THE LAST FIVE YEARS

US, 2015, 90 minutes, Colour.
Anna Kendrick, Jeremy Jordan.
Directed by Richard La Gravanese.

This film is based on a musical play by Tony-award winner, Jason Roberts Brown. It has been directed by celebrated writer and director, Richard La Gravenese (Living Out Loud, P.S.I Love You, Freedom Writers).

The stars of the film are Jeremy Jordan as an up-and-coming Jewish novelist and Anna Kendrick as a struggling actress. The film shows the progress of their relationship over five years – but, with the songs for Anna Kendrick moving in chronological order forwards and Jeremy Jordan’s songs beginning from the end and moving towards the beginning. The plotline moves to the halfway point and the proposal.

Some audiences will find the film very difficult to sit through, 95% of it sung.

Both the actors are pleasant screen personalities and Anna Kendrick has sung in the Pitch Perfect films as well as sometimes Into the Woods.


1. The style of film? Music, song, drama, the staging of the songs, dance, performance? A different kind of film genre?

2. The style of the music, piano accompaniment, orchestra? The recitatif style of the singing?

3. New York, New Jersey, Ohio – a piece of Americana?

4. Anna Kendrick as Cathy? Jeremy Jordan as Jamie? Age, personalities, the range of songs, style of singing? Solo, duet?

5. Cathy and Jamie as characters, their age, the different backgrounds, their experiences, falling in love, their lifestyles, the tensions, different careers, infidelity, the break?

6. The possibilities of their staying together?

7. The title, the opening with Jamie leaving, the chronology, moving backwards and forwards, the dramatic effect, understanding each of the characters, their love, the break?

8. The opening, Jamie and his leaving, and the reference to the past years?

9. Cathy in herself, love, the past, talent, singing, the range of auditions, the performances in Ohio, the grinning dancers, West Side Story, the Sound of Music? The effect on her, going to New York, the range of auditions, lining up, the many girls, the people auditioning, listening or not? The song with her recitatif of all that was happening in herself and with the people auditioning? Not being able to perform in New York? Support of Jamie’s career, the build-up to the wedding and the ceremony, not able to support Jamie fully, going to the book readings, not wanting to go to the parties, the clash? His leaving?

10. Jamie as a character, a writer, success, the readings, the parties, the effect on him, his wanting support from Cathy? The importance of the communication song, Skyping each other and illustrating their love?

11. What went wrong? Could the relationship be fixed? Possibilities could talk, listening – and not listening? Jamie and his women?

12. The goodbye song, yet still loving, Cathy arriving and going into the building?

13. The effect of the experience, the importance of the music, the singing, the revelation of character, situations, regrets?