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40-493: The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (or Green Mill Jazz Club ) is an entertainment venue on Broadway in Uptown, Chicago . It is frequently mistaken for the earlier "Green Mill Gardens", which was known for its jazz performances, along with its connections to Chicago mob history. The information below conflates these two separate businesses and their locations. The current day Green Mill Lounge at 4802 W. Broadway first opened in 1935 in
80-401: A guy like Rob, who perpetually refuses to grow up, but you can also see how her patience and calm are exactly the things he needs." Empire magazine readers voted High Fidelity the 446th greatest film in their "500 Greatest Movies of All Time" poll. It is also ranked #14 on Rotten Tomatoes ' 25 Best Romantic Comedies. In its June 2010 issue, Chicago magazine rated it #1 in a list of
120-506: A letter in the hall addressed to I. Raymond, he realizes Ian is 'Ray', their former upstairs neighbor, who used to regularly keep them awake by loudly having frequent sexual encounters. Rob and Laura would often comment on his exploits. Laura's father, who liked Rob, dies. Rob attends his funeral with Laura. Shortly after the reception, Rob realizes he has always had one foot out of the door and never committed to her—and in doing so, neglected his own future. They resume living together. He meets
160-481: A music columnist and develops a crush, but wonders while making a mixtape for her if he would always be jumping from rock to rock. Rob tells Laura that other women are just fantasies, Laura is reality, and he never tires of her. He proposes marriage; she thanks him for asking. She arranges for him to revisit his former love of DJing . At the celebration of the newly released single by Vince and Justin organised by Laura, where Barry's band plays " Let's Get It On ", Rob
200-611: A onetime rodeo rider and vaudeville performer, Guinan reinvented herself during Prohibition as a bawdy, breezy master of ceremonies for cabaret shows at spots like the 300 Club in New York before coming to Chicago for a brief period from 1928 to 1930. The business began to struggle following World War II. In 1940, the Green Mill was purchased by the Batsis brothers, who sold it in 1960 to Steve Brend. Brend had worked for Jack McGurn as
240-519: A part-owner. Singer and comedian Joe E. Lewis was attacked by McGurn's men in 1927 after he refused to take his act to the Green Mill. Lewis' throat was slashed, but he survived. The incident inspired the 1957 film The Joker Is Wild . It is alleged that Al Capone's favorite booth is still in the establishment, located directly west of the short end of the bar. However, the current-day Green Mill did not exist at that site until 1935, several years after Capone went to prison, leaving Chicago for good. It
280-628: A real estate developer and tavern owner, and was renamed Green Mill Gardens in 1910, a nod to the famous Moulin Rouge ("Red Mill") of Paris. In its early years, it was a popular hangout for movie actors from nearby Essanay Studios . The namesake gardens were removed in the 1920s during the construction of the Uptown Theatre on the same block. During the Prohibition era , "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn of Al Capone 's Chicago Outfit became
320-698: A reason for his failed romances. The film is styled around Rob talking to the camera and narrating his own story. Cusack was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy . Rob Gordon is a music-loving man with a poor understanding of women. After being dumped by his live-in girlfriend of two years, Laura, he tries to understand how he failed in his relationships by seeking out his old partners. By day, Rob works at his record store, Championship Vinyl, where customers drift through. He and his employees Dick and Barry, armed with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things musical, compile "Top 5" lists for every conceivable occasion, openly mock
360-474: A youngster and was called the "Mayor of Uptown" for his gregarious nature and proclivity for storytelling. During that period, the Green Mill went from a nightlife hub to a place where day drinking and drug use were the norm, but was purchased and revitalized in 1986 by Dave Jemilo, a south-sider and owner of the bar Deja Vu. On Sunday nights, the Green Mill became home to the Uptown Poetry Slam ,
