]

Soundtrack

A soundtrack for the movie was released in 1988. Billed as being performed by Justine Bateman & The Mystery (as Jennie Lee & the Mystery in film credits), the instruments are actually performed by session players, with Bateman on lead vocals and co-star Britta Phillips on background vocals. The lead vocal on "Mr. Big Stuff" was sung by Phillips. The soundtrack also featured songs by other artists.

Track listing:

  1. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  2. "Knock on Wood" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  3. "Lies" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  4. "Mr. Big Stuff" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  5. "Rock and Roll Rebels" – John Kay & Steppenwolf
  6. "Iko Iko" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  7. "C'mon Everybody" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  8. "Talk to Me" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  9. "Mystery Dance" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery
  10. "Maybe" – The Chantels
  11. "Love Theme from Satisfaction" – Michel Columbier
  12. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Version 2)" – Justine Bateman & the Mystery

Reception

The film received poor reviews. The New York Times called it "a typical, low-budget summer movie, where everyone has a hot romance, a good body and an expensive haircut." [7] The Los Angeles Times' critic Michael Wilmington called it "a movie—supposedly about an '80s rock band—where the songs date from the '60s, the language and sexual attitudes suggest the '70s and the plot is pure '50s." [8] Movie historian Leonard Maltin seemed to agree: "Bombs like this one were more fun during the Baby Boomer era...Citing a lack of romantic chemistry between Neeson and Bateman would be much too polite." [9] A DVD Talk reviewer said that it was "no wonder these gals can't get any satisfaction; their combined musical "talents" make Britney Spears look like Aretha Franklin, their clothes are freaking ridiculous, and they're stuck in a movie that looks precisely like a 'girls on vacation' episode of Beverly Hills 90210 , or worse yet, a pre-teen version of Coyote Ugly ." [10]

The film opened at eighth place earning $2.3 million. [11]

Satisfaction holds a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five reviews. [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Roberts</span> American actress (born 1967)

Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. Known for her leading roles in films encompassing a variety of genres, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. The films in which she has starred have collectively grossed over $3.9 billion globally, making her one of Hollywood's most bankable stars. After an early breakthrough with appearances in Mystic Pizza (1988) and Steel Magnolias (1989), Roberts established herself as a leading actress when she headlined the top-grossing romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liam Neeson</span> Actor from Northern Ireland (born 1952)

William John Neeson is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed seventh on The Irish Times list of Ireland's 50 Greatest Film Actors. Neeson was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoebe Cates</span> American actress (born 1963)

Phoebe Belle Cates Kline is an American former actress, known primarily for her roles in films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Gremlins (1984), Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Princess Caraboo (1994).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annette Funicello</span> American actress and singer (1942–2013)

Annette Joanne Funicello was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. In her teenage years, she recorded under the name Annette, and had a successful career as a pop singer. Her most notable singles are "O Dio Mio", "First Name Initial", "Tall Paul", and "Pineapple Princess". During the mid-1960s, she established herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre alongside co-star Frankie Avalon.

<i>10 Things I Hate About You</i> 1999 American film by Gil Junger

10 Things I Hate About You is a 1999 American teen romantic comedy film directed by Gil Junger in his film directorial debut and starring Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Larisa Oleynik. The screenplay by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith is a modernization of William Shakespeare's comedy The Taming of the Shrew, retold in a late-1990s American high school setting. The film follows new student Cameron James (Gordon-Levitt) who is smitten with Bianca Stratford (Oleynik) and attempts to get bad boy Patrick Verona (Ledger) to date her antisocial sister Kat (Stiles) in order to get around her father's strict rules on dating. Named after a poem Kat writes about her romance with Patrick, the film was mostly shot in the Seattle metropolitan area, with many scenes filmed at Stadium High School in Tacoma, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justine Bateman</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1966)

Justine Bateman is an American actress and filmmaker. Her acting work includes Family Ties, Satisfaction, Men Behaving Badly, The TV Set, Desperate Housewives, and Californication. Her feature film directorial debut, Violet, starring Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey, and Justin Theroux, premiered at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. Bateman also wrote, directed and produced the film short Five Minutes, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy McKeon</span> American actress

Nancy Justine McKeon is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life and Jinny Exstead on The Division.

"Minnie the Moocher" is a jazz-scat song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over a million copies. "Minnie the Moocher" is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed ("scat") lyrics. In performances, Calloway would have the audience and the band members participate by repeating each scat phrase in a form of call and response, eventually making it too fast and complicated for the audience to replicate.

<i>Times Square</i> (1980 film) 1980 film by Allan Moyle

Times Square is a 1980 American drama film directed by Allan Moyle and starring Trini Alvarado and Robin Johnson as teenage runaways from opposite sides of the tracks and Tim Curry as a radio DJ. The film is set in New York City. The plot embodies a punk rock ethic of misunderstood youth articulating their frustrations toward adult authority through music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyce Van Patten</span> American actress

Joyce Benignia Van Patten is an American film and stage actress. She is best known for her roles in films like The Bad News Bears (1976), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), and as Gloria Noonan in Grown Ups (2010).

