Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy
British release poster
Directed by	Sam Taylor-Wood
Produced by	Robert Bernstein Douglas Rae
Screenplay by	Matt Greenhalgh
Based on	Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon by Julia Baird
Starring	Aaron Johnson Thomas Sangster Anne-Marie Duff Kristin Scott Thomas
Music by	Alison Goldfrapp Will Gregory
Cinematography	Seamus McGarvey[1]
Editing by	Lisa Gunning
Studio	Ecosse Films Film4 UK Film Council HanWay Films
Distributed by	Icon Entertainment International (UK/AUS) The Weinstein Company
Release date(s)	26 December 2009 (2009-12-26)
Running time	99 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	₤1,235,500
Box office	$6,413,733

Nowhere Boy is a 2009 British biopic about John Lennon's adolescence, his relationships with his guardian aunt and his birth mother, the creation of his first band, the Quarrymen, and its evolution into the Beatles. The film is based on a biography written by Lennon's half-sister Julia Baird.^[2] The film received its US release on 8 October 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth (9 October 1940).^[3]

Plot

The drama tells the story of Lennon's (Aaron Johnson) teenage years from 1955–1960 and the start of his journey to becoming a successful musician. The story also examines the impact on his early life and personality of the two dominant females in his childhood – his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas), and his mother, Julia (Anne-Marie Duff).^[4] In addition, the film shows the first meeting of Lennon with future Beatles Paul McCartney (Thomas Brodie Sangster) and George Harrison (Sam Bell), and the development of their friendship and musical partnership.

Cast

• Aaron Johnson as John Lennon
• Kristin Scott Thomas as Mimi Smith
• David Threlfall as George Toogood Smith
• Josh Bolt as Pete Shotton
• Ophelia Lovibond as Maria Kennedy
• James Michael Johnson as Stan Parkes
• Anne-Marie Duff as Julia Lennon
• David Morrissey as Bobby Dykins
• Andrew Buchan as Michael Fishwick
• James Jack Bentham as Rod Davis
• Jack McElhone as Eric Griffiths
• Thomas Brodie Sangster as Paul McCartney^[1]
• Sam Bell as George Harrison
• Christian Bird as Jimmy Tarbuck
• Colin Tierney as Alf Lennon

Production

The film was the directorial debut of conceptual artist/photographer Sam Taylor-Wood.^[5] The screenplay was written by Matt Greenhalgh, who also wrote the Joy Division film Control. It was shot on location in Liverpool, and at Ealing Studios in West London.^[5][6] Some of the interior school scenes were filmed at Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby. Following the announcement of the film, initial media accounts indicated that it would be based on the book Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon by Lennon's half sister Julia Baird.^[7] However, the credits for the completed film do not reference either the book or Baird, with sole writing credit accorded to screenwriter Matt Greenhalgh. The director consulted both McCartney and Yoko Ono about the script, with both firmly correcting the depiction of Mimi to be less strict and more loving of John.^[8]

The film received a National Lottery funding of ₤1.2 million from the UK Film Council Premier Fund, with an additional ₤35,500 from its Development Fund to create the script.^[7][9] The film also received a grant from Film4 (the film division of Channel 4).^[5]

Release

The film premiered in the UK on 26 December 2009.^[10] Its US release was on 8 October 2010, coinciding with that weekend's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth.^[11][12]

HanWay Films represented worldwide sales. Distributor Icon Entertainment International took the rights for the United Kingdom and Australia. Mars Distribution acquired the rights for France.^[5] The Weinstein Company distributed the film in the USA, Germany and Latin America.

Following the release, McCartney went public about his depiction in the film. McCartney stated that he was never punched out by John,^[13] and that they were both equal in height, and was not significantly shorter than Lennon.^{[citation needed]}

Festival screenings

The film had its world premiere on 29 October 2009 at the closing night of the London Film Festival.^[10] The film was screened at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival on 27 January.^[6][14] It screened again at the Maui Film Festival in Wailea, Hawaii, on 18 June 2010, and at the Fest for Beatles Fans convention in Chicago on 14 August 2010.

Awards

Nowhere Boy was nominated for four British Academy Film Awards: Outstanding British Film, Best Supporting Actress (one each for Anne-Marie Duff and Kristin Scott Thomas), and Outstanding Debut by a British director (Sam Taylor-Wood).^[15]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack features several of the songs played by The Quarrymen at the time depicted in the film. New recordings were made featuring performances by Johnson and Thomas Sangster. Sangster was able to play the guitar before landing his role, but, as he is right-handed, learned how to play left-handed, à la McCartney.^[1] Producers negotiated with Yoko Ono for the rights to use Lennon's song "Mother" in the film.^[1] In addition to the featured songs, British electronica duo Goldfrapp provide the film's instrumental score.^[16] The soundtrack was released digitally on 11 December 2009 and in stores as a two-disc album by Sony Music Entertainment on 29 December 2009.

Disc 1

1. Jerry Lee Lewis – "Wild One"
2. Dickie Valentine – "Mr. Sandman"
3. Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats – "Rocket 88"
4. Elvis Presley – "Shake, Rattle & Roll"
5. Wanda Jackson – "Hard Headed Woman"
6. Screamin' Jay Hawkins – "I Put a Spell on You"
7. The Nowhere Boys – "Maggie May"
8. The Nowhere Boys – "That'll Be the Day"
9. Eddie Bond and The Stompers – "Rockin' Daddy"
10. Eddie Cochran – "Twenty Flight Rock"
11. The Nowhere Boys – "That's Alright Mama"
12. The Nowhere Boys – "Movin' and Groovin'"
13. The Nowhere Boys – "Raunchy"
14. Big Mama Thornton – "Hound Dog"
15. Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps – "Be-Bop-A-Lula"
16. Aaron Johnson – "Hello Little Girl"
17. The Nowhere Boys – "In Spite of All the Danger"
18. John Lennon – "Mother"

Disc 2

1. Chuck Berry – "Roll Over Beethoven"
2. Bill Haley and His Comets – "Rock Around the Clock"
3. Little Richard – "Rip It Up"
4. Elvis Presley – "Baby, Let's Play House"
5. Buddy Holly – "Peggy Sue"
6. Buddy Knox – "Party Doll"
7. Bobby Fuller Four – "I Fought the Law"
8. Vince Taylor and His Playboys – "Brand New Cadillac"
9. Dale Hawkins – "Susie Q"
10. Shirley & Lee – "Let the Good Times Roll"
11. Barrett Strong – "Money (That's What I Want)"
12. Fats Domino – "Ain't That a Shame"
13. Lloyd Price – "Stagger Lee"
14. Frankie Vaughan – "These Dangerous Years"
15. The Del-Vikings – "Come Go with Me"

References

External links

• Official website
• Nowhere Boy at the Internet Movie Database
• Nowhere Boy at AllRovi
• Nowhere Boy at Box Office Mojo
• Nowhere Boy at Rotten Tomatoes
• Nowhere Boy at Metacritic