400-474: Is also alleged that, during Prohibition, patrons of Green Mill Gardens could escape through a series of coal tunnels that run under the entire block, which also connect to the present day Green Mill jazz club through a trap door behind the bar. After the end of Prohibition, the Green Mill became a more reputable establishment, attracting many popular jazz acts including Louis Armstrong , Billie Holiday and Al Jolson , along with cabaret icons like Texas Guinan :
440-415: Is based on the 1995 British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby , with the setting moved from London to Chicago and the protagonist's name changed. Hornby expressed surprise at how faithful the adaptation was, saying "at times, it appears to be a film in which John Cusack reads my book." Following a breakup with his most recent girlfriend, Rob Gordon recounts his most painful breakups, seeking to find
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#1732797265319480-477: Is in Chicago , Cook County . This Chicago -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Illinois road or road transport-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . High Fidelity (film) High Fidelity is a 2000 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears , starring John Cusack , Jack Black , and Iben Hjejle . The film
520-521: Is located a half-block west of and parallel to the Chicago Transit Authority 's Red Line and Purple Line elevated train tracks. Broadway carries U.S. Route 14 from its terminus at Foster Avenue to the intersection of Ridge and Bryn Mawr Avenues. Broadway is the only street in the city of Chicago that does not have a suffix. It is not a Street, Avenue, Road, Boulevard nor Parkway; it is known simply as Broadway. The entire route
560-571: Is surprised that Barry's band is not a disaster. He is also relieved to discover that Barry has decided against using one of his original names for the band, "Sonic Death Monkey," or "Kathleen Turner Overdrive," preferring instead to call his band "Barry Jive and the Uptown Five." Rob makes a mixtape for Laura and feels he has finally learned how to make her happy. Nick Hornby's book was optioned by Disney 's Touchstone Pictures in 1995, where it went into development for three years. Mike Newell
600-525: The Star Trek Voyager episode " Course: Oblivion " the Green Mill is mentioned by the character Tom Paris as a "Genuine speakeasy". Broadway (Chicago) Broadway is a major street in Chicago's Lake View , Uptown , and Edgewater community areas on the city's North Side, running from Diversey Parkway (2800 North) to Devon Avenue (6400 North). Originally called Evanston Avenue ,
640-433: The action is set in smoky bars and, of course, there is the climate. But everyone, including Nick, felt that geography was not the central issue. It has a universal appeal". Scenes were filmed in the neighborhood of Wicker Park , and on the campus of Lane Tech High School . Cusack found that the greatest challenge adapting the novel was pulling off Rob Gordon's frequent breaking of the fourth wall and talking directly to
680-469: The audience. The screenwriters did this to convey Rob's inner confessional thoughts, and were influenced by a similar technique in the Michael Caine film Alfie . Cusack rejected this approach because he thought that "there'd just be too much of me." Once Newell dropped out as director and remains on as executive producer and Stephen Frears signed on to replace him as director, he suggested using
720-441: The bar stands a small table with a shrine to Al Capone as a tribute to the earlier days. Over the years, the Green Mill has appeared in many films, such as Thief (1981), Next of Kin (1989), V. I. Warshawski (1991), Prelude to a Kiss (1992), Folks! (1992), A Family Thing (1996), Soul Food (1997), High Fidelity (2000), The Lake House (2006), The Dilemma (2011) and Chicago Overcoat (2010). In
760-461: The book I knew where everything was in Chicago. I knew where the American Rob went to school and dropped out, where he used to spin records. I knew two or three different record shops when I was growing up that had a Rob, a Dick and a Barry in them". Charlotte Tudor, of the film's distributor, Buena Vista, said: "Chicago has the same feel as north London, there is a vibrant music scene, a lot of
800-545: The book, or from the material from which they were adapting." Frears was at the Berlin International Film Festival and seeing Mifune's Last Song , starring Iben Hjejle , realized that he had found the female lead. Frears read Hornby's book and enjoyed it, but did not connect with the material because it was not about his generation. He accepted the job because he wanted to work with Cusack again (after teaming on The Grifters ) and liked
