Jersey Boys (film)

Jersey Boys

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Produced by Clint Eastwood
Graham King
Robert Lorenz
Screenplay by Marshall Brickman
Rick Elice
Based on Jersey Boys 
by Marshall Brickman
Rick Elice
Starring John Lloyd Young
Erich Bergen
Michael Lomenda
Vincent Piazza
Christopher Walken
Music by Songs:
Bob Gaudio
Lyrics:
Bob Crewe
Cinematography Tom Stern
Edited by Joel Cox
Gary D. Roach
Production
company
Distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates
  • June 5, 2014 (Sydney Film Festival)
  • June 20, 2014 (United States)
Running time
 134 minutes[1]
Country United States
Language English
Budget $40 million[2]
Box office $67.3 million[2]

Jersey Boys is a 2014 American biographical musical drama film directed by Clint Eastwood based on the Tony Award-winning jukebox musical of the same name. The film tells the story of the musical group The Four Seasons. It was released on June 20, 2014 to mixed reviews.[3][4]

Plot

In 1951, in Belleville, New Jersey, Tommy DeVito, narrating the story, introduces the audience to himself, Tommy's brother Nicky, and their friend Nick Massi, who perform together as The Variety Trio, and to a barber's son, 16-year-old Frankie Castelluccio, already well known in the neighborhood for his singing voice. Frankie has the admiration of Genovese Family mobster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo, who takes a personal interest in him.

One night, the group attempts a robbery of a safe, for which the police later arrest them. In court, Frankie is let off with a warning but Tommy is sentenced to six months in prison. After his release, Tommy reunites the group and adds Frankie as lead singer. Frankie changes his professional name to Frankie Vally, and then Frankie Valli. At a performance, Frankie is entranced by a woman named Mary Delgado. He takes her to dinner, and they are soon married.

The group, now called "The Four Lovers," is in need of a songwriter after Nicky leaves. Tommy's friend Joe Pesci tells him about a talented singer-songwriter, Bob Gaudio, and invites him to hear the group perform. Gaudio, now narrating, is impressed with Valli's vocals and agrees to join.

The band, having recorded several demos, attempts to attract interest, with little success. One day in New York City, producer Bob Crewe signs them to a contract. However, they quickly realize that it only allows them to perform back-up vocals for other acts (as The Romans and The Topix). Crewe says that the group does not have a distinctive image or sound yet. Inspired by a bowling alley sign, the guys rename themselves "The Four Seasons," and sing a new song Gaudio has written, "Sherry", to Crewe, who agrees to record it.

"Sherry" quickly becomes a major hit, followed by two more, "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man". However, before an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Valli is approached by Jewish mobster Norman Waxman, a loan shark for one of the other Five Families, who claims that Tommy owes him $150,000. Frankie goes to DeCarlo, who gets Waxman to allow the group to pay the debt, which turns out to be considerably larger. Tommy must go to work for the mob's associates in Las Vegas until it is paid. Nick, irritated by Tommy's irresponsibility, not being involved in the group's decisions, and never being able to see his family, also leaves the group.

Forced to tour constantly to pay the debt, the band hires a set of studio musicians and becomes Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, with Gaudio now acting only as songwriter and producer. Valli learns from his now ex-wife Mary that his daughter, Francine, now a drug addict, has run away from home. Valli tracks her down and regrets not acting as a better father for her when she was growing up. He also arranges for Gaudio to give her singing lessons and for Crewe to cut a demo for her.

A few years later, the group has finally paid off Tommy's debt. Sadly, this coincides with the news of Francine's death by drug overdose. Frankie and Mary both grieve for their daughter. Gaudio composes a new number for Valli to sing, his first as a solo artist. Frankie is at first hesitant, as he is still in mourning, but eventually agrees. The piece, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", becomes a commercial success.

In 1990, the original Four Seasons are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The quartet performs "Rag Doll" onstage, their first performance together in over 20 years. The music fades as the four men take turns addressing the audience. Tommy, in an ironic twist, now works for Joe Pesci, who has gone on to become an Oscar-winning actor. Nick claims to have no regrets about leaving the group, enjoying the time he spends with his family. Bob has retired to Nashville, Tennessee. Lastly, Frankie finally takes over the narration, stating that the best time he had during his time with the Four Seasons was before their success, "when everything was still ahead of us and it was just four guys singing under a street lamp."

