Two of Us (2000 film)

Last updated
Two of Us
Two of Us (2000 film).jpg
Written byMark Stanfield
Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg
Starring Aidan Quinn
Jared Harris
Theme music composer David Schwartz
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersRobert Aaronson
Leon Falk
Deborah Ann Henderson
Production locations Ontario, Canada
Cinematography Miroslaw Baszak
EditorNorman Buckley
Running time89 minutes
Production companiesAaronson/Falk Productions
Viacom Productions
Original release
Network VH1
ReleaseFebruary 1, 2000 (2000-02-01)

Two of Us is a 2000 television drama (and the third original VH1 film [1] ) which offers a dramatized account of April 24, 1976, six years after the break-up of the Beatles and the day in which Lorne Michaels made a statement on Saturday Night Live offering the Beatles $3,000 to reunite on his program.

Contents

It was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg (who also directed the 1970 Beatles film, Let It Be) and starred Jared Harris as John Lennon and Aidan Quinn as Paul McCartney. Beatles historian Martin Lewis served as the film's technical adviser, and the screenplay was written by "longtime Beatles fan and Beatlefest attendee, Mark Stanfield." [2]

The title of the film comes from the 1970 Beatles song "Two of Us".

Historical background

There was great public demand for a Beatles reunion during the 1970s. For example, in September 1976, American promoter Sid Bernstein, who had booked many of the Beatles' historic American appearances in 1964-1966, published a full-page ad in the New York Times publicly requesting the group to reunite and offering millions of dollars. [3] On April 24, 1976, Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels parodied such offers with an on-air announcement that he would pay the Beatles $3,000 if they would perform on his program together. He joked, "divide [the money] up any way you want. If you want to give less to Ringo, that's up to you." [4] John Lennon discussed the Saturday Night Live episode, as well as his relationship with McCartney, in a September 1980 interview for Playboy :

Paul and I were together watching that show. He was visiting us at our place in the Dakota. We were watching it and almost went down to the studio, just as a gag. We nearly got into a cab, but we were actually too tired. [...] That was a period when Paul just kept turning up at our door with a guitar. I would let him in, but finally I said to him, 'Please call before you come over. It's not 1956 and turning up at the door isn't the same anymore. You know, just give me a ring.' He was upset by that, but I didn't mean it badly. I just meant that I was taking care of a baby all day and some guy turns up at the door. [...] But, anyway, back on that night, he and Linda walked in and he and I were just sitting there, watching the show, and we went, 'Ha-ha, wouldn't it be funny if we went down?' but we didn't. [5]

Paul McCartney also remembered the event for an interview: "[John] said, 'We should go down there. We should go down now and just do it.' It was one of those moments where we said, 'Let's not and say we did.'" [6]

Overview

Two of Us opens with the following introduction:

This fictional film is not endorsed by any person depicted herein and neither such persons nor their families, heirs or related parties have participated in the making of this film. Legend has it that in 1976 — six years after the bitter breakup of the Beatles — Paul McCartney paid a surprise visit to John Lennon at his apartment in New York City. This film makes no attempt to document what may have occurred at such a meeting. Rather, it is a work of fiction in appreciation of two blokes from Liverpool, and the gifts they gave us.

The screenplay consists of a series of long conversations between John Lennon and Paul McCartney (while their wives, as well as other Beatles, are referred to, they do not appear in the production). The discussions between Lennon and McCartney explore a number of issues including the breakup of the Beatles and the difficulties that developed between them after Lennon married Yoko Ono. According to Lindsay-Hogg, "Most of the film [consists of] two men and four walls... You can't get more intimate than that." [7]

Critic Kevin McDonough argues that, "in less talented hands, Two of Us, like any Beatles-reenactment movie, could have been an awful exercise in bad wigs and Liverpool accents. Instead, Lindsay-Hogg and first-time screen writer Mark Stanfield have created a small masterpiece, a variation on My Dinner With Andre meets The Beatles." [8]

Structure and characters

Critic David Bianculli likened Two of Us to a three-act play with the following structure:

Act I: "McCartney, on the New York leg of his world tour with his post-Beatles group Wings, arrives unannounced at Lennon's Dakota apartment at a time when Yoko is away; they exchange small talk and biting insults, consume some marijuana and eventually end up noodling around on the piano." [9]
Act II: "[McCartney and Lennon] don disguises, walk through Central Park and confront a few of their fans at a quiet little restaurant." [9]
Act III: "As the evening wears down, they watch Saturday Night Live together and, by chance, witness producer Lorne Michaels offering the Beatles a laughably low sum – $3,000 – to reunite on his show. Impulsively, they toy with the idea of speeding to Rockefeller Center to perform a few songs that very night." [9]

