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Pearl Jam. Cameron Crowe. Friends. Paul Giamatti.

It is strange how cultural landmarks can be born out of movies that have long been forgotten. So, what movie featured the hit-making grunge band, the Academy Award-winning director, inspired one of TVs biggest hit sitcoms of all time, as well as credited one of Hollywood’s best character actors in one of his first parts? Odds are you don’t know, and if you do then your brain has a bigger movie encyclopedia than mine.

The movie is Singles. Never hearing of the film before, I figured I might as well give it a shot since it was the only movie by Cameron Crowe (director of one of my personal favorites, Almost Famous), I have yet to see.

Filmed in 1991 as his follow-up to the movie starring John Cusack and a boom-box, Say Anything..., Singles could serve as a post-grad sequel. Set in Seattle against grunge music when the angst-y music genre was just gaining momentum, Singles is divided into chapters, chronicling the relationship between two couples living in the same apartment complex. Bridget Fonda is top-billed (hot off of the trashy summer horror hit Single White Female) as Janet Livermore, a coffee barista who is hopelessly in love with a grunge band musician (Matt Dillon), who wants little to do with her emotionally. Meanwhile, Kyra Sedgwick and Campbell Scott play the will-they-won’t-they couple, wavering between romantic commitment and just friendship.

Having little connection between each other, it seems as if Crowe had two solid relationship short films and decided to mash them together into a feature length dramedy. With title cards intercutting between the two couples, the obvious lack of association between the two pairs of lovers, Singles' disconnection is made more apparent. However, with strong acting and writing, the odd combination can be overlooked.

If I had to note Cameron Crowe only for one great aspect, it would be his knack for natural dialogue. While partially a comedy, the humor comes naturally and the progressions of the romances are refreshingly realistic (or as realistic as you can get by studio standards). Crowe is fair to both men and women when it comes to behavioral criticism, and can write both genders just as well. However, you feel as if Crowe wanted to make a film just about his love of grunge music, but instead had to force the soundtrack into the background. Crowe would have to wait later for Almost Famous to make a film that is also a musical love letter.

Directing with little distinction between the couples, Crowe is striving for a compelling universal connection for the movie, but it is clearly not there, which makes Singles a bit of a disappointment. Focusing on grunge music seems like a mistake, for this fast-fading musical genre is a thing of the past. With better romantic dramedies around, Singles is not with us anymore.

Bridget Fonda does a fine job as the self-conscious Janet, semi-believable as she tries to win over Matt Dillon’s boneheaded musician who plays simply for laughs. One of the most memorable scenes is Fonda’s character going to a plastic surgeon and arguing over what size she wants her breast implants to be. Certainly not prolific like her father Peter Fonda, after a successful career in the ‘90s, Bridget Fonda left Hollywood for reasons uncertain. Her last theatrical release was 2001’s Kiss of the Dragon and her last acting credit was in 2002 for a Hallmark TV movie, Snow Queen. I hope Bridget is more like her Aunt Jane Fonda, who famously took a 14-year stint off from acting, and will eventually make a comeback (although with a film slightly better than Monster-in-Law).

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