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High Fidelity Details

2000 Certificate 15 Certificate 15
  • 70
  • from 21,451 members

Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (co-written by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob .. Read more

Starring John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Joelle Carter
Director Stephen Frears
Genres Comedy, Drama

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High Fidelity

Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (co-written by Cusack). Early-thirtysomething Rob Gordon (Cusack) is a slacker who owns a vintage record shop, a massive collection of LPs, and innumerable top-five lists in his head. At the opening of the film, Rob recounts directly to the audience his all-time top-five breakups-- which doesn't include his recent falling out with his girlfriend Laura (Iben Hjejle), who has just moved out of their apartment. Thunderstruck and obsessed with Laura's desertion (but loath to admit it), Rob begins a quest to confront the women who instigated the aforementioned top-five breakups to find out just what he did wrong.

Low on plot and high on self-discovery, High Fidelity takes a good 30 minutes or so to find its groove (not unlike Cusack's Grosse Pointe Blank), but once it does, it settles into it comfortably and builds a surprisingly touching momentum. Rob is basically a grown-up version of Cusack's character in Say Anything (who was told "Don't be a guy--be a man!"), and if you like Cusack's brand of smart-alecky romanticism, you'll automatically be won over (if you can handle Cusack's almost non-stop talking to the camera). Still, it's hard not to be moved by Rob's plight. At the beginning of the film he and his coworkers at the record store (played hilariously by Jack Black and Todd Louiso) seem like overgrown boys in their secret clubhouse; by the end, they've grown up considerably, with a clear-eyed view of life. Ably directed by Stephen Frears (Dangerous Liaisons), High Fidelity features a notable supporting cast of the women in Rob's life, including the striking, Danish-born Hjejle, Lisa Bonet as a sultry singer/songwriter, and the triumphant triumvirate of Lili Taylor, Joelle Carter, and Catherine Zeta Jones as Rob's ex-girlfriends. With brief cameos by Tim Robbins as Laura's new, New Age boyfriend and Bruce Springsteen as himself. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com

Starring John Cusack, Jack Black, Lisa Bonet, Joelle Carter, Joan Cusack, Sara Gilbert
Director Stephen Frears
Studio TOUCHSTONE HOME VIDEO
Run time DVD: 1 hr 49 mins
LOVEFiLM Instant: 1 hr 48 mins
Certificate Certificate 15 DVD
Certificate 15 LOVEFiLM Instant
Genres Comedy, Drama
Language DVD: English
LOVEFiLM Instant: English
Hearing-impaired English
Subtitles DVD: Danish, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish
Released Production year: 2000

To Watch Online:
LOVEFiLM Instant: 01 Jun 2011

To Rent:
DVD: 07 May 2001
Watch now Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant. Subscribe.

  • Critic's review of High Fidelity

    View all critics' reviews (6)

    • "...A ruthlessly truthful and deviously smart comedy....Black's hilariously vitriolic rock snob Barry is especially impressive -- a long overdue breakthrough role for a very deserving talent..."

    • 8660

  • Most helpful member's review of High Fidelity

    View all members' reviews (92)

  • Most recent members' reviews of High Fidelity

    View all members' reviews (92)

    • Rated - 4.5 stars  

      • 0
      • 1

      tis a gooden

      Brilliant film, cast and soundtrack. Both Myself and girlfriend really enjoyed this film which is a rarity!

      We highly recommend.

      Report this review

    • 1091357

    • Rated - 0.5 stars  

      • 1
      • 1

      Painful and dry

      utter rubbish - boring. Find another film to watch unless you like these actors so much that you will consider any crap.

      Report this review

    • 1088158

    • Rated - 1.5 stars  

      • 1
      • 10

      Rubbish film

      Rubbish film. Rubbish acting, especially John Cusack. Jack Black is the only good thing about the film. Do not watch!

      Report this review

    • 1066398
  • View all members' reviews (92)

  • News and features

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    New York

    Hornby can't understand High Fidelity stage flop

    • 08 Nov 2009

    Author Nick Hornby is still struggling to come to terms with the fact his book High Fidelity wasn't a Broadway smash - because he thought it was a great musical. The stage version of his book, which was also turned into a film starring John Cusack and Jack Black, failed to find an audience in New York and was cancelled and Hornby can't understand why the critics panned it. He tells WENN, "I was very sad that it didn't succeed. They were very talented people and they did a really good job. "It... Read more

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Rating breakdown

21,451 Member ratings
  • 100
2,506
  • 90
2,292
  • 80
4,869
  • 70
4,312
  • 60
3,449
  • 50
1,774
  • 40
974
  • 30
595
  • 20
434
  • 10
246

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    • High Fidelity

    • High Fidelity
      Transplanted from England to the not-so-mean streets of Chicago, the screen adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-classic novel High Fidelity emerges unscathed from its Americanisation, idiosyncrasies intact, thanks to John Cusack's inimitable charm and a nimble, nifty screenplay (co-written by ...

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