An unexpected musical moment opens Sean Baker’s screwball comedy “Anora,” setting the tone for the entire film. Winning the Palme d’Or earlier this year and emerging as a potential awards favorite, “Anora” begins with an interesting five-minute scene in a New York strip club. In this setting, Mikey Madison’s character, Ani, interacts with guests, enticing them to the VIP area for private dances alongside her fellow dancers.
The soundtrack for this opening is provided by “Greatest Day,” an uplifting anthem by the U.K. boy band Take That, released in 2008 after their reformation sans Robbie Williams. Following the world premiere of “Anora” at Cannes, many British film critics and writers took to social media to express their astonishment and pleasure at this song choice.
Baker explained that it was the song’s title that played a crucial role in the decision. While discussing the film at a special screening in London, he shared, “I was driving around with my wife Sam [Quan, who also produces Baker’s films], and we were just like, ‘Is there a song called “Greatest Day,” because it’s [Ani’s] greatest day?’” She then found the song on Spotify.
Although Baker was familiar with Take That from their earlier hits like “Back for Good,” he admitted he hadn’t kept up with their later work, including “Greatest Day,” which may have eluded many outside the U.K.
“I had never heard of this song, so we put it on in the car, and next thing you know, it had become a total earworm,” he remarked. “So I got home and threw it over ‘Anora’s’ opening credits, and it was like serendipity… the way it synced with Mikey right when the kick comes in was like, ‘Oh my God!’”
This isn’t the first time Baker has incorporated boy band tracks into his films; he previously used N*Sync’s “Bye Bye Bye” in the opening of “Red Rocket,” which focuses on a washed-up porn star returning to his Texas hometown.
However, for that track, Baker needed approval from the band regarding its usage, even though the context was not explicit. For “Greatest Day,” he simply “bought the rights” without needing to provide any specifics. “I actually don’t think Take That has seen the film yet,” he noted. “So I can’t wait for when they do!”