Being Academy Awards weekend, I thought I’d share songs from movies. It’s from a mixed CD I made in 2007 called Flick Tunes. Interestingly, I haven’t seen three of the movies, yet I own the soundtracks on CD.
Morning Hymn/Alleluia – Nun’s Chorus. The Sound of Music (1965) won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and was nominated for five more, including Julie Andrews as Best Actress in a Leading Role. Though my mother owned the soundtrack LP, and I played it a LOT in my childhood, I never saw the movie until I saw it on video with my wife and daughter in 2013.
I’m A Soldier In the Army of the Lord – Lyle Lovett, The Apostle (1997). I am positive I saw this movie on Washington’s Birthday weekend in 1998 with my ex-girlfriend Susan to see Robert Duvall’s Oscar-nominated lead actor performance.
John Rudolph
In Your Mind – Johnny Cash. Dead Man Walking (1995). I saw it at the Spectrum. Susan Sarandon won as best lead actress. Sean Penn (lead actor), Tim Robbins (director), and Bruce Springsteen (the title song) were all nominated.
The Great Beyond – R.E.M. Man On The Moon (1999). At the Spectrum with my wife. Jim Carrey won the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, but the film failed to gain any Oscar noms.
I’m Going Home – Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church. Cold Mountain (2003). I never saw the film. Renée Zellweger received the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The movie received four other nominations, including Jude Law as Best Actor in a Leading Role.
Beware Verwoerd – Miriam Makeba. Amandla! (2002). The subtitle is “a revolution in four-part harmony.” I saw it at the Spectrum.
In The Name Of The Father – Bono and Gavin Friday. In The Name Of The Father (1993). I saw it at the Spectrum. It was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (Jim Sheridan), and Best Lead Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).
Revolution – Grandaddy. I Am Sam (2001). I never saw it, but it has a bunch of Beatles songs. Sean Penn was nominated as Best Lead Actor again.
Overture To The Sun – Terry Tucker. A Clockwork Orange (1971). I saw it, quite possibly alone, and I felt brutalized. Yet I love the music. It was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director (Stanley Kubrick) and Best Picture.
Train song
Ridin’ The Rails – k.d. lang and Take 6. Dick Tracy. I was disappointed that this track does not appear on the lang box set. I never saw the movie, which won three Oscars, including Best Music, Original Song: Stephen Sondheim for the song “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; and Best Makeup. It was nominated for four others.
Lonely Avenue – Ian Gillian and Roger Glover. Rain Man (1988). I saw it. As I recall, a critic particularly loathed this song as a bastardization of a great Ray Charles song. [Shrugs] The film won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, Dustin Hoffman; Best Director, Barry Levinson; and Best Original Screenplay; and nominated for one other, cinematography.
Tennessee Plates – Charlie Sexton. Thelma & Louise (1991). I saw it in the cinema. THR deemed this film #18 on the list of Hollywood’s 20 Most Erotic Movies. Callie Khouri won Best Original Screenplay, and the film received four other nominations, including for director Ridley Scott and lead actresses Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon.
Ma ‘Tit Fille – Buckwheat Zydeco. The Big Easy (1986). I recall disliking the film, which I saw with Susan at the Spectrum, but loving the music.
The first film on this list that I saw
Ballad Of Easy Rider – Roger McGuinn. Easy Rider (1969). I saw it when I was in high school. Two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson) and Best Original Screenplay (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern).
The Funeral (September 25, 1987) – George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa. Cry Freedom (1987). Three Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Musical Score, and for the title song (both Fenton and Gwangwa)
At that point, I might have quit after that stirring finish.
Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive – Clint Eastwood. Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997). I saw this film shortly before my trip to Savannah in 1998 and recognized some landmarks.
You’ve Got A Friend In Me – Robert Goulet. Toy Story 2 (1999). My wife and I saw all four Toy Story movies; not one was with a child. Randy Newman was nominated for Original Song: When She Loved Me. I saw Randy Newman once.
And finally:
Gump – Weird Al Yankovic. Although I own the soundtrack to Forrest Gump (1994), most tracks are too obvious. This parody of Lump by The Presidents Of The United States was more suitable. BTW, Forrest Gump won six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth), Film Editing, and Special Effects. It was seven more, including Gary Sinise for Best Supporting Actor.