This post contains spoilers for the film Yesterday.
If youve seen Yesterday—the new Danny Boyle movie about a world in which the Beatles disappear from our collective memory—you probably have one, or two, or a thousand questions about the rules of this curious cinematic universe. So do we. Here, in no particular order, are a few we considered over the course of the movies nearly two-hour running time. Help: We need some answers.
What is the magic that makes everything disappear?
The world loses all forms of electric power for roughly 12 minutes near the beginning of the movie; when the power returns, its revealed that the outage also removed the existence of the Beatles from the world. (Perhaps even…across the universe.) At first, it seems that the only person who remembers the band and their music is a young, struggling singer named Jack (Himesh Patel); later we learn that a woman from Liverpool and a man from Russia also remember the Beatles. As far as we know, these three are the only people who do.
But…why? The phenomenon is never explained—and while we appreciate that Boyle and writer Richard Curtis might have wanted to simply let it be, it might have been nice if the movie had done more to establish the reason behind the rules of this universe. Which brings us to our next question…
Other things disappeared too??
Surprise, surprise—the Beatles werent the only thing to evaporate with the power outage. Jack also discovers that the band Oasis, Coca-Cola, Harry Potter, and cigarettes have also disappeared. What! If these things have vanished, what else is gone? And if these things are gone, how else has the world changed? With all those cultural staples missing from the timeline, we have to believe that this world would be vastly different than our own—but perhaps thats too big a thought experiment for a movie of this nature.
Perhaps Boyle is opening the door for a Yesterday cinematic universe, starring Jack as he sprints from movie to movie, restoring the world to its natural pop cultural order. This is the future of I.P. The stand-alone cigarette movie is going to be wild.
Why dont Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr make cameos?
The two remaining Beatles do not make appearances (that we know of) in the film. But they did approve of the movie—and they would have had to, since it uses all their original music, and theyre notoriously protective of their jams). Boyle said in a recent interview that Starr and George Harrisons widow, author, and philanthropist, Olivia Harrison, had seen the film, and sent him supportive messages. But hes less sure if McCartneys viewed the final product: “I dont think Paul has seen the movie, but hes seen the trailer and he said Oh that seems to work!”
Who played John Lennon?
Toward the final act, Jack travels to a faraway house (shot on Shingle Street in Suffolk) to visit an old man. It turns out to be John Lennon, who, in this alternate timeline, became an old man living a modest, peaceful life. Hes played by an uncredited actor wearing a fair bit of prosthetics. And he may stay uncredited, according to this statement from Universal: “The filmmakers and the actor made an agreement that they would keep the actors identity a secret out of respect for the life and memory of John Lennon. We respect their wishes and therefore will not be releasing his name.”
Hey…why keep “I Saw Her Standing There,” anyway?
A bit of context: “I Saw Her Standing There” is a Beatles hit from 1963, cowritten by McCartney and Lennon and released when they were both in their early 20s. The opening lyric of the song is: “Well, she was just 17 /And you know what I mean.” Mildly creepy. But for Jack to revive it and sing it to the masses like its a brand-new song he wrote, when he is presumably in his late 20s or early 30s—very creepy! Of all the Beatles songs to regift to the world, this is one he maybe could have let fall by the wayside—or at least lyrically tweaked.
Why does everyone in this movie act like Jack is not a cutie?
Kate McKinnons villainous manager character reiterates over and over again that Jack is boring, basic, hard to look at, et cetera, et cetera. This is false! Hes a cutie. WhiRead More – Source
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Vanity Fair
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