Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Peter Sollett

Writers (WGA):

Lorene Scafaria (screenplay)
Rachel Cohn (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

Plot Keywords:

Night | Band | Ex Girlfriend | New York City | Search

Awards:

6 nominations

Cast

Michael Cera	...	Nick
Kat Dennings	...	Norah
Aaron Yoo	...	Thom
Rafi Gavron	...	Dev
Ari Graynor	...	Caroline
Alexis Dziena	...	Tris
Jonathan B. Wright	...	Beefy Guy (Lethario) (as Jonathan Bradford Wright)
Zachary Booth	...	Gary
Jay Baruchel	...	Tal
Justin Rice	...	Bishop Allen
Christian Rudder	...	Bishop Allen
Giorgio Angelini	...	Bishop Allen
Darbie Nowatka	...	Bishop Allen
Cully Symington	...	Bishop Allen
Jeremy Haines	...	Randy (Are You Randy)
Sammy Marc Rubin	...	Sammy (Are You Randy)
Glenn Kubota	...	Korean Guy
Marika Daciuk	...	Ukrainian Waitress
Marcel Simoneau	...	Drunk Kid
Seth Meyers	...	Drunk Guy in Yugo
Lorene Scafaria	...	Drunk Girl in Yugo
Billy Griffith	...	Homeless Man
Ruth Maleczech	...	Homeless Caroline
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Jesus
Frankie Faison	...	Ticket Salesman
Marilyn McDonald	...	Janitor
John Cho	...	Hype Man
Kevin Corrigan	...	Man at Port Authority
John Cantwell	...	Nellie Olesons
Nora Burns	...	Nellie Olesons
Eric Bernat	...	Nellie Olesons
Toney Chem	...	Are You Randy Fan
Devendra Banhart	...	Customer in Deli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simon Dasher	...	Caroline's Admirer
Philip E Jones	...	Caroline's Admirer
Stephen Ananicz	...	Concertgoer (uncredited)
Steve Antonucci	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Joey Auzenne	...	Groupie (uncredited)
Michael Bennett	...	Port Authority Passenger (uncredited)
Brian Boulos	...	Drunk guy at concert (uncredited)
Stephanie Ellis	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Cassidy Gard	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Joe Giorgio	...	Tal's Bandmate (uncredited)
Kelli Mandruk	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Lance R. Marshall	...	Hipster (uncredited)
The Nellie Olesons	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Frank Pelligra	...	Brooklyn Pool Bouncer (uncredited)
Adam S. Phillips	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
R.J. Romano	...	Tal's Bandmate (uncredited)
Andy Samberg	...	Bum (uncredited)
Richard S. Sargent	...	Groupie (uncredited)
Rachel Kiri Walker	...	Brooklyn Hipster (uncredited)
C. Vincent Woodhull	...	Hipster (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Sollett

Writing credits (WGA)
Lorene Scafaria		(screenplay)
Rachel Cohn		(novel) &
David Levithan		(novel)

Produced by
Adam Brightman	....	executive producer
Nicole Brown	....	co-producer
Joseph Drake	....	executive producer
Nathan Kahane	....	executive producer
Kerry Kohansky	....	producer
Kelli Konop	....	co-producer
Andrew Miano	....	producer
Chris Weitz	....	producer
Paul Weitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Mothersbaugh

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond

Film Editing by
Myron I. Kerstein

Casting by
Joseph Middleton

Production Design by
David Doernberg

Art Direction by
Chuck Renaud

Set Decoration by
Sara Parks

Costume Design by
Sandra Hernandez

Makeup Department
Carla Antonino	....	additional makeup artist
Julie Anna Kehoe	....	key hair stylist
Lora Scrignoli	....	hair department head
Thomas Smusz	....	additional hair stylist
Leo Won	....	makeup department head
Ande Yung	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Adam Brightman	....	unit production manager
Gigi Causey	....	production supervisor
Kiki Morris	....	post-production supervisor
Craig T. Wood	....	production supervisor: additional photography

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Rae Garrett	....	second second assistant director: second unit (as Sara Rae Garrett)
Tudor Jones	....	first assistant director: second unit
Christo Morse	....	first assistant director
Michael Slovis	....	second unit director
Annie Tan	....	second assistant director
Derek Wimble	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Butcher	....	property master
Jesse Cain	....	construction coordinator
David Cooney	....	storyboard artist
Nate Green	....	carpenter
Nicholas Hill	....	property master: additional photography
Hollywood Nick Pagani	....	picture car coordinator
Molly Page	....	assistant property master: additional photography
Kimberly Slosek	....	assistant property master
Nicholas Thalhuber	....	carpenter
Phil Langone	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Rosalie Russino	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gaston Biraben	....	dialogue editor
Damian Canelos	....	sound mixer
Anita Cannella	....	foley artist
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor (as Chic Ciccolini III)
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Susan Dudeck	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor
Rick Gould	....	adr recordist
Eric Harwood	....	sound recordist
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
Tateum Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Mike Marino	....	foley mixer
Dana McCommon	....	adr mixer
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr recordist
Brendan Jamieson O'Brien	....	sound utility
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel Pagan	....	supervising sound editor
Egor Panchenko	....	ProTools playback mixer
Egor Panchenko	....	sound utility
Eryne Prine	....	assistant sound editor
Seth Tallman	....	boom operator
Seth Tallman	....	sound mixer: second unit

