Favorite Movie Scores: Main Theme from "Cast Away"

As my readers know, I love making "favorites" lists. I just really like sharing something that I'm passionate about with other people. I also like making "favorites" lists because it means I'm constantly writing positive posts, rather than negative ones.

So today's post is another installment in my "Favorite Movie Scores" list. I love movie scores. Music is an integral part of a film. Without music, a film feels incomplete. A piece of music can completely change the way a scene plays. The best movie scores are ones that don't force you to feel emotion. The movie's score should enhance the already existing emotion. 

The Main Theme from the film Cast Away (2000) starring Tom Hanks is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful pieces of score ever written for a film. It was written by Alan Silvestri, who has worked on many of director Robert Zemeckis' movies. Zemeckis is known for directing movies such as the Back to the Future trilogy, Forrest Gump (1994), and The Polar Express (2004).

Take a listen:

 

Interestingly, Cast Away does not have very much score in it all. This one theme is all there is. The majority of the film is Tom Hanks (Chuck Noland) on a island with no one for company but a volleyball he names Wilson. The lack of score is an interesting choice. A lot of directors would be tempted to fill the long silences with score, but Zemeckis' choice to play out scenes with just Chuck's mutterings and actions creates a very raw feeling. In the movie, Chuck resorts to a very primal way of living in order to survive, so the lack of music adds to the overall tone of the movie. 

In fact, there is so little score in the film that there is no official original soundtrack available for purchase. The closest you can get is one track on compilation CDs.

This piece of music plays in two scenes in the movie. The first is the scene where Chuck loses Wilson in the ocean. For almost five years on the island with no other human beings to interact with, Chuck's only source of company is Wilson, a Wilson-brand volleyball that washes ashore after the plane crash. When Chuck sets sail on the raft he has made, he loses Wilson in the waves and can't find him.

This is the most emotional scene in the whole movie. The concept of a person treating a volleyball like a friend is ridiculous, but the audience loves Wilson because the audience loves Chuck and wants him to succeed. Tom Hanks' performance in this scene is beautiful. The desperation in his voice is heart-breaking. Not surprisingly he was nominated for an Oscar for this role. (He lost to Russell Crowe for Gladiator.)

This next part is a serious SPOILER ALERT. If you don't want to know how the movie ends, don't read this part.

The second time this piece of music plays is in the very last scene of the movie. Chuck has slowly rejoined normal society and he has just delivered the FedEx final package that he saved from the plane crash five years earlier. As he leaves the last house he comes to a crossroads and has to ask for directions. You don't have to dig very deep to understand the symbolism of the location of this scene. (Hint: He has reached a crossroads in his life and has to decide how to continue living.)

This last piece of music plays as Chuck decides which path to choose and then carries over into the credits of the film.

END SPOILER

I particularly love the string instruments in this piece of music. The long, slow notes are very serene and beautiful. I actually recently met someone who plays this song to their newborn baby to help her fall asleep.

The quality of the piece makes me picture a beautiful, calm ocean. In the film, the ocean is simultaneously Chuck's friend and enemy. It provides him with food to stay alive, but it is also the great expanse that separates him from the rest of the world for so long.

This song plays in two pivotal scenes in Cast Away. I like that these are the two scenes that were chosen to have music because it ties them together. The theme of the first scene is "Surrender to inevitable. Sometimes events in your life are beyond your control." And the theme of the second scene is "Only you can control that path of your life, so make a decision."

Favorite Awards Show Acceptance Speeches

Awards Season is upon us!

I am an awards show junkie. I love the glamour and spectacle of it all-- the fashion, the stars, the hosts, and, of course, the winners. I watch every awards show that is televised: the Oscars (film), Golden Globes (film and television), Emmys (television), Grammys (music) and Tonys (Broadway).


Every awards show has a few memorable moments that people will be talking about for days and even years afterwards: Adrien Brody kissing Halle Berry as he accepted his Oscar...

...or Melissa Leo dropping an F-bomb during her Oscar speech for The Fighter...

...or Mickey Rourke thanking his dogs in his Golden Globes speech.

So, I thought I'd take some time to highlight some of my favorite acceptance speeches from past awards shows. I chose speeches that range from funny to emotional, heartfelt to serious, and beautifully written to wonderfully spontaneous.

