Top Film Scores: 59-47

59. A River Runs Through It (1992), Mark Isham. For some reason I thought Elmer Bernstein had written this score. No matter. Isham has written a beautifully simplistic score that evokes the American spirit in the wilds of Montana. For me this feeling is evoked best toward the beginning of the film as the boys Norman and Paul Maclean muse over what they’d like to be when they grow up.

58. Hook (1991), John Williams. There’s something special about John Williams, something that sets him apart from everyone else. Sure he’s a genius, he writes the greatest melodies and he’s arguably the most prolific film composer of all time. But there is a distinct gift he has that is like no other. It’s hard to explain exactly what this is. It is something about the wild and adventurous heart of youth; it is a sense of magic and wonder, of seeing the world through the innocence of a child’s eyes, in a way that we have all forgotten to see.  Does Williams accomplish this in the character themes he writes? In the orchestration? Surely, it’s a combination of many things; but there is something intangible as well. He has found a way to relate–in music–the infinite capacity in the human heart (especially of children) to love unconditionally. This all sounds quite vague. In a word, music like that in the film “Hook” is simply…good. Wholesome. Pure.

57. The Prince of Egypt (1998), Hans Zimmer. Hans is one of the big names in film, and he seems to get a lot of work. This particular movie exhibits an impressive collection of powerfully moving songs. The vocal portions and orchestral passages work seamlessly together. To me, Zimmer is one of the best in the business at combining both power, force and dynamism with beauty and grace. We’ll see more of him in a few movies later on.

56. The Land Before Time (1988), James Horner. I’m tempted to say this is a purely sentimental choice. Yet even though this was one of my favorite movies as a kid, I can’t deny the strength of the music. I was struck immediately by it’s depth and awe-inspiring beauty in the opening credits. This movie introduced me to James Horner, who was a great musical influence and inspiration growing up. We’ll see much more of him later as well.

55. The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005), Harry Gregson-Williams. This young composer of the “Shrek” series works very well with director Andrew Adamson. Gregson-Williams was given the task of aurally painting a magical world that many of us have grown to love dearly in the books. One of the greatest musical moments–for me–comes when Lucy first stumbles into the snowy world of Narnia. A flute solo tentatively announces her arrival by introducing a new theme–the Narnia theme–as the wide-eyed girl hesitantly wanders deeper into Aslan’s realm. It’s a very beautiful moment, followed shortly by the memorable meeting with Tumnus.

54. Artificial Intelligence: A.I. (2001), John Williams. A very interesting score for Williams. There is a constant feelign of cold, metallic and sterile beauty that reflects the robot world. Toward the end of the film (when the world freezes over and the film gets really weird) we hear an a cappella choral piece that exhibits Williams skill in vocal counterpoint.

53. The Selfish Giant (1971), Ron Goodwin. This is a rather obscure 26-minute cartoon film based on the short story by Oscar Wilde. It tells the tale of one lonely, old giant who finds redemption in the presence of several children who steal into his garden while he is away on holiday. It’s a beautiful film, full of many memorable tunes performed by the King’s Singers of Cambridge College.

52. Catch Me If You Can (2002), John Williams. Are you getting tired of seeing this name yet? “Catch Me If You Can” is so different for him (though still infused with several “Williamsy” moments) that I had to include it. The opening credits are enough to impress, as the composer tries his hand at jazz…and succeeds.

51. Pee Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Danny Elfman. What an amazing piece of work. Elfman’s wacky score fits the movie so wonderfully. Some of the most notable musical moments include a freaky clown in the parking lot who seems to have stolen Pee Wee’s favorite bike, a heroic rescue of animals from the burning pet store, and a crazy wild goose chase through Hollywood movie sets.

50. Rob Roy (1995), Carter Burwell. Admittedly, I was a little disappointed with this film; but the music is clearly inspiring, and good enough to put it on the list.

49. Le violon rouge (The Red Violin) (1998), John Corigliano. A nice score from one of the best-known American composers in classical/academic circles today. I only saw the movie once, and all I can really remember is some pleasant strings music, nothing that jumped out at me; but I admire Corigliano’s work outside of film and I think he was a good choice for this picture.

48. The Count of Monte Cristo (2002), Edward Shearmur. A strong theme highlights this classic epic set to the silver screen. The theme reminds me of a couple of pieces by Samuel Barber; but it is original enough, and it does the film justice.

47. Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Maurice Jarre. This is one of the greatest classic movie epics, told so well by director David Lean (“Dr. Zhivago”, “The Bridge Over the River Kwai”). It features a very majestic and memorable theme as Lawrence marches across the Arabian desert toward the sea.