George Boyle
Cameron Diaz's karaoke scene in the 1997 romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding is one of the most memorable moments in the film. In the scene, Julianne (Julia Roberts) tries to embarrass Kimmy (Diaz) by forcing her to sing in front of a large crowd at a karaoke bar. Diaz's character sings a terrible rendition of the Dusty Springfield hit I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself, but instead of humiliating Kimmy, her performance charms her groom-to-be, Michael (Dermot Mulroney). The scene is notable for being both awkward and endearing, and Diaz has since revealed that she found it traumatizing to film.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the movie | My Best Friend's Wedding |
| Year of release | 1997 |
| Main cast | Julia Roberts, Dermot Mulroney, Cameron Diaz, Rupert Everett |
| Plot | Julianne (Roberts), a 27-year-old food critic, tries to break up the wedding of her ex and best friend, Michael (Mulroney) and the 20-year-old Kimmy (Diaz) |
| Song | I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself |
| Singer | Dusty Springfield |
| Karaoke scene | Julianne tries to embarrass Kimmy by forcing her to sing karaoke but the plan backfires as Michael is charmed by Kimmy's performance |
| Director | P.J. Hogan |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Cameron Diaz's karaoke scene was shot live
Cameron Diaz's karaoke scene in My Best Friend's Wedding has gone down in rom-com history as one of the most awkward and adorable moments in film. In the scene, Julianne (played by Julia Roberts) attempts to humiliate Kimmy (played by Diaz) by forcing her to sing in front of a huge crowd. However, the plan backfires, and Kimmy's terrible vocals only make her groom-to-be, Michael (Dermot Mulroney), fall more in love with her.
The song Diaz sings is "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself," a Dusty Springfield hit. According to director P.J. Hogan, the scene was shot live, with Diaz really standing in front of a large crowd and singing. Hogan revealed that they staged the scene as a "real karaoke song" with lyrics appearing on monitors. He said, "Cameron just botched her way through the song, and the worse she got, the better the scene was."
Diaz herself admitted that the scene was traumatizing for her to film. She told Entertainment Weekly, "I just wanted to run and hide," and that her co-star Dermot Mulroney kept her there, whispering, "You can do it, you can do it." Diaz also revealed that she had initially been practicing lip-syncing for the scene, not knowing she would actually have to sing. She even took singing lessons to prepare for the role.
The karaoke scene is a memorable moment in the film, showcasing Diaz's endearing and relatable portrayal of Kimmy. It's a testament to her acting skills that she was able to convey such authentic panic and terror in front of a live audience, making the scene both cringeworthy and iconic.
Harry's Wedding Tribute to Diana
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The song choice was I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself
In the 1997 romantic comedy *My Best Friend's Wedding*, Cameron Diaz's character Kimmy performs karaoke to the song "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself". The karaoke scene is iconic for being both awkward and adorable. In the scene, Julianne (Julia Roberts) tries to embarrass Kimmy by putting her on the spot at a karaoke bar. However, despite Kimmy's terrible vocals, her performance of the song charms her groom-to-be, Michael (Dermot Mulroney).
"I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was written by Burt Bacharach and lyricist Hal David. The song was first recorded by Chuck Jackson in 1962, but this version was shelved and remained unreleased until 1984. The song was then recorded by Tommy Hunt in 1962, before it was released by Dusty Springfield in 1964. Springfield's version of the song reached No. 3 on the UK chart.
Dionne Warwick recorded a version of the song in 1966, and it was her third consecutive single release of a Bacharach/David composition, following "Message to Michael" and "Trains and Boats and Planes". Warwick's version of the song reached No. 26 on the US Hot 100 and No. 20 on the US Hot R&B chart. In 2003, "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" was covered by the American alternative rock band The White Stripes, and this version reached the top 40 in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
Marry Me by Train: A Wedding Song Worthy?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Julianne's plan to humiliate Kimmy backfires
In the 1997 romantic comedy "My Best Friend's Wedding", Julianne (played by Julia Roberts) tries to humiliate her best friend's fiancée, Kimmy (Cameron Diaz), by putting her on the spot at a karaoke bar. Julianne hopes that Kimmy will embarrass herself and cause a rift in her relationship with Julianne's ex and best friend, Michael (Dermot Mulroney). However, this plan backfires when Kimmy's terrible singing endears her even more to Michael, and he is charmed by her performance.
