Week 43 – The Blues Brothers (1980)

• The Blues Brothers
• Released: 6/20/1980
• Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Henry Gibson, John Candy, Kathleen Freeman
• Director: John Landis
• IMDB Page

Welcome back to another week of 52 Films, 52 Portraits! We are in the final ten weeks! This week’s film was chosen by none other than my very own boyfriend, Joe! Joe is from Wheaton, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, and moved to the DC area for college a little over a decade ago. He now works in public relations for a federal agency. His parents  and sister have already been featured on this blog in the past.

The most recent selfie of Joe and I. Headed back home from Birmingham a few weeks ago.

I obviously had a pretty good idea of Joe’s film preferences and history going into this week, but I still had him answer the same questions as everyone else to make sure that he had the full experience.

The first thing Joe told me is that he does not consider himself to be a huge fan of movies in general. He said that he does try to see some big new releases, but he doesn’t go out of his way to do so and he doesn’t keep up with the latest entertainment news (except for what I tell him :D…). He also said that it takes a lot to get him to sit down and watch something for more than an hour. However, he said that when done well, he is amazed “at how the combination of an engaging plot, great acting, good cinematography, and good music and make time fly by.”

When I asked Joe to tell me what some of his favorite film memories were as a child, he told me that he didn’t have any, because he was born 30. Although I know this to be very true, I pressed him on it and got a little more out of him. He told me that he remembers enjoying movies involving the Muppets, as well as a number of Disney films. He specifically named Disney’s animated Robin Hood (“You know, the one with the animals”) as a personal favorite. Still, he said that none of these films really made huge impressions on him and none of them left big impressions for him. It wasn’t until later in life that he found the films that really spoke to him.

Joe said that as he’s gotten older, he’s found that he can generally sit down and enjoy just about any genre under the right circumstances. The only exception to his being horror, which I can tell you is very true. Joe does not like horror films, and refuses to watch them. This extends to other outlets, such as the ghost hunting shows that litter basic cable network lineups. He also said that although he does try to see big releases when he can, he isn’t necessarily drawn to any particular actors or filmmakers.

When I asked Joe whether there were any other films that he considered for this project, I already knew the answer. He had gone back and forth a couple of times and had even asked me once or twice to switch his film to Dogma. However, I had a strict cut-off, and he had already picked his film. Ultimately, I think he was happy with his original decision, but he still had some praise for Dogma to share. He loved what the film had to say about religion. He grew up in a fairly religious area, and in a family with a strong Catholic background. He found himself “looking at a lot of religious customs and practices that I found silly or downright hypocritical.” He told me that he found a lot of his feelings about religion represented in Dogma. The film showed that “believing can be a great thing, but being dogmatic in your beliefs can cause problems.” He added that the film had a great cast, and singled out George Carlin’s portrayal of a cardinal as a highlight.

Joe told me that he ultimately chose The Blues Brothers because it has a special place in his heart. First of all, the film takes place in Chicago, where he grew up. Any time he gets to see his hometown represented on screen, especially when they really film in the city, is fun for him. More importantly, he said, the film was one of the first that he can remember sitting down and watching with his dad. Although he noted that they probably watched the TV version, since his mom would not have agreed with some of the language in the film.

Joe also said that he loved the music in the film. He said that he and his dad once drove from Chicago to St. Louis listening exclusively to the film’s soundtrack. He pointed out that much of the film takes place while the characters are traveling from one place to  another, so “it makes great road trip music.”

Finally, Joe brought attention to the film’s fantastic cast, and said that he really enjoyed all of the cameos by famous musicians, that were brought in naturally and didn’t feel forced. He just finds the whole film to be fun.

Before I jump into my thoughts on The Blues Brothers, I just want to say that according to IMDB, this blog is being published on the 37th anniversary of the film’s initial release date. Another funny coincidence!

I had seen The Blues Brothers once before, and it was a year or two ago with Joe, because it’s one of his all-time favorites. Therefore, I had a fairly fresh impression of the film this time around. This may be the only film in my project that I had already seen exclusively through the lens of it being a favorite of blog’s subject’s. If that makes sense. That was a hard sentence for me to write for some reason.

This time around, Joe agreed to watch it with me again, and even made comments here and there about parts he liked, or quotes he found particularly memorable. He clearly had seen it a number of times, and was able to make sure that I paid special attention to certain scenes so that I wouldn’t overlook anything, or miss what the characters were about to say.

It was also a little sad to watch, as I believe it was the first film I’d seen with Carrie Fisher in a major role since her death. She did a great job in the film, and it was nice to be reminded of her work outside of Star Wars.

The two leads in the film do a great job, and you really buy their relationship and their ridiculous actions because of their performances. In the hands of lesser actors, Jake and Elwood could have really been terrible, even unwatchable, characters. Belushi and Aykroyd not only make them watchable, but they make you root for them, and make you want them to succeed.

I can’t finish this blog without talking about the music in the film. I’ve pointed out before that all of Joe’s family members picked films that have been turned into Broadway musicals (Groundhog Day, Elf, and Legally Blonde). Joe is the only exception, but he picked a film that is really a musical already. The music sequences in the film are so fun. They are done in such a surreal way, sort of merging the traditional musical style of characters bursting out into song with the less magical style of having the music come from characters in a film that are actually sing. The musicians in the film are so legendary, and I love that so many of them agreed to be a part of the film, and really got the humor.

That’s it for this week! Let me know what you think in the comments, and please like, follow, etc.! See you next week!

Up Next: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory