High Fidelity (film)
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| High Fidelity | |
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 High Fidelity |
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| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Produced by | Tim Bevan Liza Chasin John Cusack D.V. DeVincentis Alan Greenspan (producer) Mike Newell Steve Pink 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 Tim Robbins Lisa Bonet Catherine Zeta-Jones Joelle Carter Lili Taylor. |
| Music by | Howard Shore |
| Cinematography | Seamus McGarvey |
| Distributed by | Touchstone Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 28, 2000 (USA) May 5 (Portugal) July 7 (Italy) July 13 (Germany) July 21 (UK) September 1 (Sweden) |
| Budget | $20 million (estimated) |
| Gross revenue | . |
| IMDb profile | |
High Fidelity is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, Tim Robbins, Lisa Bonet, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Joan Cusack, Joelle Carter, and Lili Taylor. It is based on the 1995 English novel of the same name by Nick Hornby.
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[edit] Plot summary
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 (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 them 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 of his past girlfriends as a sort of closure to that part of his life. One by one, Rob discovers that his ex's are not really how he imagined them, that he had built them up into more than they actually were. 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 Charlie (Zeta-Jones) again.
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. It is during this time that Laura begins dating Ian (Robbins), who was formerly a neighbor of Rob. This relationship causes Rob sleepless nights as he imagines Laura with another man and fears Laura will leave him for real.
To make things worse, Ian is "horrible" according to Rob. He plays world music and "awful cooking smells" emanate from his apartment. Despite all of this, Rob is desperate to get Laura back and goes so far as to lurk outside Ian's apartment waiting for her to come out. The interactions between Rob and Ian are some of the best parts of the film, but the conflict invariably drives Laura farther away from Rob.
The main turning point of the film comes when Laura's father passes away and Laura invites Rob to the funeral. After the service, Rob and Laura have a talk and decide to try the relationship again. With Rob now comfortable with himself after talking to his old girlfriends, the relationship begins to take on a healthy form. Rob now understands that the good times are worth the bad and realizes that Laura is everything that he wants.
A major setting in the movie where much interaction and humor take place is the record shop that Rob owns, Championship Vinyl. Rob and his employees Dick (Louiso) and Barry (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 who he deems lower than him because of their lack of musical knowledge. Dick, on the other hand, is quieter and less forceful with his opinions.
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] Official Soundtrack
- 1. You're Gonna Miss Me - 13th Floor Elevators
- 2. Everybody's Gonna Be Happy - The Kinks
- 3. I'm Wrong About Everything - John Wesley Harding
- 4. Oh! Sweet Nuthin' - The Velvet Underground
- 5. Always See Your Face - Love
- 6. Most Of The Time - Bob Dylan
- 7. Fallen For You - Sheila Nicholls
- 8. Dry The Rain - The Beta Band
- 9. Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
- 10. Cold Blooded Old Times - Smog
- 11. Let's Get It On - Jack Black
- 12. Lo Boob Oscillator - Stereolab
- 13. Inside Game - Royal Trux
- 14. Who Loves The Sun - The Velvet Underground
- 15. I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever) - Stevie Wonder
[edit] More music in the film
| Song | Performed by |
|---|---|
| "You're Gonna Miss Me" | 13th Floor Elevators |
| "I Want Candy" | Bow Wow Wow |
| "Crocodile Rock" | Elton John |
| "Crimson and Clover" | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts |
| "Seymour Stein" | Belle & Sebastian |
| "Jacob's Ladder" | Rush |
| "Walking on Sunshine" | Katrina & The Waves |
| "Baby Got Going" | Liz Phair |
| "Little Did I Know" | Brother JT3 |
| "I'm Wrong About Everything" | John Wesley Harding |
| "I Can't Stand the Rain" | Ann Peebles |
| "The River" | Bruce Springsteen |
| "Baby I Love Your Way" | "Marie DeSalle" - Lisa Bonet |
| "Jesus Doesn't Want Me For a Sunbeam" | The Vaselines |
| "Cold Blooded Old Times" | Smog |
| "On Hold" | Edith Frost |
| "Hyena 1" | Goldie |
| "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe" | Barry White |
| "Always See Your Face" | Love |
| "Soaring & Boring" | Plush |
| "Leave Home" | The Chemical Brothers |
| "Four to the Floor" | John Etkin-Bell |
| "Loopfest" | Tony Bricheno & Jan Cryka |
| "Who Loves the Sun" | The Velvet Underground |
| "Robbin's Nest" | Illinois Jacquet |
| "Rock Steady" | Aretha Franklin |
| "Suspect Device" | Stiff Little Fingers |
| "Dry the Rain" | The Beta Band |
| "We Are the Champions" | Queen |
| "I'm Glad You're Mine" | Al Green |
| "Your Friend & Mine" | Love |
| "Shipbuilding" | Elvis Costello |
| "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" | Bob Dylan |
| "Get It Together" | Grand Funk Railroad |
| "Fallen For You" | Sheila Nicholls |
| "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" | The Velvet Underground |
| "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 Inside Game" | Royal Trux |
| "The Night Chicago Died" | Paper Lace |
| "Chapel of Rest" | Dick Walter |
| "Most of the Time" | Bob Dylan |
| "I Get the Sweetest Feeling' | Jackie Wilson |
| "Lo Boob Oscillator" | Stereolab |
| "The Anti-Circle" | The Roots |
| "Everybody's Gonna Be Happy" | The Kinks |
| "Homespin Rerun" | High Llamas |
| "Hit the Street" | Rupert Gregson-Williams |
| "Let's Get It On" | "Barry Jive & The Uptown Five" - Jack Black |
| "I Believe (When I Fall In Love It Will Be Forever)" | Stevie Wonder |
| "My Little Red Book" | Love |
[edit] Trivia
- After seeing the film, author Nick Hornby expressed his happiness with John Cusack's performance as Rob Gordon. Hornby said he wanted the actor to play the leads in every film adaptation of his books. However, this didn't happen, since the leads in subsequent Hornby adaptations were played by Hugh Grant in About A Boy and Jimmy Fallon in the American re-make of Fever Pitch.
- In the scene where Rob and Laura are discussing Ian's sexual prowess, Laura is reading a book with the title "Love Thy Neighbor".
- In the film, after the funeral in Laura's home, several small Danish flags can be seen on the mantel. Iben Hjejle, the actress who plays Laura, is Danish.
- During a 2005 concert in Providence, Rhode Island, Regina Spektor stated that "Fidelity" (a song from her album "Begin to Hope") is based on the film.[citation needed]
- The last name of two of Rob's ex-girlfriends are changed in the movie, along with Marie DeSalle (called LaSalle in the novel). Also, his relationship with Jackie Alden (Allen in the book) was described as 'a casual thing' and she is not talked about further. In the novel, however, his relationship with her was explained and he also looks her up when he had decided to talk to his ex-girlfriends.
[edit] External links
