Baby It's You (film)
Encyclopedia
Baby It's You is an American
film released in 1983 written and directed by John Sayles
. It stars Rosanna Arquette
and Vincent Spano
.
This was Sayles' first film for a major Hollywood studio. He based the screenplay on an autobiographical story by Amy Robinson.
, and a blue-collar Italian
boy nicknamed the Sheik (Spano) in late 1966 New Jersey
, who aspires to follow in Frank Sinatra
's footsteps.
The movie follows their high school experiences during their romance: Jill's success in high school acting productions, Jill's rebuffing Sheik's sexual advances, Sheik's one-night stand with a sexually active friend of Jill's, and a subsequent suicide attempt by that friend.
Eventually, Sheik is expelled from school, and after an attempted robbery and subsequent pursuit by local police, Sheik goes to Miami, Florida
, while Jill subsequently leaves for her first year at Sarah Lawrence in the fall of 1967. At one point in her first year, Jill visits Sheik in Florida, and although she sees clearly how little he has going for him (he has found work in a nightclub washing dishes and, on weekends, lipsynching to Frank Sinatra
recordings), she chooses to have sex with him, for their first (and only) time. In the moments before they undress, their conversation turns to his odd nickname, which he had not explained to Jill when they dated in high school. "Sheik" is brand of condoms, he explains--"like Trojans."
Some time after Jill returns to college, Sheik arrives at work to find that he has been unceremoniously replaced by a real singer, albeit one with no great talent. This humiliation makes Sheik self-aware of his almost non-existent opportunities for career success (in any endeavor), and in response, he steals a car and makes the long drive from Miami to New York, propelled by the romantic notion of reuniting with Jill.
Jill's initial college experience has not been easy or happy: she has not met with the acting or social success she had in high school. Yet, the act of consummating her desire for Sheik has led her to realize that she does not love him, for having had sex with him has moved her past the point of romantic and sexual wonder, and left her seeing that they inhabit different social worlds (or more precisely, different class strata). When Sheik arrives at Sarah Lawrence and does not, at first, find Jill, he violently trashes her room and waits for her return. When she does and he declares his love for her, she tells him plainly that she does not love him. Sheik briefly resists her response and then, in a moment of quiet dignity, accepts it. This exchange between them (and the movie) ends with a moment of gentleness and kindness. Jill reaches out to Sheik, though clearly as a friend, and asks him as a favor--for them both, in a sense--if he will take her to a college dance, for which she has otherwise been unable to find a date. The movie ends with this dance, and this final scene also registers the quick change of pace in popular culture in the mid-1960s. In the midst of the dance, either Jill or Sheik (the film does not identify which one) makes a "request" of the rock band that is performing, which is that the band, incongruously, perform "Strangers in the Night
", the Sinatra hit that had been a key part of the soundtrack, as it were, of their high school romance.
The film has had difficulty being released to DVD
due to the expensive costs for music clearance and Paramount's continued disinterest. Baby It's You has been available on DVD since July, 2008.
discussed the music in the film and wrote, "Music is a major part of Baby, It's You, as the title may indicate. The score consists of rock songs that more or less correspond to the time, although Sheik's entrances are accompanied by Bruce Springsteen
songs; these may be anachronistic, but they suit Sheik to a T. These touches, as well as the generally impeccable period details and the evocative cinematography by Michael Ballhaus (who shot many of R.W. Fassbinder
's later films), suggest that Baby, It's You was a labor of love for everyone involved."
Critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "It was for indie filmmaker Sayles his first film to be made with financial backing by a major studio (Doubleday backed it and Paramount bought it), but he swore it would be his last as he was pissed that he lost final editing cut. For Sayles this is lighter fare than what he usually tackles, but he fights through all the teenage clichés to give his own spin on this romance, the significance of social-class differences, how it is to finally grow up by listening to your heart and to change with the times."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film released in 1983 written and directed by John Sayles
John Sayles
John Thomas Sayles is an American independent film director, screenwriter and author.-Early life:Sayles was born in Schenectady, New York, the son of Mary , a teacher, and Donald John Sayles, a school administrator. He was raised Catholic and took to labeling himself "a Catholic atheist"...
