"Elizabethtown" (2005) Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cameron Crowe

Cameron Crowe is also the sole writer of this film. He drew inspiration from his personal experience of visiting his father's grave - his first return to Kentucky in 16 years since his father's passing. In an interview with "Collider", he shared: "["Elizabethtown"] was for my dad... That movie helped me kind of accept a tough time in my life when a parent dies." (Feb 12, 2021)

Answer: Shoe designer

Drew Baylor is a shoe designer at Mercury, a global sportswear company. He promised that the shoes he designed would be his greatest achievement in the field. However, in an unfortunate turn of events, the shoes ended up being a failure and cost the company $972 million.

There are similarities between the fictional shoe company Mercury and the real-life athletic shoe company Nike. Both companies were founded in Oregon, and both founders share the first name Phil.

Answer: He owns a magazine about extraterrestrial life called "Out There".

Phil's workplace features two lobbies, two guards, two secretaries, two Norman Rockwell paintings, and two Tunisian doors, each valued at $762,000.

Phil berates Drew during their meeting, dramatically showcasing the projects he - Phil - will have to abandon due to the financial loss. Regarding the global environmental watchdog project, he declares with abject seriousness and comically exaggerated conviction, "We could save the planet." The other project is Phil's basketball team, about which we know little, except that they have yet to be informed that the team will be disbanded.

Answer: Fiasco

In the opening scene of the film, Drew reflects on the distinction between failure and a fiasco. He explains that failure is simply the absence of success, while a fiasco is described as "a disaster of mythic proportions", a catastrophic event that becomes a story shared with others, making them feel more alive because it didn't happen to them.

Later in the film, the word "fiasco" appears as the title of the magazine "Global Business Today", which Drew is reading. This is the magazine where he was interviewed about his failure at the behest of his boss, Phil. Sharp-eyed viewers may also notice the phrase "admitted fiasco" written in the interviewer's notebook at the beginning of the film. Claire advises Drew to take five minutes to "wallow in the delicious misery" while reading the article, saying, "Enjoy it, embrace it," and then, "discard it." BTW, as far as I know, no financial magazine named "Global Business Today" exists.

The word "fiasco" originates from the Italian language, dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to stem from the Italian phrase "far fiasco", which means "to make a bottle" or "to make a failure". In English, "fiasco" came to signify a complete and utter failure, especially one that is spectacular or embarrassing.

Answer: Drew's sister

Drew improvises a device in an attempt to end his life, but a phone call from his sister prevents him from completing the act. There are two layers of bittersweet irony in this scene. First, the death of his father, Mitch, indirectly saves Drew's life, as the phone call interrupts his suicide attempt.

The second irony is that the suicide attempt is delayed due to a malfunction in the device. As Drew fixes the issue and prepares to try again, the phone rings, ultimately saving his life. In this way, one failure - losing almost one billion dollars for his company - led him to despair, while the second failure - the malfunction of the device - became the reason he lived.

Answer: Kentucky

The location of the father's death is crucial to understanding the plot. Mitch, Drew's father, died from a heart attack while visiting family in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The story unfolds at the crossroads of two contrasting worlds: the father's family, rooted in a traditional Kentucky town, and the mother, who moved to liberal California after marriage - a choice that caused significant tension between the families. Much like in "Almost Famous", the director masterfully weaves together these two distinct facets of America with nuance and sensitivity. Ultimately, the families find a way to bridge their differences.

For the geography enthusiasts among us: Elizabethtown was founded in 1793 by Colonel Andrew Hynes, and the arrival of the railroad in 1858 boosted the town's economy. During the Civil War, in 1862, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led an attack on the town. According to some sources, most of the Elizabethtown scenes were filmed in Versailles, Kentucky.

Answer: Kirsten Dunst

The talented Kirsten Dunst plays the role of the charming flight attendant and Drew's love interest. Evan Rachel Wood and Scarlett Johansson were considered for the role, but Dunst was Cameron Crowe's first choice. Jessica Biel auditioned for the role of Claire but was ultimately cast as Drew's unsympathetic girlfriend.

Dunst told "W" magazine (2005 September issue) that her role as Claire was one of the best female parts she had read in ages. She described her character as "honest and upfront to a fault" and "dorky and doesn't care".

Dunst is known for her roles in "Spider-Man" (2002), "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" (2004), "Jumanji" (1995), and "Marie Antoinette" (2006), among other notable films. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in "The Power of the Dog" (2021).

