Movie Review - 'Yesterday' directed by Danny Boyle, written by Richard Curtis

Tenacity clings to the things we love the most passionately. In an intriguing manner, Yesterday directed by Danny Boyle portrays what can happen when the music of our adolescent years is forgotten ~ in this case, the music of The Beatles. Jack Malik, played by Hemish Patel is a failing musician who struggles to write his own songs. He works part time in a box store. He really wants to be a musician so left his career as a teacher to focus on his music. His manager, roadie, driver and long time friend, Ellie Appleton, played by Lily James has encouraged him to follow that dream. She helps Jack as much as she can while working full time as a teacher and trying to get him gigs that will push him to the top. One night, when Jack is riding his bicycle home, all the lights of cars, streets, and buildings across the globe went out for 16 seconds. Jack is hit by a bus. When he wakes up, in hospital, he recalls a song phrase ~ ‘will you still need me, will you still feed me when I’m sixty four'. Ellie’s only question was 'why sixty four'? After getting out of hospital and with his friends he plays and sings Yesterday. None of them have ever heard of it or have heard of The Beatles. Jack continues to be confronted by these monstrous music knowledge gaps! Even his own record collection and Google fails to locate any reference to The Beatles. In a tenacious effort to keep this legacy alive and to share it with his friends, he begins ‘writing’ all of the songs that he has committed to memory. He stumbles over most of them but especially ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Ed Sheeran, played by himself, hears him and, because of his great talent, asks him to open his next tour. Ed Sheeran’s music manager, Debra Hammer, played by Kate McKinnon, recognizes the potential profit of Jack's talent - if he follows her directions. Jack’s dreams take off. 

I’ll have to leave you there to see this beautiful, funny and charming movie for yourselves. There is a poignant and happy ending with Jack singing and playing Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da. A must see movie for those of us around when the Beatles came on the scene ~ and definitely for everyone of any age to experience this wonderful music. To follow Jack’s story is to follow the Beatles in a fresh new way.

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. 

A dream you dream together is reality.”

~ John Lennon

Directed by Danny Boyle

Written by Richard Curtis

Cast (Partial)

Himesh Patel - Jack Malik

Karma Sood - young Jack Malik

Lily James - Ellie Appleton

Jaimie Kollmer - young Ellie (as Jamie Louise Kollmer)

Alexander Arnold - Gavin

Meera Syal - Sheila Malik (Jack’s mother)

Sanjeev Bhaskar - Jed Malik (Jack’s father)

Harry Michell - Nick - Jack and Ellie’s friend (one of)

Joel Fry - Rocky (roadie)

Ed Sheeran - Ed Sheeran

Kate McKinnon - Debra Hammer (U.S. manager)

Justin Edwards - Leo (Russian Stranger)

Sarah Lancashire - Liz (Liverpool Stranger)

Robert Carlyle - John Lennon (uncredited)