. It stars Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
and Vincent Spano
Vincent Spano
Vincent M. Spano is an American stage, film and television actor, and film director and producer. He received a Cable Ace Award nomination in 1988 for his role as Mark Ciuni in Il cugino americano.-Backround:...
.
This was Sayles' first film for a major Hollywood studio. He based the screenplay on an autobiographical story by Amy Robinson.
Plot
The film is about a romance between an upper middle class Jewish girl named Jill Rosen (Arquette), who is bound for Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
, and a blue-collar Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
boy nicknamed the Sheik (Spano) in late 1966 New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, who aspires to follow in Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
's footsteps.
The movie follows their high school experiences during their romance: Jill's success in high school acting productions, Jill's rebuffing Sheik's sexual advances, Sheik's one-night stand with a sexually active friend of Jill's, and a subsequent suicide attempt by that friend.
Eventually, Sheik is expelled from school, and after an attempted robbery and subsequent pursuit by local police, Sheik goes to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, while Jill subsequently leaves for her first year at Sarah Lawrence in the fall of 1967. At one point in her first year, Jill visits Sheik in Florida, and although she sees clearly how little he has going for him (he has found work in a nightclub washing dishes and, on weekends, lipsynching to Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
recordings), she chooses to have sex with him, for their first (and only) time. In the moments before they undress, their conversation turns to his odd nickname, which he had not explained to Jill when they dated in high school. "Sheik" is brand of condoms, he explains--"like Trojans."
Some time after Jill returns to college, Sheik arrives at work to find that he has been unceremoniously replaced by a real singer, albeit one with no great talent. This humiliation makes Sheik self-aware of his almost non-existent opportunities for career success (in any endeavor), and in response, he steals a car and makes the long drive from Miami to New York, propelled by the romantic notion of reuniting with Jill.
Jill's initial college experience has not been easy or happy: she has not met with the acting or social success she had in high school. Yet, the act of consummating her desire for Sheik has led her to realize that she does not love him, for having had sex with him has moved her past the point of romantic and sexual wonder, and left her seeing that they inhabit different social worlds (or more precisely, different class strata). When Sheik arrives at Sarah Lawrence and does not, at first, find Jill, he violently trashes her room and waits for her return. When she does and he declares his love for her, she tells him plainly that she does not love him. Sheik briefly resists her response and then, in a moment of quiet dignity, accepts it. This exchange between them (and the movie) ends with a moment of gentleness and kindness. Jill reaches out to Sheik, though clearly as a friend, and asks him as a favor--for them both, in a sense--if he will take her to a college dance, for which she has otherwise been unable to find a date. The movie ends with this dance, and this final scene also registers the quick change of pace in popular culture in the mid-1960s. In the midst of the dance, either Jill or Sheik (the film does not identify which one) makes a "request" of the rock band that is performing, which is that the band, incongruously, perform "Strangers in the Night
Strangers in the Night
"Strangers in the Night" is a popular song composed by Bert Kaempfert with English lyrics by Charles Singleton and Eddie Snyder. It was originally created under the title Beddy Bye as part of the instrumental score for the movie A Man Could Get Killed...
", the Sinatra hit that had been a key part of the soundtrack, as it were, of their high school romance.
