Movie Music

Have you ever heard a theme-song from a movie that you just loved, and it brought back the whole experience for you?  I think that certain directors have a great talent when assigning theme music and scores for their films, and this talent often "makes" the movie.  I mean, who doesn't remember the soundtracks from movies by Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, or Martin Scorsese?  Sometimes, if I don't have time to watch a whole movie at once, I play theme music.  When my son was a baby, I constantly played movie soundtracks, since I was trying my best to curtail the TV-time:)  Here are some of my favorite movie themes (not necessarily from my favorite movies:):

1) Arthur's Theme, by Christopher Cross, from the movie Arthur (1981).  I am constantly getting caught between the moon and New York City.  It is becoming quite a problem.

2) The Theme from Love Story (instrumental).  This is one of the sappiest of all time, but I totally lose it.  I know that my Mom does, too:)

3) The Windmills of Your Mind, by Sting, from the movie The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).  This is Sting's remake of the song, for the remake of the 1968 film, trading Steve McQueen for Pierce Brosnan.  (Big shoes to fill for Mr. Brosnan:)  Both the song and the movie are always great.  I doubt that anyone wouldn't approve.

4) Something's Telling Me It Might Be You, by Stephen Bishop, from the movie Tootsie (1982).  This is one of my all-time favorite films, and the song is quintessential 1980's-film-mush.  Tootsie also won a zillion Oscars that year, which was also the year the I was born.  Terrific.

5) Good Enough, by Cindi Lauper, from the movie The Goonies (1985).  If you grew up in the 1980s, I know that you understand.  This is also a really great one for aerobics:)

6) It Must Have Been Love, by Roxette, from the movie Pretty Woman (1990).  Classic, tear-jerker and one of several amazing songs from the Pretty Woman soundtrack.  The whole album is a winner.

7) Stay, by Lisa Loeb, from the movie Reality Bites (1994).  This really is a favorite movie of mine, and it completely defined a generation.  If you haven't seen it, I must not only give it my highest recommendation, but I must insist, rather, that you rectify this problem.  Plus, my best friend and I used to perform this song over and over again (Obviously cool kids).

8) The Glory of Love, by Chicago, from the movie The Karate Kid II (1986).  I know, I know, the song is way lame, but it still captures the feeling of the movie brilliantly.  You don't have to listen to it if you don't want to:)

9) Skylark, by KD Lang, from the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997).  This song is so beautiful, and the soundtrack to this movie is very mellow and bluesy.  The movie is very enjoyable, although I must recommend that you read the book.  It is even better:)  Actually, going to Savannah is the best idea, but that is beside the point...

10) Here I lump together some of my favorite soundtracks as a whole, because it is too hard to pick one track alone... Pulp Fiction (1994), Rushmore (1998), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004), Sense and Sensibility (1995), The Big Chill (1983), and The Wedding Singer (1998).  You just can't lose.