High Fidelity (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| High Fidelity | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Produced by | Tim Bevan Rudd Simmons |
| Written by | Nick Hornby (book) D.V. DeVincentis Steve Pink John Cusack Scott Rosenberg |
| Starring | John Cusack Iben Hjejle Jack Black Todd Louiso Joan Cusack Tim Robbins Catherine Zeta-Jones Lisa Bonet Joelle Carter Sara Gilbert Lili Taylor Natasha Gregson Wagner |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Cinematography | Seamus McGarvey |
| Editing by | Mick Audsley |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 28, 2000 |
| Running time | 113 minutes |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $20,000,000 (est.) |
| Gross revenue | $27,277,055 (USA) |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
High Fidelity is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. After seeing the film, Hornby expressed his happiness with John Cusack's performance as Rob Gordon (changed from Rob Fleming in the book), saying, "At times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book."[1]
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The book and film have essentially similar plots, though the setting, originally London, is moved to Chicago in the film. Cusack plays Rob Gordon (Rob Fleming in the novel), a record store owner in his 30s whose girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle) has just left him before the start of the film. This breakup leads Rob to recall his five most memorable breakups and to wonder what happened to his girlfriends and why they left him.
Eventually, Rob's re-examination of his failed relationships (brought on by a lucid dream dialogue with Bruce Springsteen in the film adaptation) leads to his decision to seek them all out. Rob revisits all bar one of his past girlfriends as a sort of closure to that part of his life. Rob soon discovers that his ex girlfriends were much different. More often than not he is surprised he ever fell in love with them at all, and in no case is this more evident than when he meets old college girlfriend Charlie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) again, a woman who we learn had left Rob for another man. Rob goes into great detail about his admiration for Charlie before maturing into seeing Charlie for who she really is.
While this search is happening, Rob is struggling to come to grips with Laura leaving him, and throughout the movie we learn about their relationship through narrative flashbacks and monologues. Rob finds out that Laura is now living with another man called Ian (Ray) (Tim Robbins), who was formerly a neighbour of Rob. This relationship causes Rob sleepless nights as he imagines Laura with another man and fears Laura will leave him forever. At this point, Rob realises the impact that Laura leaving him has had on his 'Top 5 all time breakups' list and bumps Laura into the number 5 spot "with a bullet", and therefore never revisits the relationship he bumps off to let Laura on (he does however revisit it in the book).
To make things worse, Ian is "awful" according to Rob (and in the book Laura's friend Liz also dislikes Ian, however this is not really explored in the film). He plays world music and "awful cooking smells" emanate from his apartment. Rob is desperate to get Laura back — although he confesses he is not really sure why — and goes so far as to lurk outside Ian's apartment waiting for her to come out. The interactions between Rob and Ian are humorous to the viewer, but the conflict inevitably drives Laura further away from Rob. In this time Rob also manages to sleep with musician Marie DeSalle, although it is a one-night stand. In the film this is the last we see of Marie, although in the book her character returns several times.
The main turning point of the film comes when Laura's father passes away and Laura, whose mother never told her father about the break up as he liked Rob, invites him to the funeral. After the service, Laura propositions Rob for a brief tryst in Laura's car, because she wants "to feel something other than this (grief)." Afterwards, Laura states that it's not worth the effort to not date Rob and she feels she needs someone in the coming months to help her cope.
Rob resolves his ongoing desire to be interested in other women by realizing that they're only fantasies, since he hasn't seen their negative, less-appealing sides while his relationship with Laura is impartial. He decides that the overall happiness and fulfillment his relationship with Laura brings are worth the occasional downsides.
A major setting in the movie where much interaction and humor take place is the record shop that Rob owns, Championship Vinyl, located at Honore and Milwaukee Streets. Rob and his employees, Dick (Todd Louiso) and Barry (Jack Black), spend their free moments discussing mix-tape aesthetics and constructing "top-five" lists which demonstrate their knowledge of music. Much of the movie focuses on discussions and opinions on artists and music.
Both store workers have unique identities and play an important role in the film. Barry is an overly obnoxious clerk who goes out of his way to make fun of those whom he deems lower than himself because of their lack of musical knowledge. Dick, on the other hand, is quieter and less forceful with his opinions, though equally pretentious.
