Synopsis

In Manhattan, a sprawling family navigates romance, marriage, divorce, and the complications of growing up. Young Djuna narrates as her stepsister Skylar prepares to marry Holden, while their parents and friends pursue their own tangled love lives. The action moves between New York, Paris, and Venice, with characters expressing their emotions through classic popular songs and elaborate spontaneous dance numbers.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film was an unusual musical experiment: the performers were reportedly not told about the singing requirement until after they had signed their contracts.

• Most of the performers used their own singing voices. Drew Barrymore's vocals were dubbed by Olivia Hayman after Barrymore persuaded the production that her singing was too weak for the deliberately unpolished style.

• Goldie Hawn was asked to sing less well, since her natural ability sounded too polished for the film's conversational approach. Edward Norton received similar instructions after proving to be a stronger singer than expected.

• Filming took place in New York City, Paris, and Venice, giving the musical numbers a deliberately international setting rather than confining them to studio sets.

• The title song comes from the Marx Brothers film Horse Feathers. The film also uses "Hooray for Captain Spaulding," a song associated with Animal Crackers, reflecting the production's affection for Marx Brothers comedy.

• Several scenes feature classic songs without presenting the characters as professional performers. The intentionally imperfect singing helps make the numbers feel like ordinary people suddenly acting on their emotions.

• The soundtrack was arranged and produced with Dick Hyman and Roy Yokelson, whose work helped combine the old standards with the film's loose, modern comic tone.