LEGENDARY LENNON: FIVE BEST CINEMATIC PORTRAYALS OF BEATLES GREAT
One of the most influential figures of the 20th century, John Lennon evolved from sharp-talking pop-rocker to cynical idealist in his time growing up in the public eye. With such a resonating presence, both with and without the Beatles, filmmakers have been portraying Lennon on screen since the late 1960s. We look at some of the more notable times Lennon has been portrayed.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nowhere Boy
A chronicling of Lennon’s teenage life, his first band The Quarrymen, and his relationship with his Aunt Mimi, who raised him. Johnson plays the role understated, though the lack of any real insight makes the entire experience less than remarkable. The 2009 period piece also strived for accuracy, as it brought in both Paul McCartney & Yoko Ono to help punch up the accuracies of the script who both requested Lennon’s aunt be portrayed as more loving & supportive, as she was in real life.
Paul Rudd, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
With only a brief cameo in Judd Apatow’s satirical take on dramatized musical biographies, Rudd manages to capture the whimsical spirit that was associated with the ‘67-era Beatles, but never really existed. Rudd and this co-stars were terrified of playing the Fab Four, understanding the gravitas the band played, even as a cameo in a parody, and watched Beatles documentaries non-stop to prepare. Ultimately, Rudd proved a more convincing Lennon in 2007 than the guy who provided his voice for the Yellow Submarine cartoon forty years earlier. (Yes, I know his name is John Clive.)
By: Christian Long
Source: Glide magazine
