Lucy Boynton & Justin H. Min On How The Greatest Hits Tackles Grief And Nostalgia

When Harriet discovers that she can time travel by listening to certain songs, she realizes that she has the power to potentially save her boyfriend’s life. The Greatest Hits tackles themes of nostalgia, living in the past, and selflessness. When Harriet meets David at a meeting for those grieving, she becomes conflicted about whether she should continue to dig through the past, or move on with her present.

Written and produced by Ned Benson, and starring Lucy Boynton as Harriet and Justin H. Min as David, this movie is emotional and raw. Audiences find themselves wondering what they would do if they were in Harriet’s shoes. The Greatest Hits is now streaming on Hulu and also stars Superman‘s David Corenswet.

Screen Rant spoke with The Greatest Hits stars Lucy Boynton and Justin H. Min about the power of nostalgia that is represented all throughout the film. The two discussed their characters and how they are both dealing with grief in different ways. They also revealed what songs transport them back in time, and Justin H. Min teased the final season of The Umbrella Academy.

The Greatest Hits Is A “Nostalgia Machine”

The Greatest Hits takes the idea that music has a way of transporting its listeners back in time and makes it quite literal, as it follows Harriet who travels back in time when she listens to certain songs. When talking about the film, and what drew them to want to be a part of it, star Lucy Boynton describes it as “the nostalgia machine”, while Justin H. Min reveals he connected to the script emotionally.

Lucy Boynton: It’s got to be what our director refers to as the nostalgia machine, it’s the music taking you back. I think I do that so often in my own life, and I have so many playlists dedicated to times, places, people in my life that I elect to go back to frequently. So it was understanding actually, in taking ownership of the way that you do that, and the way that you can allow your past to really inform or cloud your present tense. That felt really relatable. And the elements of relationships, and the way we rose tint them, and grief, and loss of self, through that. I just thought it was such a beautiful way to visit all of these subjects in a very new way.

Justin H. Min: I’m so glad to hear that you had an emotional reaction watching the film, because I had an emotional reaction reading the script. And that’s usually one of my main considerations for when I want to be a part of a project, is when I feel very moved, or emotionally connected, to material. After reading the script, and being very moved by it, I ended up meeting with our amazing director and writer Ned Benson, and we just got along very well. I saw his real vision for this and I knew that Lucy was attached and I have been a fan of hers for a very long time, so I knew I had to be a part of it.

Harriet & David Deal With Grief In Different Ways In The Greatest Hits

Both Harriet (Lucy Boynton) and David (Justin H. Min) are dealing with grief in their own way. They actually first cross paths at a group meeting for those who are grieving.

Lucy Boynton: We meet my character, Harriet, on the two year anniversary of the death of her boyfriend. For the last two years, she has found that every time she listens to a song that they listened to together, she’s thrown back in time. So it’s really locked her in the past. I think what was initially this, the greatest gift to her, has now been the reason she’s so dislocated from everyone else in her life. She physically can’t move forward. And then she meets Justin’s character, David, and I think he is the anchor to the present tense and gives her a real reason to want to, or it gives her a reason in the present tense.

Justin H. Min: Yeah, I think David is also obviously going through his own grief process, he’s lost both of his parents. He’s just moved back home, he doesn’t quite know what to do. He feels stuck in many ways. And the literal representation of that is this antique store that his parents have left for him and his sister. And as Lucy just pointed out, when David and Harriet meet, it’s kind of the first time where both of them are allowed to live in the present tense, allowed to live in that moment and experience life for the first time in a way that they haven’t in a while, and their relationship blossoms from there.

Without diving into spoilers, the ending of The Greatest Hits is very unexpected and emotional. Both Lucy and Justin reveal how they felt when they first read the script.

Lucy Boynton: I was kind of stunned. It’s undeniable, but I do think, and I hope, the audience has a similar reaction, where it’s such a catalyst for what would I do? And would I do the same? Does she have a choice? But yeah, reading that and then filming that was just emotional turmoil.

Justin H. Min: I think I was also really shocked when I read the ending. It sort of calls into question themes about fate and destiny. And will we find each other in parallel timelines and I love ruminating about things like that.

Justin H. Min Teases The Umbrella Academy Final Season: “Fans Will Be Given Closure”

Justin is no stranger to projects that transport him through time and parallel universes. Take The Umbrella Academy, for example. He has already played two different versions of his character Ben, and with the final season getting ready to release in August, it is possible we could see even more versions. The actor even teased that fans will be given closure in the final season of The Umbrella Academy.

Justin H. Min: Netflix has eyes and ears everywhere. I wish I could say more. We had an amazing time filming the last season last year. I think fans will be given closure. I think we do justice to the story and to the characters. It is, of course, going to be a wild ride, as every season is. It was very emotional filming, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone soon.

Both Lucy and Justin also revealed which tracks transport them to another time and place.

Lucy Boynton: So, so many [songs transport me back in time.] One song, Saying Goodbye by Ondara, is a song that I’m glued to on repeat, and it reminds me of falling in love.

Justin H. Min: Well, I think, Tessa, you might know this one. I Think We’re Alone Now is a song that will now forever remind me of an experience and show that I was on called The Umbrella Academy. That song just is seared into my memory and I remember the first time I heard it, I remember the first time that we as a cast heard it, and it was is a very very special song.

The Greatest Hits features a lot of vinyl records, as Harriet goes searching for the one that will transport her to a specific place and time. When asked which vinyl record collectors need to own, both Lucy and Justin give great recommendations.

Lucy Boynton: If ever you can get a first edition copy, that’s the gold, but I am going to say Same Cooke. I think his music is just for every mood for every environment, every scenario.

Justin H. Min: I think Frank Sinatra. There’s just something about that classic voice with the crackles of vinyl that just makes it sing. So I love that.

About The Greatest Hits

Written and produced by Ned Benson, Harriet (Lucy Boynton) experiences a unique connection between art and reality. She discovers that specific songs have the power to transport her back in time, driving her to relive various special moments with her ex-boyfriend (David Corenswet). Her time-traveling experiences begin to bleed into present day when meeting someone new (Justin H. Min). Throughout her journey, Harriet explores the mesmerizing link between music and memory, facing her with difficult decisions of whether altering the past is a choice worth making.

Source: Screen Rant Plus