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Pitch Perfect

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Not to be confused with Perfect pitch.

Pitch Perfect
File:Promotional poster for film "Pitch Perfect".jpg
Promotional poster
Directed byJason Moore
Screenplay byKay Cannon
Produced byElizabeth Banks
Paul Brooks
Max Handelman
StarringAnna Kendrick
Skylar Astin
Rebel Wilson
Anna Camp
Brittany Snow
Adam DeVine
Ben Platt
John Michael Higgins
Elizabeth Banks
CinematographyJulio Macat
Edited byZach Chemberlene
Music byChristophe Beck
Mark Kilian
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • September 28, 2012 (2012-09-28)
Running time
112 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$17 million[2]
Box office$113,042,075[2]

Pitch Perfect is a 2012 American musical comedy film directed by Jason Moore.[3] The screenplay was written by Kay Cannon.[4] The musical comedy features an ensemble cast consisting of Anna Kendrick, Skylar Astin, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Ester Dean, Alexis Knapp, Hana Mae Lee, Ben Platt, Adam DeVine, with John Michael Higgins, and Elizabeth Banks. The plot follows an all-girl college a cappella group, The Barden Bellas, as they compete against another a cappella group from their college to win Nationals. The film is loosely adapted from Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction book, titled Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. Filming concluded in Mid-December 2011, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[5]

The film premiered in Los Angeles on September 24, 2012.[6] Released on September 28, 2012 in the United States, Pitch Perfect grossed over $65 million domestically and 45 million dollars internationally,[2] as well as peaking at #3 at the box office.[2] The film became the second highest grossing musical comedy film behind School of Rock.[7]

The film was also met with positive reviews from critics, receiving an 81% positive rating on the review website Rotten Tomatoes based on 135 reviews.[8] It was mostly praised by critics for its comedic approach, its flashy musical numbers, and the performance of Wilson.[9][10]

Plot

The movie opens at a national a capella competition. Barden University's all-female a cappella group, the Barden Bellas, performs well until Aubrey Posen (Anna Camp) vomits on stage during her solo, thus becoming a public humiliation and ruining the Bellas' chance of winning.

Four months after the national competition, Beca Mitchell (Anna Kendrick), newly arrived freshman at Barden University, has no desire to attend college, but she is forced to do so by her father (John Benjamin Hickey), a professor at the university. Wishing she could instead pursue a career in music making, Beca spends her time making mash-up mixes of songs and takes up an internship at the school radio station, where she meets fellow freshman Jesse Swanson (Skylar Astin), who develops a crush on her. When Beca's father discovers she has not been attending classes, he comes to her with a proposition: if she joins a club and still does not want to remain at college after a year, he will allow and pay for Beca to move to Los Angeles. After some persuasion from group leader Chloe Beale (Brittany Snow), she reluctantly joins the Barden Bellas. Aubrey doesn't initially approve of recruiting Beca, but yields nonetheless due to a desperate need for members and Beca's own talent. Beca joins alongside a group of other women who do not fit the Bellas' typical mold: Cynthia-Rose (Ester Dean), Stacie Conrad (Alexis Knapp), Lilly Onakuramara (Hana Mae Lee), and Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson). Jesse is also revealed to have joined the Bellas' all-male rival group, the Treblemakers.

The Bellas participate in the southeastern regional competition at Carolina University. In spite of their distasteful and old set list, the group manages to place second, which gives them the bid to semi-finals. A brief scuffle after the competition leads to Beca's arrest by the police. Jesse tries to help by calling Beca's father, which infuriates Beca and turns their budding friendship sour. In the mean time, Beca suggests to the Bellas to try and be more daring, which everyone agrees to except Aubrey, who insists that they will win with their current set lists.

At the semi-finals, Beca provides an impromptu back-up of La Roux's Bulletproof into I Saw the Sign by Ace of Base, one of the 'traditional' songs on the Bellas' set-list. The Bellas come in third in the competition behind the Treblemakers and the Footnotes; even though the audience seemed to enjoy Beca's remix, Aubrey becomes furious and yells at Beca, who in turn quits the Bellas. When the Footnotes are later disqualified from the national competition because one of the members was not in college, the Bellas are called to take part in their place. The Bellas get back together after returning from spring break, with the notable exception of Beca.

During this time, Beca begins working as a DJ at the Barden radio station, playing her music on the overnight shift while also steadily distancing herself from Jesse. However, upon finding a copy of The Breakfast Club, Jesse's favorite movie and watching it on her own, while tearing up, she realizes how much movies aren't all about the ending but the journey of the characters and how much she misses the Bellas, which she is convinced by her father to rejoin. During rehearsals, Chloe has managed to stand up against Aubrey's manipulation and her persistence. The group starts to fall apart as everyone wants to perform as the people they are and not to simply follow the old traditions of the Bellas, which sparks a fight. Meanwhile, Beca tries to apologize to Jesse, which he declines.

