Across the Universe (2007) Movie and Film Photos and Desktop
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Across the Universe is a 2007 musical film directed by Julie Taymor and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. The script is based on an original story credited to Taymor, Clement and La Frenais, which incorporates compositions written by members of the Beatles. It stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess. There are cameo appearances by Bono as Dr. Robert (a counter-culture shaman), Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite (a circus ringmaster), Joe Cocker as three street characters and Salma Hayek who appears (through digital special effects) as five nurses. The film received its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday September 10, 2007. It then had a limited platform release on 27 screens in the USA on September 14, 2007, expanding to 276 screens on September 21, 2007.
The story starts in the early 1960s with a young dock worker named Jude (played by Jim Sturgess) who travels from his home town of Liverpool, England to America in search of the American G.I. father (Robert Clohessy) he has never known. While in America he befriends Max (Joe Anderson) a rebellious young man from a privileged background and his sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood). Jude and Max become roommates in a bohemian enclave in New York City where they share an apartment with other young individuals. They are joined in New York by Lucy and a romantic relationship evolves between her and Jude. When Max is drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Lucy becomes involved in a radical anti-war movement - leading to strains with the comparatively apolitical Jude. The film is constructed as a musical, with the actors expressing themselves and their inner emotions by singing compositions written between 1963-1969 by the members of The Beatles.
Cast: Primary characters:
Evan Rachel Wood as Lucy Carrigan
Jim Sturgess as Jude
Joe Anderson as Max Carrigan
Dana Fuchs as Sadie
T. V. Carpio as Prudence
Martin Luther McCoy as JoJo
Star cameos:
Bono as Dr. Robert - a poet/guru/shaman from the West Coast
Eddie Izzard as Mr. Kite - a circus ringmaster
Salma Hayek as Bang Bang Shoot Shoot Nurses (by digital effects she appears as five separate nurses)
Joe Cocker as Tramp, Pimp, Hippie (Cocker appears as these three separate street characters in the song "Come Together")
Supporting characters:
Spencer Liff as Daniel
Lisa Hogg as Molly, Jude's English girlfriend
Angela Mounsey as Jude's mother
Robert Clohessy as Jude's father
Nicholas Lumley as Cyril
Michael Ryan as Phil
Curtis Holbrook as Dorm Buddy
John Jeffrey Martin as Dorm Buddy
Matt Caplan as Dorm Buddy
Ellen Hornberger as Julia Carrigan
Amanda Cole as Taylor
Linda Emond as Lucy's mother
James Urbaniak as Sadie's manager
Timmy Mitchum as JoJo's brother
Elain R. Graham as JoJo's mother
Sarah Jayne Jensen as High School Girlfriend
Film soundtrack:
The soundtrack of the film includes complete or partial new renditions of 33 compositions written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr 1963-1969 - that had been recorded by The Beatles. (The songs are invariably referred to by the public and media as Beatles songs though as the compositions themselves were created by, and are officially credited to, the individual writers not the group - such references are colloquial.) Thirty of the songs in the soundtrack feature vocals. Two of the compositions are brief instrumental versions of songs that were originally written with lyrics. There is one composition that was originally written as an instrumental.
The songs are sung by the film's cast members (recorded on the set rather than in a studio) - backed by top session musicians. Two compositions are performed by indie Texan duo The Secret Machines. The film soundtrack also includes original score composed by Elliot Goldenthal. Goldenthal worked with critical acclaim on Taymor's previous films Titus and Frida.
