High Fidelity (film)
High Fidelity | |
---|---|
Directed by | Stephen Frears |
Screenplay by | D. V. DeVincentis Steve Pink John Cusack Scott Rosenberg |
Based on | High Fidelity by Nick Hornby |
Produced by | Tim Bevan Rudd Simmons |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Seamus McGarvey |
Edited by | Mick Audsley |
Music by | Howard Shore |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures Distribution |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 113 minutes |
Countries | United States United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $30 million[1] |
Box office | $47.1 million[1] |
High Fidelity is a 2000 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack, Jack Black, and Iben Hjejle. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, with the setting moved from London to Chicago and the protagonist's name changed. Hornby expressed surprise at how faithful the adaptation was, saying "at times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book."[2]
Following a breakup with his most recent girlfriend, Rob Gordon recounts his most painful breakups, seeking to find a reason for his failed romances. The film is styled around Rob talking to the camera and narrating his own story.
Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
Plot
Rob Gordon is a music-loving man with a poor understanding of women. After being dumped by his live-in girlfriend of two years, Laura, he tries to understand how he failed in his relationships by seeking out his old partners.
By day, Rob works at his record store, Championship Vinyl, where customers drift through. He and his employees Dick and Barry, armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things musical, compile "Top 5" lists for every conceivable occasion, openly mock the tastes of their customers, and sell few records.
Two shoplifting, skateboarding teenagers, Vince and Justin, are an annoyance to them until Rob listens to a recording that they made as The Kinky Wizards. He offers them a record deal, the first under his own label, Top 5 Records. During his off-hours, he pines for Laura and tries to win her back.
Laura had moved out and was living with Ian. Initially, Rob doesn't think he knows him, but coming across a letter in the hall addressed to I. Raymond he realises. Ian is 'Ray', their former upstairs neighbor, who used to regularly keep them awake by loudly having frequent sexual encounters. Rob and Laura would often comment on his exploits.
Laura's father, who liked Rob, dies. Rob attends his funeral with Laura. Shortly after the reception, Rob realizes he has always had one foot out of the door and never committed to her—and in doing so, neglected his own future. They resume living together. He meets a music columnist and develops a crush, but wonders while making a mixtape for her if he would always be jumping from rock to rock.
Rob tells Laura that other women are just fantasies, Laura is reality, and he never tires of her. He proposes marriage; she thanks him for asking. She arranges for him to revisit his former love of
At the celebration of the newly released single by Vince and Justin organised by Laura, where Barry's band plays "Let's Get It On", Rob is surprised that Barry's band is not a disaster. He is also relieved to discover that Barry has decided against using one of his original names for the band, "Sonic Death Monkey," or "Kathleen Turner Overdrive," preferring instead to call his band "Barry Jive and the Uptown Five."
Rob makes a mixtape for Laura and feels he has finally learned how to make her happy.
Cast
- John Cusack as Rob Gordon
- Iben Hjejle as Laura
- Jack Black as Barry Judd
- Todd Louiso as Dick
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Charlie Nicholson
- Lisa Bonet as Marie DeSalle
- Sara Gilbert as Anaugh Moss
- Chris Bauer as Paul
- Lili Taylor as Sarah Kendrew
- Joan Cusack as Liz
- Tim Robbins as Ian "Ray" Raymond
- Joelle Carter as Penny Hardwick
- Chris Rehmann as Vince
- Ben Carr as Justin
- Natasha Gregson Wagner as Caroline Fortis
- Drake Bell as young Rob Gordon
- Bruce Springsteen as himself (cameo)
- Ian Williams as a guy in record store (cameo)
- Al Johnsonas a record store geek
Production
Development
Nick Hornby's book was optioned by
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.
