''Jersey Boys'' is a 2014 American
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...
directed and produced by
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
, based on the 2004
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
-winning
jukebox musical of
the same name. The film tells the story of the musical group
The Four Seasons. Original band members
Frankie Valli
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, known as the frontman of the Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice.
...
and
Bob Gaudio
Robert John Gaudio (born November 17, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the pop/rock band the Four Seasons. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced the vast majori ...
(who also composed the film's music) serve as executive producers.
''Jersey Boys'' was released in the United States on June 20, 2014. It received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the musical numbers but criticized the narrative and runtime, and grossed $67 million worldwide.
Plot
In
Belleville, New Jersey in 1951,
Tommy DeVito Tommy DeVito may refer to:
* Tommy DeVito (American football), American football quarterback
* Tommy DeVito (musician) (1928–2020), American musician and singer, member of The Four Seasons
* Tommy DeVito, a character in the film ''Goodfellas'' pl ...
performs together with his brother Nicky, and their friend
Nick Massi, as
The Variety Trio
The Four Lovers was a band formed in 1956 that was the result of vocalist Frankie Valli joining The Variatones (Tommy DeVito, lead guitar; James Gregorio Valeo, then Henry Majewski, rhythm guitar; Frank Cottone, accordion; and Billy Thompson, dr ...
. He meets 16-year-old Frankie Castelluccio, a barber's son, already well known in the neighborhood for his singing voice. Frankie has the admiration of
Genovese Family mobster
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo, who takes a personal interest in him.
One night, the group attempts a robbery of a safe, resulting in the police later arresting them. In court, Frankie is let off with a slap on the wrist, while Tommy is sentenced to six months in prison. After his release, Tommy reunites with the group, and adds Frankie as lead singer. Frankie changes his professional name to Frankie Vally, and then
Frankie Valli
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, known as the frontman of the Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice.
...
. At a performance, Frankie is entranced by a woman named Mary Delgado. He takes her to dinner, and they are soon married.
The group, now called "The Four Lovers", is in need of a songwriter after Nicky leaves. Tommy's friend,
Joe Pesci, tells him about a talented singer-songwriter,
Bob Gaudio
Robert John Gaudio (born November 17, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the pop/rock band the Four Seasons. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced the vast majori ...
, and invites him to hear the group perform. Gaudio is impressed with Valli's vocals, and agrees to join.
The band, having recorded several demos, attempts to attract interest, but has little success. One day, in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, producer
Bob Crewe
Robert Stanley Crewe (November 12, 1930 – September 11, 2014) was an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He was known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for the Four Season ...
signs them to a contract. However, they quickly realize that it only allows them to perform back-up vocals for other acts. Crewe says that the group does not have a distinctive image or sound yet. Inspired by a bowling alley sign, the band is renamed "The Four Seasons," and they sing a new song Gaudio has written, "
Sherry", to Crewe, who agrees to record it.
"Sherry" quickly becomes a commercial success, followed by two more, "
Big Girls Don't Cry Big Girls Don't Cry may refer to:
Music
* ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' (Lynn Anderson album), 1968
* ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' (The Weather Girls album), 1986
* "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie song), 2007
* "Big Girls Don't Cry" (The Four Seasons song), ...
" and "
Walk Like a Man". However, before an appearance on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
'', Valli is approached by mobster Norman Waxman, a loan shark for one of the other
Five Families, who claims that Tommy owes him $150,000. Frankie goes to DeCarlo, who gets Waxman to allow the group to pay the debt, which turns out to be considerably larger. Tommy must go to work for the mob's associates in Las Vegas until it is paid. Nick, irritated by Tommy's irresponsibility, not being involved in the group's decisions, and never being able to see his family, also leaves the group.
Having to tour constantly to pay off the debt, the band hires a set of studio musicians, and becomes Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, with Gaudio now acting solely as songwriter and producer. Valli learns from his now ex-wife, Mary, that his daughter, Francine, now a drug addict, has escaped from home. Valli meets his estranged daughter and regrets not acting as a better father for her when she was growing up. He also arranges for Gaudio to offer her singing lessons and for Crewe to cut a demo for her.
A few years later, the group has finally paid off Tommy's debt. However, this coincides with the news of Francine's death by
drug overdose
A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended. . Frankie and Mary both grieve for their daughter. Gaudio composes a new number for Valli to sing, his first as a solo artist. At first, Frankie is hesitant, as he is still in mourning, but eventually agrees. The track, "
Can't Take My Eyes Off You", becomes a commercial success.
