The Hollywood Reporter
Aug. 17, 2004
I began the soundtrack by creating what I would call typically good soundtrack music. (Director) David Russell's reaction was that he wanted more ‘good’ feeling in it -- more feeling, in general. David and I had a conversation about how disgustingly gratuitous song placement in the movies has become, and how most soundtrack music doesn't have a sense of song to it. It has gotten to the point where you really feel, as a viewer, that almost every song placement is really just a marketing scam.
I had been remembering some older film soundtracks that were iconographic and had a sense of song to them -- such as (1961's) Breakfast at Tiffany's. David was open to the concept (of creating a tune-driven soundtrack). Then, just as a way of getting myself out of ‘soundtrack guy’ mode and into ‘songwriter guy’ mode, I began playing some melodies on the piano from some songs of mine. (Russell) exclaimed, ‘what's that?’ I told him it was something of mine that was never released. ‘Can we play that to picture?‘, he asked. Boom -- instantly, we were both totally happy; it gave the film a sense of playfulness with an emotional undercurrent.
For the soundtrack, I used very intimate arrangements, not big orchestrations. Bells ended up being prominent. There are a zillion different types of bell sounds; glockenspiels, hand bells, hollies and bells off the Mighty Wurlitzer organ. Using that instrument felt special because it had actually been created for use in the movie theaters but, of course, stopped being used after sound came along. You can instantaneously make finished orchestra pieces! Other than bells, (the score) is a mostly acoustic guitar and acoustic piano- based soundtrack. There are also some brush drums and bass and old chamberlain -- which is a weird instrument I play now and then. Essentially, it is all very small, except for the Mighty Wurlitzer.
What was nice for me in working with David was that we tended to have the same emotional response to certain tensions in the film. When I saw tension in the film, I would write a song about it, and he would immediately relate the song to the tension. This made me happy because it meant each of us was thinking about the film in the same abstract way. The fact that an entire score such as this would be populated by unreleased songs sans lyrics via complete serendipity is interesting.
People in the movie are trying to come to grips with the fact that you have to accept things as they are. It was appropriate that the music have a sweetness, openness and intimacy to it. Here we are, having this sweet conversation about the raw deal that is being born - - and embracing both things whole-heartedly. It worked out because there was a sense of the question of how to be OK with just being a creature in this universe, without merely becoming apathetic.
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