High Fidelity is a 2000 film directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack. The film is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. After seeing the film, Hornby expressed his happiness with John Cusack’s performance as Rob Gordon (changed from Rob Fleming in the book), saying, “At times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book.”
Production
Nick Hornby’s book was optioned by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures in 1995 where it went into development for three years. Disney boss Joe Roth had a conversation with recording executive Kathy Nelson who recommended John Cusack and his writing and producing partners D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink adapt the book. She had worked previously with them on Grosse Pointe Blank and felt that they had the right sensibilities for the material. According to Cusack, DeVincentis is the closest to the record-obsessive characters in the film, owning 1,000 vinyl records and thousands of CDs and tapes. They wrote a treatment that was immediately greenlighted by Roth.
Cast
- John Cusack as Rob Gordon
- Iben Hjejle as Laura
- Todd Louiso as Dick
- Jack Black as Barry
- Lisa Bonet as Marie DeSalle
- Catherine Zeta-Jones as Charlie Nicholson
- Joan Cusack as Liz
- Tim Robbins as Ian “Ray” Raymond
- Chris Rehmann as Vince
- Ben Carr as Justin
- Lili Taylor as Sarah Kendrew
- Natasha Gregson Wagner as Caroline
- Sara Gilbert as Annaugh Moss
- Drake Bell as Young Rob Gordon
- Bruce Springsteen as Himself (cameo)
- Ian Williams as guy in record store (cameo)