The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American romantic comedy drama musical film written and directed by Steve Kloves. The film follows a piano act consisting of two brothers, who hire an attractive female singer to help revive their waning career. After a period of success, complications ensue when the younger brother develops romantic feelings for the singer. Brothers Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges star as the Baker Boys, while Michelle Pfeiffer plays lounge singer Susie Diamond.

Budget $11.5 million
Box office $18.4 million

The Fabulous Baker Boys was Kloves’s directorial debut and second screenplay. He conceived the story based on Ferrante & Teicher, a piano duo he had grown up watching perform on The Ed Sullivan Show, which inspired him to write a film about working class musicians who are also siblings.

I remember seeing this in its theatrical release. Mainly for the song and a steamy scene between Jeff and Michelle. What holds up well is the changing relationship between the main characters. But the story is inconsequential. At the end the brother have broken up, but that’s about it.

Dave Grusin composed the film’s score, largely consisting of jazz music and pop standards, performed by Grusin on keyboards with tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, guitarist Lee Ritenour, trumpeter Sal Marquez, bassist Brian Bromberg, and drummer Harvey Mason.