A lot of movies can be said to epitomize the 1990's, but "Singles" surely epitomizes the 1990's in Seattle. In fact, at this late date, the movie works best as a love note to 1990's Seattle. Better in many ways than it does as a movie, frankly.
"Singles" was one of Cameron Crowe's earliest movies, after "Say Anything." Crowe does an excellent job of capturing an era, in this case the transition between the go-go 1980's and the reflective, "I need to settle down and find meaning in my life" 1990's. Even the fashions are manifestly in transition. Several characters wear the boxy, baggy styles that were popular in the 1980's, while others sport classic 90's looks like floral print skirts paired with Doc Martens, and matte dark red lipstick.
Seattle is the real star of the movie. Some of the movie's more pivotal locations include the coffee shop where the characters all hang out: in real life, the OK Hotel, which suffered damage in the Nisqually quake and has since reopened as designer lofts and artist's studios. The apartment building where everyone lives is another iconic feature; it can still be seen at 17th and East Thomas, on the backside of Capital Hill.
The characters inhabit a town which is rainy and sad and industrial and grimy, and just on the beginning of its up-swing into the popular consciousness. Seattle was tremendously earnest in the 1990's, as are all of the movie's characters.
After Seattle, the next list of the movie's stars includes all the best and brightest of the 1990s Seattle music scene. Not Nirvana, mind you; real Seattleites turned up their noses at Nirvana, for the most part. The Seattle music scene included Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice In Chains. Members of Pearl Jam comprise the rest of Matt Dillon's band, and there are several scenes featuring live music being played by real bands. This entire movie is one long flashback for me. (In one scene, a character wears a Sub Pop t-shirt, reminding me how fiercely loyal we were to Seattle in the 1990's.)
The movie's complete lack of plot happily falls by the wayside as you play "Remember that?" I spotted a Payless store, light poles festooned with stapled-on band posters, and the requisite "white guy wearing one of those black pillbox caps with the African design around the edge." (What was the deal with those, anyway?)
"Singles" is a perfect encapsulation of a particular time and place, if not a very interesting movie on its own merits.