Plot

Ricky Dean (Huey Lewis) is a hustler on the karaoke circuit who travels from town to town. We meet up with him in Tulsa on his way to a big competition in Omaha with a $5,000 first prize.

He is detoured by a phone call and travels to Las Vegas for the funeral of an old friend. While there, he meets up with long-lost daughter Liv (Gwyneth Paltrow), who decides she wants to join him on the road.

Meanwhile, stressed out salesman Todd Woods (Paul Giamatti) realizes he's so burned out from being on the road that he doesn't even know what city he's in.

When he gets home, his wife Candy (Kiersten Warren) and two kids are too self-absorbed to even say hello. Todd goes out for a pack of cigarettes, gets sidetracked and discovers karaoke. In the process he makes a new friend, hitchhiker Reggie Kane (Andre Braugher), a convict on the lam. Woods tells Reggie what he feels is wrong:

Our society lacks finesse.

We also meet Billy (Scott Speedman), a young man who drives a cab and finds himself involved with sexy Suzi Loomis (Maria Bello). She's on her way to California in a hurry. At first, Billy does not want to help, but Suzi says:

I'm gonna be the only major thing that has happened to you in your life, and you're gonna be jerking off to my memory on your goddamned death bed!

Ultimately, karaoke becomes the vehicle through which this eclectic bunch begin to discover just what it is they're looking for. All roads lead to Omaha, site of a national karaoke competition where this motley group of singers come together -- along with the police -- for a blow-out sing-off.

The characters use both music and the people they meet in the karaoke bars as a way to alleviate the pressures of life and in the process connect with one another. Each displays unique talents while performing many well-known cover songs throughout the film.

Background

This was the only time Gwyneth Paltrow and her producer/director father Bruce Paltrow worked together on a film project and it was also Bruce Paltrow's last production before his death.

Brad Pitt was first cast in Speedman's role, but, after he and Gwyneth Paltrow announced the end of their off-camera romance, Pitt decided not to take the role.

Film locations

The film locations include: Las Vegas, Nevada, British Columbia, Canada, and Omaha, Nebraska.

Cast

• Maria Bello as Suzi Loomis
• Andre Braugher as Reggie Kane
• Paul Giamatti as Todd Woods
• Huey Lewis as Ricky Dean
• Gwyneth Paltrow as Liv
• Scott Speedman as Billy Hannan
• Lochlyn Munro as Ronny Jackson
• John Pinette as Finals singer
• Angie Dickinson as Blair
• Maya Rudolph as Omaha Hostess
• Kiersten Warren as Candy Woods
• Marian Seldes as Harriet Gahagan
• Keegan Connor Tracy as Sheila, Albuquerque singer
• Aaron Pearl as Buddy