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite acceptance speeches:

Anna Paquin's speech when she won Best Supporting Actress for The Piano at the 1994 Academy Awards:

This is the definition of "speechless." Paquin was just 11 years old when she won. She was so young in fact, that she had not been allowed to see the film due to the R-rated material. Film critic Roger Ebert called her performance, "One of the most extraordinary examples of a child's acting in movie history." Her excited, astonished reaction to hearing her name called is so genuine. I absolutely love the look on her face as she turns towards the audience holding her Oscar. It takes a solid twenty seconds for her to catch her breath and start talking. She delivers a short, simple speech with the poise of someone much older. I also love the reactions of Emma Thompson and Holly Hunter. They are so excited for her. Hunter was nominated for two different films that year, The Firm and The Piano. Later that night she won Best Actress for her performance alongside Paquin.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's speech when they won Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting at the 1998 Academy Awards:

Ben Affleck was 25 and Matt Damon was 27 when they won this award. Both had already established fairly successful acting careers at this point, but Good Will Hunting is the movie that put them on the map. When they were trying to sell the screenplay, they made the genius move of selling themselves with the script. They sold the script on the terms that any studio or director who bought the script also bought Affleck and Damon in the lead roles. I love this speech because it starts out with Ben Affleck trying to be calm, cool and collected, and eventually that just goes out the window and they both start shouting the names of they people they want to thank. You can tell that the audience loves the speech because they start cheering and applauding before the speech is over. It makes me laugh when Ben says, "I know we're forgetting someone!"

Julie Andrews winning Best Actress for Mary Poppins at the 1965 Academy Awards.

Julie Andrews is so poised and classy during this speech. She thanks Walt Disney, but then spends the rest of her speech thanking the American film industry for making her feel so welcome. Mary Poppins introduced Andrews to Hollywood and you can tell how genuinely happy she is to win. I also really love Dick Van Dyke clapping in the audience at 2:01.

Chris Colfer winning Best Supporting Actor for the television show Glee at the 2011 Golden Globes:

Believe it or not, this speech was not written or rehearsed. In a later interview Colfer said he was certain that Eric Stonestreet was going to win, so he didn't prepare anything. It's always awesome when you can see that the winner of an award is truly shocked to hear their name called. Colfer looks so dazed. His cast members have to pull him up and send him on his way. There's not a false step in this entire speech. He starts off with a funny quip, thanks his cast and crew, and then delivers a beautiful, heartfelt thank you to the fans of the show.

Dustin Lance Black winning Best Original Screenplay for Milk at the 2009 Oscars:

Milk is the true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office. Dustin Lance Black was just 24 when he won this award and his speech is so moving. He talks about how personal Harvey's story is to him and he talks about his hopes that one day there will be nation-wide gay rights. Milk is fantastic movie and a movie that I think had to be made at this time in our country.

Kristin Chenoweth winning Best Supporting Actress at the 2009 Emmys:

I just find everything about this woman adorable. It's crazy how much talent can fit into a 4' 10" woman. Chenoweth is mostly known for her work on Broadway (Glinda in Wicked, Sally in You're A Good Man Charlie Brown). She won this award for the television show Pushing Daisies, which had been cancelled by the time the Emmys rolled around. I love how surprised she looks. She immediately bursts into tears when she hears her name called. Her already high-pitched voice is even higher because she's crying. The best part of this speech is when she says that she's unemployed and starts listing the shows she wants to be on. I also like it when she keeps saying "This is really heavy," referring to the statuette.

I love this picture of Tina Fey and Jon Hamm presenting her with the award because I think it looks like Lord of the Rings. Chenoweth is SO tiny, she looks like a hobbit next to Hamm and Fey.

 

 

David Seidler winning Best Original Screenplay for The King's Speech at the 2011 Oscars:

 

There's such a great story behind this award. Seidler had a severe stutter as a child that he accredited to the emotional trauma of World War II and seeing his grandparents murdered during the Holocaust. He found the story of King George VI very inspirational as a child. He had wanted to write this movie for years, but when he asked the Queen Mother for permission in the early 80's she said, "Yes, but not in my lifetime," citing that the memories were too painful. Little did Seidler know, the Queen Mother would live to the age of 101. So almost 30 years later, the film was made. Seidler, at the age of 73, is the oldest person to date to win this award, hence his line, "My father always said to me I would be a late bloomer."

Tom Hanks winning Best Actor for Philadelphia at the 1994 Oscars:

This speech is just downright beautiful. I love every second of it. He thanks the people who are important to the film and then he thanks two of his acting mentors which he calls, "Two of the finest gay Americans." If you haven't seen the film (which everyone should because it's amazing), Hanks plays a gay man with AIDS who is fired from his job due to his homosexuality. Hanks' performance in this film is extraordinary. It's possibly one of the single greatest film performances of all time.

And finally, Tina Fey's acceptance speeches. Ever since her television show 30 Rock premiered in 2006, it seems like not an awards show has gone by without Tina Fey winning for some aspect of the show, whether it be acting, writing, or producing. Her speeches are always full of comedy zings, but she is also genuinely thankful.

First, her acceptance speech at the 2008 Emmys for Lead Actress in a Television Series:

The best line is "I want to thank my parents for somehow raising me to have confidence that is disproportionate with my looks and abilities. Well done, that is what all parents should do."

