The Suburbans is a 1999 American comedy-drama film that satirizes the 1980s revival hype around the turn of the 21st century. It stars Donal Lardner Ward, Craig Bierko, Will Ferrell and Tony Guma as one-hit wonder band the Suburbans and Jennifer Love Hewitt as a record company executive who wants to re-establish the band's claim to fame. Ward also co-wrote and directed the film.
The Suburbans | |
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Directed by | Donal Lardner Ward |
Written by | Donal Lardner Ward Tony Guma |
Produced by | J. J. Abrams Michael Burns Leanna Creel Brad Krevoy |
Starring |
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Cinematography | Michael Barrett |
Edited by | Kathryn Himoff |
Music by | Robbie Konder |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Sony Pictures Releasing |
Release date |
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Running time | 81 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $11,130 |
The Suburbans premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 1999. It was released on a very limited number of screens (11) on October 29 of the same year, and grossing $11,130, is considered to have failed commercially. Of ten reviews counted at Rotten Tomatoes, all ten are negative.[1]
In 1998, Danny, Mitch, Gil and Rory, who were once a long-forgotten, early 1980s one-hit wonder band, the Suburbans, reunite to perform their only hit single at Gil's wedding. After the gig, Cate, an up-and-coming record company executive, approaches them and suggests shooting a pay-per-view reunion show that would eventually re-establish the band's claim to fame. The four, more reluctantly than not, agree and subsequently face the ramifications on their personal lives as the show's production contrasts their former rock 'n' roll image with their now middle-class, suburban lifestyle. It soon becomes evident that Cate is probably the only remaining fan of the band, who, out of a personal interest in the matter, put her own career at stake.