The Brilliant Comedy That Got Jack Black His Dramatic Role In King Kong

There's no need to keep anyone in suspense: that titular brilliant comedy — you know it, I know it — is Stephen Frears' beloved 2000 classic "High Fidelity." Based on the great Nick Hornby's bestselling novel from 1995, the movie adaptation led by John Cusack was (and still is) an absolute banger that completely swept critics and viewers away when it was released at the dawn of the aughts. So it's hardly a surprise that the film spoke volumes to "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson, too, who went on to say in a 2004 statement (via Variety), "I've been wanting to work with Jack Black ever since I saw him in 'High Fidelity.'" Adding, "I have no doubt Jack will make (Carl Denham) a truly memorable character," as a reason why he cast the comedian-actor-musician in his famous 2005 blockbuster, "King Kong," alongside Naomi Watts.

Black's supporting role in Frears' rom-com as Barry Judd was among the first where he practically played a (slightly exaggerated) version of himself — with a no-holds-barred intensity and an infinite stamina that made his salesclerk an endlessly entertaining comic relief. In the movie, Barry is an employee of Championship Vinyl (run by Cusack's protagonist), a not-exactly-booming record store. It serves more like a place where three 30-something music nerds gather to argue about pop, rock and roll arbitrarily, and failed relationships while coming up with totally unsolicited "Top 5" lists aligning with their quirky personalities.

So Barry isn't really there to sell records but rather to take offense to virtually every customer's taste, and lecture them about how they should go to the mall to buy Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You" because it's "sentimental, tacky crap" that they have in stock but don't want to sell there. This isn't that kind of shop. And that example alone should tell you why this was a more-than-ideal part for someone as rambunctious as Jack Black.

Maybe it wouldn't be entirely accurate to call "High Fidelity" an era-defining classic, but if you were a teenager in the early 2000s like me, chances are you instantly resonated with it, too. Even if you didn't live in America (I'm from Europe) and your music taste somewhat differed from the ones highlighted in the movie, there was something in its depiction about that universal feeling of heartbreak (girl dumps boy for an older man) that made you connect with Cusack's sensitive and introverted Rob in a matter of minutes. It also helped that his sharply written voiceover (courtesy of Hornby's excellent source material) was elevated by an exquisite soundtrack that channelled all the vibes and emotions that needed to be felt throughout the film. That's not to say that "High Fidelity" was a mopey bummer because nothing can be a mopey bummer where Jack Black gets to be unabashedly and frivolously Jack Black with impunity.

That's just the thing: "High Fidelity" managed to strike a balance between scathing humor and an endearing poignancy — a buddy comedy and a bittersweet rom-com — to tell a heartfelt story replete with unforgettable tunes, passion, and self-deprecation. And that special mixture, combined with top-tier performances, easily found an audience that has been championing the feature (including myself) ever since. Although it didn't explode at the box office, "High Fidelity" brought in over $47 million worldwide on a $30 million budget. It wasn't as cataclysmic as "School of Rock" three years later (in which Black deservedly got the lead) that rocked the box office with a whopping $131 million, but it didn't need to be. If you ask me, "High Fidelity" will always be remembered as a cult classic, securing a place in the pantheon of all-time best comedies, and inspiring an equally great TV series that was canceled too soon.

And the fact that a reputable filmmaker like Peter Jackson praised it and cited it as why he chose Jack Black to star in one of its movies is just another proof that solidifies its greatness.