The two separate parts of the story come together when Rob decides to create a record label, Top 5 Records, through the record store. Laura takes this idea even further by setting up an event where Rob ends up DJing and Barry’s newfound band plays in order to promote the new label. The show is a hit and it seems Rob's life is taking a turn for the better.
The film ends with Rob saying that he finally knows what a relationship is all about as he begins to make a new mix-tape for Laura.
[edit] Cast
- John Cusack as Rob Gordon
- Drake Bell as Young Rob Gordon
- Iben Hjejle as Laura
- Todd Louiso as Dick
- Jack Black as Barry
- Lisa Bonet as Marie DeSalle
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Charlie Nicholson
- Joan Cusack as Liz
- Tim Robbins as Ian "Ray" Raymond
- Lili Taylor as Sarah Kendrew
- Natasha Gregson Wagner as Caroline
- Sara Gilbert as Annaugh Moss
- Bruce Springsteen as Himself (cameo)
[edit] Production
Nick Hornby's book was optioned by Disney's Touchstone Pictures in 1995 where it went into development for three years.[1] Disney boss Joe Roth had a conversation with recording executive Kathy Nelson who recommended John Cusack and his writing and producing partners D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink adapt the book. She had worked previously with them on Grosse Pointe Blank and felt that they had the right sensibilities for the material.[2] According to Cusack, DeVincentis is the closest to the record-obsessive characters in the film, owning 1,000 vinyl records and thousands of CDs and tapes.[3] They wrote a treatment that was immediately greenlighted by Roth.[2]
[edit] Screenplay
The writers decided to change the book's setting from London to Chicago because they were more familiar with the city and it also had a "great alternative music scene," according to Pink.[4]
Cusack found that the greatest challenge adapting the novel was pulling off Rob Gordon's frequent breaking of the fourth wall and talking directly to the audience.[1] The screenwriters did this in order to convey Rob's inner confessional thoughts and were influenced by a similar technique in the Michael Caine film, Alfie.[1] Cusack rejected this approach because he thought that "there'd just be too much of me."[1] Once director Stephen Frears signed on to direct, he suggested using this technique and everyone agreed to use it.[1]
Cusack and the other writers thought of the idea to have Rob have a conversation with Bruce Springsteen in his head, inspired by a reference in Hornby's book where the narrator wishes he could handle his past girlfriends as well as the musician does in the song, "Bobby Jean" on Born in the U.S.A..[5] They never thought that they'd actually get the musician to be in the film but that putting him in the script would get the studio excited about it.[1] Cusack knew Springsteen socially and called the musician up and pitched the idea. Springsteen asked for a copy of the script and afterwards agreed to do it.[1]
[edit] Casting
The filmmakers read with a lot of actresses for the role of Laura. Frears was at the Berlin Film Festival and saw Mifune starring Iben Hjejle and realized that he had found the actress for the role.
Frears read Hornby's book and enjoyed it but did not connect with the material because it wasn't about his generation.[6] He accepted the job because he wanted to work with Cusack again (they had worked together previously on The Grifters) and liked the idea of changing the setting from London to Chicago.[6] The director was also responsible for insisting on keeping Jack Black on as Barry.[6] Frears has said that many people from the studio would come to watch his rushes.[7]
[edit] Soundtrack
One of the challenges the screenwriters faced was figuring out which songs would go where in the film because Rob, Dick and Barry "are such musical snobs," according to Cusack.[1] He and his screenwriting partners listened to 2,000 songs and picked 70 song cues.[1]
| High Fidelity (Music from the Motion Picture) | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Soundtrack by Various artists | ||
| Released | May 28, 2000 | |
| Recorded | 1999 | |
| Genre | Soundtrack | |
| Length | 65:01 | |
| Label | Hollywood | |
| Professional reviews | ||
- "You're Gonna Miss Me" - 13th Floor Elevators
- "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" - The Kinks
- "I'm Wrong About Everything" - John Wesley Harding
- "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" - The Velvet Underground
