Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Peter Sollett

Writers (WGA):

Lorene Scafaria (screenplay)
Rachel Cohn (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

High school student Nick O'Leary, member of the Queercore band The Jerk Offs, meets college-bound Norah Silverberg and she asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

Plot Keywords:

Night | Band | Ex Girlfriend | Search | Love

Awards:

9 nominations

Cast

Michael Cera	...	Nick
Kat Dennings	...	Norah
Aaron Yoo	...	Thom
Rafi Gavron	...	Dev
Ari Graynor	...	Caroline
Alexis Dziena	...	Tris
Jonathan B. Wright	...	Beefy Guy (Lethario) (as Jonathan Bradford Wright)
Zachary Booth	...	Gary
Jay Baruchel	...	Tal
Justin Rice	...	Bishop Allen
Christian Rudder	...	Bishop Allen
Giorgio Angelini	...	Bishop Allen
Darbie Nowatka	...	Bishop Allen
Cully Symington	...	Bishop Allen
Jeremy Haines	...	Randy (Are You Randy)
Sammy Marc Rubin	...	Sammy (Are You Randy)
Glenn Kubota	...	Korean Guy
Marika Daciuk	...	Ukrainian Waitress
Marcel Simoneau	...	Drunk Kid
Seth Meyers	...	Drunk Guy in Yugo
Lorene Scafaria	...	Drunk Girl in Yugo
Billy Griffith	...	Homeless Man
Ruth Maleczech	...	Homeless Caroline
Eddie Kaye Thomas	...	Jesus
Frankie Faison	...	Ticket Salesman
Marilyn McDonald	...	Janitor
John Cho	...	Hype Man
Kevin Corrigan	...	Man at Port Authority
John Cantwell	...	Nellie Olesons
Nora Burns	...	Nellie Olesons
Eric Bernat	...	Nellie Olesons
Toney Chem	...	Are You Randy Fan
Devendra Banhart	...	Customer in Deli
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Simon Dasher	...	Caroline's Admirer
Philip E Jones	...	Caroline's Admirer
Stephen Ananicz	...	Concertgoer (uncredited)
Steve Antonucci	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Joey Auzenne	...	Groupie (uncredited)
Michael Bennett	...	Port Authority Passenger (uncredited)
Brian Boulos	...	Drunk guy at concert (uncredited)
Rachel Cohn	...	Veselka Diner Patron (uncredited)
Stephanie Ellis	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Cassidy Gard	...	Hipster (uncredited)
Joe Giorgio	...	Tal's Bandmate (uncredited)
Vanessa Hardy	...	Hipster (uncredited)
David Levithan	...	Veselka Diner Patron (uncredited)
Kelli Mandruk	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Lance R. Marshall	...	Hipster (uncredited)
The Nellie Olesons	...	Themselves (uncredited)
Frank Pelligra	...	Brooklyn Pool Bouncer (uncredited)
Adam S. Phillips	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
R.J. Romano	...	Tal's Bandmate (uncredited)
Andy Samberg	...	Bum (uncredited)
Richard S. Sargent	...	Groupie (uncredited)
Michelle Taylor	...	Bowery Ballroom Doorgirl (uncredited)
Richard Waddingham	...	Norah's Father (uncredited)
Rachel Kiri Walker	...	Brooklyn Hipster (uncredited)
C. Vincent Woodhull	...	Hipster (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Sollett

Writing credits (WGA)
Lorene Scafaria		(screenplay)
Rachel Cohn		(novel) &
David Levithan		(novel)

Produced by
Adam Brightman	....	executive producer
Nicole Brown	....	co-producer
Joseph Drake	....	executive producer
Nathan Kahane	....	executive producer
Kerry Kohansky	....	producer
Kelli Konop	....	co-producer
Andrew Miano	....	producer
Chris Weitz	....	producer
Paul Weitz	....	producer

Original Music by
Mark Mothersbaugh

Cinematography by
Tom Richmond

Film Editing by
Myron I. Kerstein

Casting by
Joseph Middleton

Production Design by
David Doernberg

Art Direction by
Chuck Renaud
Amy Beth Silver		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Sara Parks