In 1990, the Four Seasons are about to be inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum
A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
. The band performs "
Rag Doll" onstage, their first performance together in over twenty years. The music fades as the four men take turns addressing the audience. Tommy, in an ironic twist, now works for Joe Pesci, who has gone on to become an
Oscar-winning actor (his award-winning role was a fictionalized account of
another real-life gangster named after Tommy DeVito). Nick claims to have no regrets about leaving the group, enjoying the time he spends with his family. Frankie is still touring through his solo career, but yearns for the days he performed with the rest. Bob has retired to
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...
. Frankie states that the best time he had during his time with the Four Seasons was before their success, "but four guys under a streetlamp, when it was all still ahead of us."
Cast
*
John Lloyd Young
John Lloyd Mills Young (born July 4, 1975) is an American actor and singer. In 2006, he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as Frankie Valli in Broadway's ''Jersey Boys''. He is the only American actor to date to ...
as
Francis "Frankie" Castelluccio/Valli
*
Erich Bergen
Erich Bergen (born December 31, 1985) is an American actor, singer and presenter, best known for his roles as Bob Gaudio in the biographical musical drama film ''Jersey Boys'' and as Blake Moran in the CBS television series '' Madam Secretary''. ...
as
Bob Gaudio
Robert John Gaudio (born November 17, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer, and the keyboardist and backing vocalist of the pop/rock band the Four Seasons. Gaudio wrote or co-wrote and produced the vast majori ...
*Michael Lomenda as
Nick Massi
*
Vincent Piazza as
Gaetano "Tommy" DeVito
*
Christopher Walken
Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Prolific in film, television and on stage, Walken is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Awar ...
as
Gyp DeCarlo
Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo (September 2, 1902 – October 20, 1973) was a member of the New York City Genovese crime family who dominated loansharking operations in New Jersey during the 1960s.
The subject of a two-year federal undercover operat ...
*Renée Marino as Mary Delgado
*
Kathrine Narducci as Mary Rinaldi
*Lou Volpe
as Anthony Castelluccio
*
Freya Tingley
Freya Tingley (born 26 March 1994) is an Australian actress.
Career
Tingley's first professional role was "Young Joan" in Caryl Churchill's play '' Far Away'' for The Black Swan Theatre Company in 2008. Since then she has appeared in a number ...
as Francine Valli (age 17)
**Elizabeth Hunter as Francine Valli (age 7)
**Grace Kelley as Francine Valli (age 4)
*
Mike Doyle Michael, Mick or Mike Doyle may refer to:
Politics
*Michael Doyle (Irish politician), Irish Farmers' Party politician from Wexford, TD from 1922 to 1927
*Michael Doyle, alleged member of the Molly Maguires
*Mike Doyle (American politician) (born 1 ...
as
Bob Crewe
Robert Stanley Crewe (November 12, 1930 – September 11, 2014) was an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, and record producer. He was known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for the Four Season ...
*Rob Marnell as
Joe Long
Joseph Louis LaBracio (September 5, 1932 – April 21, 2021), known professionally as Joe Long, was an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for the Four Seasons.
Life and career
Long was a classically trained musician who studi ...
*
Johnny Cannizzaro as Nick DeVito
*Donnie Kehr as Norm Waxman
*
Jeremy Luke as Donnie
*Joey Russo
as
Joe Pesci
*
James Madio
James Madio (born November 22, 1975) is an American actor, known for his roles in ''USA High'', ''Hook'' and as Technician Fourth Grade Frank Perconte in '' Band of Brothers''.
Early life
A native of The Bronx, Madio was raised in Morris Par ...
as Stosh
*Erica Piccininni
as Lorraine
*
Steve Schirripa as Vito
*
Barry Livingston as Accountant
*Miles Aubrey as
Charles Calello
*Troy Grant as
Ed Sullivan
*
Billy Gardell as Georgie
*
Francesca Eastwood as Waitress
Production
In 2010,
GK Films
GK Films is a British-American film and television production company founded in 1990 by Graham King, located in Santa Monica, California. In 2005, the firm, which was known as Initial Entertainment Group at that time, signed a deal with Warner ...
acquired the rights to produce a
film adaptation
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the musical, with Brickman and Elice writing the script for the film. By August 2012,
Jon Favreau
Jonathan Kolia Favreau (; born October 19, 1966) is an American actor and filmmaker. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as ''Rudy (film), Rudy'' (1993), ''PCU (film), PCU'' (1994), ''Swingers (1996 film), Swingers'' (1996), ''Very ...
was engaged to direct and casting had begun.
