Be Kind Rewind

About Be Kind Rewind

Be Kind Rewind is a 2008 American comedy film from New Line Cinema, directed by Michel Gondry and starring Jack Black, Mos Def, Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. The film premiered on January 20, 2008 at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. It was later shown at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film opened on February 22, 2008 in the United Kingdom and in the United States.

The title is a reference to a phrase commonly displayed on VHS rental tapes during the medium's heyday.

Mike (Mos Def) is working at a declining VHS rental store called Be Kind Rewind in Passaic, New Jersey. Mike's best friend Jerry (Jack Black) accompanies Mike while he works at the video store. Mike is fascinated by the story that Fats Waller, the legendary jazz musician, was born in the very store (according to the store's owner, Mr. Fletcher). Fletcher (Danny Glover) is informed by Passaic town officials that his store is scheduled to be demolished and replaced with a new building complex, unless he can raise funds to renovate his building. Mr. Fletcher decides to get ideas on how to increase business by spying on a successful chain of DVD rental stores. He puts Mike in charge of Be Kind Rewind while he is away. While leaving by train he writes a last-minute instruction on the window: "Keep Jerry out". Mike sees this in mirror image, and needs some time to decipher it.