Perusing another message board I saw this film mentioned and read the score described as "gorgeous" and "haunting." With a hop a skip and a jump (well, a hop anyway) I clicked over to youtube to hear some of the evidence and found the finale from the film, featuring some gorgeous and haunting music indeed:
Turns out the composer is none other than Trevor Jones. His website features a couple of cues from the movie (including the piece featured here) but no mention of a soundtrack. Has anyone seen the film?
Seen the film a number of times, Mike. It's one of the great underrated gems of the 90s. It's not perfect, and it's pretty quirky, but for some reason this film has always stayed with me. It's beautifully shot and extremely well-acted, especially by Sam Rockwell. There are some histrionics towards the end, but some stunning imagery too.
I would give my limbs to see the score get a release. It is stunning; beautiful folksy guitar in the early scenes develops into a rich and full-bodied orchestral score in the second-half. The climactic cue is one of the best of the 90s. After one viewing of the film, the haunting violin melody that plays while Mischa Barton sits in the tree was permanently implanted in my brain and has never left.
I contacted someone through Trevor Jones' website to ask if a release was ever going to happen, and they weren't sure. That was a long time ago. If you let them know you'd like to see it released too, it might help...
I almost wish I hadn't found this now, knowing it's not yet been released.
And shame on me for at first assuming this was forgotten because of no-name credits or poor quality. Directed by John Duigan, starring Sam Rockwell, music by Trevor Jones. Granted Rockwell wasn't a name actor back in 1997, but if the clip above is indicative in any way of the quality of the rest of the film, it didn't deserve to be forgotten for so long.
I almost wish I hadn't found this now, knowing it's not yet been released.
And shame on me for at first assuming this was forgotten because of no-name credits or poor quality. Directed by John Duigan, starring Sam Rockwell, music by Trevor Jones. Granted Rockwell wasn't a name actor back in 1997, but if the clip above is indicative in any way of the quality of the rest of the film, it didn't deserve to be forgotten for so long.
I'm just impressed by how well Rockwell is keeping up appearances. He doesn't look much older in MOON, and we're now like 12 years down the road from that film of yours.
I contacted someone through Trevor Jones' website to ask if a release was ever going to happen, and they weren't sure. That was a long time ago. If you let them know you'd like to see it released too, it might help...
I sent them an e-mail and got a very nice (and prompt) response to the effect that CMR didn't own the rights to that score, and thus they couldn't be sure it would ever be released. The problem is, even in this age where all of the old sacred cows are becoming available, it'd be hard to justify spending money to release a score from a film no one's heard of. Maybe digital-only will be the way to go. For this I wouldn't mind at all.
I sent them an e-mail and got a very nice (and prompt) response to the effect that CMR didn't own the rights to that score, and thus they couldn't be sure it would ever be released. The problem is, even in this age where all of the old sacred cows are becoming available, it'd be hard to justify spending money to release a score from a film no one's heard of. Maybe digital-only will be the way to go. For this I wouldn't mind at all.
Good on you Mike! And thanks for letting us know.
The film wasn't so obscure when it was released here in Australia in 1998. (Perhaps because Aussie Duigan directed?) I saw it twice at the cinema. I've certainly seen more obscure films (with much less impressive scores) get CD releases. Even so, I'd be thrilled with digital-only. I don't have many grails, but this is one of them.
Thanks a lot Mike Skerritt for posting this video. Great piece of music by Jones. Also reminds me a bit of his work on Merlin (wich has some cool material unreleased on cd). Trevor Jones's official site seems to list that final cue titled as Home.
