The Fabulous Baker Boys

The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

  • 96% of critics liked it
    (23 reviews)

  • 60% of users liked it
    (9,554 ratings)

Real-life siblings Beau and Jeff Bridges star as the eponymous Fabulous Baker Boys. Musical prodigies both, the Bakers have long been teamed as a twin-piano act, with the less talented Frank (Beau Bridges) coasting on the skills of his brilliant younger brother, Jack (Jeff Bridges). Their career… More

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R,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Romance, Musical & Performing Arts
In Theaters
Oct 13, 1989 Wide
20th Century Fox

Critic Reviews

  • Variety Staff, Variety

    The fun part is seeing it all play out, thanks to a standout cast and first-time director Steve Kloves' skill in handling them.

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    Much of the credit must go to the actors, with the Bridges brothers making a superb double act.

  • Janet Maslin, New York Times

    It's a film specializing in smoky, down-at-the-heels glamour, and in the kind of smart, slangy dialogue that sounds right without necessarily having much to say.

  • Desson Thomson, Washington Post

    A thoroughly enjoyable entertainment that should play just about everybody's strings right. Kloves proves to be quite a plucker.

  • Rita Kempley, Washington Post

    The Fabulous Baker Boys is like a beloved movie from the glory days of Hollywood. It transports you. It's an American rhapsody.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jim H


    An alluring singer joins piano-playing brothers around the nightclub circuit. The highlights of this film are the performances by the Bridges brothers and Michelle Pfeiffer, who is sultry and has a fantastic singing voice. First-class direction by Steve Kloves also captures some… More

  • xGary X


    Dreary and unconvincing soap opera featuring Michelle Pfeiffer on a piano being "sexy". Apparently.

  • Alec B


    Whatever minor quibbles I have with the story are completely made up by the remarkable chemistry of the three leads. The film is as smooth, slow, and understated as the lounge songs performed in the movie.

  • Duncan R


    Fabulous indeed. Steve Kloves has a winner with this one. The Bridges gave exceptional performances, as did Michelle Pheiffer, the music was smooth as whiskey, and the dialogue was sharp as a tack. And Jennifer Tilly's performance of "The Candy Man" had me in stitches!… More

  • Marcus W


    Pfeiffer brings plenty of "zing" to this, but it should really have been called "Jeff Bridges plays a miserable, moody git who chain-smokes and won't let anyone get close to him for reasons that are never made clear." Around the same level of melodrama as a… More

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Cast

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