Compositions featured in the film:
"Girl" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Helter Skelter" Performed by Dana Fuchs (reprised later in the film)
"Hold Me Tight" Performed by Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Lisa Hogg
"All My Loving" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" Performed by T. V. Carpio
"With a Little Help from My Friends" Performed by Joe Anderson, Jim Sturgess & "Dorm Buddies"
"It Won't Be Long" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
"I've Just Seen a Face" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Let It Be" Performed by Carol Woods, Timothy T. Mitchum
"Come Together" Performed by Joe Cocker and Martin Luther
"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" Performed by Dana Fuchs
"If I Fell" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Performed by Joe Anderson
"Dear Prudence" Performed by Dana Fuchs, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, T. V. Carpio
"Flying" Performed by The Secret Machines (performers not seen on-screen)
"Blue Jay Way" Performed by The Secret Machines (performers not seen on-screen)
"I Am the Walrus" Performed by Bono (accompanied by the Secret Machines)
"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" Performed by Eddie Izzard
"Because" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, T. V. Carpio, Martin Luther
"Something" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Oh! Darling" Performed by Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther
"Strawberry Fields Forever" Performed by Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson
"Revolution" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Performed by Martin Luther
"Across The Universe" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" Performed by Joe Anderson
"A Day In The Life" - brief instrumental extract. Performed by Jeff Beck (Instrumental)
"Blackbird" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
"Hey Jude" Performed by Joe Anderson
"Don't Let Me Down" Performed by Dana Fuchs
"All You Need is Love" Performed by Jim Sturgess, Dana Fuchs
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Performed by Bono (this song is played over the end credits. Performance not seen on-screen)
Soundtrack albums:
Interscope Records has released two different soundtrack albums. A 16-track single album of highlights from the film and a 31-track double-album containing all the vocal performances and one of the three instrumental tracks.
The physical CD version of the 16-track single album is available on general release. The physical CD version of the 31-track double-album is available exclusively at retail chain Best Buy. Both versions of the album are available digitally. The song "It Won't Be Long" was released as a digital single on September 11, 2007.
The 16-track single-disc soundtrack album:
Across The Universe: Music From The Motion Picture
"All My Loving" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" Performed by T. V. Carpio
"It Won't Be Long" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
"I've Just Seen a Face" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Let It Be" Performed by Carol Woods and Timothy T. Mitchum
"Come Together" Performed by Joe Cocker
"I Am the Walrus" Performed by Bono and Secret Machines
"Something" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Oh! Darling" Performed by Dana Fuchs and Martin Luther McCoy
"Strawberry Fields Forever" Performed by Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson
"Across The Universe" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Helter Skelter" Performed by Dana Fuchs
"Happiness is a Warm Gun" Performed by Joe Anderson
"Blackbird" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
"Hey Jude" Performed by Joe Anderson
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" Performed by Bono (Background Vocals by The Edge)
The 31-track double-disc soundtrack album:
Across The Universe: Music From The Motion Picture (Deluxe Edition)
"Girl" Performed by Jim Sturgess
’’Hold Me Tight" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
’’All My Loving" Performed by Jim Sturgess
’’I Want to Hold Your Hand" Performed by T.V. Carpio
’’With a Little Help from My Friends" Performed by Jim Sturgess & Joe Anderson
’’It Won't Be Long" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
’’I've Just Seen a Face" Performed by Jim Sturgess
"Let It Be (Long Version)" Performed by Carol Woods & Timothy T. Mitchum
’’Come Together" Performed by Joe Cocker
"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" Performed by Dana Fuchs
’’If I Fell" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
’’I Want You (She's So Heavy)" Performed by Dana Fuchs, Joe Anderson & T.V. Carpio
’’Dear Prudence" Performed by Dana Fuchs, Evan Wood, Jim Sturgess & T.V. Carpio
"Flying" Performed by Secret Machines
’’Blue Jay Way" Performed by Secret Machines
’’I Am the Walrus" Performed by Bono & Secret Machines
’’Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" Performed by Eddie Izzard
"Because" Performed by Dana Fuchs, Evan Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson, Martin Luther McCoy & T.V. Carpio
’’Something" Performed by Jim Sturgess
’’Oh! Darling" Performed by Dana Fuchs & Martin Luther McCoy
’’Strawberry Fields Forever" Performed by Jim Sturgess & Joe Anderson
"Revolution" Performed by Jim Sturgess
’’While My Guitar Gently Weeps" Performed by Martin Luther McCoy
’’Across the Universe" Performed by Jim Sturgess
’’Helter Skelter" Performed by Dana Fuchs
’’Happiness Is a Warm Gun" Performed by Joe Anderson
"Blackbird" Performed by Evan Rachel Wood
’’Hey Jude" Performed by Joe Anderson
’’Don't Let Me Down" Performed by Dana Fuchs
’’All You Need Is Love" Performed by Dana Fuchs & Jim Sturgess
’’Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" Performed by Bono
Beatles References:
In addition to the 33 Beatles compositions used in the movie, there are multiple references in the film to Beatles lyrics and folklore.
