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High Fidelity – Reviewed by Doug Boilesen

In this 2000 movie classic for vinyl-record lovers, John Cusack plays a record-store owner who, due to another breakup (or as the liner on the DVD describes "his needle skips the love groove when his longtime girlfriend Laura walks out on him"), reexamines his past loves focusing on his top five worst breakups (he loves making top five lists, especially about music). Initially, he doesn't even want to admit that this last breakup (with Laura) should even be listed in the top five. Cusack decides he must contact each of the top 5 to find out what happened, i.e., why did he get dumped. Much to his surprise he discovers he wasn't always the dumpee and eventually realizes that Laura is the love of his life. The record store scenes are very funny and because of the personalities of his co-workers and their esoteric and snobbish attitude about "their" music, its a wonderful vignette and homage to a piece of Americana that is unique to this pop-music culture. I'm sure there will never be the reverence for the CD that exists for vinyl records. Certainly ordering a CD from Amazon.com is a different world than shopping in a back streets Chicago record store.

For one of the funniest scenes that any Friend of the Phonograph will ever see in the movies, checkout the Deleted Scene on the High Fidelity DVD titled "Records for Sale."

Another memorable moment is Cusack refiling his personal record collection by sorting the records "autobiographically." After all, aren't there many songs that have a particular association for each of us, hence the basis for the young lover's concept of having "Our Song." Cusack simply takes this to the extreme :)

And of course, the argument in the record store over what to play at the funeral:

Top 5 songs about death:

1. "The Leader of the Pack"

2. "Dead Man's Curve"

3. "Tell Laura I Love Her"

4. "One Step Beyond"

5. "You Can't Always Get What You Want," which was immediately disqualified due to it's involvement with The Big Chill so Dick (Todd Luiso) added the "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" which totally upset Jack Black because it was such a good choice and he hadn't thought of it.

This movie has music, romance, humor and alot of vinyl. What more could you want?

Rob holding his two favorites: Laura and Record Albums Scenes from High Fidelity Copywrite (C) 2000 Touchstone Pictures Rob (John Cusack) and Ian (Tim Robbins as Laura's new boyfriend) confrontation in the Record Store