1985 American television biopic
John and Yoko: A Love Story
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Genre
| Biography
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Screenplay by
| Sandor Stern
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Story by
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Directed by
| Sandor Stern
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Starring
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Country of origin
| United States
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Original language
| English
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Executive producer
| John J. McMahon
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Producer
| Aida Young
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Cinematography
| Alan Hume
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Editor
| Ralph Sheldon
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Running time
| 146 minutes
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Production company
| Carson Productions
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Network
| NBC
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Release
| December 2, 1985
(
1985-12-02
)
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John and Yoko: A Love Story
is a 1985 American
made-for-television
biographical film
that chronicles the lives of
John Lennon
and
Yoko Ono
, beginning just before they met in 1966 and concluding with
Lennon's murder
in 1980. The movie was made with the co-operation of Ono, who controlled the song rights. It was directed by
Sandor Stern
and stars
Mark McGann
as Lennon and
Kim Miyori
as Ono.
Plot
[
edit
]
On August 19, 1966, protestors burn their Beatles records and paraphernalia after Lennon says
The Beatles are more popular than Jesus
. When a
firecracker
is thrown onto the stage the group decides to stop touring.
John meets
Yoko Ono
, who is married and has a daughter. John brings her to the studio with him, causing friction with the other Beatles. The Beatles manager,
Brian Epstein
, dies of an accidental overdose of
sleeping pills
. John develops a crush on Yoko.
In 1968, The Beatles and their partners travel to
India
for
transcendental meditation
with the
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
. On his return, John invites Yoko to his house while their partners are both away. They record songs together and consummate their relationship at dawn.
John and Yoko stage art exhibitions and plant
acorns
for peace. John is arrested for possession of
hashish
, and Paul bails him out. Yoko
miscarries
John's baby. John, Yoko, Kyoko, and
Julian
are hurt in a car accident. Paul marries
Linda Eastman
, and John marries Yoko in
Gibraltar
. He starts playing with Yoko's
Plastic Ono Band
.
John and Yoko stage "
Bed-Ins for Peace
" in
Amsterdam
and
Montreal
, which receive wide attention. Paul signs with his father in-law
Lee Eastman
as manager; John, George, and Ringo sign with
Allen Klein
. Yoko again miscarries. In 1970, The Beatles disband and Yoko is widely blamed by the public.
A year later, Yoko's ex-husband Tony Cox refuses to let Yoko see their daughter Kyoko, in breach of the granting of joint custody. Yoko takes Kyoko during a trip to
Mallorca
, Spain, but is charged with kidnapping.
In 1971, John and Yoko emigrate to New York, where he records his hit solo album
Imagine
. They are threatened with deportation, spied on, and their house is bugged. Tony is jailed for denying access to Kyoko. Yoko obtains full custody of Kyoko but does not know where she is.
Upset at
Richard Nixon
's 1972
re-election
, John gets drunk and has sex with another woman, prompting Yoko to say she still loves him but that they need time apart. He goes to Los Angeles and begins an affair with music producer
May Pang
. He and
Harry Nilsson
are thrown out of the
Troubadour nightclub
for drunkenly
heckling
The Smothers Brothers
.
In 1974,
Nixon resigns
and
Elton John
collaborates on Lennon's song "
Whatever Gets You Through the Night
" for his new album
Walls and Bridges
, and makes a deal for a concert appearance if the song hits #1. When it does, Lennon joins Elton's
Madison Square Garden concert
in November, and sings "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" with him. Afterwards, John encounters Yoko backstage and Elton reveals he had known she was in the audience. John and Yoko reunite, and on October 9, 1975, John's 35th birthday, Yoko gives birth by
Caesarean section
to their son
Sean
. John learns that the deportation order against him has been overturned.
John decides to retire to raise Sean for the first five years of his life, becoming a
house spouse
while Yoko runs a business. Three years later, Julian visits John and has a jamming session with him and three-year-old Sean. Kyoko wants to visit for Christmas but is unable to, leaving Yoko sad.
In 1980, John is amazed by
new-wave music
and starts writing songs again for a new album. John and Yoko record first
Double Fantasy
, and then
Milk and Honey
.
On December 8, after a recording session, John suggests they go on tour when the album is released. Yoko asks that they go and eat, but John wants to go home and see Sean. After arriving, John hears his name called, and turns to face a man (
Mark David Chapman
) pointing a gun at him and about to shoot. The death of John Lennon is never shown onscreen and just goes through the text saying that John Lennon died on December 8 1980.
The ending says, "
John Lennon
died on December 8, 1980". The picture during the credits shows
John Lennon
and
Yoko Ono
while the credits show the cast.
Main cast
[
edit
]
Production
[
edit
]
The production of the movie required various song rights only available from
Yoko Ono
, thereby granting her some control over the content.
[1]
John J. McMahon was executive producer, and
Sandor Stern
wrote and directed. Stern was chosen after a script by
Edward Hume
was rejected by Ono after it depicted too much drug abuse.
[1]
Mark Lindsay
was originally considered for the role of John Lennon. Yoko Ono had been deeply involved in the production and had herself been initially impressed with his audition and approved his casting prior to discovering his full name was Mark Lindsay Chapman. She then nixed his casting on the grounds it was "bad karma" as his name was similar to
Mark David Chapman
.
[2]
Lindsay was quietly paid off and the role went to Mark McGann. Eventually, Lindsay did portray Lennon, in the film
Chapter 27
(2007), which ironically had Mark David Chapman as the lead character.
[3]
Mike Myers
has an early uncredited appearance in the film as a young deliveryman.
[4]
Reviews
[
edit
]
John J. O'Connor's review in
The New York Times
praised the acting of McGann and Miyori in the title roles. However, he found the movie to be often "ploddingly dull" and the songs the "best part of the show."
[1]
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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