Beca apologizes to the Bellas for her actions during the semi-finals and asks to have another chance, which Aubrey eventually allows. After having a group heart-to-heart conversation, the Bellas appoint Beca as their group leader and decide to adopt Beca's more modern and original music style. Meanwhile, group leader Bumper leaves the Treblemakers after being offered a job as a back-up singer for John Mayer. With Bumper gone, Jesse becomes the new group leader and persuades the Trebles to let his roommate Benji (Ben Platt) join the group in Bumper's place.

At the a cappella national competition at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Bellas sing a piece arranged by Beca that is a mash-up medley of Price Tag by Jessie J, Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds, and Give Me Everything by Pitbull. Including the song Don't You (Forget About Me) from Jesse's favorite movie, The Breakfast Club works as a more effective apology from Beca to Jesse, and after their performance, Beca and Jesse reunite with a kiss. Six months later, auditions are beginning for the new year while the Treblemakers and Bellas are preparing to select new members for their groups; Jesse and Benji are shown sitting at a desk in the audition hall, followed by Beca and Amy who won the national competition at Lincoln Center.

Cast

  • Anna Kendrick as Beca Mitchell, a reclusive and rebellious Barden freshman who wants to pursue a music career; she joins the Barden Bellas to appease her father and finds herself being caught up in their world. She has trouble accepting her feelings for Jesse Swanson.
  • Skylar Astin as Jesse Swanson, an outgoing Barden freshman who hopes to one day become a film score composer due to his great love for movies. He joins the Barden Treblemakers.
  • Anna Camp as Aubrey Posen, the uptight and traditionalist co-leader of the Bellas; when she vomited at Nationals, she ruined the Bellas' chance at winning the previous year. She is constantly critical and insists that The Bellas use the same set list the Bellas have been using for years.
  • Brittany Snow as Chloe Beale, the kinder and more civil co-leader of the Bellas, whose attempts to get Aubrey to listen to Beca's suggestions get ignored. Chloe gets "nodes" (nodules) but continues to sing when she discovers she could sing in a substantially lower tessitura following the surgery.
  • Rebel Wilson as Fat Amy (born Fat Patricia), a comedic and eccentric member of the Bellas from Tasmania.
  • Ester Dean as Cynthia-Rose Adams, a lesbian member of the Bellas.
  • Alexis Knapp as Stacie Conrad, a highly sexually-driven member of the Bellas.
  • Hana Mae Lee as Lilly Onakuramara, a strange member of the Bellas who speaks too quietly to be heard but is later revealed to be a talented beatboxer.
  • Ben Platt as Benji Applebaum, Jesse's nerdy roommate and an illusionist, who is initially rejected from the Treblemakers, and is later accepted.
  • Adam DeVine as Bumper Allen, the egotistical leader of the Treblemakers.
  • Utkarsh Ambudkar as Donald, Bumper's right-hand man, who beatboxes, raps, and is a main vocalist.
  • Freddie Stroma as Luke, the radio station manager who plays Beca's DJ mixes on the air.
  • Jinhee Joung as Kimmy-Jin, Beca's unfriendly Korean roommate.
  • Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Tommy, the university's constantly harassed audition launcher.
  • John Michael Higgins as John Smith, a misogynistic commentator for the ICCAs.
  • Elizabeth Banks as Gail Abernathy-McKadden, a commentator for the ICCAs.
  • John Benjamin Hickey as Dr. Mitchell, Beca's father, a professor at the college who insists that she attends classes and get involved.

Production

The film is based on Mickey Rapkin's non-fiction novel Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory. Rapkin, senior editor at GQ magazine, spent a season covering competitive collegiate a cappella. He followed the Tufts University Beelzebubs, the University of Oregon Divisi (the loose inspiration for the Bellas), and the University of Virginia Hullabahoos (who have a cameo in the film), writing about the singing, groupies, partying and rivalries. Two members of the a cappella community, Ed Boyer and Deke Sharon, both in Rapkin's book, were brought on board to arrange songs, produce vocals and act as on-site music directors.[11] The film was shot throughout campus and inside buildings at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.[12] Elizabeth Banks is a co-producer and a co-star in the film.[12]

Casting

The casting department included Justin Coulter, Rich Delia, Allison Estrin, and Michael Roth. The film stars Anna Kendrick, Anna Camp, and Brittany Snow.[13] Producer Elizabeth Banks appears throughout the film alongside John Michael Higgins as commentators for the competitions.[14]

