Sufjan Stevens Was Eyed For Singing Role In 'Call Me By Your Name'

Call Me By Your Name” had a quite a journey before it turned into the beloved art-house hit that’s in cinemas now. For years, James Ivory was attached to direct from his own script, with Luca Guadagnino coming on board to help with location scouting. However, as development continued, Guadagnino eventually took over the director’s chair and redrafted the screenplay. And along the way, there were several different approaches to how to tell the story of Oliver and Elio.

A key ingredient to the film’s moving pull are the songs “Mystery of Love” and “Visions Of Gideon” by Sufjan Stevens. The singer/songwriter was recruited by Guadagnino to work on the movie, but early on, he had envisioned a much bigger role for the artist.

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“When he sent the script, I had some problems with it because there was a voiceover,” Stevens told Deadline. “They had retained the monologue from the older Elio, and he initially asked me to be the voice of the older Elio; to contribute that voiceover. He also asked if I wanted to appear in the movie as a bard, performing the song, almost as a break in the narrative. I got back to him and I said, ‘I think this voiceover is a mistake, and I think the interruption of me singing the song is a mistake.’ I think he was just thinking out loud. I don’t know if he was really committed to the idea. So I said, ‘I’ll write you some songs, but that’s all I think you need from me.’ And he agreed. When I saw the first edit, he said, ‘You were right, this doesn’t need a monologue or an interruption.’ ”

Honestly, thank God that didn’t happen. Nothing would break the spell of “Call Me By Your Name” more than Stevens sauntering into the frame and singing “There’s Something About Mary” style. Instead, the songs appear as interludes, helping to swell the emotion to the point of near bursting. But it does go to show that sometimes, great movies are all about the decisions that aren’t made.

“Call Me By Your Name” is now playing.