Across the Universe (2007)

Director:

Julie Taymor

Writers (WGA):

Dick Clement (screenplay) &
Ian La Frenais (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

All you need is love.

Plot:

The music of the Beatles and the Vietnam War form the backdrop for the romance between an upper-class American girl and a poor Liverpudlian artist.

Plot Keywords:

The Beatles | Love | Song | 1960s | Anti War

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Evan Rachel Wood	...	Lucy
Jim Sturgess	...	Jude
Joe Anderson	...	Max Carrigan
Dana Fuchs	...	Sadie
Martin Luther	...	Jo-Jo (as Martin Luther McCoy)
T.V. Carpio	...	Prudence
Spencer Liff	...	Daniel
Lisa Hogg	...	Jude's Liverpool Girlfriend
Nicholas Lumley	...	Cyril
Michael Ryan	...	Phil
Angela Mounsey	...	Jude's Mother
Erin Elliott	...	Cheer Coach
Robert Clohessy	...	Jude's Father
Christopher Tierney	...	Dorm Buddy / Dancer
Curtis Holbrook	...	Dorm Buddy

Also Known As:

Untitled Julie Taymor Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some drug content, nudity, sexuality, violence and language.

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #42759) | Canada:14A (Canadian Home Video rating) | Ireland:15A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:11 | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Netherlands:12 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | UK:12 | Finland:K-13 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | Iceland:12 (original rating) | Iceland:L (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Armour-Stiner House, Irvington, New York, USA

Company:

Revolution Studios

Trivia:

When Jude takes inspiration from the bowl of strawberries, he creates a Jackson Pollock-styled "splatter" painting. This seemingly alludes to Stuart Sutcliffe, once a bassist with The Beatles, who was a painter in the Jackson Pollock style.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Lucy quotes the opening lyrics to "I Am the Walrus", she says "I am me, as you are he, as you are me". The correct opening (as sung by Dr. Robert) is "I am HE, as you are he, as you are me".

Quotes:

[first lines]
Jude: [singing] Is there anybody going to listen to my story all about the girl who came to stay? She's the kind of girl you want so much, it makes you sorry. Still, you don't regret a single day. Aw, girl. Girl...

Movie Connections:

References Let It Be (1970)

Soundtrack:

I Am The Walrus

Let's say Hair and Moulin Rouge had a baby...

... and it's nanny was Julie Taymor ...

This probably sounds like I hated the film, but I actually loved it.

It has the time line and self-consciously-culture-smart soundtrack of Hair, yet the campy fun and karaoke stylings of Moulin Rouge. Julie Taymor takes this combination and makes it fun, instead of extra cheesy, and it is visually fascinating instead of the obnoxious MTV-video nightmare it could have been.

I cared about the characters - and the cast of 'unknowns' have great star power and voices. Even though I knew exactly what would happen, the journey there was great. The cameos were fun. The lead was sufficiently hot. The soundtrack is stuck in my head as I write this (the new versions, not even the original songs) All corny jokes and references, and lapses in plot are forgiven, because Ms. Taymor manages to take a movie chock full of things that have been done a million times before and makes it as fresh and exciting as if it were all done for the first time. You may know exactly what's going to happen but you never know how. This is the director's movie!

Definitely a movie journey worth taking.