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.[3] The screenwriters did this to convey Rob's inner confessional thoughts, and were influenced by a similar technique in the Michael Caine film Alfie.[3] Cusack rejected this approach because he thought that "there'd just be too much of me."[3] Once Newell dropped out as director and remains on as executive producer and Stephen Frears signed on to replace him as director, he suggested using the technique and everyone agreed.[3]
Cusack and the writers floated the idea that Rob could 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 Springsteen does in his song "Bobby Jean" on Born in the U.S.A.[12] They never believed they would actually get the musician to appear in the film, but thought putting him in the script would make the studio excited about it.[3] Cusack knew Springsteen socially, and called the musician up and pitched the idea. Springsteen asked for a copy of the script and subsequently agreed to do it.[3]
Near the film's completion, it was revealed that Scott Rosenberg would share screenplay credit with Cusack, DeVincentis & Pink. Rosenberg's original draft took place in Boston and was drastically different from Hornby's book and the writing team's adaptation. The three reached out to Rosenberg who agreed to take his name off the credits. However, Rosenberg eventually refused to do so, leading to a writing credit dispute. According to Pink, Rosenberg was given credit due to a now-abolished rule in the WGA which gave full credit to the first screenwriter attached to any adaptation for "anything they extracted from the book, or from the material from which they were adapting."[13]
Casting
Frears was at the
Filming
Production began on April 26, 1999 in
Reception
High Fidelity premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. The post-party was held at the Sunset Room, where Tenacious D performed.[24] The film was opened in a wide release on March 31, 2000, grossing $6.4 million during its opening weekend. It grossed $47.1 million worldwide, of which $27.3 million was from the US.[1]
Critical response
High Fidelity received positive reviews from critics and has a score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The critical consensus states: "The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack."[25] The film has a score of 79 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 35 critics.[26] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.[27]
Peter Travers, in his review for Rolling Stone, wrote, "It hits all the laugh bases, from grins to guffaws. Cusack and his Chicago friends—D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink—have rewritten Scott Rosenberg's script to catch Hornby's spirit without losing the sick comic twists they gave 1997's Grosse Pointe Blank."[33] In his review for The Observer, Philip French wrote, "High Fidelity is an extraordinarily funny film, full of verbal and visual wit. And it is assembled with immense skill."[34] Stephanie Zacharek, in her review for Salon.com, praised Iben Hjejle's performance: "Hjejle's Laura is supremely likable: She's so matter-of-fact and grounded that it's perfectly clear why she'd become exasperated with a guy like Rob, who perpetually refuses to grow up, but you can also see how her patience and calm are exactly the things he needs."[35]
Legacy
Empire magazine readers voted High Fidelity the 446th greatest film in their "500 Greatest Movies of All Time" poll.[36] It is also ranked #14 on Rotten Tomatoes' 25 Best Romantic Comedies.[37] In its June 2010 issue, Chicago magazine rated it #1 in a list of the top 40 movies ever filmed in Chicago.[38]
Alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor was watching the movie when she wrote her 2006 song "Fidelity", which marked her first entry into the Billboard charts.[39] That same year a musical stage adaptation premiered on Broadway and ran for 13 performances.[40] In 2010, Tanya Morgan member Donwill released the solo album Don Cusack In High Fidelity, which he recorded from the perspective of the film's character.[41]
Television series
In April 2018,
Originally announced for Disney's then-upcoming streaming service Disney+, it was reported in April 2019 that the series had been shifted to Hulu. Disney+'s SVP of content Agnes Chu stated that the series had "evolved" in a direction that was better-suited for Hulu.[44]
On October 30, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 14, 2020.[45] In August 2020, the series was canceled, after one season.[46]
References
- ^ a b c "High Fidelity (2000)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
- ^ "Strangely Romantic in a Way". This Distracted Globe. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved October 4, 2010.
- ^ New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
- ^ Buss, Andrew (April 1, 2020). "Top Five: An Oral History of High Fidelity". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Kaye, Ben (April 2, 2020). "High Fidelity Film Screenwriters Say Hulu TV Series Lifted Their Work Without Attribution". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ a b Portman, Jamie (March 27, 2000). "Quirky John Cusack Embraces the Eccentric – Again". Ottawa Citizen.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (March 31, 2000). "Cusack, in Tune with His Movies". USA Today.
