“There’s the first one. There’s the right one. And there’s the one you never forget.” Jill’s a drama major, headed for college. Sheik’s a drop-out, headed for nowhere. They’re as different as day and night, but they share a powerful bond: first love. Rosanna Arquette (Desperately Seeking Susan), Vincent Spano (Over the Edge) and co-stars Tracy Pollan (Bright Lights, Big City), Matthew Modine (Birdy) and Robert Downey Jr. (Zodiac) team up in this memorable comedy-drama from filmmaker John Sayles (The Brother from Another Planet and The Return of the Secaucus Seven). Set against a ’60s backdrop and an unbeatable soundtrack of classic rock and roll tunes, Baby It’s You crafts a vivid portrait of young love in a complex era. But no matter when you went to school or first fell in love, Baby It’s You is for you!

Working from an autobiographical story by producer Amy Robinson (Chilly Scenes of Winter and After Hours), Sayles approaches the material with an eye towards documentary-like realism and detail, so that this universal tale comes across with rare truth, poignancy and relatability. Made almost entirely in the Garden State, the film’s hit-filled soundtrack is given a major shot in the arm via several songs by New Jersey’s pre-eminent rock poet Bruce Springsteen and Hoboken-born Frank Sinatra. Boasting cinematography by renowned DP Michael Ballhaus (Goodfellas and The Marriage of Maria Braun), Baby It’s You has been remastered from a new 4K scan of its original 35mm camera negative for this Blu-ray.

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Video Quality

Baby It’s You debuts on Blu-Ray courtesy of Fun City Editions with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio that is derived from a 4K scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative. Colors are saturated in a lovely way with deep, natural hues coming through with impeccable accuracy. Things look very pleasant in the soft lighting cues and colorful outfits. Highlights stay firm to avoid blooming, and black levels tap into a nice depth with no major instances of crush or banding observed. Skin tones are natural and consistent with discrete features and makeup easily distinguishable.

The presentation retains the natural filmic look of the source with image stability and clarity rendering with the utmost care. Everything appears to be natural to its intended appearance with no dalliances with unwanted clumpy grain frozen in the background. The period setting is preserved well on screen with great texture in the vintage clothing and production design. Practically all instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches have been eradicated. Fun City Editions continues to be The Lord’s work for underrated gems.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track with all of the songs intact that represents the soundscape of this narrative well. Dialogue is a prominent element of this narrative, and every fiery exchange comes through crisp and clear. The track nails everything it needs to do for a sonically consistent experience. From the beginning, the film conjures sound effects effectively to manifest a broader world. Music flows through with ideal fidelity. We did not hear any deficiencies or signs of age-related wear and tear such as hissing or distortion. Fun City Editions has done a fine job here. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic Bill Ackerman provides a commentary track that explores the production of the film, the careers of the talent involved, the themes of the feature, and much more that is worthwhile.

This Is Very Familiar To Me – Interview with John Sayles: A new 33-minute interview with director John Sayles in which he discusses being approached with the project, his autonomy on the shoot, working with the performers, collaborating with Amy Robinson on the story, and more.

From Triple Play To Double Play – Interview with Amy Robinson and Griffin Dunne: A new 30-minute interview with the producers in which they discuss where they were at this time in their lives, starting their production company, the personal nature of the story, working with John Sayles, and more.

A Little Magic – Interview with Rosanna Arquette: A new ten-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her friendship with Griffin Dunne, the qualities of her character, how she prepared to inhabit this role, her feelings about the film, and more.

Like A Glove – Interview with Vincent Spano: A new 20-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses his career at this time, how he secured this role, working with Rosanna Arquette, why he desired this role so much, how this character was different from what he had played before, and more.

I Was In The Right Profession – Interview with Matthew Modine: A new eight-minute interview with the performer in which he discusses his life around this time, auditioning for this role, his experiences during the production, and more.

Image Gallery: A nearly eight-minute slideshow of stills and marketing materials.

Trailer (2:48): This is provided as an easter egg on the special features menu screen.

Booklet: There is a bound booklet included featuring the essays “Strangers In The Night: John Sayles’s Bitter-Sweet Detour” by film critic Gavin Smith and “They’re Pulling Out Of Here To Win: How Bruce Springsteen Steers John Sayles’s Coming-Of-Age Journey” by author Caroline Madden. These pieces explore the production of the film, the themes, the music, the reception of the film, and much more that is enlightening.

Final Thoughts

Baby It’s You is a compelling look at first love that is thoughtfully acted and sensitively directed by John Sayles. The movie is held back slightly due to the fact that the relationship is scarcely given time to feel even the slightest bit romantic, but we have to remember that there are plenty of toxic relationships out there that cannot be comprehended by anyone not in it. This makes the film somewhat exhausting at points, but the terrific performance from Rosanna Arquette keeps you coming back. It is raw and messy like the passion of young love. Fun City Editions has delivered a Blu-Ray featuring a wonderful A/V presentation and an expansive array of supplements. Recommended

Baby It’s You is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Fun City Editions has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.