20 Things You Didn't Know About High Fidelity

8. Stephen Frears Only Agreed To Direct Because He Wanted To Work With John Cusack Again

After being offered the directing gig, Stephen Frears read Hornby's novel and, despite enjoying it, felt that he simply didn't connect emotionally with the material because it wasn't about his generation - him having been born in 1941.

But what ultimately convinced Frears to take the job was a desire to work with John Cusack once again. The two had previously teamed on the sublime 1990 neo-noir The Grifters, which starred Cusack and ultimately netted Frears a Best Director Oscar nomination.

Frears also found the idea of shifting the novel's location to Chicago an inspired one, and signed on the dotted line.