I Wanna Hold Your Hand (film)
I Wanna Hold Your Hand is a 1978 American historical comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and starring Nancy Allen, Bobby Di Cicco, Marc McClure, Susan Kendall Newman, Theresa Saldana, Eddie Deezen, and Wendie Jo Sperber.Its storyline follows a disparate group of teenagers over the course of one day in New York City as they attempt to gain entry to the Beatles' first live appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.Even though it was modestly budgeted, in order to convince Universal to bankroll it, Spielberg had to promise studio executives that, if Zemeckis was seen to be doing a markedly poor job, he would step in and direct the film himself.[1] Despite positive previews and critical response, the film was not a financial success and was considered a flop, unable to recoup its rather modest $2.8 million budget.Grace and Rosie sneak into a service elevator, while Pam hides in a basement closet and sees the group leaving to rehearse in the Ed Sullivan Theater.Realizing she is not ready to get married, Pam leaves him behind and runs to the theater, using a ticket that the Beatles' road manager Neil Aspinall gave her.The consensus states: "Its slapstick humor and familiar plot don't break any new ground, but I Wanna Hold Your Hand succeeds at recapturing the excitement of a pivotal cultural moment".[2] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote, "The gimmick behind 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' is the fact that you never actually see the Beatles; the genius of the film is that you never miss them ... the sneakiness with which the neophyte director Robert Zemeckis skirts the issue is positively dazzling.Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times described it as "exceedingly broad and boisterous", with "a clever premise, sturdy enough to aspire to American Graffiti's perceptive nostalgia, but the film zeroes in relentlessly at the widest, least discriminating audience possible.The byproduct of aiming so low so steadfastly is a dose of sheer crassness that frequently overpowers the film's buoyant energy and sense of fun".[6] Gary Arnold of The Washington Post called the film "Inconsistent but zestful", adding that "Zemeckis begins building up a head of steam and never entirely loses it, although the episodic script is an up-and-down, hit-and-miss proposition".