Answer: Fun; full of life

This is the first interaction between Drew and Claire, the flight attendant. It takes place on a plane at 3 a.m. during his flight to Kentucky. In a later conversation between Drew and his sister, it turns out that Claire was right about Mitch - according to his sister, he was a fun guy, especially in the last years of his life. Claire also remarks that people should be wary of those named Phil and Ellen - unsurprisingly, the names of Drew's boss and his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend.

Answer: Phil

From this scene, we learn a great deal about Claire's character. Drew is under immense pressure from all sides - his sister and mother constantly badger him about the funeral arrangements, while his friend Ellen shows a complete lack of empathy for what he's going through, even ending their conversation with a dismissive farewell.

But Claire is different. She simply says, "I'll hold." More than anyone else, she understands that what Drew needs right now is patience and compassion. This quiet tolerance defines Claire throughout the film; she never pressures Drew into a relationship, recognizing that he first needs time to process his grief and the challenges he faces.

Answer: False

Drew arrives in Elizabethtown and follows his mother's request to have his father cremated, despite strong objections from the rest of the family. Throughout the film, he grapples with the conflict between honoring his mother's wishes and respecting his extended family's traditions.

The tension comes to a head during a post-dinner conversation, when Drew, after seeing his father's photo and a stovetop flame, suddenly panics about the cremation. He rushes to the funeral home, but arrives too late to stop the process.

Answer: Having the courage to fail big and keep going with a smile

For all FunTrivia users who failed to answer this question... "You really failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed." But never give up - "Have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you're still smiling."

The lines in quotation marks were, of course, spoken by Claire to Drew to cheer him up and motivate him. Drew expects Claire to react with shock to his revelation, but instead, she grounds him by being less dramatic about his colossal failure. She actually gives him very wise and healthy advice on how to deal with failures. "Never give up" is also the Cameron Crowe family motto. "I try to pass that on to my current family, which is just 'Never give up'," he said in an interview with Collider (Feb 12, 2021).

Answer: "Free Bird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd

This particular scene is pure fun. The band keeps playing despite the chaos around them. Those with keen discernment will notice that Claire spontaneously plays the role of a flight attendant, directing guests toward the exit from the hall. "Free Bird" is from Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut studio album, released in 1973.

Cameron Crowe is well known for his genius use of music in his films. Crowe believes in the healing power of music, a theme reflected in his characters in this film and others. He even used music during auditions to create an emotional atmosphere, allowing actors to connect deeply with their roles.

Answer: McWane Science Center

The motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated was the Lorraine Motel, which is now home to the National Civil Rights Museum. Claire beautifully stated, "His death is only the beginning of his victory."

The restaurant with the greatest chili in the world, according to Claire, is The Arcade Restaurant.

The Survivor Tree is an American elm located at the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It survived the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, and has become a symbol of resilience and hope, standing strong after the tragic bombing that claimed 168 lives. It's Claire's favorite tree, and she has a deep love for trees.

The McWane Science Center is a hands-on science museum in Birmingham, Alabama.

Answer: Elton John - "My Father's Gun"

What a perfect song choice for such a powerful scene. It begins with Drew glancing at his father's urn on the seat beside him as he arrives in Wichita, a wave of regret washing over him as he whispers, "I should have taken this trip years ago." As the moment unfolds, he alternates between laughter and tears, apologizes to his father, and tenderly scatters some of his ashes on the highway. With each passing mile, memories of his childhood - playing and bonding with his father - come rushing back, filling the journey with both sorrow and love.

The song also plays during the scene where Drew first sees his father's body and meets his extended family in Kentucky.

The song is from Elton John's 1970 album "Tumbleweed Connection" and was written by Bernie Taupin. The song is set during the American Civil War and tells the story of a young man whose father, a Confederate soldier, has been killed. Determined to honor his father's legacy, the son retrieves his father's gun and joins the Confederate forces to continue the fight. The other Elton John song I referenced is "Tiny Dancer", which was featured in the famous bus scene from "Almost Famous".

Answer: Red

At the last stop of his trip, Claire sends him to the world's second-largest farmers market. In one of the pairs of shoes at the fair - fittingly from Mercury - she hides a note asking him to "look for a girl in a red hat". The girl is Claire Colburn and she wears a red hat mittens in the final scene. With my detective instincts, I discovered that Kirsten Dunst wore a red hat in a scene from Season 2 of the TV series "Fargo" (2014-2024), possibly as a subtle reference to her character in "Elizabethtown".

It's also worth noting that the farmers market featured in the movie is fictional. For those curious, the largest farmers market in the world is likely Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, which attracts more than 10 million visitors annually.