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The ‘BlackBerry’ Director Had Never Touched a BlackBerry Before

For those familiar with his work—largely in ,” by the post-hardcore ’90s band Slint in a key scene. It’s a pretty obscure track to get such prominent placement.

Why did you choose to use that song, especially in such a funny way—playing in a New York taxi cab?

There’s two big reasons. The first one is, when I was preparing this movie, I was trying to find the soundtrack. I was driving in a car with a friend, and she was playing all kinds of early ’90s music. We were listening to Tweez, which is Slint’s first album, and that got us thinking that maybe we should put some Spiderland [the band’s second, final record] in this.

You obviously do know the band, but [Slint was] one of these bands that I think could have been [as big as] the Pixies, but they broke up and decided they hate one another. [“Good Morning, Captain”] is, in some ways, a breakup song.

It absolutely is!

BlackBerry is about a friendship ending, in a way. The relationship that my character [Doug] and Mike have … it’s almost like I’m looking out for this guy. I thought that was a more interesting way of showing a breakup, [and that it] would be so interesting to have that guy betray me, because I would never see that coming. I was defending [him]! These themes are all in that song to me—it just seems so thematically resonant with where the film was going to go.

And yes, you are right that it is maybe slightly insane that a taxi cab in New York would be listening to Slint. But, you know, there’s all kinds of interesting cab drivers out there that would be tuned into god-knows-what kind of college radio.

It’s true! One last question: Do you know if the real Mike, Jim, and Doug have seen the movie yet? Have you talked to them?

We haven’t spoken to any of them, but I do know that they have varying degrees of curiosity around it, and they haven’t seen it yet. I’m really looking forward to possibly doing a screening and Q&A with them in Toronto.

I know that Jim has been actively asking about it. His girlfriend had emailed one of the producers, being like, “He read a review, and yes, Jim really does like those songs. He really does love Joy Division. How did you guys know?” So I know that there’s an interest in it [from them].

Your music taste proves on-point.

I think, to be honest, Jim will be quite happy, even though maybe there’s some audiences who think he comes off as brash or cruel. I don’t think he’ll see that. I think he’s lionized in a way, and Glenn’s take of him is so kind, and he looks like a movie star.

I can’t predict what they’ll think, because everybody has their own vision of themselves. […] But I can only hope that they enjoy it, and that they aren’t upset. But even then, I mean, we tried to tell the truth, right?

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