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IMDbPro

Backbeat

  • 19941994
  • RR
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
6.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
17,504
616
Backbeat (1994)
Theatrical Trailer from Gramercy Pictures
Play trailer0:31
1 Video
22 Photos
BiographyDramaMusic
A dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of The Beatles' early history.A dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of The Beatles' early history.A dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of The Beatles' early history.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
6.2K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
17,504
616
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Iain Softley
    • Writers
      • Iain Softley
      • Michael Thomas
      • Stephen Ward
    • Stars
      • Stephen Dorff
      • Sheryl Lee
      • Ian Hart
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Iain Softley
    • Writers
      • Iain Softley
      • Michael Thomas
      • Stephen Ward
    • Stars
      • Stephen Dorff
      • Sheryl Lee
      • Ian Hart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 31User reviews
    • 28Critic reviews
    • Won 1 BAFTA Award
      • 5 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos1

    Backbeat
    Trailer 0:31
    Backbeat

    Photos22

    Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, and Chris O'Neill in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell, Chris O'Neill, and Scot Williams in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell, and Sheryl Lee in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff in Backbeat (1994)
    Iain Softley and Ian Wilson in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff and Ian Hart in Backbeat (1994)
    Stephen Dorff, Sheryl Lee, and Iain Softley in Backbeat (1994)
    1/2' x 16' mini movie poster
    Grande Movie Poster
    Stephen Dorff, Ian Hart, Gary Bakewell, Sheryl Lee, Chris O'Neill, and Scot Williams in Backbeat (1994)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Stephen Dorff
    Stephen Dorff
    • Stuart Sutcliffe
    Sheryl Lee
    Sheryl Lee
    • Astrid Kirchherr
    Ian Hart
    Ian Hart
    • John Lennon
    Gary Bakewell
    Gary Bakewell
    • Paul McCartney
    Chris O'Neill
    • George Harrison
    Scot Williams
    Scot Williams
    • Pete Best
    Kai Wiesinger
    Kai Wiesinger
    • Klaus Voormann
    Jennifer Ehle
    Jennifer Ehle
    • Cynthia Powell
    Marcelle Duprey
    • Singer
    John White
    • Sailor 1
    Bernard Merrick
    • Sailor 2
    Nicholas Tennant
    • Sailor 3
    Finola Geraghty
    • Model
    Rob Spendlove
    • Arthur Ballard
    Charlie Caine
    • Lord Woodbine
    Freda Kelly
    Freda Kelly
    • Mrs. Harrison
    Paul Humpoletz
    • Bruno Koschmider
    Christiana Uriarte
    • Groupie
    • Director
      • Iain Softley
    • Writers
      • Iain Softley
      • Michael Thomas
      • Stephen Ward
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      As seen in the movie, The Beatles are given "uppers" pills so they can keep performing when they're getting tired. Also, as seen in the shot after John accepts the pills for the first time, The Beatles are performing "Long Tall Sally" like crazed maniacs with eyes bulging and sweating profusely. The reason for this is that the uppers were actually prescription-strength "speed" pills. According to all of The Beatles in various interviews (most prominently in the "Beatles Anthology" film and book), the band was forced to perform up to eight hours a night, far and away more than a band can possibly play given the normal fatigue that sets in from singing and playing. Whenever they grew tired, the bartenders or the waitresses would often give them (and other performers) uppers to keep them going. Because of this, and their horrible living conditions in the Kaiserkeller Club's back room, The Beatles were often sweaty, smelly, pale and shockingly thin (speed pills back then doubled as diet pills) because they rarely bathed, hardly ever washed their clothes or, more importantly, ate healthy meals. However, after Stuart Sutcliffe began dating Astrid Kirchherr, she would feed the band and wash their clothes and allow them access to her bathroom for bathing. All of The Beatles have said that Astrid, more or less, kept them alive and healthy.
    • Goofs
      At the end of the film, text describing subsequent events is superimposed over shots of a beach. One paragraph notes that Klaus Voormann played bass on John Lennon's album "Imagine" and designed the Beatles' "Revolver" album cover, but although the former title is placed in quotation marks, the latter is not.
    • Quotes

      John Lennon: We're gonna be big Stu, we're gonna be too big for Liverpool, we're gonna be too big for Hamburg, we're gonna be too big for our own bloody good.

    • Crazy credits
      At the very end of the end titles, long after all the other music credits have run, one last music credit appears on the otherwise blank screen: "TIME TO GO HOME, Written by Maria Bird, Published by Minder Music."
    • Connections
      Featured in Backbeat Band: Money, Version 1 (1994)
    • Soundtracks
      Good Golly Miss Molly
      Written & Composed by Robert 'Bumps' Blackwell & John Marascalco

      By kind permission of Prestige Music Ltd

    User reviews31

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    good performances and compelling friendship
    It's 1960 Liverpool. Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff) is a painter and John Lennon (Ian Hart) is his best friend. Stuart joins the early Beatles on the bass going to Hamburg, Germany on their first oversea trip along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best. German photographer Astrid Kirchherr (Sheryl Lee) introduces Sutcliffe to her avant-garde circle. Her influence and his poor playing cause friction within the band and his relationship with Lennon.

    This is a Beatles movie without the cooperation of some of main players. Lennon is the leader. McCartney is a bit of wet blanket which probably annoyed the real Paul. I love the performances of Dorff and Hart. Also I love the two men's deep friendship. This is a deep bromance movie.
    helpful•3
    0
    • SnoopyStyle
    • Nov 5, 2015

    FAQ7

    • What is Backbeat about?
    • Is the movie based on any source material?
    • Where does the title for the movie come from?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 15, 1994 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Germany
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • French
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Бекбіт
    • Filming locations
      • Cheney Street, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Channel Four Films
      • Fortbeam
      • PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,392,589
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $126,740
      • Apr 17, 1994
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,392,589
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
      • LC-Concept Digital Sound
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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