Costume Design by
Sandra Hernandez

Makeup Department
Carla Antonino	....	additional makeup artist
Julie Anna Kehoe	....	key hair stylist
Lora Scrignoli	....	hair department head
Thomas Smusz	....	additional hair stylist
Leo Won	....	makeup department head
Ande Yung	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Adam Brightman	....	unit production manager
Gigi Causey	....	production supervisor
Kiki Morris	....	post-production supervisor
Craig T. Wood	....	production supervisor: additional photography

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Rae Garrett	....	second second assistant director: second unit (as Sara Rae Garrett)
Tudor Jones	....	first assistant director: second unit
Christo Morse	....	first assistant director
Michael Slovis	....	second unit director
Annie Tan	....	second assistant director
Derek Wimble	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Jeff Butcher	....	property master
Jesse Cain	....	construction coordinator
David Cooney	....	storyboard artist
Nate Green	....	carpenter
Nicholas Hill	....	property master: additional photography
Hollywood Nick Pagani	....	picture car coordinator
Molly Page	....	assistant property master: additional photography
Kimberly Slosek	....	assistant property master
Nicholas Thalhuber	....	carpenter
Rebecca Blazak	....	art department researcher (uncredited)
Phil Langone	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Rosalie Russino	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gaston Biraben	....	dialogue editor
Damian Canelos	....	sound mixer
Anita Cannella	....	foley artist
Anthony J. Ciccolini III	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor (as Chic Ciccolini III)
Mark DeSimone	....	adr mixer: New York
Susan Dudeck	....	supervising dialogue & adr editor
Rick Gould	....	adr recordist
Eric Harwood	....	sound recordist
Amy Kane	....	foley artist
Tateum Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lawrence Loewinger	....	second unit sound mixer
Travis MacKay	....	adr recordist
Mike Marino	....	foley mixer
Dana McCommon	....	adr mixer
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr recordist
Brendan Jamieson O'Brien	....	sound utility
Greg Orloff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Daniel Pagan	....	supervising sound editor
Egor Panchenko	....	ProTools playback mixer
Egor Panchenko	....	sound utility
Eryne Prine	....	assistant sound editor
Seth Tallman	....	boom operator
Seth Tallman	....	sound mixer: second unit

Special Effects by
Matt Vogel	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Andy Lichtstein	....	digital preview colorist
Amy Tompkins	....	digital intermediate editor
Sebastien Betsch	....	digital painter (uncredited)

Stunts
Vince Cupone	....	stunt double
Chad Hessler	....	stunt double
Cort Hessler	....	stunt coordinator (as Cort L. Hessler III)
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts
Kamuela Kim	....	stunt double
Brian Smyj	....	stunt driver

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Christian Baird	....	rigging electrician
Mark Beattie	....	additional electrician
Joe Belschner	....	dolly grip
Steve Calitri	....	gaffer: second unit
Vincent Camuto	....	key video assist operator
Randolph Carty	....	electrician
Oliver Cary	....	camera operator: "b" camera, additional photography
Tim Ferraer	....	grip
Paul Gibilisco	....	second assistant camera: additional photography
Shawn Greene	....	gaffer
Melissa Guimaraes	....	best boy grip
Erik Guldbech	....	rigging electrician
Adam Hall	....	rigging key grip
Christophe Johnson	....	camera loader
Meg Kettell	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Alexander Martin	....	lighting technician
Lance Mayer	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Matthew Mendelson	....	electrician
Ron Morales	....	key grip
Jeff Muhlstock	....	Steadicam operator
Jeff Muhlstock	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Ed Nessen	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Iris Ng	....	rigging gaffer
Jeff Niggemeyer	....	generator operator
Colin Oberschmidt	....	lighting technician
Lisa Origlieri	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Justin Panzanaro	....	key rigging grip
Joseph Paolini	....	grip
Rome Petersson	....	additional electrician
Andrew Priestley	....	first assistant camera
Aaron Randall	....	additional grip
Ray Richards	....	b camera gaffer
Ray Richards	....	electrician
Rossana Rizzo	....	second assistant camera
Marcos Rodríguez-Quijano	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera, second unit
Ethan Rosenduft	....	grip
Benjamin Salley	....	electrician
Jennifer Scarlata	....	additional electrician
Dara Selbert	....	loader: additional photography
John Shim	....	additional electrician
Michael Slovis	....	director of photography: second unit
Joshua Solson	....	lighting technician
Yoshi Sonoda	....	rigging electrician
Sean Taylor	....	best boy electric
Vance Tucker	....	grip
Christopher Vidaic	....	grip
JoJo Whilden	....	still photographer
David Woolner	....	rigging electrician
Zenfeek	....	electrician
Daniel Zimmer	....	grip

