Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Title: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (Movie)

Director: Peter Sollett

Distributor: Mandate Pictures

Copyright: 2008

Genre: Fiction

Age Range: 13+

Watcher’s Annotation: One night in search of a band named Where’s Fluffy? yields more than Nick ever thought.  

Plot Summary: The problem for the all gay band called the Jerk-Offs is the fact that their bass player Nick Yidiaris is a straight, heartbroken teen from New Jersey. His girlfriend Tris broke up with him with weeks ago and Nick still counts the minutes since. He continues to make breakup mix CDs to try and win her back, but she throws them away. Thom and Dev, the real gay bandmates, hated Tris. The convince Nick to play a New York City gig because his favorite elusive band Where’s Fluffy? is playing somewhere in the city. Tris goes to Convent of the Sacred Heart with her friend Caroline and frenemy Norah Silverberg. Norah has been recovering the mix CDs and listening to them. The three girls end up in the Lower East Side to see the Jerk-Offs play at a club. Trying to one up Tris, Norah asks Nick to pretend to be her boyfriend and kisses him without knowing his relationship with Tris. Caroline gets drunk. Norah wants to take her back home when Thom and Dev offer to do it for her so she can spend more time with Nick looking for Where’s Fluffy?

            Caroline escapes from Thom’s van. Nick and Norah meet Dev and Thom to search for her. The visit one club without finding Where’s Fluffy? Tris now wants Nick back and starts stalking the group. The group finds a drunk Caroline in a gay club dressed up as a Christmas tree. When they get back to Nick’s car, Tris is waiting for them. Norah makes a hasty exit. She meets up with Tal, a friend with benefits that’s really just trying to use her to get his band signed by her music producer dad. She realizes this and offers to pay for Tal and friend’s drinks. She talks the waitress into doubling the tab leaving them to pay.  

            Nick confronts Tris about her motives for getting back together and convinces him to give her a lift home. When by the river, she asks him to pull over so she can seduce him. She gets out of the car and dances erotically, but all Nick thinks about is Norah and the time spent together. Nick drives off without Tris. Nick calls Norah apalogizing. They agree to meet up at the Electric Lady Studios, the studio Norah’s dad owns. Norah convinces him to play something original and even joins him in the recording booth. Caroline text messages Norah the location of Where’s Fluffy? They head off to the club. But when they get there, Tris is waiting for Nick, and Tal is waiting for Norah. Both of them want answers.

Critical Evaluation: Most of the awards that the movie was nominated for or won were inconsequential except for the nomination for Outstanding Film – Wide Release by the GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Awards. The story centers around the straight man in a gay band. The band mates just happen to be gay. They are not treated badly or as if they have a problem. It is a real representation of the current youth culture where sexuality is a personal subject and a person should not be judged based on their sexual orientation. The story is also a good representation of how teenagers connect with music as a part of their identity. It is a good representation of how music can also bring teens together as a group.

Director Information: Peter Sollett was born in 1976 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a director, known for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008), Raising Victor Vargas (2002) and Five Feet High and Rising (2000). Source - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0813164/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm

Curriculum Ties: English

Challenge Issues: Language; Sexuality; Violence

Movie Talk Ideas: Music – One could talk about the break up music that they listened to when they were getting out of a relationship and how that parleys into Nick and Norah’s story.