High Fidelity (2000)

92% of critics liked it
(147 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(188,264 ratings)

A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obsessive record collector in his mid-thirties, is struggling to reconcile his adolescent enthusiasm for pop music with adult responsibilities and a more… More A man discovers that there's more to love than a good mixed tape in this dramatic comedy about music and relationships. Rob (John Cusack), an obsessive record collector in his mid-thirties, is struggling to reconcile his adolescent enthusiasm for pop music with adult responsibilities and a more mature outlook. He runs a record shop with his friends Barry (Jack Black) and Dick (Todd Louiso), who are known to drive away customers whose taste in music doesn't match their exacting standards -- which may have something to do with why the shop is losing money. But Rob's biggest problem is his failing relationship with Laura (Iben Hjejle), a lawyer who needs more out of the relationship than Rob is capable of giving. To Rob's horror, Laura starts dating Ian (Tim Robbins), his upstairs neighbor, known throughout the building for his long and noisy sex sessions. Rob, on the other hand, finds himself catching the attention of singer/songwriter Marie DeSalle (Lisa Bonet), as he tries to deal with his breakup by tracking down his previous ex-girlfriends and taking a fresh look at what he's been doing wrong. Based on the acclaimed novel by Nick Hornby, High Fidelity also features Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lili Taylor, and Joelle Carter as three of Rob's ex-lovers, and Sara Gilbert as Dick's new girlfriend, who gets a crash course in U.K. punk bands that influenced Green Day. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 53 min.
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Written By: D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, Scott Rosenberg
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 31, 2000 Wide
On DVD: Sep 19, 2000
Studio: Buena Vista

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
If you can put up with all the archness and self-consciousness--there's quite a bit of both--this is an enjoyable romantic comedy.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Mr. Frears has managed for the most part to retain the velocity of the narrative without sacrificing the psychological coherence of the characters.
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
A funny, perceptive movie about pop music, a man's confused passions for records and women, and the lure of perpetual teenagehood.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
You're still smiling when the film is over.
Kevin Maynard, Mr. Showbiz
Created a doggedly faithful adaptation of Nick Hornby's cult-fave novel.
David Ansen, Newsweek
Cusack is a master at playing smart, frazzled, self-flagellating hipsters, and the movie, propelled by his arias of angst, lets him strut his best stuff.
Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs
Easily makes it onto my top 5 John Cusack movies list.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Funny, neurotic, and charming, but not for kids.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
In his best Zeroes performance, John Cusack traced Rob's realizations and reconciliations with resonant thoughtfulness and wit - the worst-case scenario of Lloyd Dobler after Diane Court was done with him, resigned to life as an old, sad bastard.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
The title lies--this comedy's delights rate strictly on the lo-fi scale, which is indicative of the appealingly laid-back vibe.
Jean-François Vandeuren, Panorama
High Fidelity propose ainsi une vision réaliste et jamais boursouflée d'une époque où le passage à l'âge adulte aura été repoussé, dans certains cas, de près d'une décennie
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Between Cusack's work on co-writing the script for "High Fidelity" and his priceless performance lies the rock 'n' roll heart and soul of a guy for whom audiences deserve to stand in line.
Bob Grimm, Sacramento News & Review
I can't see how anyone would not like this film.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Cusack meets Hornby's British self-consciousness with his own American brand, adding his Cusackian knack for romantic yearning.
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
Watching them all interact has the feeling of...well...a finely crafted mix tape.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
When you see John Cusack being cool in a movie, you want to be him. And even though that's an adolescent's game, I haven't stopped playing it.
Derek Adams, Time Out
I enjoyed the film - twice! I related!
Merle Bertrand, Film Threat
A finely tuned piece of work.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
Instead of 'happily ever after,' we're left with a new beginning, a possibility of renewal.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
...rolls in stretches, but might have rocked if Frears could have gotten Cusack to turn down the volume.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Directors C

According to John Cusack's character in the movie; books, records and films matter. That sounds about right. The story of High Fidelity is fairly simple but nevertheless highly entertaining. The performance by Cusack is excellent and the direction is powerful, the script is full… More
According to John Cusack's character in the movie; books, records and films matter. That sounds about right. The story of High Fidelity is fairly simple but nevertheless highly entertaining. The performance by Cusack is excellent and the direction is powerful, the script is full of laughs and the result is a very heartwarming comedy drama.
xGary X

