It almost feels prophetic that in the year in which a short film titled My Year of Dicks received acknowledgement by the Academy, we’d get something of a Dicksaissance in mainstream American film—the category of visual media most traditionally averse to male genitalia beyond CTN’s original programming. After one of the summer’s buzziest movies saw Joaquin Phoenix cowering in fear at the sight of his phallic father, and while one of this fall’s most talked-about indies has gained its reputation largely through its graphic male nudity, along comes another new film literally just called Dicks: The Musical.
Somehow landing comfortably between its creators’ most widely known works—Borat and The Greatest Showman—the new musical comedy overtly riffs on the plot of The Parent Trap with sexually explicit musical numbers and a stamp of approval from the era’s most trusted art film distributor. But above all, it’s a film about (though certainly not for) the nuclear family, while its soundtrack will likely prove to have a shelf life beyond the immediate laughs its lyrics deliver.
With that in mind, we asked the film’s stars and co-writers Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson (who also wrote and performed the two-man musical the movie was adapted from) to share a few of their favorite songs about family, from George Michael’s aching (yet indirect) balladry to Prince’s TMI funk narrative. Check out the playlist along with Sharp and Jackson’s writeups below, and find Dicks showtimes near you here.
Sister Sledge, “We Are Family”
I mean, c’mon, this is a dang anthem. Also incredibly well used in The Birdcage. We love you, daddy (Nathan Lane).
Rufus Wainwright, “Little Sister”
Rufus Wainwright taught us how to be gay. In the next life, we hope we come back as his little sister.
Carly Simon, “Older Sister”
Runner-up for reincarnation, though, would be as Carly Simon’s older sister.
George Michael, “My Mother Had a Brother”
OK, so you had an uncle...
Peggy Lee, “Sisters”
Originally sung by Rosemary Clooney (nepo mother!) and Vera Ellen in the movie White Christmas, this cover features Peggy Lee singing the duet with...herself! I mean, come on.
Reba McEntire, “My Sister”
An incredible song by an incredible musician who also gave us an incredible comedic performance in Barb & Star.
The Isley Brothers, “Brother, Brother”
An absolutely slay song about brothers sung by brothers? We will be seated.
Carpenters, “We’ve Only Just Begun”
Bow down to the other singing siblings!
Alice Ripley & Emily Skinner, “I Will Never Leave You”
A song from the musical Sideshow whose protagonists are conjoined twins. They will never leave each other...literally!
Barney the Dinosaur, “The Sister Song”
You should YouTube this. Go ahead and do it right now. If those two little divas aren’t sisters in real life then this is one of the greatest acting performances of our generation.
Prince, “Sister”
Not just a song about siblings, a song about siblings who...you know...
