A rebellious teenager, future Beatle John Lennon lives with his Aunt Mimi in working-class mid-1950s Liverpool, England. Mimi's husband suddenly dies, and John spies his mother Julia at the funeral. Despite Mimi's misgivings, John intends to have a real relationship with his mother. Julia introduces him to popular music and the banjo and, though a family conflict looms, young John is inspired to form his own band.
Acting
Anne-Marie Duff's chaotic, magnetic Julia steals every scene.
Direction
Sam Taylor-Johnson makes 1950s Liverpool feel alive and suffocating.
Score
Early rock'n'roll covers that feel discovery-fresh.
Director
Sam Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
John Lennon
Anne-Marie Duff
Julia Lennon
Kristin Scott Thomas
Mimi Smith
David Threlfall
George Toogood Smith
David Morrissey
Bobby Dykins
Thomas Brodie-Sangster
Paul McCartney
Josh Bolt
Pete Shotton
Ophelia Lovibond
Maria Kennedy
Andrew Buchan
Michael Fishwick
Jack McElhone
Eric Griffiths
Colin Tierney
Alf Lennon
Kerrie Hayes
Corrine, Marie's Friend
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson and star Aaron Taylor-Johnson met on set and later married—talk about life imitating art.
The film's based on Julia Baird's memoir, giving it complexity that simple biopics often miss—this isn't hagiography, it's messy truth.
GB