- "Always See Your Face" - Love
- "Most of the Time" - Bob Dylan
- "Fallen for You" - Sheila Nicholls
- "Dry the Rain" - The Beta Band
- "Shipbuilding" - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
- "Cold Blooded Old Times" - (Smog)
- "Let's Get It On" - Barry Jive & The Uptown Five
- "Lo Boob Oscillator" - Stereolab
- "Inside Game" - Royal Trux
- "Who Loves the Sun" - The Velvet Underground
- "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" - Stevie Wonder
[edit] More music in the film
| Song | Performed by |
|---|---|
| "I Want Candy" | Bow Wow Wow |
| "Crocodile Rock" | Elton John |
| "Crimson and Clover" | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts |
| "Seymour Stein" | Belle & Sebastian |
| "Jacob's Ladder" | written by Rush, performed by Jack Black |
| "Walking on Sunshine" | Katrina & The Waves |
| "Baby Got Going" | Liz Phair |
| "Little Did I Know" | Brother JT3 |
| "I Can't Stand the Rain" | Ann Peebles |
| "The River" | Bruce Springsteen |
| "Baby, I Love Your Way" | Written by Peter Frampton, performed by Lisa Bonet |
| "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" | The Vaselines |
| "On Hold" | Edith Frost |
| "Hyena 1" | Goldie |
| "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" | Barry White |
| "Soaring & Boring" | Liam Hayes (aka Plush) |
| "Leave Home" | The Chemical Brothers |
| "Four to the Floor" | John Etkin-Bell |
| "Loopfest" | Tony Bricheno & Jan Cryka |
| "Robbin's Nest" | Illinois Jacquet |
| "Rock Steady" | Aretha Franklin |
| "Suspect Device" | Stiff Little Fingers |
| "We Are the Champions" | Queen |
| "I'm Glad You're Mine" | Al Green |
| "Your Friend & Mine" | Love |
| "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" | Bob Dylan |
| "Most of the Time" | Bob Dylan |
| "Get It Together" | Grand Funk Railroad |
| "This India" | Harbhajhn Singh & Navinder Pal Singh |
| "Tread Water" | De La Soul |
| "The Moonbeam Song" | Harry Nilsson |
| "Juice (Know the Ledge)" | Eric B. & Rakim |
| "Doing It Anyway" | Apartment 26 |
| "What's On Your Mind" | Eric B. & Rakim |
| "Good & Strong" | Sy Smith |
| "Mendocino" | Sir Douglas Quintet |
| "The Night Chicago Died" | Paper Lace |
| "Chapel of Rest" | Dick Walter |
| "I Get the Sweetest Feeling' | Jackie Wilson |
| "The Anti-Circle" | The Roots |
| "Homespin Rerun" | High Llamas |
| "Hit the Street" | Rupert Gregson-Williams |
| "My Little Red Book" | Love |
[edit] Songs mentioned in dialogue of film
[edit] Reception
High Fidelity premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. The post-party was held at the Sunset Room where Tenacious D performed.[8]
In his review for the Washington Post, Desson Howe praised Jack Black as "a bundle of verbally ferocious energy. Frankly, whenever he's in the scene, he shoplifts this movie from Cusack."[9] In his review for the New York Times, Stephen Holden praised Cusack's performance, writing that he was "a master at projecting easygoing camaraderie, he navigates the transitions with such an astonishing naturalness and fluency that you're almost unaware of them."[10] However, USA Today did not give the film a positive review: "Let's be kind and just say High Fidelity...doesn't quite belong beside Grosse Pointe Blank and The Sure Thing in Cusack's greatest hits collection. It's not that he isn't good. More like miscast."[11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Malanowski, Jamie. "Keeping Faith with High Fidelity", New York Times, April 2, 2000.
- ^ a b Portman, Jamie. "Quirky John Cusack Embraces the Eccentric - Again", Ottawa Citizen, March 27, 2000.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan. "Cusack, in Tune with His Movies", USA Today, March 31, 2000.
- ^ Beale, Lewis. "Staying Faithful to High Fidelity", Daily News, April 2, 2000.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan. "Boss Cameo a Musical Coup", USA Today, March 31, 2000.
- ^ a b c Husband, Stuart. "Tracks of My Frears", The Guardian, April 21, 2000.
- ^ Wood, Gaby. "The Observer Profile: Jack Black", The Observer, December 11, 2005. Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- ^ Lyons, Charles. "Disney Tunes Up High", Variety, March 30, 2000.
- ^ Howe, Desson. "Turn It Up", Washington Post, March 31, 2000.
- ^ Holden, Stephen. "The Trivially Hip", New York Times, March 31, 2000.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan. "When Love Hits a Sour Note", USA Today, March 31, 2000.
[edit] External links
