High Fidelity
What came first? The music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of love songs. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?
About the Movie
High Fidelity is a 2000 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears, starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, and Lisa Bonet. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby.
The story follows Rob Gordon, a record store owner in Chicago who specializes in vinyl records. After his latest breakup, Rob revisits his top five breakups of all time in an attempt to figure out what went wrong.
Behind the Scenes
Main Characters
Rob Gordon
Record Store Owner
The protagonist who owns Championship Vinyl and has a tendency to organize his life through top-five lists.
Laura
Rob's Ex-Girlfriend
A lawyer who breaks up with Rob at the beginning of the film, prompting his journey of self-discovery.
Barry
Record Store Employee
A passionate and opinionated music snob who works at Championship Vinyl with strong opinions about music.
Dick
Record Store Employee
A quiet, shy employee at Championship Vinyl who is knowledgeable about obscure music.
Top 5 Lists
Just like Rob, we love making lists. Here are some iconic ones from the movie:
Top 5 Breakups
- Alison Ashmore
- Penny Hardwick
- Jackie Allen
- Charlie Nicholson
- Sarah Kendrew
Top 5 Side One, Track Ones
- "Janie Jones" - The Clash
- "Thunder Road" - Bruce Springsteen
- "Layla" - Derek and the Dominos
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
- "Let's Get It On" - Marvin Gaye
Top 5 Songs About Death
- "Leader of the Pack" - The Shangri-Las
- "Tell Laura I Love Her" - Ray Peterson
- "The Last Kiss" - J. Frank Wilson
- "Moody River" - Pat Boone
- "Honey" - Bobby Goldsboro
Memorable Quotes
"What came first? The music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of love songs."
- Rob Gordon
"I can see now I never really committed to Laura. I always had one foot out the door, and that prevented me from doing a lot of things, like thinking about my future and... I guess it made more sense to commit to nothing, keep my options open."
- Rob Gordon
"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention."
- Rob Gordon
"How can it be bullshit to state a preference?"
- Barry