Cast

Production

In 2010, GK Films acquired the rights to produce a film adaptation of the musical, with Brickman and Elice writing the script for the film.[20][21] By August 2012, Jon Favreau was engaged to direct and casting had begun.[22]

In November 2012, Variety reported that Warner Bros. had dropped the film plans;[23][24] however, in May 2013, an interview with Four Seasons lead singer Frankie Valli indicated the film was still being produced and that Valli would be contributing to the casting of his character.[25]

A trailer was released for the film on April 17, 2014.[26]

Musical numbers

Includes all the songs sung in the film.

Background songs

Includes songs heard only on the background.

Soundtrack

A soundtrack album Jersey Boys: Music from the Motion Picture and Broadway Musical was released on June 25, 2014. The albums is a mix of original recordings by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, new recordings by the film cast, and tracks from the original Broadway cast recording.

Track listing:[27]

All songs written and composed by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. 

No. TitlePerformer(s) Length
1. "Prelude"    0:18
2. "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 3:13
3. "My Mother´s Eyes"  Frankie Valli 1:58
4. ""I Can't Give You Anything But Love""  John Lloyd Young 1:05
5. "A Sunday Kind of Love"  John Lloyd Young, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 1:55
6. "Moody Mood's For Love"  John Lloyd Young 1:35
7. "Cry For Me"  Erich Bergen 2:24
8. "Sherry"  John Lloyd Young 2:06
9. "Big Girls Don't Cry"  John Lloyd Young 2:19
10. "Walk Like A Man"  John Lloyd Young 1:55
11. "My Boyfriend's Back"  Kimmy Gatewood, Kyli Rae, Jackie Seiden 1:41
12. "My Eyes Adored You"  John Lloyd Young 2:27
13. "Dawn (Go Away)"  John Lloyd Young 2:39
14. "Big Man in Town"  John Lloyd Young 2:19
15. "Beggin'"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Ryan Molloy, John Lloyd Young 3:21
16. "Medley("Stay"/"Let's Hang On! (To What We've Got)"/"Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)"/"Bye Bye Baby")"  John Lloyd Young 4:53
17. "C'Mon Marianne"  John Lloyd Young 1:16
18. "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"  John Lloyd Young 3.23
19. "Working My Way Back to You"  John Lloyd Young 1:48
20. "Fallen Angel"  Frankie Valli 3.57
21. "Who Loves You"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, John Lloyd Young 4:20
22. "Closing Credits "Sherry/December 1963, Oh What A Night"  John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lomenda, Vincent Piazza 2:22
23. "Sherry"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 1:29
24. "Dawn (Go Away)"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 1:29
25. "Rag Doll"  Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons 1:29

Reception

Critical

Jersey Boys was met with mixed reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film currently holds a 53% rating based on 187 reviews. The site's consensus reads: "Jersey Boys is neither as inventive nor as energetic as it could be, but there's no denying the powerful pleasures of its musical moments".[28] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 54 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[29]

Richard Roeper gave the film a C+ grade, stating that at times the film "captures the electric excitement of the musical, but for every soaring moment, there are 10 minutes of bickering or brooding".[30] Andrew Barker of Variety felt that "Christopher Walken creates most of the film’s laughs by simple virtue of being Christopher Walken, but his doddering don screams out for a bigger, broader performance."[31]

Box office

Jersey Boys grossed $4.6 million on its opening day, almost $8 million less than fellow newcomer Think Like a Man Too.[32] In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13.5 million, finishing in fourth place at the box office.[33]

As of October 2, 2014 the movie has grossed $47 million in North America and $14.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $61.8 million.[34]