In the iconic and cringeworthy karaoke scene, Kimmy sings a terrible rendition of "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" by Dusty Springfield. Cameron Diaz, who played Kimmy, was reportedly terrified of doing the scene and felt traumatized by it. She revealed that she had to be convinced by her co-star Dermot Mulroney to stay and that she wanted to run and hide.
Director P.J. Hogan revealed that they staged the scene as a live karaoke performance, with the lyrics appearing on monitors, and Diaz "botched her way through the song". He also mentioned that the worse Diaz sang, the better the scene turned out. This is further supported by Rupert Everett, who pointed out that the scene made Michael and Kimmy "fall in love more" and left Julianne isolated in her plotting.
Despite Diaz's apparent lack of singing skills, she has since gone on to star in musicals like "Annie", where she played the villainous Miss Colleen Hannigan. She did take singing lessons to improve her vocals for this role, showing her dedication to her craft and willingness to embrace new challenges.
Markle-Harry Wedding: A Costly Affair
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Cameron Diaz was tricked into the scene
In the 1997 romantic comedy "My Best Friend's Wedding", Cameron Diaz's character, Kimmy, is put on the spot by Julia Roberts' character, Julianne, during a karaoke scene. Kimmy sings a terrible rendition of "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself", which was intended to be humiliating, but instead charms her groom-to-be, Michael (Dermot Mulroney).
It turns out that Cameron Diaz was tricked into the karaoke scene by the director, P.J. Hogan, who is known for his pranks. According to the film's music supervisor, Bonnie Greenberg, Diaz thought she would only be lip-syncing and was not aware that she would actually have to sing. The scene was shot live, with the lyrics appearing on monitors, and Diaz's genuine terror of singing in front of people added to the authenticity of the scene.
Diaz herself admitted that she was traumatized by the experience and wanted to run and hide. She credits her co-star, Dermot Mulroney, with keeping her in the scene, whispering words of encouragement. Despite her initial fears, the scene became a memorable and iconic moment in the film, showcasing Diaz's endearing and relatable awkwardness.
While the karaoke scene was intended to embarrass Kimmy, it ultimately backfired, as it only served to make Michael fall even more in love with her and left Julianne more isolated in her plotting to ruin their relationship. This unexpected outcome highlights the charm and humour of the film, showcasing how even the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry in romantic comedies.
Red Wedding Episode: A Stark Tragedy
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The scene was filmed in a real karaoke style
The karaoke scene in My Best Friend's Wedding, starring Cameron Diaz, has gone down in history as one of the most iconic, awkward, and adorable moments in romantic comedy history. The scene sees Diaz's character, Kimmy, put on the spot by Julia Roberts' character, Julianne, at a karaoke bar. Diaz's character sings a terrible rendition of "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself", a Dusty Springfield hit.
The karaoke scene was not originally intended to be a singing performance by Diaz. In fact, she had been practising lip-syncing, as she believed that was all she would be doing. However, Hogan tricked her into singing live, and her nervous performance added to the charm of the scene.
The scene has been described as cringeworthy, with Diaz's co-star, Dermot Mulroney, having to convince her to stay and do the scene, whispering "you can do it" to her. Diaz's performance made the scene both ridiculous and incredibly moving, and it has been credited with making the characters of Michael and Kimmy "fall in love more".
Requesting Songs at Weddings: A Guide for Guests
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Cameron Diaz's character, Kimmy, sings a karaoke rendition of "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself".
In the scene, Julianne (Julia Roberts) attempts to humiliate Kimmy by forcing her to sing in front of a huge crowd, but the move backfires, and Kimmy's groom-to-be, Michael, is charmed by her performance.
Yes, the scene was shot live, and director P.J. Hogan revealed that they staged the filming of the scene as a "real karaoke song, where the lyrics appear in front of you on all the monitors".
