Biopics have become a key genre of mainstream cinema in recent years, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and The Dirt. Audiences have come to love tales of those who have achieved legendary status through their work, those who have dealt with hardships of the worst nightmares yet risen back, and finally those who will never be forgotten. John Lennon is a household name, everyone is aware of his songs and his activism, yet the story of his tortured childhood is less well known. Sam Taylor-Johnson’s Nowhere Boy explores the singer’s troubled youth and creates for a gut-wrenching emotional but compelling viewing.
A play on words based on Lennon’s song Nowhere Man, Nowhere Boy focuses on a teenage Lennon (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and his relationships with his estranged mother Julia (Anne-Marie Duff), his cold and aloof aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) whom he grew up with and his new friend Paul McCartney (Thomas Brodie-Sangster). After Lennon’s uncle (The one relative he has a friendly relationship with) suddenly passes, he emotionally shuts off from the reality of his internal isolation. His mother suddenly re-enters the fold, claiming she always loved him and wanted to raise him as her own but he was in fact stolen from her from his aunt Mimi. Failing at school and getting into trouble, Julia teaches John the banjo in order to keep him both creative and productive. These simple lessons taught whilst John should be at school was the birth of the most iconic band of all time.
Julia and Mimi play tug of war with John, Julia treats him kindly but it is hinted this is taking a toll on her health constantly giving John attention, whereas Mimi may treat John with disdain and has no support for his musical efforts, but deep down she only wants what she believes is best for him, a good education. This game neither woman wants to play also has an adverse effect on the teenager who is at war with himself due to the lack of true love shown by anyone. His form of escapism is his music with Paul and their band The Quarrymen. Becoming the hottest thing in town, Julia is their number one fan and shows her support and love to the band and all their friends, however, this only upsets John further by showing him the love he missed out on for fifteen years thus confronts Julia at his own birthday party saying to her ‘She (Paul’s mother) had cancer. What’s your excuse?’ Showing John’s cynical almost nasty wit. John then asks her about his dad and why for his whole life he’s had to explain to people that his parents are his aunt and uncle.
Mimi reveals that John’s father kidnapped him when he was a toddler intending to take him to New Zealand, so the parents decided to let a toddler decide where he wanted to spend the rest of his life, knowing he will most likely never see the other parent again. John decided his dad Alf (Colin Tierney) was whom he wanted to stay with, however Julia without saying a word just left like it meant nothing, so John chased her down the road and cuddled her crying, this is when Mimi stole John providing him with a stable upbringing, knowing he will not get it elsewhere. Despite a now teenage Lennon finding all of this out, despite minimal flashbacks during his dreams, he vents all his emotion in classical John Lennon fashion, with love, claiming he will not hold it against his mother and will hope to start anew, and hoping that Mimi and Julia could also do the same. This fresh start also includes John becoming fully independent and moving out.
Mimi and Julia begin to patch their relationship and enjoy spending time together. John is finally happy that the tug of war between the three of them has now ended with each of them loving one another. Tragedy strikes once more though as when leaving Mimi’s one sunny afternoon, a car fatally struck Julia. This is hauntingly juxtaposed with John showing Paul his new song ‘Hello Little Girl.’ Again John sinks into a deep depression, with only music as a means of escape.
The film ends with Mimi finally proud of John’s band (with a new name she is not interested in) as they head to Hamburg for their first international tour. Mimi agrees to sign John’s forms for a passport, unsure whether to sign as a parent or guardian John tells her ‘both’ in a sincere end to the story. Mimi reminds John to phone her as soon as he can in Hamburg. The film fades to black with John walking away from Mimi’s in peace, with connotations of freedom and individuality. Text comes on the screen saying John phoned Mimi every week for the rest of his life.
Biopics often embellish details and Nowhere Boy is not an exception as the real Paul McCartney discussed saying John never did punch him as he does in the film, however the core details of the film are accurate and provide a heartbreaking story and an explanation to John’s split personality of a man with a snide nasty side, yet who only wanted a peace and love amongst Earth. Truly one of a kind, Lennon wondered as a teenager ‘Why can’t God make me Elvis?’ and the answer is simply ‘He was saving you for John Lennon.’
