The Magical movie mystery tour
Published 1:16 pm Friday, June 28, 2019
- Rick Baldwin
Greetings my fine cinephiles and residents of Winchester.
Conforming to the latest trend or to what is “in,” can lead to a slow death of creativity within an individual.
Conformity in the arts goes against the whole point of our unique and expressive outlet.
Following the wanes of the majority in modern society is an act of absurdity and insanity.
Love them or hate them, The Beatles are one of, if not the, most culturally-significant bands in history.
Why is that?
They learned quickly not to conform to others’ expectations of what they should be.
In less than a decade from their formation to their world-shattering breakup in 1970, the Fab Four changed styles of music, fashion, social norms and recording production techniques all the while staying true to themselves while creating a musical body of work which stands the test of time.
Their influence is undeniable all around the globe on other musicians, technology CEOs and popular culture to include film.
Almost 50 years since their breakup, people still celebrate The Beatles, and the evidence is on the silver screen with this week’s cinematic release of the fantasy comedy, “Yesterday.”
“Yesterday” is the tale of struggling musician Jack, portrayed by Himesh “EastEnders” Patel, who awakes after an accident in an alternate timeline on Earth. After a blackout, he discovers he is the only person who remembers or is aware of the existence of The Beatles.
Before Patel knows it, and in great disbelief of what is happening, this struggling musician begins to skyrocket to renowned fame and easy fortunes as he begins to take credit for writing fan-favorite songs from the unknown Beatles all the while being supported through this journey by his close friend Ellie, played by Lily “Baby Driver” James.
“Yesterday” is named after the famous Paul McCartney hit from the 1965 “Help!” album.
Richard penned the script “Love Actually” Curtis and directed by Danny Boyle who found previous success with “Trainspotting” (1996), “28 Days Later” (2002) and “Slumdog Millionaire” (2008).
“Yesterday” was filmed in the United Kingdom and had a great supporting cast of musician Ed “Shape of You” Sheeran and comedian Kate “Saturday Night Live” McKinnon.
If you are new to or love Beatlemania, “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964), “Help!” (1965), “Magical Mystery Tour” (1967), “Yellow Submarine” (1968), “Let it Be” (1969), “Backbeat” (1994), and “Across the Universe” (2007) are films sure to satisfy your day in a life.
I didn’t realize how much I identify with the music of The Beatles until the past two years. Growing older, one becomes more appreciative each and every day for the little things, glimpses of beauty, love and life. You strengthen your established principles, live by a personal code and steer your life on your course.
I guess that is what wisdom is all about: developing patience and being content to where you exist in the present within the confines of this crazy but inspiring existence.
“All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.”
You’re such a lovely audience, have a Fab Four film-tastic day!
Rick Baldwin is a writer, filmmaker and film/music historian. He is president of the Winchester-Clark County Film Society. Find more from Rick on Facebook. He is on Twitter @rickbaldwin79 and can be reached by email at rickbaldwiniii@hotmail.com.