Nanciann Cherry wrote that, "[Harris and Quinn] are superb, capturing accents, mannerisms, and behavior of their two famous characters. More than a fine job of imitation, Harris and Quinn get beyond the trappings of fame and show us two men, former best friends, who have gone separate ways and no longer know how to recapture that friendship." [10]

Critic Ed Bumgardner wrote that:

This conjured-up day-in-the-life meeting between Sir Paul and Saint John, a pretentious project ripe for disaster, is actually a thoughtful, well-developed character study that shouldn't embarrass either actor or the two men they so beautifully portray [...] Lindsay-Hogg's sharp eye for detail lends credence to the storyline. The period clothes and haircuts ring true, as do the dead-on scouse accents sported by Quinn and Harris as McCartney and Lennon. [11]

Phil Gallo wrote in his Variety review on Jan 31, 2000 that:

Their strongest interaction occurs over cappuccino and chocolate with McCartney still in disguise and Lennon willing to sit exposed. He is confronted by fans and, naturally, insults them all before heading home and venturing onto the roof of the Dakota. [12]

Canadian-born character actor Derek Aasland played the stuttering fan sparring with John Lennon and Paul McCartney as to whether "Silly Love Songs" was worthy of #1 Status in the US.

Cast

Source: [13]

Production

Jim DeRogatis interviewed Lindsay-Hogg about his involvement with the film. Lindsay-Hogg stated that he became involved with the project because of the screenplay:

[The screenplay] wasn't so much about The Beatles. It was a very good script in which the agency of these two famous people and their story takes you somewhere deeper. To me, that's the nature of friendship: how we grow, how we grow up, and how things change. These boys knew each other when they were 16, and now they're 35, and they have to find a new truth. We all have our own relationships like that, whether they're matrimonial relationships or friendships. [14]

Of the screenplay, he further stated, "Mark Stanfield is a good writer and a Beatles fan who has a lot of knowledge [...] Some of that stuff was ad-libbed by the actors because they really got into this, but Mark also wrote characters instead of stereotypes or caricatures." [14]

In another interview, Stanfield discussed the decision to create a fictionalized account of actual people: "I didn't give it a lot of thought. Certainly, it's been done before, from Shakespeare through something like Melvin and Howard . And more recently, in films like Gods and Monsters . Shakespeare in Love , for that matter." [15]

The film's technical advisor, Beatles historian Martin Lewis, conducted extensive research, drawing upon both his and Michael Lindsay-Hogg's personal knowledge of the band:

I spent a lot of time working on the project. I dug up hours of film, video, TV, and radio material of John and Paul - so that Aidan and Jared could immerse themselves in the characters they were portraying. Much of the material was rare. What I especially wanted to give them were tapes of John and Paul talking, when they were not "on" - but being themselves - as they obviously would be when the two of them were together, without others around. We also spent hours discussing their characters and the dynamic of their relationship [...] Aidan and Jared were incredibly hard-working. They took their work very seriously. Neither of them planned to be impersonating their characters. They wanted to capture the essence of them more than anything. [16]

In a 2008 interview with Evi-Dance Radio (Toronto), cast member Derek Aasland said:

The project just had all the right elements. It was the script, it was so very good. The smaller roles were written with heart. The stars, the director, and the subject matter of Lennon and McCartney. Fantastic.  I am not ashamed to say I fought to be involved on this as I was shooting another picture at the time. Lucky for me Michael Lindsay-Hogg was keen to have me, and so all the producers just made it work. It was a deliciously memorable shoot just listening to Michael Lindsay-Hogg tell his personal stories of the Beatles. I was really thankful to be involved on this.  

Paul McCartney

To further prepare for the role of Paul McCartney, Aidan Quinn traveled to Liverpool with actor Ian Hart (who'd portrayed John Lennon twice, in the 1991 film The Hours and Times , and again in the 1994 film Backbeat ). While there, he visited a number of places, including McCartney's childhood home. [17]

Quinn discussed McCartney's reaction to the film in an April 2004 interview: "Just after I finished the film, I went on holiday and Paul McCartney was staying at the same place. I met him and we became quite friendly. Later, he saw the film and fortunately he liked it. It would have been terrible if he'd hated it." [18]

Soundtrack

The original soundtrack by David Schwartz does not include any songs by the Beatles because "the producers could not get clearance from the notoriously difficult copyright holders, a company owned by Michael Jackson." [19] Critic Jim DeRogatis notes that, "the movie was over before it struck me that the soundtrack was devoid of any Beatles songs [...] Such is our saturation in all things Beatles-related that their actual music isn't even missed in the movie. And maybe that should tell us something about getting back to what really matters in this group's legacy." [19]

Critic Kevin Thompson further argues: [20]

Lauren Zalaznick, VH1's senior vice president of original programming and development, notes, 'This movie is all about two souls, arguably the most famous musicians of our time. It's not an excuse for a Beatles hit parade.' Well, VH1 tried to get the rights to some Beatles songs, but wasn't successful. The songs weren't necessary, however. On the surface, Two of Us is about a long overdue meeting between two music industry icons. Look deeper and the film is really about friendship and loss.

