Yesterday

          I am not a Beatles fan.  Although, that is probably understating things.  I enjoy Beatles music, and I even own some thanks to a class I took in college.  But I don’t like the music enough to say I am a fan.  I don’t seek it out, or get excited when I hear one of their songs.  I just enjoy the songs when they happen to be played.  That’s why I say I’m not a fan.  Not exactly. 

But I do understand how big of a role the Beatles played in musical and cultural history.  That’s why I understand how strange it would be if the Beatles suddenly didn’t exist.

Guitar/Artwork by Kate Dorsey

          

          Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) has worked for years to find success as a singer/songwriter.  He is ready to quit all his attempts and go back to teaching when he is hit by a bus while riding his bike.  At the exact same moment Jack is hit, there is a worldwide blackout that changes everything.

                When Jack wakes up from his accident, he discovers his friends have never heard of the Beatles (or Coca-Cola, as Jack finds out later).  After getting a new guitar from his friend/manager, Ellie (Lily James), because his was destroyed in the accident, Jack plays the song “Yesterday”.  His friends are blown away after hearing it, thinking Jack wrote the song himself.  They claim they have never heard the song before, or of the Beatles.

               Confused, Jack rushes home.  Searching through his house and on the internet, Jack discovers all references to the Beatles are gone.

            Knowing so many of the Beatles’ songs, Jack decides to go out and sing them himself.  At one of the shows he is seen by a very new record producer, Gavin (Alexander Arnold).  With the help of Ellie, Jack and Gavin put together a CD of Jack singing Beatles songs, with Jack taking credit as the writer.  The CD captures the press’ attention after Jack passes copies out at work, and he gets an interview.

                The interview itself is not very complimentary, but it is the start of everything changing for Jack.  That’s because his music has caught the attention of another singer/songwriter, Ed Sheeran (as himself).

                Arriving at Jack’s house out of the blue one night, Sheeran asks Jack to open for him in Russia.  Ellie has to stay in England to teach, so Jack takes his old friend, Rocky (Joel Fry), with him instead.  It is in Russia that Jack gets a new, professional manager, and he is off to Los Angeles.

                Once Jack hits the U.S., he starts to wonder if this big entertainment life is really what he wants.  Everyone is on him all the time, and they don’t listen to what he has to say.  His manager, Debra Hammer (Kate McKinnon), and Sheeran even go so far as to have Jack change the lyrics to “Hey Jude.”

                Along with fighting the people around him, Jack is in constant fear of being found out to be a fraud.  He also finds and loses love within minutes.

                Unbeknownst to Jack, Ellie has been in love with him for years.  I suspect Jack has been in love with her, too, but never realized or acknowledged his feelings for her.  Now, with them living such different lives, Ellie decides to let Jack go.  Desperate to have the woman he loves in his life; Jack will do anything to get her back. 

                As nice, and sweet as this movie was, I would also consider calling it a cautionary tale.  I understand all too well what Jack’s life was like in the beginning.  Working hard to achieve a dream, but running out of ideas on how to do it.  Fortunately, Jack had Ellie to believe in him and keep him going.  I am lucky enough to say I have the same.

                The cautionary tale part comes in when Jack’s illusion of success and fame gets crushed.  I have a feeling this happens far too often, especially with people who come from obscurity so fast.  Jack certainly learned a hard lesson with it.  I’m sure far too many have in real life, as well.

                While this film could have easily been all serious, it wasn’t.  Whenever Jack’s parents, Jed and Shelia Malik (Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal), were on the screen, they were hilarious.  They repeatedly interrupt Jack’s first playing of “Let It Be”.  His father intrudes on Jack’s first meeting with Ed Sheeran because he is looking for something to eat.  Then when they are in the green room before a performance, Mr. Malik walks off with all the sandwiches.  The look on both Mr. and Mrs. Malik’s faces when Jack’s manager takes a crack at them is really funny too.

                Another character who is funny, but in an eye-rolling way, is Rocky.  He gets distracted incredibly easily and does not pick up on social cues.  In all honesty, Rocky isn’t the best at his job, but he does improve as time goes on.  Most importantly, Rocky is there for Jack when he needs him.  For some who know him, that probably came as a big surprise.

                There are two different endings to this film.  One is attached to the film and the other is in the bonus features.  I prefer the one attached to the film, but I suggest watching both.  I came away from this film thinking two very different things when I did.