An under achieving record store owner decides to contact a list of old girlfriends when he is dumped yet again to find out why he is doomed to be alone. Being EXACTLY the kind of anally retentive taste Nazi you see working in Championship Vinyl, I feel I have to point out that… More
An under achieving record store owner decides to contact a list of old girlfriends when he is dumped yet again to find out why he is doomed to be alone. Being EXACTLY the kind of anally retentive taste Nazi you see working in Championship Vinyl, I feel I have to point out that American remakes of British stories are almost without exception, a TERRIBLE idea. But somehow, the relocation of Nick Hornby's celebrated novel to Chicago actually works quite well. It's partly because the characters are so well observed that it transcends any cultural differences there might be and of course, a screwed up relationship is a screwed up relationship wherever you happen to be on the globe. It also helps that John Cusack was pretty much born to play the role of Rob and his exasperated rants and hilarious music snobbery will be familiar to any male of a particular demographic as will his sidekicks, played to perfection by Jack Black and Todd Louiso. Inevitably, as the story is written by a man there is a lot less insight into the female characters and the plot in general is little more than the usual rom-com fodder with a Generation X spin so when the story concerns itself with his current relationship issues, it's a lot less interesting...but that just may be the Rob Gordon in me talking. The very funny observational comedy works a treat even if the plot isn't quite there, but it's good fun spotting all the people you recognise from your own life in it!
Matt G

'High Fidelity' is an interesting early 2000s relic. During my weekly library shopping (in which I pick out ten movies I've never seen, have a few friends over, and watch as many as we can until we fall asleep), I stumbled upon a movie called 'High Fidelity',… More
'High Fidelity' is an interesting early 2000s relic. During my weekly library shopping (in which I pick out ten movies I've never seen, have a few friends over, and watch as many as we can until we fall asleep), I stumbled upon a movie called 'High Fidelity', which wasn't that interesting to me until I saw that John Cusack was in it. I can proudly say that I am very pleased that I watched it because it is a very charming piece of work. Director Stephen Frears ('Prick Up Your Ears') chose a unique style of story telling, much like Woody Allen's 'Whatever Works', the main character takes moments in the film to directly talk to the camera to basically branch out his problems. I find that to be an interesting technique that is really enjoyable and relatable. The fact that it takes place in an old record store makes the film great simply because we are brought back to all of the old music that we had growing up with, but still including modern humor to please the newer filmgoers. As a lifelong fan of John Cusack, he is at the top of his game as usual. I believe Cusack is the sole being that can perfectly play a slacker (multiple times), and aside from looking exactly like Alan Rickman in 'Dogma', he gives a magnificent performance. The funniest thing about it is the film revolving around Cusack's "top 5" ex-girlfriends, and I hope I'm not the only one being slightly uncomfortable that his sister Joan Cusack plays one of them. Aside from that creepy aspect, we have a hell of a cast playing these women. Even though it is a pretty great film, I was disappointed at some moments, primarily that some scenes have the tendency to be prolonged as they attempt to entertain us with unnecessary ad-lib. Although that does have quite a bit of a big effect on the overall outcome of the film (and my rating), I still found this to be an extremely charming and effective film. Even though the laughs aren't too memorable, that is made up from a witty script, stylish direction, as well as a top-notch performance from John Cusack, making 'High Fidelity' a solid film, that I'll definitely revisit in the future.
Jennifer X

The more times I see High Fidelity, the more I grow to love it. I think that's because John Cusack, for all his pretentious douchebag moves, really emotes a sensitivity and authenticity in the midst of his messy, messy breakup. This film isn't afraid to go for the jugular,… More
The more times I see High Fidelity, the more I grow to love it. I think that's because John Cusack, for all his pretentious douchebag moves, really emotes a sensitivity and authenticity in the midst of his messy, messy breakup. This film isn't afraid to go for the jugular, for the emotional punches in the chest - having sex in the front seat of a car in the wake of a funereal, Iben Hjejle's little remark about being tired which was so not romantic but somehow really was. The ending was not what I expected but it seemed like the most right thing in the world.
Shawn E

A very unique film that balances great music and a man's past relationships. The non-linear plot style and great use of asides make this film a lot of fun to watch, and John Cusak plays his character perfectly.
Unknown H

I will be honest and say the only reason I saw this movie is because I am a vinyl junkie. Someone gave me a copy of Hornby's book and told me that the character Rob Gordon, reminded them of me and I can see it in as much as we like the same music and wear the same jumpers, but I… More
I will be honest and say the only reason I saw this movie is because I am a vinyl junkie. Someone gave me a copy of Hornby's book and told me that the character Rob Gordon, reminded them of me and I can see it in as much as we like the same music and wear the same jumpers, but I am nowhere near as analytical or as love starved as poor Rob is. John Cusack (Rob) delivers wonderfully fitting snuggly in this role and making it his own. This movie unfortunatly would not my top five, but if I were to make a list Rob, John Cusacks performance in this movie is definately in my top five Cusack roles of all time.
Ginny

Oh, back in the days when record stores werent obsolete. -- Review to follow
MisterYoda ?

