20 Things You Didn't Know About High Fidelity

18. Nick Hornby's Novel Was Set In London Rather Than Chicago

Nick Hornby's original 1995 novel of the same name was actually set in London, but the author had no qualms at all about the screenwriters ultimately deciding to shift the drama to Chicago.

The decision was largely made due to their greater familiarity with Chicago culturally-speaking. Cusack said, "When I read the book I knew where everything was in Chicago. I knew where the American Rob went to school and dropped out, where he used to spin records. I knew two or three different record shops when I was growing up that had a Rob, a Dick and a Barry in them."

The general feeling among the writers was that the change could be made without betraying the spirit of Hornby's book, and that ultimately proved to be true: High Fidelity is less about its setting but more the people and the music scene they inhabit.