Costume designer used around 60 pairs of Levi's 501 jeans for 'Jobs' movie

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
To make Ashton Kutcher's portrayal of Steve Jobs as accurate as possible, the costume designer behind the upcoming "Jobs" movie obtained the exact style of New Balance sneakers and Levi's 501 jeans the Apple co-founder famously wore.

Kutcher


Levi's provided Lisa Jensen with a "mountain of jeans" for the production, she revealed in an interview with FancyDressCostumes.co.uk. In all, she estimated that the film went through about 60 pairs of jeans to accommodate the varying body weights Kutcher had to achieve during filming.

In addition, New Balance manufactured for Kutcher the exact sneakers Jobs wore from old molds. The crew on "Jobs" was also aided by an archivist who pitched in with research.

Jensen also worked with Cassara Brothers Clothiers, based in Palto Alto, Calif., that used to dress the top Apple executives during the early days of the company. Custom suits were tailored for Kutcher and actors Matthew Modine, portraying John Sculley, and J.K. Simmons, playing Arthur Rock.

Historical accuracy has been a key aspect of the film repeated by those promoting it. Kutcher even adopted Jobs's fruit-only diet ? a method acting choice that he said nearly put him in the hospital.

"Jobs" will open around the U.S. on Aug. 16. The film is the first of two Jobs biopics slated to come out in the near future, with the other being an untitled film scripted by Aaron Sorkin of "The Social Network" and HBO's "The Newsroom."

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 16
    I think you mean John Sculley.
  • Reply 2 of 16
    gqbgqb Posts: 1,934member


    I'll probably be waiting for streaming to see this, simply because I don't go to theatres unless I absolutely have to.


    That said, I'm really tired of the preemptive bashing being given to Kutcher. He's obviously been taking this role seriously and it has the potential to re-frame his career. (Travolta/Pulp Fiction for example.)


    I don't get the necessity of demeaning a guy for taking a serious stab at some good work.


    Wait until its out folks, and let if fly or crash on its merits.

  • Reply 3 of 16
    bdkennedy1bdkennedy1 Posts: 1,459member
    That's a lot of attention to detail for a movie going straight to DVD.
  • Reply 4 of 16


    "60 pairs of jeans." 


     


    I'm sure that the movie is not made worse or better by having a larger wardrobe than a person who chose to ONLY wear the same thing all the time (unless he was jogging) for the very reason that he didn't want to waste time deciding on what to wear (and also he was brilliant because he knew he was creating an brand by doing so).


     


    This is just the result of "over professionalism." That person in Wardrobe is thinking about an Academy Award for best costume -- even though this is a movie about a man in jeans and a turtleneck. And that person who's job it is to make food additives? Why they are going to damn well find SOMETHING in that food to replace with a modified protein or non-toxic piece of plastic that shaves a penny off the cost to produce -- and they'll do that each and every year.


     


    So I'm imagining a Key Grip watching the wardrobe man and asking him; "You know he only wore one outfit, right?" And then the snippy reply as he puts his hands on his hips in indignation; "I've got one damn job to do, and I'm going to do it, OK?"

  • Reply 5 of 16
    poochpooch Posts: 768member
    To make Ashton Kutcher's portrayal of Steve Jobs as accurate as possible, the costume designer behind the upcoming "Jobs" movie obtained the exact style of New Balance sneakers and Levi's 501 jeans the Apple co-founder famously wore.

    quite a feat. i am in awe.
  • Reply 6 of 16
    sockrolidsockrolid Posts: 2,789member


    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    ... the film went through about 60 pairs of jeans to accommodate the varying body weights Kutcher had to achieve during filming.

    ...

    Kutcher even adopted Jobs's fruit-only diet, a method acting choice that he said nearly put him in the hospital.


     


    Wow.  Kutcher seems to have been serious about his "process" for the role.


    If you want to see some scary weight loss just for a film, see "The Machinist" with Christian Bale.


    He supposedly went from 173 down to 110, eating just one apple and one can of tuna per day.


     


    On a side note, Kutcher is also an angel investor, and he gave an interesting talk at the latest


    All Things D conference.  He really seems to understand the entertainment industry, and he seems to


    have a fair grasp of technology as it relates to popular culture.

