This past weekend I discovered that RAGGEDY MAN is available widescreen on Netflix Streaming. I hadn't seen the film since the 1980's but I'm certainly familiar with Goldsmith's beautiful score, so I decided to watch it to hear the music in context.
Spielberg undoubtedly saw this film. Two things leapt out at me immediately - the main titles bear a resemblance to POLTERGEIST, and one of Sissy Spacek's sons is played by none other than Henry Thomas. It was directed by Jack Fisk, who is Sissy Spacek's husband and often works for Terrence Malick as a production designer.
To my surprise, I felt the music worked in direct opposition to the film. It's the rare case where I don't think Goldsmith had a strong grasp of the film he was scoring.
The film tells the story of a divorced woman with two sons stuck in a small Texas town during World War II. She has a brief romance with a sailor passing through town, played by Eric Roberts, and is stalked by two locals who eventually resort to violence. It borrows liberally from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, especially toward the end. The tone is generally somber and wistful.
Goldsmith clearly tried to take the same approach as Bernstein did in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and produced some admittedly lovely music. But unlike TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the story isn't told from a child's point of view, so the music feels inappropriate. This is a story about a grown woman trying to rise above her circumstances, and every time Goldsmith's magical music kicks in it just doesn't feel right.
Again, the music is wonderful - but in context, it's far too lush and beautiful for such a stark little movie.
This is one of my all-time favourite Goldsmith scores and I thought the music worked really well in the film. To me it perfectly evokes the smalltown America setting with the wistful harmonica and delicate orchestra doing lovely Americana. I do agree with you about 'inappropriate music', but only during the latter 'attack sequences', when it gets a tad over dramatic (and Goldsmith even uses Williams' JAWS music at one point). Other than that, it's genius all the way for me, both score in the film and soundtrack CD.
first off, i liked the music , it's sweet and nice, i notice like you, a bit of Poltergist, i also hear a little of Bob Cobert's Dark Shadows Quentin's theme and a little bit of another piece that i am still trying to find in my head, but it still good music, i have not seen the film , so i can't comment on that.
I would LOVE to "revisit" this if it wasn't so DAMN HARD to get my hands on it. It seems the "Conrad The Bear" on eBay is the only one who ever has a copy... arrgh!
This was one of my early Goldsmith favorites, when the movie was shown on broadcast TV a few times. I actually put my little tape recorder up to the TV speaker and recorded my favorite pieces (opening and ending credits, the kite sequence, the trip to the bus station and the climax and denouement on the front porch). I admit that, at the time, I was much more interested in hearing anything by Jerry, than I was in the film itself or how well the score matched the picture. In retrospect, I think Jerry's ideas were spot on for the mood of the film, but the performance is a bit too bright and aggressive for this understated film.
That said, I cherish the score itself and consider it one of the very best from a period that represents the pinnacle of Jerry's career. I was thrilled when Varese release this for the CD Club years ago, and it remains one of my most valued discs.
It's a lovely score and the best things about the film are Spacek's performance and the depiction of what a rural town might have been like during WWII when news trickled in at a maddeningly slow pace. The terrific scene where Spacek quits her job is fantastic, and Goldsmith pays it off with a great bit of Americana.
And now for some insider buzz: the main theme was a lullaby Jerry wrote for whichever daughter was born around that time (I forget which). As for Spielberg seeing the film: I was once told that Amy Irving, who'd remained close friends with Sissy Spacek since Carrie, played a role in having footage of Henry Thomas sent to Spielberg (from whom she'd broken up with in 1979 before getting back together with in 1983), knowing that he was looking everywhere to cast an unknown kid for E.T.. She was also working on a film with Richard Dreyfuss at the time, so it was more of a "who-you-know" bit of casting than has been generally indicated.
1980 - 81 Goldsmith having a daughter born? Don't think so.
Goldsmith's daughters were born much earlier from his first wife Sharon, sometime between 1950 - 1970.
He married Carol Heather in 1972 and had one male child with her. Perhaps he wrote the lullaby for his Son Aaron, not sure when he was born, but could be 80-81.
Does anyone know when his son from Carol was born?
Or perhaps he wrote the lullaby for one of his daughter's daughters?
Any way, no disrespect to your post. The years just aren't right for it to be for one of Goldsmith's daughters.
. As for Spielberg seeing the film: I was once told that Amy Irving, ... played a role in having footage of Henry Thomas sent to Spielberg ...., knowing that he was looking everywhere to cast an unknown kid for E.T..
This is one of my favorite Goldsmith scores too. And it is very Mockingbird-ish. But I think the music does fit the film like a glove. It is showing a rural setting, quiet and remote and beautiful and within it is a very dark violence just beneath the surface. The music reflects both of these and I think it is the contrast in the score that helps bring it out.
I've only seen the film once, but I love the score as a listening experience... unfortunately, it's one of the few Goldsmith releases I don't own. I'd love to have the chance, so keep hoping for a reissue from someone (Intrada?)...
Hey, Mike -- any chance of you helping produce a new complete and remastered version of this wonderful score for Intrada, LLL, or Varese (if they bought the rights in perpetuity for some reason)?
Strong score and the film features one of Eric Roberts' best performances (like Mickey Rourke, he had a good streak early on but things fell apart somewhere along the way).
Love the film and score as well. I have the Varese, but would welcome either a reissue so others could get this in their collection or an expanded. Such a gem of a score.
I've always loved that scene in "Raggedy Man" where Eric Roberts is shown taking Henry and Harry on a day adventure and later returning with them at night, carrying the worn-out boys. That feeling we all had as children, being exhausted from so much fun, and an adult carrying us home to bed, is so wonderfully captured in Goldsmith's score there. Just a beautiful, beautiful scene.
It's a beautiful score for a rather badly shot and edited film. Case in point, I think, is "The Kite", where the music is telling you what the visuals should have been like!!
