JK Simmons Reflects On Whiplashs Ending & Still Gets Goosebumps 10 Years Later

JK Simmons has reflected on the ending of Whiplash 10 years after its release, revealing the movie’s finale still gives him goosebumps to this day. The 2014 psychological drama focuses on Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a young jazz drummer that’s forced to endure brutal teaching methods from instructor Terence Fletcher (Simmons). The movie has received praise for its performances, as well as its complex exploration of ambition and perfectionism.

Speaking with Empire Magazine, Simmons opened up about what it was like filming the ending of Whiplash, describing how he still gets goosebumps to this day thinking about it. The actor revealed how tired he and Teller were by the time they got to the scene, but also how his father being a musician and the knowledge he gained gave more accuracy to the scene. Check out what Simmons had to say about the movie’s ending below:

I’m getting goosebumpy, as I do every time I talk about that or think about that. Miles, in our press tour, said it’s a lot easier to be exhausted than to act exhausted. I think both of us, by the time we filmed that sequence, there was this combination of exhaustion and elation. I had no clue at all that it would be as impactful as it was.

I knew we were making something great, but I had made a lot of little indie films that I thought were really good before that, and most of them were never seen widely. But it was an absolute joy. We worked so fast. And it was such a treat, because I never did have the talent to be a professional musician. But I have enough, and I learned partly from my father, who was a musician, a choir conductor and college music administrator. But I was actually conducting those scores. I actually read the music and I knew what I was doing. All the actors you saw playing those musicians actually played those instruments, some of them at a more rudimentary level and some of them quite well. You’re hearing the best pros in Hollywood on the soundtrack. But we were making music. We were playing Duke Ellington, we were playing ‘Whiplash’.

Why Whiplash Is Still Remembered For Its Ending

The ending of the drama sees Terence sabotage an important performance for Andrew after learning his student is going to testify against him in a case involving one of his previous students that killed himself. During the concert, he’s given the wrong sheet music and is unable to perform properly, leading to him storming offstage. While this deters the young drummer at first, he eventually goes back onstage and begins to play his own song over the performance Terence had planned for the band.

Whiplash isn’t based on a true story, although it is inspired by director Damien Chazelle’s high school jazz band experiences, adding to the realism of its main conflict. The fact Simmons still reacts when thinking of the film’s ending shows how impactful it was, weaving the hero’s journey with the theme of perseverance for one’s passions despite seemingly impossible odds. While the movie avoids condoning Terence’s teaching methods by the end, it also shows how dreams can’t be given up on, even if forces beyond one’s control are trying to destroy them.

These messages helped the film win plenty of awards as well, winning Oscars for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Mixing while being nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Because of how important and memorable this movie is, it’s no surprise its ending is still remembered, even by actors like Simmons who were part of the grand finale. Even though a decade has passed, it’s clear Whiplash has become a classic movie about perfectionism, dreams, and the pursuit of goals in the face of destructive adversity.

Source: Empire Magazine

Whiplash

Directed by Damien Chazelle, Whiplash follows Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller), a first-year music student at a prestigious New York City conservatory who becomes the target of abuse by one of his instructors, Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). As Andrew works harder to impress Fletcher, their increasingly hostile relationship sends his life into a tailspin.  Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist star alongside Teller and Simmons. 

Director

Damien Chazelle

Release Date

October 10, 2014

Writers

Damien Chazelle

Cast

Paul Reiser , Miles Teller , Melissa Benoist , J. K. Simmons

Runtime

107minutes

Budget

$3.3 million

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