References

  1. ↑ "JERSEY BOYS (15)". Warner Bros. British Board of Film Classification. May 19, 2014. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Jersey Boys (2014)". Box Office Mojo. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
  3. ↑ Jersey Boys - Broadway (2013-11-05). "Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys Movie, Starring Tony Winner John Lloyd Young, Sets 2014 Release Date | Broadway Buzz". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  4. ↑ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jersey_boys/
  5. ↑ Jersey Boys – Broadway (2013-08-28). "Tony Winner John Lloyd Young Confirmed to Star as Frankie Valli in Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys Movie". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  6. ↑ Jersey Boys – Broadway (2013-08-08). "Erich Bergen Confirmed to Play Bob Gaudio in Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys Movie". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  7. ↑ Thursday, October 17, 2013 3:23 PM EDT Facebook Twitter RSS (2013-07-18). "Toronto’s Michael Lomenda tapped for lead in Jersey Boys movie". TheStar.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  8. ↑ "‘Boardwalk Empire’s’ Vincent Piazza Closes Deal to Join ‘Jersey Boys’". Variety. 2013-08-20. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  9. ↑ "BBC News – Christopher Walken joins Jersey Boys film". BBC.co.uk. 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  10. ↑ "Exclusive: Renee Marino to Play 'Mary' in JERSEY BOYS Film". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Jersey Boys – Broadway (2013-08-27). "Broadway Alum Erica Piccininni & Kathrine Narducci Join the Cast of Clint Eastwood's Jersey Boys Movie". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1742044/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast
  13. ↑ "Johnny Cannizzaro and Mike Doyle Join JERSEY BOYS Film". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  14. ↑ "Donnie Kehr Joins JERSEY BOYS Film as 'Norm Waxman'". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Jersey Boys – Broadway (2013-08-05). "Joey Russo and Jeremy Luke Join Christopher Walken in Clint Eastwood’s Jersey Boys Movie". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  16. ↑ "'The Jersey Boys – The Movie' Update! Too good to be true!". 4MovieFreaks.com. 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  17. ↑ Starr, Michael (2013-09-13). "Steve Schirripa returns in full force". NYPost.com. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  18. ↑ "Latest Jersey Boys Movie Casting News: Christopher Walken to Play Gyp DeCarlo; Barry Livingston to Play Accountant!". JerseyBoysBlog.com. 2013-07-24. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  19. ↑ "Newsflash: Miles Aubrey to Play ‘Charlie Calello’ in Jersey Boys Movie!". JerseyBoysBlog.com. 2013-08-23. Retrieved 2013-10-17.
  20. ↑ "Broadway Musical ‘Jersey Boys’ to Get Big-Screen Movie". Fandango.com. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  21. ↑ Fleming, Mike. "Graham King Wins Fevered Film Rights Auction To Broadway Hit 'Jersey Boys'". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  22. ↑ Jersey Boys – Broadway (2012-08-08). "''Iron Man'' Director Jon Favreau Set to Helm ''Jersey Boys'' Film". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  23. ↑ "Warner Bros. puts 'Jersey Boys' into turnaround". Variety. 2012-11-01. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  24. ↑ "''Jersey Boys film dropped by Warners''". UK.Movies.Yahoo.com. 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2013-05-31.
  25. ↑ "Frankie Valli Talks 'Jersey Boys' Movie Rumors, L.A. Show with The Four Seasons and more". K-EARTH. 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2013-06-12.
  26. ↑ Share on Facebook (2014-04-17). "The first trailer for Clint Eastwood's JERSEY BOYS is here! - Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news". Aintitcool.com. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  27. ↑ Gans, Andrew. "Jersey Boys: Music from the Motion Picture and Broadway Musical Sees Release Date; Track Listing Announced" Playbill.com, June 5, 2014
  28. ↑ "Jersey Boys". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  29. ↑ "Jersey Boys Reviews". Metacritic. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  30. ↑ Roeper, Robert. "Jersey Boys".
  31. ↑ Barker, Andrew (June 15, 2014). "Film Review: ‘Jersey Boys’". Variety.
  32. ↑ "Daily Box Office for Friday, June 20, 2014". Box Office Mojo. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  33. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for June 20-22, 2014". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
  34. ↑ "Jersey Boys (2014)". Box Office Mojo. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2014-09-04.

External links