Blue Jasmine - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Blue Jasmine or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Blue Jasmine

[miriam]

In Sophia Loren's memoir "Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow: My Life", the screen legend reveals that she still absorbs inspiration from other actors to enhance her own acting portrayals, saying, "Recently, I was struck by the last scene in Blue Jasmine (2013), where Cate Blanchett has an expression on her face I'd never seen before. That expression crept inside me, and it lies there waiting to germinate a new plant, a new flower."

[russell]

Because Woody Allen doesn't get into motivation or background of a character when he's directing actors, Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins got together and invented the background for the sisters' relationship. So every scene when they talked about their past, although it's vague on the script and for the viewer, they both knew exactly what the sisters are talking about.

[oscar]

Michael Stuhlbarg and Bobby Cannavale both appeared in Boardwalk Empire (2010).

[jesse]

The storyline is loosely based upon the 1947 play "A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams.

[marc]

After Alice (1990) and To Rome With Love (2012), this is the third Woody Allen film in which Alec Baldwin appears.

[morris]

Jasmine French (Cate Blanchett) mentions the Masters golf tournament. One of the holes at Augusta National, where the Masters tournament is played, is named Yellow Jasmine.

[maureen]

Bradley Cooper was considered for a role but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

[kristina]

Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins were the only members of the cast to have the complete script during filming. This is not surprising, given that Woody Allen tends to keep his story lines secret, even from the cast.

[mathew]

This is the only Woody Allen film in which two principal American characters are played by non-natives: Australian Cate Blanchett and British Sally Hawkins.

[kim]

Woody Allen's third film with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, after Manhattan (1979) and Anything Else (2003). Unlike those films, which were shot with anamorphic lenses, this was shot with spherical lenses in Super 35.

[jessie]

Many critics believe that the film is a reimagining of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. Coincidentally, Cate Blanchett and Alec Baldwin have both appeared in productions of the play. Blanchett played Blanche in a 2009 revival by the Sydney Theatre Company, while Baldwin played Stanley in the 1992 Broadway revival. Baldwin also went on to play Stanley in the 1995 film adaptation of the play, alongside Jessica Lange as Blanche.

[bernice]

After Cassandra's Dream (2007), this was Sally Hawkins' second collaboration with Woody Allen. She received a total of 25 award nominations for her performance in this film, including her first Oscar nomination.

[nicholas]

Dr. Flicker, the dentist and employer of Jasmine in the movie, is a recurring character in Allen's films. Most notably, he is Alvy Singer's childhood doctor, featured in the first flashback of Annie Hall (1977).

[chris]

The character of Jasmine French (Cate Blanchett) is based on Ruth Madoff, wife of Wall Street swindler Bernie Madoff. After Madoff's Ponzi scheme collapsed in 2008, he was sent to prison. Ruth Madoff moved to Boca Raton, Florida, where she lived in a condo with her sister, Joan Ramon, and Ramon's husband, both of whom had been victims of Bernie Madoff's swindle. After losing millions, Ramon and her husband were operating a car service to make ends meet. Also, like Jasmine, Ruth Madoff became estranged from her two sons, who had reported their father's Ponzi scheme to the SEC. While one of her sons, Mark, committed suicide in 2011, Ruth eventually reconciled with her other son, Andrew, and he provided a house for her to live in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

[sara]

Costume designer Suzy Benzinger had a budget of only $35,000. The Hermès bag that Jasmine carries was worth more than the entire budget and was borrowed, as were most of the designer outfits.

[gerald]

Cate Blanchett (Jasmine French) studied the 60 Minutes (1968) interview with Ruth Madoff, the wife of disgraced Wall Street swindler Bernie Madoff, to emulate certain vocal inflections and body language that Ruth displayed in order to capture the essence of a woman whose once wealthy and privileged world comes crumbling down around her.

[charlie]

Louis C.K. originally auditioned for the role of Augie, eventually played by Andrew Dice Clay. Woody Allen felt that C.K. was too nice to play the role and offered him the role of Al Munsinger instead.

[lena]

On-screen father and son Alec Baldwin and Alden Ehrenreich both share a role with Harrison Ford. Baldwin played Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October (1990), a role taken over by Ford in Patriot Games (1992). Ehrenreich appears in the forthcoming Han Solo film.