- ^ Beale, Lewis (April 2, 2000). "Staying Faithful to High Fidelity". New York Daily News. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ Bazza. "John Cusack Takes Five". IOFilm.co.uk. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- ^ Watson-Smyth, Kate (April 1, 2000). "A case of low fidelity as Hornby's novel translates awkwardly to film". The Independent. Retrieved December 3, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ McGuire, Judy (February 28, 2009). "Romance, Movie Style – Love on Location – High Fidelity". Time. Archived from the original on February 17, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2013.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (March 31, 2000). "Boss Cameo a Musical Coup". USA Today.
- ^ Buss, Andrew (April 1, 2020). "Top Five: An Oral of High Fidelity". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c Husband, Stuart (April 21, 2000). "Tracks of My Frears". The Guardian. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- ^ Buss, Andrew (April 1, 2020). "Top Five: An Oral History of High Fidelity". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Wood, Gaby (December 11, 2005). "The Observer Profile: Jack Black". The Observer. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
- ^ Greenblatt, Leah (March 31, 2020). "Behind the Music: High Fidelity Stars Look Back on the Cult-Classic Film 20 Years Later". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Dee, Jake (August 29, 2020). "10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Making Of High Fidelity (2000)". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 5, 2022.|
- ^ Buss, Andrew (April 10, 2020). "A Malachi Crunch: An Extended Interview With High Fidelity 's Todd Louiso and Jack Black". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Colburn, Randall (April 1, 2020). "Liz Phair Nearly Played Lisa Bonet's Role in High Fidelity". AV Club. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ Roti, Jessi. "Cusack on the 'Good Mischief' That Led to High Fidelity". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Buss, Andrew (April 1, 2020). "Top Five: An Oral of High Fidelity". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Pirnia, Garin (March 31, 2015). "The Top 5 Reasons High Fidelity Is the Truest Chicago Movie Ever". Esquire. Retrieved April 5, 2022.
- ^ Lyons, Charles (March 30, 2000). "Disney Tunes Up High". Variety. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- ^ "High Fidelity". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "High Fidelity (2000)". Metacritic. February 9, 2001. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
- ^ "CinemaScore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2021. Each film's score can be accessed from the website's search bar.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (March 31, 2000). "High Fidelity". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- Washington Post. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
- New York Times. Retrieved December 2, 2008.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (March 31, 2000). "When Love Hits a Sour Note". USA Today.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (March 24, 2000). "High Fidelity". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
- ^ Travers, Peter (December 8, 2000). "High Fidelity". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- ^ French, Philip (July 23, 2000). "This one's a hit..." The Guardian. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- ^ Zacharek, Stephanie (March 31, 2000). "High Fidelity". Salon.com. Retrieved December 3, 2008.
- ^ "500 Greatest Movies of All Time". Empire. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
- ^ "25 Best Romantic Comedies". Rotten Tomatoes. 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
- ^ "Top 40 Movies Filmed in Chicago". Chicago. June 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
- ^ "Regina Spektor at Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ "High Fidelity". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on May 30, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (23 March 2010). "Donwill: Don Cusack In High Fidelity". music.avclub.com. Onion, Inc. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (April 5, 2018). "'High Fidelity' TV Series With Female Lead In Works For Disney's Streaming Service From Midnight Radio & 'Bull' Writing Duo". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (September 24, 2018). "Zoe Kravitz to Star in 'High Fidelity' TV Series for Disney Streaming Service". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
- ^ "'High Fidelity' Series Reboot Moves From Disney+ To Hulu". Deadline Hollywood. April 9, 2019.
- ^ "First Look Photos: Hulu's High Fidelity Starring Zoe Kravitz, Premieres Valentine's Day 2020". The Futon Critic. October 30, 2019.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 5, 2020). "'High Fidelity' Canceled By Hulu After One Season". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 6, 2020.
Further reading
- "The Cusacks" by Scott Tobias. The Onion A.V. Club. March 29, 2000.