A Quiet Place is packed with many tense, nerve-shredding moments, however, one special scene between
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt is loaded with much more meaning than you might realise.
Yippee-ki-yay movie lovers, it's Jan here, and today I'm taking a deep dive into A Quiet
Place to explain the secret story behind the movie's earbud scene and why director John
Krasinski insisted it had to be in the movie.
Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the film yet!
In the earbud scene, Emily Blunt's Evelyn and her husband Lee take a moment for a slow
dance together and, in doing so, briefly tune out the horror of their everyday life hiding
from the sound-sensitive aliens that threaten them.
It's a very tender moment and, as the two parents sway together, Evelyn takes out one
of her earbuds and shares the song she's listening to with Lee.
The song is "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young and it's the only song that plays in the movie.
The curious thing about this song choice is that it's a very expensive song to license
and, given the film's tight budget, it wasn't something the production could really afford.
However, for Krasinski, who wrote this scene as part of his rewrite of the original script,
it was vital to have this specific song in the movie.
According to producer Andrew Form, Krasinksi "would not stop until we got that song."
So, why was it so important for Krasinski to play this expensive song in his relatively
low-budget movie?
Well, first of all, it's a very personal track for Krasinski and his real-life wife, Emily
Blunt, as two of their close friends got married to the song.
In fact, on the first take the couple shot of that intimate scene, Krasinski looked up
and saw not only he and Blunt "were crying at the exact same time", but their crew were
also welling up.
And beyond that personal connection, there are also multiple levels of meaning to the
song itself.
Neil Young, who wrote and performed "Harvest Moon", has said that it's about "this feeling,
this ability to survive and continue and grow and get higher than you were before.
[…] You can be MORE alive" which, as I explained in my Quiet Place ending video, is a key theme
in the movie – how a family not only survives an alien invasion, but aims to thrive and
grow in spite of it.
Over the years since its release though, some have interpreted the song as more bittersweet,
being about a love that endures even when a couple are no longer together.
The line "When we were lovers, I loved you with all my heart" could hint at two people
who are separated.
And so the song could foreshadow the heartbreaking events later in the movie when Lee sacrifices
himself to save his family, with the lyrics implying that Lee and Evelyn will still remain
connected in spirit even though he's gone.
On top of that, a Harvest Moon is the full moon that occurs closest to the autumn equinox,
and usually coincides with the September or October full moon.
And, as we see on the family's calendar, the due date for the Abbots' new baby is the day
before the October full moon.
Traditionally, the Harvest Moon also had special meaning for rural communities, like in A Quiet
Place, because it meant there was plenty of moonlight even after sunset which helped when
harvesting crops at that time of year.
And it fits in with the idea of the seasons of life, again foreshadowing how Lee's life
will be coming to an end.
All-in-all, the song is a bittersweet and tender moment for the couple as they savour
some brief time together and anticipate the arrival of their new baby.
It's also an instant of respite for the audience watching the movie as the silence fades out
and we can relax with a gentle song before the full horror of the family's fate kicks
in.
And adding another layer of meaning to the song is the fact that Neil Young made his
Harvest Moon album at a time when he was suffering from tinnitus and couldn't listen to any loud
noises.
Young had damaged his hearing while working on an earlier album and concert tour, which
makes the song even more appropriate for A Quiet Place.
Now, just for a bit of fun, fans of John Krasinski in The Office may also link the Quiet Place
earbud scene with the time that Jim shared his earbuds with Pam in a similarly romantic
moment in season 2 of the popular show.
I don't know whether Krasinski had that sweet Jim and Pam moment in mind when he wrote this
scene in A Quiet Place, but either way it's a nice call-back for fans of the show.
So, did you spot any other hidden meanings in A Quiet Place and what do you think about
the earbud scene?
Leave me a comment with your thoughts below and you can also tweet me.
To discover more about A Quiet Place, tap left to check out my full ending and creatures
explained video and tap right for my breakdown of the movie's deleted scenes.
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Thanks for watching and see ya next time.
Yippee ki-yay movie lovers!