Special Effects by
Matt Vogel	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Andy Lichtstein	....	digital preview colorist
Amy Tompkins	....	digital intermediate editor
Sebastien Betsch	....	digital painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Vince Cupone	....	stunt double
Chad Hessler	....	stunt double
Cort Hessler	....	stunt coordinator (as Cort L. Hessler III)
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Kamuela Kim	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Christian Baird	....	rigging electrician
Mark Beattie	....	additional electrician
Joe Belschner	....	dolly grip
Steve Calitri	....	gaffer: second unit
Vincent Camuto	....	key video assist operator
Randolph Carty	....	electrician
Tim Ferraer	....	grip
Paul Gibilisco	....	second assistant camera: additional photography
Shawn Greene	....	gaffer
Melissa Guimaraes	....	best boy grip
Erik Guldbech	....	rigging electrician
Adam Hall	....	rigging key grip
Christophe Johnson	....	camera loader
Meg Kettell	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Alexander Martin	....	lighting technician
Lance Mayer	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Matthew Mendelson	....	electrician
Ron Morales	....	key grip
Jeff Muhlstock	....	Steadicam operator
Jeff Muhlstock	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Ed Nessen	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Iris Ng	....	rigging gaffer
Jeff Niggemeyer	....	generator operator
Colin Oberschmidt	....	lighting technician
Lisa Origlieri	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Justin Panzanaro	....	key rigging grip
Joseph Paolini	....	grip
Rome Petersson	....	additional electrician
Andrew Priestley	....	first assistant camera
Aaron Randall	....	additional grip
Ray Richards	....	b camera gaffer
Ray Richards	....	electrician
Rossana Rizzo	....	second assistant camera
Marcos Rodríguez-Quijano	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera, second unit
Ethan Rosenduft	....	grip
Benjamin Salley	....	electrician
Jennifer Scarlata	....	additional electrician
Dara Selbert	....	loader: additional photography
John Shim	....	additional electrician
Michael Slovis	....	director of photography: second unit
Joshua Solson	....	lighting technician
Yoshi Sonoda	....	rigging electrician
Sean Taylor	....	best boy electric
Vance Tucker	....	grip
Christopher Vidaic	....	grip
JoJo Whilden	....	still photographer
David Woolner	....	rigging electrician
Zenfeek	....	electrician
Daniel Zimmer	....	grip

Casting Department
Lauren Dickey	....	casting assistant
Barrie Golden	....	extras casting associate
Jonathan Clay Harris	....	casting associate
Kristian Sorge	....	extras casting
Allison Twardziak	....	extras casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aneikit Bonnel	....	set costumer
Sonja Cizmazia	....	costume supervisor
Estella Marie	....	seamstress
Nina Schelich	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Maxine Gervais	....	digital intermediate colorist
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Kate Hickey	....	apprentice editor
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Jill Piwowar	....	assistant editor
Christine Seino	....	assistant on-line editor

Music Department
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Andrew Dorfman	....	supervising music editor
Adrian Van Velsen	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Fernando Alvarado	....	production assistant
Ethan Anderson	....	production assistant: reshoots
Carrie Arnold	....	assistant production coordinator
Alexis Auditore	....	assistant: Ms. Konop
Nicholas Brennan	....	production intern
Vince Brown	....	production assistant
Nicholas Bryan	....	production secretary
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Deliana Daskalova	....	production assistant
Elitza Daskalova	....	production intern
Kristyn DiPane	....	project manager: Technicolor New York
Connor Driscoll	....	production assistant
Gjustina Dushku	....	set production assistant
Ashleigh Falls	....	adr loop group
D.R. Farquharson	....	project manager: Deluxe Digital Cinema
Frances Fiore	....	unit publicist
Whitney Fromholtz	....	assistant: Ms. Brown
Laurie Gershon	....	product placement and clearances
Michael Hartofilis	....	production intern
Kevin A. Howard	....	office production assistant: reshoots (as Kevin Howard)
Joshua Huffman	....	production coordinator
Eric A. Knapp	....	assistant production coordinator: additional photography: reshoots
Rebecca Lindsey	....	set production assistant
Robert Lopez	....	key production assistant
Jenny Lovin	....	payroll accountant
Keith Marlin	....	set production assistant
George S. Matsuo	....	set production assistant
Ryan McDonald	....	production assistant
Michael McGrail	....	location scout
Michael L. Mizrahi	....	location scout
Tony Osso	....	script supervisor
J. Brent Peebles	....	first assistant accountant
J. Brent Peebles	....	production accountant: re-shoots
Adam Pray	....	assistant to director
Antonio Ragona	....	production assistant
Emma Rees-Scanlon	....	additional production assistant
Jon Shaw	....	production assistant
Tim Stacker	....	assistant location manager
Nadia Tabbara	....	production assistant
Heather Tyler	....	post-production accountant
Chanda Venable	....	production assistant
Joseph White	....	location manager
Michael Wiggins	....	production accountant
Self Williams	....	production assistant
Danielle Wilson	....	craft service
Craig T. Wood	....	assistant: Mr. Brightman

