High Fidelity, 2000
Director
Cast
- John Cusack
- Jack Black
- Iben Hjejle
- Todd Louiso
- Catherine Zeta-Jones
- Lisa Bonet
- Lili Taylor
- Tim Robbins
- Joan Cusack
visit the film locations
Chicago: Flights: O'Hare International Airport
Enjoy jazz at: the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, 4802 North Broadway Avenue at Lawrence (tel: 773.878.5552)
Check out the bands at: Double Door, 1572 North Milwaukee Avenue, Wicker Park (tel: 773.489.3160)
The Rainbo Club, 1150 North Damen (tel: 312.489.5999)
Enjoy a steak at Smith & Wollensky, 318 North State Street, Marina City (tel: 312.670.9900)
Catch a show at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport Avenue (tel: 773.871.6604)
High Fidelity location: ‘Championship Vinyl’, the record store of pop geek Rob Gordon: North Milwaukee Avenue at Honore, Wicker Park, Chicago
Nick Hornby’s novel is transposed with surprising success from London to the trendy Wicker Park district of Chicago.
‘Championship Vinyl’, the record store of pop geek and serial rejectee Rob Gordon (John Cusack) was an empty store at 1500 North Milwaukee Avenue and North Honore Street (the interior was a studio set). In September 2008, the store was still vacant and boarded-up. Don’t be disappointed – you can pick up secondhand vinyl only a few doors away, at Reckless Records, 1532 North Milwaukee.
Rob’s high school is Lane Technical High School, 2501 West Addison Street, and he waits on the Armitage Street Station for a train to work.
High Fidelity location: Rob sees Marie De Salle: Soiree Bar Bistro, 2438 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
The bar where Rob goes to hear Marie De Salle (Lisa Bonet) was Lounge Ax, 2438 North Lincoln Avenue, in the De Paul district, which closed in early 2000. The space is now Soiree Bar Bistro. It’s across from the famous Biograph Theatre where, as Rob points out, John Dillinger was shot.
High Fidelity location: Rejection No. 2: Music Box Theatre, North Southport Avenue, Chicago
He sees a movie with Rejection No.2, film critic Penny, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 North Southport Avenue, and they drink after at Strega Nona, now revamped as Take Five, 3747 North Southport Avenue, next door. Hi Ricky Restaurant (now closed), 3730 North Southport Avenue is where he takes Rejection No. 4, messed-up Sarah (Lili Taylor).
High Fidelity location: the jazz club: Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, North Broadway Avenue, Chicago
It’s in jazz club the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge, 4802 North Broadway Avenue at Lawrence, with its ‘Al Capone drank here often’ sign that Rob reminisces about Laura (Iben Hjejle).
High Fidelity location: uncomfortable information: Smith & Wollensky, North State Street, Marina City, Chicago
Meanwhile, Laura tells Rob’s sister Liz (real-life sister Joan Cusack) four pieces of uncomfortable information in steakhouse Smith & Wollensky, 318 North State Street in Marina City, at the foot of Chicago’s giant ‘corncobs’.
High Fidelity location: tentative proposal: Rainbo Club, North Damen, Wicker Park, Chicago
On the Kinzie Street Bridge, Rob lists the things he misses about Laura, before tentatively proposing to her over a lunchtime drink at the The Rainbo Club, 1150 North Damen at Haddon Avenue.
High Fidelity location: Barry gets to perform: Double Door, 1572 North Milwaukee Avenue, Wicker Park, Chicago
It’s back to Wicker Park’s main drag, only a few hundred yards along from the ‘Championship Vinyl’ storefront for the launch party of ‘I Sold My Mom’s Wheelchair’, where Barry (Jack Black) finally gets to perform, which is Double Door, 1572 North Milwaukee Avenue.