However, in November 2012, it was reported that Warner Bros. had put the film in
turnaround; Despite this in May 2013,
Frankie Valli
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, known as the frontman of the Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice.
...
noted that production was still underway. By that June, Eastwood became attached to the project as a director. The project came three years after the release of Eastwood's previous film, ''
J. Edgar
''J. Edgar'' is a 2011 American biographical drama film based on the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, directed, produced and scored by Clint Eastwood. Written by Dustin Lance Black, the film focuses on Hoover's life from the 1919 Palmer ...
'', which ''
Variety'' notes was "his longest gap between directing projects since 1980".
[ Although Eastwood enjoyed the script, he asked for a rewrite, noting that the version "was missing a lot of things." This was considered unusual for Eastwood as he became somewhat notorious for using first drafts as the eventual script.][
A trailer was released for the film on April 17, 2014.
For casting, Eastwood sought to cast actors from the play itself rather than more marketable film stars. Eastwood noted that he was pressured to cast more famous leads; however, he refused, stating, "You've got people who've done 1,200 performances; how much better can you know a character?".] The film was shot in Los Angeles, California, where it spent $58.6 million and received the California Film & Television Tax Credit.
Musical numbers
Includes all the songs sung in the film.
* "Silhouettes
A silhouette ( , ) is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhou ...
" - Frankie Valli
* "You're the Apple of My Eye
"You're the Apple of My Eye" is a song written by Otis Blackwell and initially recorded and released as a single in 1956 by The Four Lovers, the precursor to The Four Seasons. Recorded after they were denied the opportunity to record another Bla ...
"– Variety Trio
* " I Can't Give You Anything but Love" – Frankie Valli and Variety Trio
* "Earth Angel
"Earth Angel", occasionally referred to as "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)", is a song by American doo-wop group the Penguins. Produced by Dootsie Williams, it was released as their debut single in October 1954 on Dootone Records. The Penguins ...
" – Tommy DeVito
* "A Sunday Kind of Love "A Sunday Kind of Love" is a popular song composed by Barbara Belle, Anita Leonard, Stan Rhodes, and Louis Prima and was published in 1946.
History
The song has become a pop and jazz standard, recorded by many artists.
The song was first recorde ...
" – Frankie Valli, Nick Massi, Nick's date and Tommy DeVito
* " My Mother's Eyes" - Frankie Valli (also with Gyp DeCarlo in the opening)
* "I'm in the Mood for Love
"I'm in the Mood for Love" is a popular music, popular song published in 1935 in music, 1935. The music was written by Jimmy McHugh, with the lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The song was introduced by Frances Langford in the movie ''Every Night at Eigh ...
" – Frankie Valli
* "Cry for Me" – Bob Gaudio, Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi
* "I Still Care" – Miss Frankie Nolan and The Romans
* "Trance" – Billy Dixon and The Topix
* " Sherry" – The Four Seasons
* "Big Girls Don't Cry Big Girls Don't Cry may refer to:
Music
* ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' (Lynn Anderson album), 1968
* ''Big Girls Don't Cry'' (The Weather Girls album), 1986
* "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Fergie song), 2007
* "Big Girls Don't Cry" (The Four Seasons song), ...
" – The Four Seasons
* " Walk Like a Man" – The Four Seasons
* " My Boyfriend's Back" – The Angels
* " My Eyes Adored You" – Frankie Valli
* "Working My Way Back to You
"Working My Way Back to You" is a song made popular by The Four Seasons in 1966 and The Spinners in 1980.
Written by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, the song was originally recorded by The Four Seasons in 1966, reaching No. 9 on the U.S. ''Bil ...
" – The Four Seasons
* "Dawn (Go Away)
"Dawn (Go Away)" is a song written by Bob Gaudio and Sandy Linzer and recorded by The Four Seasons in November 1963.
The song hit No. 3 in the early part of 1964. According to ''Billboard'', it was the 25th biggest hit single of the year, pla ...