Paul Brooks stated “First and foremost, we were looking for actors who had comedic instincts and thought we’d get lucky with terrific actors who happened to be funny and can actually dance and maybe sing. It turns out we did get lucky with our cast!”[15] According to producer Elizabeth Banks, “The character Beca required someone who was grounded, who has a strong point of view on the world, who is funny and empathetic and someone who we can all relate to and root for." Of Kendrick she said, "Anna is all those things, and there was no other choice for the movie.” Fellow producer Brooks said "I saw Anna in Up in the Air and thought it was the most exquisite, elegant, balanced, sublime performance. Anna was our first choice for the role of Beca."[15] When casting the character of Jesse, Max Handelman said "We were looking for a young John Cusack-type guy. We needed to find someone who was kind of awkward but not a geek, but not so cool that you’re not rooting for him." Skylar Astin was chosen for the role. Of Astin's audition, Banks said the chemistry between Skylar and Anna when they read together prior to shooting was "clear and they were able to riff off each other."[15]

Rebel Wilson was recognized for her performance in the comedy film Bridesmaids upon auditioning for the role of Fat Amy, which she won instantly. Moore recalled Wilson singing Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" while beating "on her chest with her fists". He said, "I didn't even hear the end of the song because I was laughing so hard. There’s this beautiful openness to the way Rebel approaches everything, and that’s what works great for the character. She’s fearless".[15] Adam DeVine was personally chosen by Banks and Handelman for the role of Bumper after they saw him on the television series Workaholics. Banks confessed that she and her husband are "big Workaholics fans" and after watching one night during the film's casting, they saw DeVine and "immediately thought" he would be a good choice for Bumper. However, he declined because he wasn't a singer. However, DeVine eventually surprised Banks and Handelman with his vocal skills.[15] Anna Camp was chosen for the role of Aubrey. Producer Max Handelman said, "Elizabeth and I were huge fans of Anna’s from True Blood. Aubrey is set up as the antagonist for Beca, and Beca’s already a bit hard-edged, so it was so important to find an actress who could play Aubrey as someone who could marshal the crazy but also was sympathetic."[15]

Release

The world premiere of Pitch Perfect took place on September 24, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.[6] Pitch Perfect has earned $64,666,000 (63.5%) in the United States, and a further $37,200,000 (36.5%) elsewhere, for a worldwide box office gross of $101,866,000 since release.[2] The film opened to limited release in the United States and Canada on September 28, 2012 and wide release in the United States and Canada on October 5, 2012. It grossed $1,755,935 upon its opening day of limited release and $4,889,050 on its wide release.[16] In its opening weekend the film opened at number 3 behind Taken 2 and Hotel Transylvania grossing $14,846,830 million.[17] The opening weekend audience was 81 percent female, which is considered overwhelming. The opening weekend also attracted a younger audience with 55 percent of the opening weekend audience being under the age of 25.[18] The film has become the second highest grossing music comedy film, behind School of Rock ($81.2M). It is also the seventh highest grossing college comedy film behind Road Trip (68.5M).[19] Pitch Perfect was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 18, 2012.[20]

Critical reception

Rebel Wilson was praised for her performance by critics.

Pitch Perfect received positive reviews. It currently holds an 81% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 124 reviews[8] as well as 66 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 30 "generally favorable reviews".[21] The film was mostly praised for its comedic approach, which some critics have compared to Bring It On, as well as the film's flashy musical numbers and Rebel Wilson's performance.[citation needed] NPR's David Edelstein selected it as one of the top movies of the year[22] and Entertainment Weekly chose the soundtrack as one of the year's best.[23]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations for Pitch Perfect
Award Category Nominee(s) Result
Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Best Actress in a Comedy Rebel Wilson Nominated
Detroit Film Critics Society Award Breakthrough Performance Rebel Wilson Nominated
Motion Picture Sound Editors[24] Best Music in a Musical Feature Film Pitch Perfect Won
MTV Movie Award[25] Best Breakthrough Performance Rebel Wilson Won
Best Musical Moment Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Brittany Snow, Alexis Knapp, Ester Dean and Hana Mae Lee Won
Best WTF Moment Anna Camp ("Hack-Appella") Nominated
Best Female Performance Rebel Wilson Nominated
People's Choice Award Favorite Comedy Movie Pitch Perfect Nominated
San Diego Film Critics Society San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Rebel Wilson Nominated
Teen Choice Awards[26] Choice Movie: Comedy Pitch Perfect Pending
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy Anna Kendrick Pending
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy Rebel Wilson Pending
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy Skylar Astin Pending
Choice Scene Stealer Ben Platt Pending
Choice Scene Stealer Hana Mae Lee Pending
Choice Breakout Performance Adam DeVine Pending
Best Villain Adam DeVine Pending

