Michelle Banks
The woman who helped Mike Peters move on from his past.
Michelle Banks is a character from the film *Swingers*, a 1996 American buddy comedy directed by Doug Liman and written by Jon Favreau. She is a woman Mike Peters meets at The Derby, a swing nightclub in Los Feliz. Like Mike, she has recently come out of a relationship and moved to Los Angeles. Their connection is immediate, and they dance swing together, marking a turning point for Mike as he begins to move on from his ex-girlfriend.
- Role
- Key Ally / Love Interest
- First Appearance
- Swingers (Film, 1996)
- Status
- Alive (as of the end of the film)
- Occupation
- Unspecified (recently moved to LA after a breakup)
- Location
- Los Angeles, California
Lore & Background
Michelle Banks is introduced late in the film during a swing night at The Derby. Mike spots her and summons all his courage to approach and connect with her. She has also recently come out of a relationship and moved to LA, and they dance swing together. The following morning, when Lorraine calls him, Mike cuts off his call with Michelle mid-sentence while she is about to say she loves him, to further things with Lorraine. Like him, Lorraine had disregarded friends' advice to wait days before calling.
In Their Own Story
The night was alive with the sound of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at The Derby. Mike, finally ready to let go of his obsession with his ex, spotted a woman across the room. Her name was Lorraine. He summoned his courage, approached her, and they connected. She had also recently come out of a relationship and moved to LA. They danced swing together, and for the first time in months, Mike felt hope. The next morning, Michelle called him, but when Lorraine called, Mike cut off his call with Michelle mid-sentence while she was about to say she loved him, to further things with Lorraine. Like him, Lorraine had disregarded friends' advice to wait days before calling.
Reader's Guide
Michelle Banks is a minor but pivotal character in *Swingers*. She represents the past that Mike must leave behind to move forward. Her role is defined by a single phone call: she calls Mike the morning after he meets Lorraine at The Derby. When Lorraine calls, Mike cuts off his call with Michelle mid-sentence while she is about to say she loves him, to further things with Lorraine. This moment shows Mike's growth and his decision to embrace a new relationship rather than cling to the old one.
Did You Know?
- Michelle Banks is the ex-girlfriend of Mike Peters, who broke up with him six months prior to the film's events.
- Mike leaves a series of increasingly desperate messages on Nikki's answering machine before Michelle calls him back.
- When Michelle calls Mike the morning after he meets Lorraine, he cuts her off mid-sentence while she is about to say she loves him.
- The film's title was partly inspired by the Swingers Diner on Beverly Boulevard, a coffee shop that Liman and Favreau frequented.
- The phone call answering machine scene originated from a comedy bit by Jeff Garlin.
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