Related Research Articles

<i>Let It Be</i> (album) 1970 studio album by the Beatles

Let It Be is the twelfth and final studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 8 May 1970, almost a month after the group's public break-up, in tandem with the documentary of the same name. Concerned about recent friction within the band, Paul McCartney had conceived the project as an attempt to reinvigorate the group by returning to simpler rock 'n' roll configurations. Its rehearsals started at Twickenham Film Studios on 2 January 1969 as part of a planned television documentary showing the Beatles' return to live performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Day in the Life</span> 1967 song by the Beatles

"A Day in the Life" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as the final track of their 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the opening and closing sections of the song were mainly written by John Lennon, with Paul McCartney primarily contributing the song's middle section. All four Beatles played a role in shaping the final arrangement of the song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Jude</span> 1968 single by the Beatles

"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release on their Apple record label and one of the "First Four" singles by Apple's roster of artists, marking the label's public launch. "Hey Jude" was a number-one hit in many countries around the world and became the year's top-selling single in the UK, the US, Australia and Canada. Its nine-week run at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 tied the all-time record in 1968 for the longest run at the top of the US charts, a record it held for nine years. It has sold approximately eight million copies and is frequently included on music critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time.

<i>A Hard Days Night</i> (film) 1964 British-American musical comedy film

A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 musical comedy film starring the English rock band the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. Directed by Richard Lester, it was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists. The film portrays 36 hours in the lives of the group as they prepare for a television performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apple Corps</span> Multimedia company founded by The Beatles

Apple Corps Limited is a multi-armed multimedia corporation founded in London in January 1968 by the members of The Beatles to replace their earlier company and to form a conglomerate. The name is a pun for its pronunciation "apple core". Its chief division is Apple Records, which was launched in the same year. Other divisions included Apple Electronics, Apple Films, Apple Publishing and Apple Retail, whose most notable venture was the short-lived Apple Boutique, on the corner of Baker Street and Paddington Street in central London. Apple's headquarters in the late 1960s was at the upper floors of 94 Baker Street, after that at 95 Wigmore Street, and subsequently at 3 Savile Row. The last of these addresses was also known as the Apple Building, which was home to the Apple studio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rain (Beatles song)</span> 1966 song by the Beatles

"Rain" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on 30 May 1966 as the B-side of their "Paperback Writer" single. Both songs were recorded during the sessions for Revolver, although neither appear on that album. "Rain" was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. He described its meaning as "about people moaning about the weather all the time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two of Us (Beatles song)</span> 1970 song by the Beatles

"Two of Us" is a 1969 song written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The song was recorded by the Beatles on 31 January 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glass Onion (song)</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Glass Onion" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Why Don't We Do It in the Road?</span> 1968 song by the Beatles

"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, released on their 1968 double album The Beatles. Short and simple, it was written and sung by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. At 1:42, "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" comprises 34 bars of a twelve-bar blues idiom. It begins with three different percussion elements and features McCartney's increasingly raucous vocal repeating a simple lyric with only two different lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hey Bulldog</span> 1969 song by the Beatles

"Hey Bulldog" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles released on their 1969 soundtrack album Yellow Submarine. Credited to Lennon–McCartney, but written primarily by John Lennon, it was finished in the recording studio by both Lennon and Paul McCartney. The song was recorded during the filming of the "Lady Madonna" promotional film, and, with "Lady Madonna", is one of the few Beatles songs based on a piano riff.

<i>Backbeat</i> (film) 1994 film by Iain Softley

Backbeat is a 1994 independent drama film directed by Iain Softley. It chronicles the early days of the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany. The film focuses primarily on the relationship between Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon, and also with Sutcliffe's German girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr. It has subsequently been made into a stage production.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Me Down (Beatles song)</span> 1969 single by the Beatles with Billy Preston

"Don't Let Me Down" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, recorded in 1969 during the Let It Be sessions. It was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwriting partnership. The band recorded the song with keyboardist Billy Preston; the single release with "Get Back" was credited to "the Beatles with Billy Preston". Originally released as a B-side, producer Phil Spector excluded the song from Let It Be. The song's first appearance on an album was on the 1970 collection Hey Jude.