Soundtracks

Main article: Pitch Perfect (soundtrack)

Pitch Perfect: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released digitally on September 25, 2012, and physically on October 2, 2012.[27] Three of the songs from the album, including the highly covered "Cups", charted on the Billboard Top 100. As of June 2013, the album has sold 721,095 copies in the US, making it the best selling soundtrack of 2013.[28]

Sequel

Producer Paul Brooks and director Jason Moore told Variety that since the reception to the film was good, a sequel could potentially happen next year. In December 2012, Skylar Astin revealed that he and Rebel Wilson had meetings with Universal Studios about the potential sequel.[29]

On April 16, 2013 it was confirmed that a sequel would be released in 2015.[30] Rebel Wilson confirmed she will return for the sequel,[29] while Anna Kendrick is in negotiations to reprise her role as Beca. Anna Camp has confirmed she will reprise the role of Aubrey Posen along with Brittany Snow as Chloe Beale.

In June 2013 Rebel Wilson hinted in an interview that the sequel may be set in London.

References

  1. ^ "PITCH PERFECT". British Board of Film Classification. September 4, 2012. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Pitch Perfect (2012)". Box Office Mojo.
  3. ^ "Pitch Perfect Trailer, News, Videos and Reviews". ComingSoon.net. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  4. ^ "Pitch Perfect (2012)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  5. ^ "Pitch Perfect (2012) - Filming Locations". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  6. ^ a b "'Pitch Perfect' Premiere Arrivals: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson and Elizabeth Banks Gallery". The Hollywood Reporter. September 25, 2012.
  7. ^ "Comedy – Music Movies at the Box Office". Box Office Mojo.
  8. ^ a b "Pitch Perfect – Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  9. ^ Chris Tookey (December 21, 2012). "Pitch Perfect review: Rebel Wilson is a star of the future as Fat Amy hits the right note | Mail Online". The Daily Mail.
  10. ^ "Honor Roll 2012: 'Bachelorette' and 'Pitch Perfect' Breakout Rebel Wilson On Picking Up the Roles "Other Actresses Don't Want"". Indiewire. November 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "PITCH PERFECT – Production Notes". Cinema Review. 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  12. ^ a b "'Pitch Perfect' finds ideal shooting locations on campus – Entertainment – The Daily Reveille – Louisiana State University". Lsureveille.com. November 3, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  13. ^ "Pitch Percect (2012) - Full cast and crew". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  14. ^ Stransky, Tanner (November 28, 2011). "Elizabeth Banks talks 'Hunger Games' and new film 'Pitch Perfect'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Production Notes" (PDF). Universal Studios. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  16. ^ "Pitch Perfect (2012) - Daily Box Office Results". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  17. ^ "Weekend Box Office Results for October 5–7, 2012". Box Office Mojo.
  18. ^ "Weekend Report: 'Taken 2' Kills, 'Frankenweenie' Fails". Box Office Mojo. October 7, 2012.
  19. ^ "Pitch Perfect (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  20. ^ "Pitch Perfect - Official Site | Own It NOW on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download". Universal Studios. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  21. ^ "Pitch Perfect Reviews, Ratings, Credits and More". Metacritic. CBS Interactive, Inc. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
  22. ^ Edelstein, David (December 21, 2012). "David Edelstein's Top 12 Movies of 2012". NPR. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  23. ^ Valby, Karen (December 6, 2012). "'Les Miserables' and the best movie soundtracks of 2012". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  24. ^ King, Susan (January 17, 2013). "'Argo,' 'The Hobbit' in contention for Golden Reel awards". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  25. ^ Warner, Denise (April 14, 2013). "2013 MTV Movie Awards winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 15, 2013.
  26. ^ Ng, Philiana (May 22, 2013). "Teen Choice Awards: 'Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' Leads First Wave of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
  27. ^ "Pitch Perfect Track List" (PDF). Universal Studios. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
  28. ^ Paul Grein (April 10, 2013). "Week Ending April 7, 2013. Albums: Timberlake Is Livin' La Vida Loca". Yahoo Chart Watch.
  29. ^ a b Orange, B. Alan (December 19, 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: Pitch Perfect 2 in the Works; Rebel Wilson to Return". MovieWeb. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
  30. ^ Smith, Grady (April 16, 2013). "'Pitch Perfect' sequel coming in 2015". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2013.
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