Cast
- Rosanna ArquetteRosanna ArquetteRosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
as Jill Rosen - Vincent SpanoVincent SpanoVincent M. Spano is an American stage, film and television actor, and film director and producer. He received a Cable Ace Award nomination in 1988 for his role as Mark Ciuni in Il cugino americano.-Backround:...
as Albert "Sheik" Capadilupo - Joanna Merlin as Mrs. Rosen
- Jack Davidson as Dr. Rosen
- Nick FerrariNick FerrariNick Ferrari is a radio presenter who currently hosts the weekday breakfast show from 0700-1000 UTC on the London-based talk and phone-in radio station LBC 97.3. He also has a regular column in the Sunday Express and is a regular guest on The Alan Titchmarsh Show on ITV1...
as Mr. Capadilupo - Dolores Messina as Mrs. Capadilupo
- Leora DanaLeora DanaLeora Dana was an American film, stage and television actress....
as Miss Vernon, Teacher - Bill RaymondBill RaymondBill Raymond is an actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre since the 1960s.-Life and career:He featured in the second and fifth seasons of the HBO drama The Wire as "The Greek", the mysterious head of an international criminal organization. Other TV appearances include Miami Vice,...
as Mr. Ripeppi, Teacher - Sam McMurraySam McMurraySam McMurray is an American television, film and voice actor.-Early life:McMurray was born in New York City, the son of Jane and Richard McMurray, both actors...
as Mr. McManus, Teacher - Liane CurtisLiane Alexandra CurtisLiane Alexandra Curtis is an American film and television actress and musician. She has garnered a cult following after such B grade theater and video releases as Critters 2: The Main Course and Girlfriend from Hell as well as smaller roles in higher profile classics such as Sixteen Candles and...
as Jody, High School Girl - Claudia Sherman as Beth, High School Girl
- Marta Kober as Debra, High School Girl
- Tracy PollanTracy PollanTracy Jo Pollan is an American actress. She is perhaps best-known for her recurring role as Ellen Reed on the sitcom Family Ties in the mid-1980s. It was on this show that she met future husband Michael J. Fox.-Personal life:...
as Leslie, College Girl - Rachel Dretzin as Shelly, College Girl
- Susan Derendorf as Chris, College Girl
- Robert Downey Jr.Robert Downey Jr.Robert John Downey, Jr. is an American actor. Downey made his screen debut in 1970 at the age of five when he appeared in his father's film Pound, and has worked consistently in film and television ever since. During the 1980s he had roles in a series of coming of age films associated with the...
as Stewart
Production
The film wasn't actually produced by the studio but financed on the basis of a distribution commitment. As a result, during post-production, Paramount executives began criticizing the downbeat ending of the film and the choice of classic pop music on the soundtrack. Sayles fought his way through the test screening process and was able to get his cut released but in retaliation the studio half-heartedly promoted it.The film has had difficulty being released to DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
due to the expensive costs for music clearance and Paramount's continued disinterest. Baby It's You has been available on DVD since July, 2008.
Critical response
Film critic Janet MaslinJanet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
discussed the music in the film and wrote, "Music is a major part of Baby, It's You, as the title may indicate. The score consists of rock songs that more or less correspond to the time, although Sheik's entrances are accompanied by Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
songs; these may be anachronistic, but they suit Sheik to a T. These touches, as well as the generally impeccable period details and the evocative cinematography by Michael Ballhaus (who shot many of R.W. Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Rainer Werner Maria Fassbinder was a German movie director, screenwriter and actor. He is considered one of the most important representatives of the New German Cinema.He maintained a frenetic pace in film-making...
's later films), suggest that Baby, It's You was a labor of love for everyone involved."
Critic Dennis Schwartz wrote, "It was for indie filmmaker Sayles his first film to be made with financial backing by a major studio (Doubleday backed it and Paramount bought it), but he swore it would be his last as he was pissed that he lost final editing cut. For Sayles this is lighter fare than what he usually tackles, but he fights through all the teenage clichés to give his own spin on this romance, the significance of social-class differences, how it is to finally grow up by listening to your heart and to change with the times."
Awards
Wins- Boston Society of Film Critics Awards: BSFC Award; Best Actress, Rosanna Arquette; 1984.
External links
- Baby It's You film trailer