Casting Department
Lauren Dickey	....	casting assistant
Barrie Golden	....	extras casting associate
Jonathan Clay Harris	....	casting associate
Kristian Sorge	....	extras casting
Allison Twardziak	....	extras casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Aneikit Bonnel	....	set costumer
Sonja Cizmazia	....	costume supervisor
Estella Marie	....	seamstress
Nina Schelich	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Maxine Gervais	....	digital intermediate colorist
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Kate Hickey	....	apprentice editor
David Kennedy	....	digital intermediate assistant
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Jill Piwowar	....	assistant editor
Christine Seino	....	assistant on-line editor

Music Department
Linda Cohen	....	music supervisor
Andrew Dorfman	....	supervising music editor
Adrian Van Velsen	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Fernando Alvarado	....	production assistant
Joshua Amir	....	office production assistant
Ethan Anderson	....	production assistant: reshoots
Carrie Arnold	....	assistant production coordinator
Alexis Auditore	....	assistant: Ms. Konop
Nicholas Brennan	....	production intern
Vince Brown	....	production assistant
Nicholas Bryan	....	production secretary
Alison S. Cohen	....	production counsel
Deliana Daskalova	....	production assistant
Elitza Daskalova	....	production intern
Kristyn DiPane	....	project manager: Technicolor New York
Connor Driscoll	....	production assistant
Gjustina Dushku	....	set production assistant
Ashleigh Falls	....	adr loop group
D.R. Farquharson	....	project manager: Deluxe Digital Cinema
Frances Fiore	....	unit publicist
Whitney Fromholtz	....	assistant: Ms. Brown
Laurie Gershon	....	product placement and clearances
Michael Hartofilis	....	production intern
Kevin A. Howard	....	office production assistant: reshoots (as Kevin Howard)
Joshua Huffman	....	production coordinator
Eric A. Knapp	....	assistant production coordinator: additional photography: reshoots
Rebecca Lindsey	....	set production assistant
Robert Lopez	....	key production assistant
Jenny Lovin	....	payroll accountant
Gabriella Ludlow	....	production legal
Keith Marlin	....	set production assistant
George S. Matsuo	....	set production assistant
Ryan McDonald	....	production assistant
Michael McGrail	....	location scout
Michael L. Mizrahi	....	location scout
Tony Osso	....	script supervisor
J. Brent Peebles	....	first assistant accountant
J. Brent Peebles	....	production accountant: re-shoots
Adam Pray	....	assistant to director
Antonio Ragona	....	production assistant
Emma Rees-Scanlon	....	additional production assistant
Jon Shaw	....	production assistant
Tim Stacker	....	assistant location manager
Nadia Tabbara	....	production assistant
Heather Tyler	....	post-production accountant
Chanda Venable	....	production assistant
Jovanna Vitiello	....	adr voice
Brenda Vogel	....	assistant: Kerry Kohansky
Joseph White	....	location manager
Michael Wiggins	....	production accountant
Self Williams	....	production assistant
Danielle Wilson	....	craft service
Craig T. Wood	....	assistant: Mr. Brightman
Stephanie Wu	....	production assistant: reshoot

Production Companies

• Depth of Field
• Mandate Pictures

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2008) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (France) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• LK-TEL (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Belgium) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2009) (Argentina) (all media)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Records  soundtrack
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Fairfield Studios  post-production sound services (additional adr recording)
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Marshall/Plumb Research Associates  script research
• Pacific Title and Art Studio  digital intermediate
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Rockbottom Rentals  modem card rentals
• Shadowplay Studio  main titles
• Sony Pictures Stock Footage  stock footage
• Sony Pictures Studios  post-production sound services
• Soundtrack  adr facility
• Urband & Lazar Music Publishing  soundtrack

Also Known As:

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Australia)
Nick y Norah - Una noche de música y amor (Argentina) (DVD title) (Mexico) [es]
Dalok ismerkedéshez (Hungary) [hu]
Nick & Norah - Tutto accadde in una notte (Italy) [it]
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (Canada: French title) [fr]
Nick e Norah - Uma Noite de Amor e Música (Brazil) (DVD title) [pt]
Nick und Norah - Soundtrack einer Nacht (Germany) [de]
Otan o Nick eroteftike ti Norah (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
Une nuit à New York (France) [fr]

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including teen drinking, sexuality, language and crude behavior.