30 Rock winning for Best Comedy Series at the 2009 Emmys:

Who doesn't love Bob Newhart? His little monologue at the beginning is a little self-serving, but he's Bob Newhart. A comedy genius like that can be a little narcissistic at the Emmys. If you don't want to hear him, skip to 2:08. Again, the speech is funny and heartfelt. It's a fairly recent thing that when a show or movie wins the top prize, everyone involved gets onstage. I really that because it gives the audience a chance to see how many people it takes to make a show work.

Tina Fey winning Best Actress at the 2009 Golden Globes:

Tina Fey has won SO many times that she has given a lot of speeches, so it's awesome how she makes each one unique. And this is by far the most unique. She thanks the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which is the group that votes for the Golden Globes, and then she addresses the people on the internet who hate on her. It's daring and hilarious and just quintessential Tina Fey humor.

So, there you have it: Some of my favorite awards show acceptance speeches. There are tons more, but I thought I'd spare my readers from a post that would take an hour to read.

If you do want to watch some more great speeches, look up:
Sean Penn's speech for Milk at the 2009 Oscars
Kate Winslet's speech for The Reader at the 2009 Oscars
Sutton Foster's speech for Anything Goes at the 2011 Tonys
Michael Caine's speech for The Cider House Rules at the 2000 Oscars
Tim Hanks's speech for Forrest Gump at the 1995 Oscars

If you're an awards show junkie like me, here is when they will be on TV:

Golden Globes: Sunday, January 15, 8pm on NBC
Screen Actors Guild Awards: Sunday, January 29, 8pm on TNT and TBS
Academy Awards: Sunday, February 26, 7pm on ABC

Fun Film Fact 10/17/11

IN AND OUT (1997)
The film was inspired by Tom Hanks' acceptance speech at the 1994 Academy Awards when he won for Philadelphia. In his speech Hanks thanked his gay drama teacher, which lead to this film in which a former student outs his gay teacher in his Oscar speech.

Tom Hanks' Oscar speeches are two of my all-time favorite acceptance speeches. They're just down right beautiful. Click here to watch his speech for Philadelphia

 

Fun Film Fact 08/27/11

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (2002)
The movie filmed in 157 different locations throughout North America, but it was shot in just 52 days.

Fun Film Fact 07/23/11

BIG (1988)
The rap/handshake that Josh (Tom Hanks) and Billy do multiple times in the film was suggested by Tom Hanks. He felt that the boys needed some sort of secret handshake and Hanks' son had just learned it at camp. The director loved it and put it in the film.

Tom Hanks still has it memorized. Check out this interview from 2009 where he does it perfectly, hand motions and all.

Fun Film Fact 07/5/11

CAST AWAY (2000)
The beginning of the film was shot first and then production shut down for a year while Tom Hanks grew out his hair and lost 50 pounds. During the hiatus director Robert Zemeckis used the same crew to film What Lies Beneath. 

BEFORE

AFTER

Favorite Movie Scores: "Charlie Wilson"

As I've said before, I LOVE movie scores. Currently, my iPod playlist titled Movie Scores has 512 songs, but it is constantly growing.

Music is an integral part of a film. Without music, a film feels incomplete. A piece of music can completely change the way a scene plays. The best movie scores are ones that don't force you to feel emotion. The movie's score should enhance the already existing emotion.

Because I love movie music so much, I've decided to regularly highlight a favorite piece of music. This probably won't be daily thing like my Fun Film Facts, but I'm going to do it as often as possible.

First up, the main theme from Charlie Wilson's War (2007) called "Charlie Wilson." If you haven't seen Charlie Wilson's War, here's a brief description. It's based on the true story of Charlie Wilson, a partying, womanizing, Texas congressman, who was the main driving force behind the covert war that helped the rebels in Afghanistan beat the Soviets in the 80s. The film's tagline reads "When the world wasn't looking, he changed it forever." Tom Hanks plays Wilson and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Julia Roberts costar. It's directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Catch 22) and the script is written by Aaron Sorkin.

I really love this piece of music because it encompasses all the aspects of Charlie Wilson's character. It starts out sounding Middle Eastern and then shifts into that twangy electric guitar riff that sounds very Texan. At 1:15 it moves into a soft melody played by a solo instrument. That melody is then picked up by a number of violins. This change from a solitary instrument to many instruments symbolizes how Charlie's covert war started as just himself and an idea and then grew into this enormous historical moment. I find the violins incredibly beautiful. As this series of posts continues you'll find that I tend to enjoy pieces of score that heavily feature strings as opposed to other instruments.

If you haven't seen Charlie Wilson's War check out the trailer.

The movie is very relevant these days because of the War on Terror. There's a quote from Charlie Wilson in the movie that goes: "These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the endgame." It means that we helped Afghanistan drive out the Soviets and then we stopped caring about them and look what happened...