Production Companies

• Depth of Field
• Mandate Pictures

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Argentina) (all media)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Records  soundtrack
• Fairfield Studios  post-production sound services (additional adr recording)
• Marshall/Plumb Research Associates  script research
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  digital intermediate
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  modem card rentals
• Shadowplay Studio  main titles
• Sony Pictures Stock Footage  stock footage
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production sound services
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Urband & Lazar Music Publishing  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including teen drinking, sexuality, language and crude behavior.

Runtime:

Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44261) | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:15A | UK:12A | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Katz's Delicatessen - 205 East Houston Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Depth of Field

Trivia:

Ari Graynor (Caroline) improvised her whole speech at the Port Authority when Kevin Corrigan decided he wouldn't say a word during his scene.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While Thom is explaining The Beatles song "I Wanna Hold You Hand" he incorrectly says it was their first single. The first single from The Beatles was "Love Me Do". "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" was actually the band's fifth single.

Quotes:

Nick: I never wash my pants. I like to keep the night on them.

Movie Connections:

References Gojira (1954)

Soundtrack:

Slight of Hand

Sweet Tunes

On one particular night in New York City, an elusive band by the name of Where's Fluffy? have announced a secret concert. The word spreads through the city's underground punk scene faster than it can go out of style and before long, it reaches Nick and Norah. Nick and Norah don't know each other when this news reaches their ears but before the end of the night, they will each find something infinitely more important than Fluffy. NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST is a contemporary romantic comedy that sets itself in an entirely unconventional place and time (can you think of another way to describe a straight romance in the queer punk underground?), but presents itself in a sometimes far too conventional fashion. While it can at times be too cool for school, it is the roughness around its edges that give it an unexpected and genuine warmth. Like any finely balanced playlist, it works its way into your head and your soul.

Nick (Michael Cera) has been down as of late. It seems his fragile heart has been trampled by Tris (Alexis Dziena), a girl so clearly wrong for him but whose physical beauty is apparently capable of diverting people from noticing her lack of a soul. Norah (Kat Dennings) has some trust issues as she naturally assumes that any man interested in her is likely more interested in her connections (her dad is an enormously successful record executive). As a result, both Nick and Norah have withdrawn – not externally as they both still function amongst the other humans but they do so at arm's length. Like sleeping beauties though, they are both awoken from their waking comas by a shared impromptu kiss. Suddenly, worlds they never knew existed have become possibilities and an ordinary evening becomes an adventure. While the twists the evening takes are at times unrealistic, they do give the night and the film a sense of spontaneity that makes the viewer believe that anything can happen.

Peter Sollett is a delicate director. His first feature, RAISING VISTOR VARGAS, in which a group of Hispanic youths in New York's lower east side figure out how to stop playing and how to be themselves instead, was a singular revelation. He created a strong sense of hesitation in face of the unknown and a desire to be something more. He has an ease with creating simple, real spaces that foster intimacy and humble his characters and Nick and Norah are no exception to his treatment. Outside of these two though, the remaining ensemble are little more than comic relief and functional plot progression pieces. They can come across as occasionally transparent and one-dimensional but thankfully never enough to distract from the delightful romance budding at the center of all the chaos. Cera proves his versatility once again by showing that there are hundreds of facets to being an awkward teenager, that awkwardness does not define you but is rather just how who you are can come across. Dennings is his perfect counterpoint; she is sharp and strong, a worthy adversary, but frightened underneath it all, an ideal match. The two are so strongly suited that they transform the sometimes too facile script into something much more mature and meaningful.

NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST made me want to fall in love. It also made me laugh and swoon, delight in the magic of music and believe in the transformative properties of one crazy night. It made me long to be in New York City. It made me wish that I was that young again and that believing in possibilities was that easy to do. It may not be perfect but it is almost better that way, more real. There is something so genuine at the heart of this film that makes it almost impossible not to want for Nick and Norah to realize their potential – a potential that is just as infinite as the playlist they are about to create together.