Yesterday
Introduction. For this Valentine’s Day, I am pleased to recommend a fairly recently released (2019) movie (at least compared to most of my recommendations): “Yesterday.” It’s got three great things going for it: 1) the beloved music of the Beatles (not performed by them, but well done nonetheless), 2) a touching love story featuring Lily James (one of my favorite actresses), and 3) an uplifting message that, to quote one of the fab four songs, “love is all you need.”
Storyline synopsis. From Rottentomatoes: “Jack Malik is a struggling singer-songwriter in an English seaside town whose dreams of fame are rapidly fading, despite the fierce devotion and support of his childhood best friend, Ellie. After a freak bus accident during a mysterious global blackout, Jack wakes up to discover that The Beatles have never existed. Performing songs by the greatest band in history to a world that has never heard them, Jack becomes on overnight sensation with a little help from his agent.”
Interesting background info. According to Wikipedia, Himesh Patel was cast in the lead role after the director listened to him perform Beatles songs. The producers reportedly paid $10 million for the rights to use the Beatles' music. After viewing the film, Paul McCartney said he “loved it,” and Ringo Starr was very supportive, as were the widows of John Lennon and George Harrison.
Why I recommend this movie. This would be a perfect movie to see with your Valentine, especially if he or she likes the music of the Beatles. For a recent movie, it is very light on vulgar language, sex, or violence. The re-framing of the Beatles’ songs illustrates just how gifted they were at songwriting. And the movie’s love story is sweet.