Line #36 Film/BeginAgain


1	[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/begin_again_2013.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:310:''[[TagLine You're only as strong as your next move.]]'']]
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4	''Begin Again'' is a 2013 American musical comedy-drama film written and directed by John Carney about an aspiring singer-songwriter (Creator/KeiraKnightley) who is discovered by a struggling record label executive (Creator/MarkRuffalo) and collaborates with him to produce an album recorded in public locations all over New York City.
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6	Carney began writing the film after the success of his 2007 musical film ''Film/{{Once}}''. The film was partly inspired by Carney’s own experiences as a musician in a band and his interactions with record label A&R executives in the 1990s. Keira Knightley, who had never sung professionally before, trained for her role with a vocal coach and learned to play the guitar.
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8	The film's supporting cast includes Creator/CatherineKeener, Creator/HaileeSteinfeld, Creator/AdamLevine, Creator/JamesCorden, and Music/CeeLoGreen. The music score was composed by Music/NewRadicals' Gregg Alexander, with the song “Lost Stars” earning an MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestOriginalSong nomination.
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11	!!This film provides examples of:
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13	* ActorAllusion: Creator/AdamLevine (Dave) and Music/CeeLoGreen (Troublegum) who appear in the film, were judges on ''Series/TheVoice'' together.
14	* AmicableExes: Dan and Miriam, who fight a lot sometimes about their daughter but still manage to interact on good terms. [[spoiler: Eventually, they get back together.]]
15	* AwardBaitSong: "Lost Stars" was nominated for an Oscar but lost to "Glory" from Film/{{Selma}}.
16	* AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity: Discussed when Dan picks his daughter up from school.
17	--> '''Dan''': You want to go to the park and get ice cream or what?\
18	'''Violet''': Why would I want to do that? I'm not ten.
19	* BettyAndVeronica:
20	** Gretta eventually finds herself torn between nice guy Dan and her bad boy ex, Dave.
21	** Gretta is this (Betty) to Dave (Archie) before he cheats on her with Mim (Veronica).
22	* BigApplesauce: Dan wants Gretta to record an album using New York's background noises.
23	* BitchSlap: Gretta delivers one to Dave after listening to a song he wrote and discovering that he's cheated on her.
24	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Dave loses Gretta by breaking his promise to get, but Gretta finally gets some closure about her ex and moves on. Also, Dan reconciles with his ex-wife Miriam and Gretta's album becomes number one online while Dan gets fired from his job again (even if it was a joke)]].
25	* BlatantLies: Dave tells Gretta that he wrote a new song dedicated to her while he was "inspired in L.A". Then Gretta listens to it and things go downhill from there.
26	* BondingThroughSharedEarbuds: Dan keeps a headphone splitter in his car as a memory of his first date with his ex-wife -- they shared it listening to her CD as they walked around New York City. He and Gretta later do the same thing with the headphone splitter, and they walk around the city in a montage that culminates in a romantic moment.
27	* BreakupSong: Gretta records one with Steve's help for Dave to tell him she moved on.
28	* CannotTellALie: Dave finds it hard to keep a straight face during the listening to the song, making it that much easier for Gretta to figure out he cheated on her.
29	* ChekhovsHobby: Through dialog and a short scene in her room, we learn that Dan's daughter plays the guitar. That skill doesn't go wastes as she later comes to play with the band.
30	* DaddysGirl: Violet becomes this to Dan, even if their father-daughter bond doesn't take off very well.
31	* DidNotGetTheGuy: [[spoiler: Gretta doesn't take Dave back after he breaks his promise to her and she finally sees him as a lost cause and leaves. Also, despite the tension building up between her and Dan earlier, she sees that Dan has reconciled with his ex-wife and she's okay with that.]]
32	* DivorceIsTemporary: After a while of WillTheyOrWontThey, [[spoiler: Dan gets back together with his ex-wife Miriam.]]
33	* EyesNeverLie: Gretta can tell that Dave has cheated on her simply just by looking into his eyes while listening to his new song "A Higher Place".
34	* FatBestFriend: Steve is this to Gretta.
35	* FeedbackRule: When Gretta plays guitar and sings on stage, there is a noticeable mic feedback at one point. It's questionable why, because that part wasn't louder than others, and was probably added so the audience knows that this is indeed a live performance.
36	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Steve, telling Gretta that he could soon record an album in his apartment because of all the intruments he got for cheap. It comes true later on, though not inside the apartment.
37	* GoodTimesMontage: In a montage we see the lead characters walking through the city with their headphones on, singing to different songs.
38	* HowWeGotHere: The opening scene at the bar is not the first scene chronologically. In flashbacks we learn how each of the protagonists came to be there that night.
