MovieChat Forums > High Fidelity (2000) Discussion > I love this movie to bits, but there are...

I love this movie to bits, but there are certain changes...

posted 9 years ago by Superunknovvn
7 replies | jump to latest

...that I don't get.

Why change "Reservoir Dogs" to "Evil Dead II" in the conversation about the word "yet"?

Why change Solomon Burke to Marvin Gaye in the Art Garfunkel/Israeli/Palestinian discussion?

Why change Joni Mitchell's "Blue" to the song "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac, when Rob explains Dick how he's re-arranging his record collection biographically?

For that matter: Why change Rob's last name? Or the name of Barry's band at the final show?

Also, there's a couple of things that neither the book, nor the movie get right in my opinion: Barry putting "Walking On Sunshine" on the monday morning mix tape?! I thought the man was supposed to have taste or at least an informed opinion.

We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school

[–] mmichaels-71660 9 years ago

I assume most of the changes were for legal reasons. The studio lawyers sometimes make sure to play it safe. For example, most studios will require a character's name changed if there are very few people with that same name to avoid a possibility of one of them suing.
Also, the book is set in the early 90's while the movie sets it in the then present (late 90's) so I assume they wanted to make a few of the references less dated. That and that differences in US culture and UK culture.

[–] Lord-Z 9 years ago

I think the point is that Barry lives in a very fragile glass house, yet he is throwing stones left and right. He can question your tastes, but you better not even insinuate that his opinion isn't the correct one.

[–] tlm557 8 years ago

Books and Movies are two separate products.

If a movie is based on a novel, then that is what they do. They BASE them on them, they don't copy them 100%. If they were, can you imagine how many hours you'd be watching?

This is nothing unusual. This is nothing new. It is acceptable, it is normal.

[–] jaystarstar 8 years ago

"Walking on Sunshine" is an insanely peppy pop song.

People who love it would say "awesome" and bop along with it. People who hate it would grit their teeth and be energized in an irritated/ aggravated kind of way.

[–] Lawn_Wrangler 8 years ago

this thread was over as soon as it started. nobody disparages Phillip J Fry's favorite song sir

[–] bhoover247 8 years ago

"Walking On Sunshine" is the antithesis of "Seymour Stein" by Belle and Sebastian. It would have been funnier if he had put on "Shiny Happy People" by REM. Plus it's a better song.

[–] drbgoodblues-11682 8 years ago

"Walking on Sunshine" was selected for comedic effect. Jack Black bopping in and cranking "Walking on Sunshine" in the middle of Rob's Monday morning, my girlfriend-dumped-me hangover was a perfect juxtaposition. Could there be a more inappropriate sound track for that particular moment in Rob's life? Jack Black is hilarious in this movie, and steals every scene he's in. His comedy relief makes Rob's perpetual brooding more tolerable. Also there is no accounting for taste with something as subjective as music. That's another reason why Jack Black's character is so funny, because he is such a music snob, he's certain that he knows what you should be listening to. Kind of like the folks on IMDB, that try to state definitely that your favorite movie is crap. With books, movies, and films it's all about your relationship to them, just like human relationships.