840-525: The film a "B−" rating and wrote, "In High Fidelity , Rob's music fixation is a signpost of his arrested adolescence; he needs to get past records to find true love. If the movie had had a richer romantic spirit, he might have embraced both in one swooning gesture." Peter Travers, in his review for Rolling Stone , wrote, "It hits all the laugh bases, from grins to guffaws. Cusack and his Chicago friends—D.V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink—have rewritten Scott Rosenberg's script to catch Hornby's spirit without losing
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#1732797265319880-488: The film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale. Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four and wrote, "Watching High Fidelity , I had the feeling I could walk out of the theater and meet the same people on the street — and want to, which is an even higher compliment." In his review for the Washington Post , Desson Howe praised Jack Black as "a bundle of verbally ferocious energy. Frankly, whenever he's in
920-489: The film, but thought putting him in the script would make the studio excited about it. Cusack knew Springsteen socially, and called the musician up and pitched the idea. Springsteen asked for a copy of the script and subsequently agreed to do it. Near the film's completion, it was revealed that Scott Rosenberg would share screenplay credit with Cusack, DeVincentis & Pink. Rosenberg's original draft took place in Boston and
960-450: The idea of changing the setting from London to Chicago. The director was also responsible for insisting on keeping Jack Black in the part of Barry. Black never auditioned and had initially passed on the part until Frears convinced him to take the role. Frears has said that many people from the studio came to watch his rushes . The role of Dick was originally offered to David Arquette , and Artie Lange auditioned for Barry. Todd Louiso
1000-568: The longest-running poetry slam in the country. Chicago-based comic Whitney Chitwood recorded her 2019 album The Bakery Case live at the Green Mill; the album reached No. 9 on the Billboard comedy chart and was the first comedy album to be recorded at the club. Recently the Green Mill hosts performers ranging from jazz quartets to swing orchestras who frequently play to a packed house. During quieter performances, staff may ask patrons to put their phones away and refrain from loud talking. Behind
1040-451: The material. According to Cusack, DeVincentis is the closest to the record-obsessive characters in the film, owning 1,000 vinyl records and thousands of CDs and tapes. They wrote a treatment that was immediately greenlit by Roth. The writers decided to change the book's setting from London to Chicago because they were more familiar with the city, and it also had a "great alternative music scene", according to Pink. Cusack said, "When I read
1080-499: The name of the street was changed to Broadway on August 15, 1913, as part of 467 road name changes enacted on that date. The new name was taken from New York City's famous theater district. The street runs at a mostly southeast-to-northwest diagonal direction between Diversey Parkway and Lawrence Avenue (4800 North). Between Lawrence Avenue and Devon Avenue, Broadway runs in a north-to-south direction and becomes 1200 West in place of Racine Avenue. The north–south section of Broadway
1120-529: The perspective of the film's character. In April 2018, ABC Signature Studios announced that it was developing a television series adaptation of High Fidelity with Midnight Radio ( Scott Rosenberg , Jeff Pinkner , Josh Appelbaum , and Andre Nemec ). Rosenberg would return to script the series, which features a female lead in the Cusack role. The series was adapted by Veronica West and Sarah Kucserka. In late September 2018, Zoë Kravitz , Lisa Bonet's daughter,
1160-639: The scene, he shoplifts this movie from Cusack." In his review for The New York Times , Stephen Holden praised Cusack's performance, writing, "a master at projecting easygoing camaraderie, he navigates the transitions with such an astonishing naturalness and fluency that you're almost unaware of them." USA Today did not give the film a positive review: "Let's be kind and just say High Fidelity doesn't quite belong beside Grosse Pointe Blank and The Sure Thing in Cusack's greatest hits collection. It's not that he isn't good. More like miscast." In his review for Entertainment Weekly , Owen Gleiberman gave
1200-467: The sick comic twists they gave 1997's Grosse Pointe Blank ." In his review for The Observer , Philip French wrote, " High Fidelity is an extraordinarily funny film, full of verbal and visual wit. And it is assembled with immense skill." Stephanie Zacharek, in her review for Salon.com , praised Iben Hjejle's performance: "Hjejle's Laura is supremely likable: She's so matter-of-fact and grounded that it's perfectly clear why she'd become exasperated with