  • Reply 7 of 16
    gqb wrote: »
    I'll probably be waiting for streaming to see this, simply because I don't go to theatres unless I absolutely have to.
    That said, I'm really tired of the preemptive bashing being given to Kutcher. He's obviously been taking this role seriously and it has the potential to re-frame his career. (Travolta/Pulp Fiction for example.)
    I don't get the necessity of demeaning a guy for taking a serious stab at some good work.
    Wait until its out folks, and let if fly or crash on its merits.

    While I agree that it's fair to wait until seeing this movie before judging his performance (and the movie as a whole), I don't think it's unfair to judge Kutcher as an actor based on his other work. He's not an unknown. Public figures are fair game.
  • Reply 8 of 16
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by GQB View Post


     


    That said, I'm really tired of the preemptive bashing being given to Kutcher. He's obviously been taking this role seriously and it has the potential to re-frame his career. (Travolta/Pulp Fiction for example.)


    I don't get the necessity of demeaning a guy for taking a serious stab at some good work.


    Wait until its out folks, and let if fly or crash on its merits.



     


     


    RE the bashing, it's the 'Sarah Palin Syndrome' currently effecting America... NO </s>


     


    With that said, going through 60 pairs of jeans, probably because Ashton realized who he was portraying and crapped in his pants worrying if he was getting it wrong. </s>


    /


    /

  • Reply 9 of 16
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member


    Which Levi 501 jeans? The ones made in Egypt, Mexico or USA? Because they're now no longer made in the USA.

  • Reply 10 of 16
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    501? I thought he wore 997. There was a discussion on this last year, but I can't find it. Maybe I'm mistaken that he wore 997 is the last part of his life, which I believe isn't covered in this movie. Whatever, not going to watch this as I rather remember him the way I do and not blur my mind with an actor 'imitating' him. Actually, I don't even know what the movie is about. Yes, his early life, or so I read.

    Whatever.
  • Reply 11 of 16
    analogjackanalogjack Posts: 1,073member


    It's supposed to be a movie about Jobs, OK I can get having an actor resemble the character being portrayed, that is standard for biopics. However to go to the trouble of having the exact same shoes made by using the same moulds, is pointless shallowness that is only boasting of how little real content of any value must be in the film if they think that the actual shoe moulds actually adds anything at all. Same with the Jeans. I'd avoid this cliché ridden movie like the plague.

  • Reply 12 of 16
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    analogjack wrote: »
    It's supposed to be a movie about Jobs, OK I can get having an actor resemble the character being portrayed, that is standard for biopics. However to go to the trouble of having the exact same shoes made by using the same moulds, is pointless shallowness that is only boasting of how little real content of any value must be in the film if they think that the actual shoe moulds actually adds anything at all. Same with the Jeans. I'd avoid this cliché ridden movie like the plague.

    Perhaps it's to avoid any criticism that they didn't pay attention to detail, which is one big reason Jobs/Apple became successful.
  • Reply 13 of 16
    solomansoloman Posts: 228member
    sockrolid wrote: »
    If you want to see some scary weight loss just for a film, see "The Machinist" with Christian Bale.
    He supposedly went from 173 down to 110, eating just one apple and one can of tuna per day.

    Christian Bale also played a very convincing drug addict in The Fighter.
  • Reply 14 of 16
    solomansoloman Posts: 228member
    philboogie wrote: »
    501? I thought he wore 997. There was a discussion on this last year, but I can't find it. Maybe I'm mistaken that he wore 997 is the last part of his life, which I believe isn't covered in this movie. Whatever, not going to watch this as I rather remember him the way I do and not blur my mind with an actor 'imitating' him. Actually, I don't even know what the movie is about. Yes, his early life, or so I read.

    Whatever.

    I believe 997 is the New Balance model number while 501 is the Levi's.
  • Reply 15 of 16


    Well, I think attention to detail is good. The costume designer was hired for one thing and one thing only, so let her do a thorough job.


     


    If you watch the special features of any movie's home video release with considerable additional content (like Lord of the Rings, Blade Runner, Kingdom Of Heaven, etc.), it is full of people who take full pride in doing the best job they can do. Granted, Jobs may not have the scope (cinematically) as some of those movies, but it is always good if people can give it their best.


     


    Irrespective of the final outcome (the actual movie itself), I think we should applaud the fact that they are trying their best.


     


    Of course, I have no idea if Steve wore 501s or 907s. I assume they would have researched that.

  • Reply 16 of 16
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    Why did they need more than five pairs? One for each day of shooting; wash them on the weekend.
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