Pitch Perfect

Overview

A feisty coed joins a collegiate a cappella group and upgrades their song selection for the 21st century during the run-up to a major competition in this melodic comedy from Tony-nominated Avenue Q director Jason Moore. Drifting past the various cliques after arriving at college, Beca (Anna Kendrick) pays more attention to the jams pumping in her headphones than the people she passes on her way to class. But all that changes the moment she stumbles into the one place where every misfit has a voice -- the campus a cappella group. Although the competition amongst the singers proves surprisingly fierce, there's just one aspect of the group Beca can't wrap her head around: All of the songs they perform are at least a decade old. Convinced that they can do better by adding some contemporary tunes into the mix, Beca whips up an exciting new set list that will set the group apart and leave their rivals in the dust. Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/18/2012
UPC:	0025192134319
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:52:00
Sales rank:	53,014

Special Features

Deleted & extended scenes; Line-o-rama; A look inside; Feature commentaries; Starships: the Pitch Perfect music video with Mike Thompkins

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Anna Kendrick	Beca
Skylar Astin	Jesse
Rebel Wilson	Fat Amy
Ben Platt	Benji
Brittany Snow	Chloe
Anna Camp	Aubrey
Alexis Knapp	Stacie
Ester Dean	Cynthia Rose
Hana Mae Lee	Lilly
Kelley Alice Jakle	Jessica
Wanetah Walmsley	Denise
Shelley Regner	Ashley
Caroline Fourmy	Mary Elise
Nicole Lovince	Kori
Adam DeVine	Bumper
Utkarsh Ambudkar	Donald
Michael Viruet	Unicycle
David Del Rio	Kolio
Elizabeth Banks	Gail
John Michael Higgins	John
John Benjamin Hickey	Dr. Mitchell
Freddie Stroma	Luke
Jinhee Joung	Kimmy Jin
Jacob Wysocki	Justin
Jawan Harris	Timothy
Richard Kohnke	Football Player - ATO
Scott Shilstone	Frat Boy - ATO
Brock Kelly	Howie - ATO
Drew Battles	Emcee at Regional's
Katrina DeSpain	Barden Greeter
Cameron Deane Stewart	Tom
Kether Donohue	Alice
Karen Gonzales	Barb
Lauren Gros	RIAC Representative #1
Alex Biglane	RIAC Representative #2
Michael Alexander	Jewish Student
Tyler Forrest	High Note #1
Christopher Mintz-Plasse	Tommy
Christophe Beck	Composer
Mark Kilian	Composer

Technical Credits

Kay Cannon

Jeff Roda

Kay Cannon	Screenwriter
Jeff Roda	Screenwriter
Paul Brooks	Producer
Elizabeth Banks	Producer
Max Handelman	Producer
Scott Niemeyer	Executive Producer
Paul Schnee	Casting
Kerry Barden	Casting
Brian J. Armstrong	Sound Editor
Benjamin Cook	Sound Editor
Scott G.G. Haller	Sound Editor
William M. Riley	Sound Editor
Hector Gika	Sound Editor
Jeffrey Pitts	Sound Editor
Wilma Garscadden-Gahret	Script Supervisor
Paul Ledford	Sound Mixer
Lee Orloff	Sound Mixer
Jason Moore	Director
The Casting Office, Inc.	Casting

Editorial Reviews

Pitch Perfect is a spirited crowd-pleaser that successfully taps into the popularity of a cappella groups and musical competitions. Although the trope of a talented loner who reluctantly joins a tightly knit group is a familiar one, the film is filled with enough unbridled enthusiasm and heart to forgive its conventionality. Director Jason Moore, best known for helming Broadway's Avenue Q, finds the right balance between the high-energy musical performances and the quieter moments. The movie opens on the previous year's national a cappella finals. The Treblemakers (an all-male group) perform a dynamic, captivating number to win the competition, while the Bellas (an all-female group hailing from the same college as the Treblemakers) suffer an embarrassing incident on-stage. We then flash-forward to the present day and are introduced to protagonist Beca (Anna Kendrick), who makes mashup songs on her laptop and longs to work in the music biz in Los Angeles. She's reluctantly attending Barden University, but hasn't made an effort to find any friends. Her father makes her a deal: If she joins one activity on campus, he will help her move to L.A. at the end of the year. At the auditions for the a cappella groups, a wide array of amusing characters take their best shot at singing Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone."" Bella leader Aubrey (Anna Camp) and her sidekick Chloe (Brittany Snow) realize that no one fits "the look" they're aiming for, and they will need to adjust their standards if they want a shot at winning nationals. The new Bella recruits include Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson), soft talker Lilly (Hana Mae Lee), and Cynthia Rose (Ester Dean), who is initially mistaken for a man. The final member of the Bellas turns out to be Beca, who decides to audition after Chloe overhears her singing in the shower. The ladies soon discover that joining the Bellas is a lot like pledging a sorority -- all of the new members are given special scarves, are forced to take an oath, and are threatened with expulsion if any of them hook up with a Treblemaker. The Bellas' road to the national competition is full of amusing rehearsals, a cappella battles at the bottom of an empty swimming pool, and internal squabbles over old-fashioned song choices. Meanwhile, Beca's personal life begins to blossom. She and Jesse (Skylar Astin), her co-worker at the college radio station and -- GASP! -- a Treblemaker, bond over their future aspirations and mutual love of music. Jesse wants to be a film composer, and he introduces her to one of his favorite movies, The Breakfast Club. Based on Mickey Rapkin's nonfiction book of the same name, Pitch Perfect is successful at creating a world in which being a member of an a cappella group is the coolest thing on campus. Screenwriter Kay Cannon (30 Rock, New Girl) provides a lot of sassy dialogue and funny setups, but unfortunately, the story is populated with one-dimensional characters. Fat Amy, played by scene-stealer Rebel Wilson, is absolutely hilarious, but her character development is limited to her explaining that she calls herself Fat Amy because it's what people refer to her as behind her back. And Aubrey, the uptight, beautiful leader of the Bellas, could have benefited from a moment where she reveals another side of herself to the audience. The film feels a bit too long and repetitive, but the abundance of catchy songs and enjoyable moments will be enough to keep its target audience entertained during the almost-two-hour run time.