1240-615: The space formerly occupied by a jewelry store named "Wolf's Jewel Shop." Any references to pre-1935 events occurred at the Green Mill Gardens, which was located a few doors north of the current business. The business is considered one of the most famous bars in the United States and the most iconic in Illinois. Originally named Pop Morse's Roadhouse , the business opened in 1907. The bar was purchased by Tom Chamales,
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1280-461: The tastes of their customers, and sell few records. Two shoplifting, skateboarding teenagers, Vince and Justin, are an annoyance to them until Rob listens to a recording that they made as The Kinky Wizards. He offers them a record deal, the first under his own label, Top 5 Records. During his off-hours, he pines for Laura and tries to win her back. Laura had moved out and was living with Ian. Initially, Rob doesn't think he knows him, but coming across
1320-459: The technique and everyone agreed. Cusack and the writers floated the idea that Rob could have a conversation with Bruce Springsteen in his head, inspired by a reference in Hornby's book where the narrator wishes he could handle his past girlfriends as well as Springsteen does in his song " Bobby Jean " on Born in the U.S.A. They never believed they would actually get the musician to appear in
1360-431: The top 40 movies ever filmed in Chicago. Alternative singer-songwriter Regina Spektor was watching the movie when she wrote her 2006 song " Fidelity ", which marked her first entry into the Billboard charts. That same year a musical stage adaptation premiered on Broadway and ran for 13 performances. In 2010, Tanya Morgan member Donwill released the solo album Don Cusack In High Fidelity , which he recorded from
1400-605: Was cast as Dick after Arquette passed on the offer. Liz Phair was also considered for the character Marie DeSalle, before Lisa Bonet was cast. Production began on April 26, 1999 in Chicago, Illinois . Filming also took place on location at Wicker Park and the Biograph Theater , as well as authentic music venues. High Fidelity premiered at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood . The post-party
1440-503: Was cast as the lead. The first season consists of ten episodes. Originally announced for Disney's then-upcoming streaming service Disney+ , it was reported in April 2019 that the series had been shifted to Hulu . Disney+'s SVP of content Agnes Chu stated that the series had "evolved" in a direction that was better-suited for Hulu. On October 30, 2019, it was announced that the series would premiere on February 14, 2020. In August 2020,
1480-491: Was drastically different from Hornby's book and the writing team's adaptation. The three reached out to Rosenberg who agreed to take his name off the credits. However, Rosenberg eventually refused to do so, leading to a writing credit dispute . According to Pink, Rosenberg was given credit due to a now-abolished rule in the WGA which gave full credit to the first screenwriter attached to any adaptation for "anything they extracted from
1520-524: Was from the US and Canada. High Fidelity received positive reviews from critics at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes , based on 165 reviews, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The critical consensus states: "The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack." The film has a score of 79 out of 100 on Metacritic , based on 35 critics. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave
1560-552: Was held at the Sunset Room, where Tenacious D performed. The film was opened in a wide release in the United States on March 31, 2000, grossing $ 6.4 million during its opening weekend and finishing in fifth place at the US box office. It opened July 21, 2000 in the United Kingdom on 227 screens and grossed $ 1.1 million, finishing fourth for the weekend. It went on to gross $ 47.1 million worldwide, of which $ 27.3 million
1600-418: Was slated to direct the film with a script written by Con Air screenwriter Scott Rosenberg . Disney executive Joe Roth had a conversation with recording executive Kathy Nelson, who recommended John Cusack and his writing and producing partners D. V. DeVincentis and Steve Pink adapt the book. She had previously worked with them on Grosse Pointe Blank and felt that they had the right sensibilities for
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