The Best Scores of 1999

by Jonathan Z. Kaplan

First, congratulations to this year's music Oscar winners: Phil Collins for "You'll Be in My Heart" (Tarzan) and John Corigliano (The Red Violin).

Are you in Dallas? Tonight, the Dallas Wind Symphony will be playing film music, mainly from Star Wars, at the Meyerson Concert Hall. See www.dws.org.

Now, onto JZK's article:

Sleepy Hollow

Danny Elfman

Sleepy Hollow features the best stand-alone piece of symphonic music ("Main Titles") written this year. I am taking heat for liking this score more than I am allowed to, but Sleepy Hollow makes the top ten list for the decade.

South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut

Trey Parker and Marc Shaiman

It's still tough to compare musicals to instrumental underscore, but this achievement has to rank near the top of whatever "Best of" list it gets pushed onto (it's also on the top ten list for the decade). The worst song in this film is better than the best song written for any other picture this year. The underscore brilliantly recycles the songs to smooth out the edges of the plot.

Snow Falling on Cedars

James Newton Howard

James Newton Howard had his strongest year since 1993 with this romantic effort heading the way. Three simple and exquisite themes (with influences ranging from Vaughan Williams to Elfman) pace an otherwise monotonous and eerily laid-back film. Howard's attention to drama is pristine except for the outrageous choral cues which accompany equally inane scenes in the movie.

Election

Rolfe Kent

Both Matthew Broderick's (habanera) and Reese Witherspoon's (folk) themes are worked over in numerous stylistic variations, some of which you're unlikely to pick up on the first time around. Election also benefits from the smartest (by a huge margin) use of source music in any movie this year. The album release is not only lacking the best source music (Ennio Morricone's Navajo Joe) but the best Kent material as well.

The Sixth Sense

James Newton Howard

The music backs up the film's gimmick with a soul. Strong opening and closing cues frame a coherent body of plaintive, spirited underscore while Malcolm's theme (and the fact that he has one) is stirring. The homages to Goldsmith's Poltergeist are also welcome. Howard, using a less-is-more technique, has reached a pinnacle in his career.

Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace

John Williams

While the days of The Empire Strikes Back may be dead, this score is light years better than its representation on Ken Wannberg's album release. Anakin's theme is as enchanting as Anakin himself is a gumdrop-headed little pig. There are powerhouse tracks (most of which are unreleased) but there's more meandering here than in the usual Williams epic adventure score.

Iron Giant

Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen's score has been criticized for lacking a memorable theme but it's a solid work that makes the most of its elements. It has numerous highlights and is much better than any of the Disney cartoon/musical scores of the '90s.

For Love of the Game

Basil Poledouris

Having attended one of the scoring sessions, I cried in the theater during the eighth inning montage sequence where Basil's music was replaced with a lifeless song. As it turns out, a song was always slated for that scene and Basil scored it as an attempt to show Sam Raimi how vastly the film could be improved. "No Hits" can be heard on the album, but its true genius lies in how it commanded the images--even if only on a scoring stage.

The Matrix

Don Davis

I didn't love the result so much as the approach on this one. But, Davis's adept handling of difficult action sequences (like the hand-to-hand battle in the subway station) comes almost out of nowhere. Hopefully, he will get to try his hand at similar projects. The Varese album showcases some of Davis's exciting, Leonard Rosenman-like outbursts, but it's also missing parts of the best underscore.

American Beauty

Thomas Newman

I'm starting to get tired of Thomas Newman's sound--but that's mainly because it pops up in so many movies scored by people other than Newman. American Beauty has two above-average Newman piano themes as well as the usual ambient percussion cues.

I, like Jeff Bond, refuse to indulge in the shameless and degrading practice of labeling "worst" scores in any given year.

The Worst Score of All Time

Magnolia earns a tie with several other scores written for modern cinema. I still feel a dull pain in my stomach whenever I think of the mechanical, Schindler's List -factory-like music that droned on for about an hour of Magnolia's running time. The rest of the score was less offensive only by comparison. Never in my life have I seen such a bold and witless attempt at pacing a boring film with such dry and repetitive drivel. Fortunately, the score didn't hurt a good movie because Magnolia was a stinking dead animal to begin with.

Most Disappointing Score

Fight Club by the Dust Brothers: This wasn't bad--but I missed the Howard Shore score that the movie needed and deserved.

Best Album of the Year

Sleepy Hollow--Most of the better scores of 1999 have inadequate album releases. (South Park.... is missing the underscore, Election has a compressed suite, The Phantom Menace is a disaster, etc.) Thanks to Hollywood Records (and a London recording), we have plenty of this one to enjoy. The overpowering sound effects and lousy mix in the film make this album even more of a rescue.

Worst Album of the Year

Angela's Ashes--I have yet to hear this score. The theme in the preview makes me curious for more, but as a matter of principle I am unable to buy the dialogue-ridden American release, Sony's most offensive blunder yet. I'll have to see the film or get the overseas "score only" version--whichever turns out to be easier.

Best Non-Soundtrack Album By a Film Composer

The Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics album is a perfect companion for Bigger, Longer & Uncut, featuring more standout work from Parker and Shaiman. Don't make the mistake of thinking this was a holiday throw-away. It's worth every penny.

Worst Film with a Good Score

Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace was so bad that I'm not even looking forward to the next installment.

Worst Films that Jeff Bond Recommended I Pay Money to See

The Bone Collector

Magnolia

Princess Mononoke

Pitch Black (2000)

Best Jeff Bond Quote

"I'll kiss any man in this room--and I'm not just saying that because I'm drunk."

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