39	* {{Improv}}: Much of the film is improvised.
40	* IntercourseWithYou: Dave's song "A Higher Place" which Gretta immediately interprets as this and slaps him across the face when she realizes she's not the girl in the song he's singing about.
41	* LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler:Dan and Miriam.]]
42	* LoveTriangle: Gretta torn between her ex Dave and her growing friendship with Dan. Also Dan between Gretta and his ex-wife Miriam.
43	* MistakenForRomance: Miriam sees Dan leave with his friend Gretta and thinks they're an item.
44	* MomentKiller: After Dan and Gretta explore New York with the headphone splitter, it is clear that something would've happened in the apartment if James Corden's character hadn't popped up from behind the counter.
45	* MyCard: Dan is handing our his business card to various people including the female lead.
46	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Dave's affair with his producer Mim comes back to bite him when he tries to reconcile with Gretta, who brings up the name every chance to spite him.
47	* OutOfJobIntoThePlot: Dan, a formerly successful record label executive, is fired at the beginning of the film. He goes on a drinking binge which leads him to a bar where he hears Gretta performing for the first time.
48	* ParentalNeglect: During an argument, Dan and his ex-wife Miriam accuse the other of doing this when discussing the cause of their daughter's provocative dressing.
49	* PedoHunt: Dan and Miriam discuss this in an argument as Miriam points out to him that one of the problems is that nobody wants to talk to Violet and the only guys who do are "older guys who want to f--k her".
50	* PrecisionFStrike: In "Like A Fool":
51	--> ''And you have broken every single'' '''''fucking''''' rule''
52	--> ''And I have loved you like a fool''
53	* PlotMandatedFriendshipFailure: Downplayed. Dan and Gretta have a minor dispute over his relationship to his daughter. He leaves the restaurant in a rage but both reconcile soon after.
54	* QuickNip: Dan seems to have some [[TheAlcoholic problems with the bottle]] as he is seen nipping from his flask a couple of times.
55	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech:
56	** After seeing Dave's award speech, Gretta calls him out on his selfishness ''in song'', via the track "Like A Fool".
57	** Gretta also calls out her ex boyfriend and his new lover in "A Step You Can't Take Back".
58	* RomanticFalseLead: Dave to Gretta, once it becomes clear to her that he is a lost cause. Also, Gretta is this to Dan once it becomes clear who he finally decides to become romantically close with -- his ex-wife Miriam whom he has feelings for and reconciles with by the film's end.
59	* ShoutOut: Dan mentions that his daughter is dressed like Jodie Foster from ''Film/TaxiDriver''.
60	** The Electric Lady recording studio was also featured in ''Film/NickAndNorahsInfinitePlaylist'' (2008).
61	** In the film, Dave Kohl's debut album is titled ''Jane's Last Day''. The title of the album parodies the debut album ''Songs About Jane'' by Adam Levine's band Music/Maroon5.
62	* ShesAllGrownUp: Dan's reaction when he sees his young daughter, especially since she's wearing an inappropriate style of outfit.
63	* ShowerOfLove. Discussed by Dan as an option when taking a shower at his ex-wife's.
64	* SmallRoleBigImpact: Music producer Mim, who has only one line and two scenes total, [[spoiler: is responsible for Dave and Gretta's relationship ending due to her affair with Dave]].
65	* {{Stripperiffic}}: Violet's outfit which exposes her stomach and also comes with very short shorts. Highly inappropriate since she's 14. Her dad clearly doesn't approve of the wardrobe choice and Gretta lampshades it when Violet comes to her asking for advice about a boy she likes.
66	->'''Gretta:''' He's into you. So stop dressing like you're easy.
67	* TroublingUnchildlikeBehavior: PlayedForLaughs example. Dan sees some kids playing basketball and he asks if they can contribute their vocals. The children tell Dan they'll only agree if they can have cigarettes. Dan compromises, offering 10 lollipops and one cigarette for them to share as long as they can help with the singing on the track.
68	* UnusualEuphemism: [[spoiler: "I was inspired in L.A."]]
69	* UnresolvedSexualTension: There is clearly some sexual tension between Dan and Gretta, especially after the music sharing scene, and right after when he takes her back to the apartment.
70	** Also, Dan and his ex-wife Miriam.
71	** And Gretta with her ex Dave.
72	* WillTheyOrWontThey: Dan and Gretta as they grow closer. Also, Dan and his flirty sarcastic banter with his ex-wife Miriam.
73	* YoungerThanTheyLook: Violet, who's only fourteen but dresses inappropriately and acts beyond her years, much to her father's shock and confusion. This is also Lampshaded by Gretta later in the film.

Context Film / BeginAgain