September 27, 2002
By Veronica Mixon
When Suzette (Goldie Hawn) gets fired from her
job on Sunset Strip, she decides to visit her
best friend Vinnie (Susan Sarandon) in Arizona.
During the road trip, Suzette gives Harry (Geoffrey
Rush) a lift in exchange for filling her gas tank.
He's depressed writer who's returning to his hometown
on a mission. Of course, Suzette's appearance
in Phoenix is not exactly applauded by Vinnie
because neither her family nor friends are aware
that she has a past - an incredibly crazy past
as a rock 'n' roll groupie!
The Banger Sisters stars the best
two actresses who've matured over the years on
screen and continue to work despite the odds stacked
against them by Hollywood power brokers. Goldie
Hawn (The First Wives Club) and Susan Sarandon
(Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking) are
superb and they melt your hearts and make you
laugh in the comedy that raises the issue of age.
Lighthearted, sexy Suzette crashes into Vinnie's
world and stuns her old friend back to the living.
Quickly, Vinnie realizes that her family -- two
teenager daughters and her husband -- not only
takes her for granted (which is partial her own
fault) but that she's shed a side of her personality
that makes her soft and funny. Meanwhile Suzette
discovers that she should forget the past and
concentrate on the present - like the good man
that she's met in Harry and forget about the good
old days.
Geoffrey Rush, who best known for his serious
roles in Shine and The Tailor of
Panama, first exhibited his comic gifts
in Shakespeare in Love. As the straight
man in to Suzette's nuttiness, Rush is hysterical
and makes audiences roar as he reacts to the maniac
who has evaded his life.
The Banger Sisters is a fluffy
movie but this baby boomer comedy can also appeal
to younger audiences because the jokes are multi-generational
It's sly message reminds us that getting older
means getting better, too. Both Hawn and Sarandon
still get meaty roles despite their aging and
that's wonderful. They exude glamour, girlish
funny and an earthy sexiness of rock 'n' roll.
The Banger Sisters is a winner!
