Have you ever wondered what would have happened if The Beatles had never existed? A world without John, Paul, George, and Ringo? What if the Fab Four hadn’t sparked The British Invasion? What if iconic songs like Yesterday had never been written? Recently, I saw a movie that tries to answer those questions. I don’t normally do movie reviews, but I feel compelled to write one for this film.
Yesterday is about a struggling singer-songwriter named Jack. His biggest accomplishment so far has been writing a little ditty called “The Summer Song”. Then Jack has a bicycle accident. After he gets out of the hospital, his friends are blown away when he plays Yesterday for them. He is astonished to find out they have never heard it before. Then he discovers that the world has never heard of The Beatles, and realizes what it could do for his musical career.
It really makes you wonder what the world would look like without the musical influence of artists like The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Chuck Berry. It would probably resemble a musical version of It’s A Wonderful Life. The effect of popular music on our culture cannot be denied. Without that influence, there’s no telling what our world would look like today. Maybe a Global Pottersville, who knows?
No spoilers, but Yesterday has a few surprises along the way, along with a very nice ending. It’s thoroughly enjoyable, and like the characters in this movie, you feel like you’re hearing all these great Beatles tunes for the first time. I found myself singing along with many of the songs. Fortunately, I was watching Yesterday on an airplane, so my fellow passengers were spared my off-key warblings by the drone of the jet engines.
I always enjoy a good, “What if . . .” movie, and this one certainly delivers. It’s out now on Blu-ray, so stop by your local Redbox and check it out. It’s well worth your time. You might even say, “I believe in Yesterday”. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
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