3 stars
Dan S

A likeable enough film concerning a vinyl record salesman's (John Cusack) past relationships and how he's desperate to get the last one he had (Iben Hjejle) back so he won't further explore his paranoid thoughts of dying alone. You can either look at Cusack's… More
A likeable enough film concerning a vinyl record salesman's (John Cusack) past relationships and how he's desperate to get the last one he had (Iben Hjejle) back so he won't further explore his paranoid thoughts of dying alone. You can either look at Cusack's character as a complete jerk and someone you can't root for, or completely human and someone you end up liking. I'm in the latter department. Cusack's performance goes yards here, as he creates a very flawed and sometimes self-deprecating individual, who, despite his short-comings, comes across as lovable as well as a real person. Jack Black is also delightfully hilarious as a slacker worker at the store Cusack runs in downtown Chicago. If you're a music geek, you should really like this movie, director Frears has no problem breaking down the fourth wall (a risky move that pays off) and having Cusack talk directly to the audience, so you learn more about his character as well as the rabid music scene.
Spencer S

Cusack named this film as one of his favorites. I can't agree more. Great story, with a savory music background, and real intimate feeling. A winner.
Conner R

John Cusack at his finest. High Fidelity is like the closest thing that guys have to a chick flick. It questions the essence of love in a way that makes sense to us. It spares no expense at exposing us for the morons we are and how clueless we can be at times. It also is a great music… More
John Cusack at his finest. High Fidelity is like the closest thing that guys have to a chick flick. It questions the essence of love in a way that makes sense to us. It spares no expense at exposing us for the morons we are and how clueless we can be at times. It also is a great music trivia film and any fans will appreciate the attention to detail.
Lewis C

Very funny and very painful. John Cusack was beyond perfect for this role, The guy-centered relationship drama has become recent favorite of mine, as lately I've seen a number of great movies from the genre. High Fidelity is as good as any of the others that I've seen, and… More
Very funny and very painful. John Cusack was beyond perfect for this role, The guy-centered relationship drama has become recent favorite of mine, as lately I've seen a number of great movies from the genre. High Fidelity is as good as any of the others that I've seen, and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Thomas B

Really great flick. Full review later.
Wahida K

A tiny bit of everything in it.
Anthony L

I find this film a little annoying. It managed to make a bad book worse!
David S

Music and love. Two very good subjects to do in films. So combining the two, and having the music of love AND a love of music, makes for a special film indeed. A slice-of-life comedy about the pitfalls of love, Cusack once again proves why he's a dynamic force. His breaking of… More
Music and love. Two very good subjects to do in films. So combining the two, and having the music of love AND a love of music, makes for a special film indeed. A slice-of-life comedy about the pitfalls of love, Cusack once again proves why he's a dynamic force. His breaking of the fourth wall is most enjoyable, using it as a catharsis of sorts. I find that his character, Rob Gordon, is not unlike myself in a few ways. We're both heavily introspective, we stay out of fights between friends/co-workers (sometimes playing Devil's advocate just to get a resolution) and most importantly, we make Top 5's out of just about anything (well I have to do something to pass the time at work when I'm alone). Though I haven't seen Evil Dead 2 yet... (don't tell Jack Black's character, Barry). On the subject of Jack Black, I found his role quite surprising here. He's laid back, sure, but also subdued and without manic energy. This is not a complaint, however, as it's nice to see him in this sort of role. If it weren't for the fact that this is based on a book and the dialogue probably being lifted straight from it, I'd say its almost like Jack walked on set and used his own thoughts to form dialogue. Wouldn't surprise me, being the keen musician he is. If I didn't know better, I'd swear it was a Cameron Crowe film. He does slice-of-life comedies too and his ear for music is unparalleled. This film has some great music too and some excellent music references (bonus points for bringing up The Night Chicago Died by Paper Lace). The idea of going back through your past to examine your present love life really resonates with me. Some say to leave the past in the past, I say if you forget your past, you're going to make the same mistakes over and over. Sure it's okay to try and repress certain memories to an extent (school being one of those for this reviewer) but analysis of the past could lead to a present epiphany. Rob Gordon understands this and this forms the driving force of the story. He sees old girlfriends years after things have ended in an attempt to stop this pattern repeating. Sometimes I think I could benefit from that, maybe that's another thing Rob and I have in common. Throw in a wonderful performance from Catherine Zeta-Jones and you have a very thought-provoking experience.
Lorenzo v