Runtime:

Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Australia:M | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44261) | Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:15A | UK:12A | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:13 | Iceland:L | Mexico:B | Netherlands:12 | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Katz's Delicatessen - 205 East Houston Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Depth of Field

Trivia:

Ari Graynor (Caroline) improvised her whole speech at the Port Authority when Kevin Corrigan decided he wouldn't say a word during his scene.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the characters are at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, looking for Caroline, they see a large placard showing the bus schedule. It incorrectly shows the destination of bus 167 as being to Weehawkin. The 167 bus actually goes to Teaneck.

Quotes:

Norah: There's this part of Judaism that I like. Tikun Olam. It said that the world is broken into pieces and everyone has to find them and put them back together.
Nick: Maybe we don't have to find it. Maybe we are the pieces.
Norah: Nick? I'm coming in...

Movie Connections:

References Die unendliche Geschichte (1984)

Soundtrack:

Kennedy

A fun romp through New York's night-time music scene.

For years, teenagers have connected with one another through music and the discovery of new and different bands. Even though technology has allowed music to be more widespread and portable, there is still the thrill of late-night adventures seeking live performances from favourite bands. In Peter Sollett's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, he brings this out on screen in a fun manner that shows you do not necessarily need crude humour or death-defying encounters to make a night out with friends an interesting and worth telling story. Throughout the film, the audience becomes more enriched by the characters and their ideas. Nick and Norah could have easily become a smug "teenagers rule over all" tale like this year's Charlie Bartlett, but is instead is a sweet romance between two individuals that most people can easily relate to.

Nick (Michael Cera) is the guitarist for a queercore band with his two friends Dev and Thom (Rafi Gavron and Aaron Yoo). He is currently grieving over the separation between his former girlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena), but decides to join his friends for a performance out in New York City. In an act of desperation, he encounters Norah (Kat Dennings), who asks Nick to be his boyfriend for five minutes. After her drunken friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) runs off into the city, Nick and Norah along with his friends scour the city in search of her. Meanwhile, Tris is decides to go after Nick to find out if it truly is over between them.

One of the key successes of this film lies with the ensemble cast of talented young actors. Adults are barely featured in this film, as the teenage characters are given the overall spotlight here and Peter Sollett has hired some very good actors to play these parts. Michael Cera is still playing the awkward individual he has been doing since Arrested Development, but he still grows into the part well, as his character is not quite as nervous as previous roles. He proves to be likable and relatable in the part and his chemistry with the other actors comes off very well. Kat Dennings surpasses him, though, giving Norah a sarcastic wit and coming off as very easy to relate to. The way Nick and Norah progress throughout the film is handled very well by Cera and Dennings. Ari Graynor deserves some acclaim for her wacky, but still nuanced performance as Caroline. She is given the bulk of "stunts" in this film, particularly when sharing the screen with a piece of gum that ends up becoming a separate character by itself. Aaron Yoo, Rafi Gavron and Jonathan B Wright allow their best friend roles to become more than just simple stereotypes as they prove just as likable as the leads. Jay Baruchel also does a fine job in a small role that is definitely very far from the meek actor he played in last summer's Tropic Thunder.

Credit should also go to first-time screenwriter Lorene Scafaria, adapting the original source material by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. She writes a funny and intelligent script with well-developed characters who evolve effectively and realistically as the film goes on. She also does not go the Adventures in Babysitting route by showing New York after hours as a grungy underworld, instead opting for a more light-weight approach to the material. She understands the independent musical scene of the Big Apple and she portrays it effectively throughout the course of the film. Director Peter Sollett and Cinematographer Tom Richmond also do well in lighting the city and allowing it to breathe. Even though the large majority of Nick and Norah takes place at night, there is still plenty of light that shines through, particularly in showing the vast culture. Legendary locations like the New Jersey Turnpike, Times Square and Pennsylvania Station also make appearances to give the film an even more New York feel.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist simply wants to be a fun, breezy ride through New York's music scene and the audience is happy to go along with it. The characters are easy to relate to, the writing is intelligent and the direction is solid. Though there have been plenty of "one night in the city" films, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist manages to stay fresh and original and unique through its running time. Overall, this is definitely one to watch at the evening showing with the buddies.