<i>Magical Mystery Tour</i> (film) 1967 television film starring The Beatles

Magical Mystery Tour is a 1967 British made-for-television musical film written, produced, and directed by and starring the Beatles. It is the third film that starred the band and depicts a group of people on a coach tour who experience strange happenings caused by magicians. The premise was inspired by Ken Kesey's Furthur adventures with the Merry Pranksters and the then-popular coach trips from Liverpool to see the Blackpool Lights. Paul McCartney is credited with conceptualising and leading the project.

<i>Let It Be</i> (film) 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg

Let It Be is a 1970 British documentary film starring the Beatles and directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The film documents the group's rehearsing and recording songs in January 1969 for what was to become their twelfth and final studio album Let It Be. The film includes an unannounced rooftop concert by the group, the last public performance of the four together.

Sir Michael Edward Lindsay-Hogg, 5th Baronet is an American-born television, film, music video, and theatre director. Beginning his career in British television, Lindsay-Hogg became a pioneer in music film production, directing promotional films for the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Following his work with these bands, he branched out into film and theatre, while still maintaining successful careers in television and music video production.

<i>Imagine: John Lennon</i> 1988 film

Imagine: John Lennon is a 1988 documentary film about English musician John Lennon. It was released on 7 October 1988, two days before Lennon's 48th birthday.

"Here Today" is a song by Paul McCartney from his 1982 album Tug of War. He wrote the song as a tribute to his relationship with John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980. He stated the song was composed in the form of an imaginary conversation the pair might have had. The song was produced by the Beatles' producer George Martin. Although not released as a single, the song reached No. 46 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts.

<i>In His Life: The John Lennon Story</i> 2000 television film directed by David Carson

In His Life: The John Lennon Story is a 2000 American made-for-television biographical film about John Lennon's teenage years, written by the film's executive producer, Michael O'Hara, and directed by David Carson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beatles' rooftop concert</span> Final public performance of the Beatles

On 30 January 1969, the Beatles performed an impromptu concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at 3 Savile Row, in central London's office and fashion district. Joined by guest keyboardist Billy Preston, the band played a 42-minute set before the Metropolitan Police arrived and ordered them to reduce the volume. It was the final public performance of their career. They performed nine takes of five new songs as crowds of onlookers, many on lunch breaks, congregated in the streets and on the rooftops of nearby buildings to listen. The concert ended with "Get Back", and John Lennon joking, "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we've passed the audition."

<i>The Beatles: Get Back</i> 2021 documentary series by Peter Jackson

The Beatles: Get Back is a 2021 documentary series directed and produced by Peter Jackson. It covers the making of the Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be and draws largely from unused footage and audio material originally captured for and recycled original footage from the 1970 documentary of the album by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. The docuseries has a total runtime of nearly eight hours, consisting of three episodes, each of duration between two and three hours covering about one week each, together covering 21 days of studio time.

References

  1. ↑ Katz, Richard (1999-09-14). "Quinn, Harris play Paul, John for VH1". Variety . Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  2. ↑ TWO OF US - A VH1 ORIGINAL MOVIE Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ The oldies.about.com Interview: Sid Bernstein
  4. ↑ "SNL Transcripts: Beatles Offer, April 24, 1976". Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
  5. ↑ John Lennon: The 1980 Playboy Interview
  6. ↑ VH1 The Beatles: And in the End...
  7. ↑ Donough, Kevin (2000-01-30). "Two of Us movie. A Day in the Life (That Might Have Been)". Newsday (Nassau Edition). p. 129. Retrieved 2023-04-13– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "McCartney, Lennon meet again in VH1 movie Two of Us". Archived from the original on 2014-04-21. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  9. 1 2 3 LENNON-MCCARTNEY TELEPIC ROCK SOLID Archived 2010-10-10 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ "Two of Us is a Grand Fantasy: VH1 Film Explores The Realm of What Have Been." The Blade
  11. ↑ "Imagine: Lennon, McCartney Are Subjects of a What If Film." Winston-Salem Journal
  12. ↑ Gallo, Phil (2000-01-31). "Two of Us". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  13. ↑ "Two of Us". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  14. 1 2 DeRogatis, Jim (2000-01-30). "Director couldn't just let this story be". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  15. ↑ An interview with Mark Stanfield Archived 2008-03-11 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Et Tu Beatlus? Archived 2007-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ Aidan Quinn Tours Liverpool Archived 2007-12-29 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ O'Brien, Deirdre (2004-04-18). "STAR MAN: 10 things you never knew about ... Aidan Quinn". The Daily Mirror .
  19. 1 2 DeRogatis, Jim (2000-01-30). "Film presents a double Beatles fantasy". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  20. ↑ "Two of Us: A Poignant Tale of Two Beatles" The Palm Beach Post
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.