" – The Four Seasons
* " Opus 17 (Don't You Worry 'bout Me)" – Frankie Valli and The New Seasons
* " Can't Take My Eyes Off You" – Frankie Valli
* " Rag Doll" – The Four Seasons
* "Who Loves You
''Who Loves You'' is an album by The Four Seasons. It was released in 1975 on Warner/Curb Records.
Background
The record introduced the new Four Seasons lineup which now included John Paiva (guitar), Don Ciccone (bass), Lee Shapiro (keyboards) ...
" – The Four Seasons
* " Sherry"/" December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) - (Reprise)" - Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, Bob Gaudio, Nick Massi and Full Cast
Background songs
Includes songs heard only on the background.
* " (Who Wears) Short Shorts" – The Royal Teens
The Royal Teens were an American rock and roll band that formed in New Jersey in 1956 and originally consisted of Bob Gaudio on piano, Tom Austin on drums, Billy Dalton on guitar, and Billy Crandall on saxophone. The group is best known for its ...
* " Stay" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
* " Bye Bye Baby" – Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons
Historical accuracy
While Valli's daughter Francine did eventually die of a reported drug overdose, it occurred in 1980. This was 13 years after Valli recorded Can't Take My Eyes Off of You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a w ...
.
While Valli, Gaudio, and Devito were arrested in Ohio in 1965, it did not occur in Cleveland as the film suggests, but at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus.
Some of the film's details regarding Devito's life- such as his hygiene, inspiration for Joe Pesci's Goodfellas character named Tommy Devito, and reason for leaving The Four Seasons- were inaccurate. Devito himself stated "Some of it is bullsh*t -- where I pee in the sink, and the dirty underwear. I was probably the cleanest guy there." Devito had also previously claimed he in fact left the Four Seasons on his own free will. Contrary to the film's suggestion that he was forced out by the Mafia, Devito blamed things such as excessive travel and changing clothes three times a day for his departure.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack album ''Jersey Boys: Music from the Motion Picture and Broadway Musical'' was released on June 25, 2014. The albums is a mix of original recordings by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, new recordings by the film cast, and tracks from the original Broadway cast recording.
Track listing:
Certifications
Reception
Critical response
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 51% based on 219 reviews, with an average rating of 5.9/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "''Jersey Boys'' is neither as inventive nor as energetic as it could be, but there's no denying the powerful pleasures of its musical moments." On Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
, the film has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". On CinemaScore
CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data.
Background
Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
, audiences gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Richard Roeper gave the film a "C+" grade, stating that at times the film "captures the electric excitement of the musical, but for every soaring moment, there are 10 minutes of bickering or brooding". Andrew Barker of '' Variety'' felt that "Christopher Walken creates most of the film’s laughs by simple virtue of being Christopher Walken, but his doddering don screams out for a bigger, broader performance."
In a 2021 interview with ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', Frankie Valli revealed his thoughts on the movie, saying that "I don’t think it was cast properly and I don’t think it was done properly. The whole entity was not put together properly. I think Clint Eastwood is a great director and actor. I don’t think this was right for him."
Box office
''Jersey Boys'' grossed $47 million in North America and $20.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $67.6 million.[
The film grossed $4.6 million on its opening day, almost $8 million less than fellow newcomer '']Think Like a Man Too
''Think Like a Man Too'' is a 2014 American romantic comedy film directed by Tim Story. It is the sequel to the 2012 film ''Think Like a Man'', based on Steve Harvey's book ''Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man''. The script was written by David A. ...
''. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13.3 million, finishing in fourth place at the box office.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jersey Boys (film)
2014 films
2014 biographical drama films
2010s musical drama films
American biographical drama films
American musical drama films
Biographical films about musicians
Dune Entertainment films
Films based on musicals
Films set in 1951
Films set in 1952
Films set in 1956
Films set in 1959
Films set in 1962
Films set in 1963
Films set in 1966
Films set in 1967
Films set in 1971
Films set in 1974
Films set in 1990
Films set in the 1950s
Films set in the 1960s
Films set in the 1970s
Films set in the 1990s
Films set in New Jersey
Films shot in Los Angeles
Films shot in New Jersey
GK Films films
Musical films based on actual events
Jukebox musical films
Malpaso Productions films
Warner Bros. films
Films directed by Clint Eastwood
Films produced by Clint Eastwood
Films produced by Graham King
Films with screenplays by Marshall Brickman
Cultural depictions of pop musicians
2014 drama films
2010s English-language films
2010s American films