Trinidad "Trini" Alvarado is an American actress best known for her performances as Margaret "Meg" March in the 1994 film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women and Lucy Lynskey in the comedy horror film The Frighteners. She also has had notable stage performances and singing roles in musicals.

<i>American Psycho</i> (film) 2000 film by Mary Harron

American Psycho is a 2000 satirical psychological horror film directed by Mary Harron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Guinevere Turner. Based on the 1991 novel by Bret Easton Ellis, it stars Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer. Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, Josh Lucas, Chloë Sevigny, Samantha Mathis, Cara Seymour, Justin Theroux, and Reese Witherspoon appear in supporting roles. The film blends horror and black comedy to satirize 1980s yuppie culture and consumerism, exemplified by Bateman and supporting cast.

<i>A Bucket of Blood</i> (1995 film) 1995 television film by Michael McDonald

A Bucket of Blood is a 1995 American comedy horror television film. A remake of the 1959 film of the same name, it follows the original closely, adapting it to a contemporary setting. The film was directed by comedian Michael McDonald, produced by Roger Corman, and co-written by McDonald and Brendan Broderick, based on the 1959 screenplay by Charles B. Griffith.

<i>Some of My Best Friends</i> Television series

Some of My Best Friends is an American sitcom television series created by Marc Cherry and Tony Vitale, that aired on CBS from February 28 until April 11, 2001. The series was inspired by the film Kiss Me, Guido. The show was cancelled after only five of the seven produced episodes had aired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabelle Fuhrman</span> American actress (born 1997)

Isabelle Fuhrman is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Esther in the horror film Orphan (2009) and its prequel Orphan: First Kill (2022). She also portrayed Clove in the dystopian adventure film The Hunger Games (2012), and Alex in the independent film The Novice (2021).

Charmaine Brooks is a Canadian rock singer and songwriter born in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Charmaine began learning to play guitar at an early age, she then switched to drums, and began studying under local drummer Wayne Brown. She said " singing was not something I ever thought I could do well"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Stone</span> Soap opera character

Frankie Stone is a fictional character from the American daytime drama All My Children. Portrayed by Elizabeth Hendrickson from September 27 to November 28, 2001, the character was one of the more popular additions to the series, having gained a significant following after only three months. When she was killed off, the popularity and loyal following the character had obtained resulted in Hendrickson being brought back as the character's identical twin sister, Maggie Stone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Britta Phillips</span> American musical artist and actress (born 1963)

Britta Phillips is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and actress.

<i>The Perils of Pauline</i> (1947 film) 1947 film

The Perils of Pauline is a 1947 American Technicolor comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Betty Hutton, John Lund and William Demarest. It was produced and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is a fictionalized Hollywood account of silent film star Pearl White's rise to fame, starring Hutton as White.

<i>Raw</i> (film) 2016 film by Julia Ducournau

Raw is a 2016 coming-of-age body horror drama film written and directed by Julia Ducournau, and starring Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, and Rabah Nait Oufella. The plot follows a young vegetarian's first year at veterinary school, where she tastes meat for the first time and develops a craving for human flesh.

References

  1. ↑ Satisfaction at Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ Stack, Tim (2018-10-25). "A tale of two Julias: Inside the making of the edgiest roles of Julia Roberts' career". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  3. ↑ Collins, Monica (January 21, 1988). "The trouble with Tartikoff's tart tongue". USA Today . pp. 03D.
  4. 1 2 Green, Tom (February 11, 1988). "Justine's satisfaction; Our little Mallory is growing up [FINAL Edition]". USA Today. pp. 01D.
  5. 1 2 Mills, Bart (February 20, 1988). "Ties' star finds Satisfaction [FINAL Edition]". The Star. pp. C1.
  6. ↑ Vare, Ethlie Ann (February 16, 1988). "New gig for Justine: 'Family Ties' star plays rocker in film". Philadelphia Daily News . p. 44.
  7. ↑ James, Caryn (13 February 1988). "Movie Review – Satisfaction – Film: Justine Bateman in 'Satisfaction'". The New York Times . Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  8. ↑ "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Satisfaction' Gets Caught in a Time Warp". Los Angeles Times. 1988-02-17. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  9. ↑ Maltin's TV, Movie, & Video Guide
  10. ↑ "Satisfaction : DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video". Dvdtalk.com. Retrieved 2012-10-14.
  11. ↑ "Vietnam comedy's still box office hit". Toronto Star . February 18, 1988. pp. C4.
  12. ↑ "Satisfaction". Rotten Tomatoes .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.