Hold Me Tight

As already mentioned, the Hold Me Tight segment cleverly flashes back and forward "Across the Universe", ie the Atlantic to reveal the totally different cultures, at least for Jude and Lucy.

Lucy lives in Massachusetts in an upper class "manicured" neighborhood which could well be that of the Burnhams in American Beauty and attends an expensive school where the dancing is as organised as we are about to see for the cheerleaders with Prudence [or for Angela and Janie in American Beauty] and all the kids, band included, are of the REM "happy shining people holding hands" variety.  Feminism is already starting to raise its ugly head as depicted via the girl dragging the guy onto the dance floor, but that is done as a very quick flash to say this movie is BEFORE the official feminist takeover in 1970.

For Jude the song is performed at its birthplace at the Cavern [or look alike as original was demolished] where the Beatles started their amazing careers, the band is of the Rock and Roll type and the dancing is of the "grope" variety, and is totally UNorganized.  And the clips show the poverty of Liverpool as a "working class" city for "stiffs" [as Jude refers to himself] who remain as such even "when they are 64".

The fantastic comparison continues with "All My Loving", then a clever little bit once Jude gets to America where he starts to get into the left side of the car that stops to give him a lift, then checks himself and gets into the right hand side.

All of that sets the scene brilliantly for Jude's American Experience, and then lo and behold he meets Max who is a kindred spirit [if not a problem to his parents].