Five Fabulous Years

Five years ago tomorrow, and one month into a global pandemic, I launched the Starfire Lounge on April 19, 2020 as a tribute to my love of Michelle Pfeiffer’s Susie Diamond and the movie The Fabulous Baker Boys. Of course, this site was always meant to be more than just a place to sing Susie’s praises, but she and the movie that spawned her are at the heart of everything I do here. Beyond Baker Boys, I’ve also covered a wide variety of Michelle Pfeiffer’s career here over these five years (click here name tag below and explore!), and I’ll be covering more and more Michelle as time rolls on.

Beyond that, I’m not sure what shape things will take around here as we pass the five-year mark. I always want to get back to doing what I said I would do when I started this site, which is to simply write what’s on my mind as it comes to me and to not waste a lot of time with editing and endless rewrites. As my overstuffed vault of unfinished drafts proves (sorry, Yvette), I fail at this mission quite a bit, but whenever I do succeed I tend to cherish those posts the most. They feel the most authentic, like they captured a little bit of magic in the brief instant in which they were written.

Alright, enough self-indulgent navel gazing. Five years is a cool milestone, one I’m happy to have achieved. So, in the spirit of a five year anniversary, and tying all of this together with Susie and Michelle, let’s celebrate with five of my favorite moments from Michelle’s performance in The Fabulous Baker Boys.

“Goddammit!” and “More Than You Know”

Susie Diamond first entered my life not with elegance and grace, but with frustration and swearing after breaking the heel off her shoe. Her first words, as she hobbles into the Baker Boys’ rehearsal space (“Goddammit!“), set the tone, and we’re off to the races. Susie’s no-nonsense, seen-it-all-before attitude is on full, glorious display in this scene. Looking ravishing in that obscenely small and tight purple miniskirt, she sassily puts the Baker Boys in their place (“This is show business?”), then blows them away with an achingly poignant rendition of the staple “More Than You Know.” In that scene, Michelle grabbed our collective attention like a true star.

“You’re not going soft on me, are you?”

When Jack (Jeff Bridges) asks Susie if she’d like to get a coffee after their Christmas Eve gig, her response is classic: “Listen, you’re not going soft on me, are you? I mean, you’re not going to start dreaming about me and waking up all sweaty and looking at me like I’m some sort of princess when I burp?” Writer-director Steve Kloves’ script is so smart and funny, and Michelle delivers those words with just the right amount of snark and tenderness.

“Feelings” is like parsley

The diner scene where Susie and Frank (Beau Bridges) antagonize each other over the merits of the old standard “Feelings” is a masterclass in great writing and acting. Susie deadpans, “It’s like parsley, okay? Take it away, nobody’s going to know the difference.” To which Frank shouts, “‘Feelings’ is not parsley!”

“Makin’ Whoopee” on New Year’s Eve

What more can I say about this scene? Not only is it one of the most iconic of Michelle’s career, it’s one of the most iconic moments in the history of cinema. Few moments have ever equaled its pure, raw sensuality, and that’s all on Michelle. She wraps us around her finger from the moment we first see her onstage in that slinky red dress. Movie magic, Michelle-style.

“You do it long enough and all you are is empty.”

Susie’s monologue during her breakup argument with Jack is delivered beautifully by Michelle, with the sort of hard-earned perspective that makes her message wholly believable. She’s experienced what Jack is going through and she knows that stuffing all of your regret and shame in that empty place inside you will eventually make you completely empty inside. She calls him out for bullshit, and it’s powerful stuff. This scene is a turning point in the film and one of Michelle’s shining moments.

And here’s a bonus sixth favorite for the start of year six here at the Starfire Lounge…

“So, did you find another girl?”

I absolutely love the final scene of the film, when Jack and Susie meet up outside of her apartment. They haven’t seen each other since the blowout argument. They exchange some of their familiar playfully antagonistic banter, only this time it feels lighter, sweeter. When Susie asks if Jack has found another girl to replace her in the act, he replies, “I didn’t look.” Michelle and Jeff are in top form here, each speaking volumes with just their eyes, or a slight smile. It’s such a subtle, sweet moment. We don’t know where these two characters will end up, together or not, but we end the movie with hope for them both.