Character Names:
The names of the principal characters - and several of the secondary roles - are derived from names in the titles or lyrics of Beatles compositions.
Lucy - "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
Jude - "Hey Jude"
Max - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
Sadie - "Sexy Sadie"
Jojo - "Get Back"
Prudence - "Dear Prudence"
Dr. Robert - "Doctor Robert"
Mr. Kite - "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"
Dan (Lucy's first boyfriend) - "Rocky Raccoon"
Molly (Jude's English girlfriend) - "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
Martha (Jude's mother) - "Martha My Dear"
Julia (Lucy's sister) - "Julia"
Rita (The Contortionist) - "Lovely Rita"
Other:
An elderly shipyard employee who gives Jude his paycheck says he thought he'd be doing something different when he was sixty-four, an allusion to the song "When I'm Sixty-Four."
Prudence first enters the New York apartment where the main characters live through an open bathroom window, a humorous reference to the song "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window."
When Max and Jude first see their apartment, Sadie comments that Max seems harmless, but could have murdered his grandmother with a silver hammer, and in another scene Max is shown holding a silver hammer, both unsubtle references to the song that inspired Max's name, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."
The Liverpool club seen during the UK part of the Hold Me Tight sequence was filmed in the reconstituted Cavern Club in Liverpool
Apple Records, the company founded by the Beatles in 1968, is obliquely referenced when Jude is trying to draw a green apple, then slices it in half and tries to draw it again, thus producing the two images used for that company's record labels.
The rooftop concert toward the end of the film references the Beatles' famous impromptu rooftop concert atop their Apple offices in January 1969 - their final live performance.
The people in blue during the Mr. Kite sequence resemble Blue Meanies from Yellow Submarine (film).
Production dispute:In March 2007, the media reported a dispute over the final cut of the film. Concerned with the length of director Julie Taymor's cut of the film, Revolution Studios (production studio) chairman Joe Roth tested a sneak preview of a shortened version without first informing Taymor. The incident sparked some heat between the two, later involving Sony Pictures (distributor) Amy Pascal urging Taymor to agree to the shorter version. After several months of dispute, Taymor's version was eventually reinstated, and was the theatrically released version.
Release history:
The film's release date and release pattern has been the subject of some media and public discussion. The film had been originally scheduled for release in 2006. The release was postponed as the editing process became extended and then the subject of internal disputes. The film was subsequently scheduled for a wide release on approximately 1,000 US screens on September 28, 2007. In early September 2007, Sony Pictures announced that the release would be brought forward to September 14, with a "platform release" pattern starting on a small number of screens - with additional screens to be added in subequent weeks.
The film received its world premiere on Monday September 10, 2007 at the Toronto Film Festival. The film was then given a very limited "platform release" on 27 screens in the US on Friday September 14. The film had the second-highest "per-screen" average on its opening weekend. The following week, the release was expanded to 276 strategically-selected locations, which excluded most, if not all, of the southern United States (there were no showings in either Nashville or Atlanta, for example). The film's second weekend was also successful according to the film industry trade paper
Variety which reported a "per-screen" average of $7,300 over the weekend and a cumulative total of approximately $2 million. This total placed the film at #13 in the chart of the weekend's box office takings - in competition with films whose box office gross was accumulated from playing on up to 2,900 screens simultaneously.
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