"A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love and other pop favorites." Rob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress. <center>"A comedy about fear of commitment, hating your job, falling in love and other pop favorites." Rob, a record store owner and compulsive list maker, recounts his top five breakups, including the one in progress. <center>REVIEW</center> High Fidelity is a brave, creative, witty, and wry look at one young man's coming to grips with love and sorting through the requisite regrets, recriminations, rationalizations, reconciliations and ultimate realization. Built around an intelligent, non-stop script; an excellent talk-to-the-camera performance by Cusack; and a cadre of quality supporting actors, this film will be lauded and loathed for it's break-the-rules bravura, it's esoteric pop music purist milieu, and it's very male perspective. High Fidelity showcases some great acting to everyone concerned and is possibly John Cusack's finest hour...so far.
Sanjaya &

Well, it's a brilliant movie from Stephen Frears... He's great for combining the aspect of drama, comedy, and romance into this extraordinary movie about the life of a man who owns a semi-falling record store in Chicago named Rob Gordon... John Cusack himself plays great as… More
Well, it's a brilliant movie from Stephen Frears... He's great for combining the aspect of drama, comedy, and romance into this extraordinary movie about the life of a man who owns a semi-falling record store in Chicago named Rob Gordon... John Cusack himself plays great as Rob, maybe one of his best performance in his movies I've already seen... It's nice to know they have Joan Cusack, Tim Robbins, even Catherine Zeta Jones here... Overall, it's a great movie.. Lots of lessons to be learned here... Even I get bored in some scenes, because John is talking too much, but overall I like this movie...
Nicki M

Just re-watched this one. It has some good bits in it, but something about it doesn't quite sit. Maybe it's Jack Black. He is bloody annoying in this, like most things.
Aaron N

Rob: Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all you're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing. Top Five reasons to watch this movie: 5. Great Soundtrack 4. It's… More
Rob: Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all you're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing. Top Five reasons to watch this movie: 5. Great Soundtrack 4. It's funny and true 3. A lot of good supporting characters, especially Jack Black 2. Cusacck is a great actor 1. Its a smart and well made story. Cusack stars as Rob Gordon, a music obsessed vinyl record store owner in Chicago, who's had relationship problems. Starting at his latest breakup, Rob informs us of his previous top five breakups and the way he has come up in the world. Rob: Should I bolt every time I get that feeling in my gut when I meet someone new? Well, I've been listening to my gut since I was 14 years old, and frankly speaking, I've come to the conclusion that my guts have shit for brains. Rob soon decides to go back and find out the meaning of his past relationships and weigh it with the elements of his current life. This is mixed with the problems concerning his recently ended relationship as well as the other things going on his life, including the challenges of selling vinyl records at his nearly failing record store and his employees that work with him. Rob: I can't fire them. I hired these guys for three days a week and they just started showing up every day. That was four years ago. Rob's employees are brilliantly played by Todd Louiso and Jack Black, who spar with Rob frequently about music and make top 5 lists concerning all music related genres and issues. The story essentially combines elements involving Rob's pursuit of romance, happiness, life goals, and dreams. It is based off a best selling novel by Nick Hornby, who has had a number of his books adapted into features, but also shares a lot with another Cusack film, Grosse Pointe Blank. Rob: She didn't make me miserable, or anxious, or ill at ease. You know, it sounds boring, but it wasn't. It wasn't spectacular either. It was just good. But really good. This is one of my favorite movies. Its extremely enjoyable on a number of levels, as described at the beginning of this review, as far as top five reasons go. Director Steven Frears, who has previously collaborated with Cusack on 'The Grifters,' once again constructs a wonderful film, which manages to tell a real story, with interesting people, and still work as a very watchable romantic comedy for men. [Rob turns off Barry's tape] Barry: OK, buddy, uh, I was just tryin' to cheer us up so go ahead. Put on some old sad bastard music, see if I care. Rob: I don't wanna hear old sad bastard music, Barry, I just want something I can ignore. Barry: Here's the thing. I made that tape special for today. My special Monday morning for *you*... special. Rob: Well, it's fuckin' Monday afternoon! You should get out of bed earlier!