Vince Vaughn Talks About Why SWINGERS Was Lightning in a Bottle That We Are Still Talking About 25 Years Later

The movie Swingers was such a ‘90s movie phenomenon. Anyone who saw it found themselves quoting it endlessly (“You’re so money and you don’t even know it!”, “Vegas, baby! Vegas!”). It was a movie for young people, made by young people, and it made a lasting impression on the people who watched it. In a recent interview on the Cinema Blend podcast ReelBlend, Vince Vaughn talked about what it was like making the movie in 1996, and why he believes it still resonates with movie fans today.

Of making the movie with writer and best friend Jon Favreau, Vaughn said:

I think the one thing about it was, I remember saying to [Favreau], you know, ‘Why are we auditioning for stuff that's not really about what's going on?’ I love when I see people who are younger giving themselves permission to write movies or make movies, because you're sort of in a unique moment where you're a part of it. And so for us, it was really like, we really wanted to be uncompromising. And I think what made it unique for us was that we were kind of vulnerable. These were guys that were not … a lot of guys making movies were making movies like the guys were the super coolest or the toughest. And I think part of what makes Swingers work is there’s an honesty, and a vulnerability. They're helping a friend through a breakup. Everyone has different ideas of what the right way is to meet people. Swingers captures that moment where you're either out of high school or out of college, [and] you don't really share anything in common with the girl, or you are in class with her. How do I go up to someone that I don't know at all and be able to make an introduction, and see if there's any chemistry there, when they don't know who I am.

He went on to talk about what the heart of the movie is about, and why he believes it continues to stay relevant:

It's dealing with that very unique moment that happened to be specifically set in Los Angeles at a time where a lot of these punk bands were becoming these original swing bands, which was really fun and cool. But the moment I think is relatable, no matter where you are, or where you're from. You're out of college, or with a group of friends. And you're kind of figuring out dating as an adult for the first time, and maybe moving away, potentially, from where you're from and dealing with heartbreak. So I think that the movie has a comedic version. But at the core, at the essence of it, I think, you know, you're not really inventing stuff. You're just kind of revealing what's already there, which is the journey that Jon's character takes. Which is, ‘It’s, it's better to be myself and make a real connection with someone than to try to remember to be all these things that I'm not. And then maybe really not have someone get to know me.’ It's sort of a lesson that we have to go through.

It’s easy to just look back at the stylized film as a comedy about two characters, but it’s cool to also see how they represent that period of time in your life when you’re a young adult just trying to figure things out. It definitely makes me want to go back and give it a rewatch!

Vaughn can next be seen in his horror comedy Freaky, in select theaters now.