Thursday Movie Picks: Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Oscar Winners Edition): Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies. Today’s theme is Best Original Score and Best Original Song (Oscar Winners Edition), so here are my choices!
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
beauty and the beast (1992)
This is by far my favorite Disney (non-Pixar) movie. I grew up listening to the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack, and I still love it. I had forgotten that this score won an Oscar, and I think it’s so deserving. Its theme song, Beauty and the Beast, also won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and I would be lying if I said I didn’t have the song on my phone so I could occasionally belt it out.
the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring (2001)
So by now, if you’ve been reading my TMPs every week, you’ll know how much I love the LOTR trilogy. I seem to choose it for nearly every movie-centric theme. The score of this movie is so beautiful and adds so much to its cinematic presentation. I can still hear The Shire in my head. Actually, I think I’ll go put it on right now. Also, the Departure of Boromir is probably my favorite piece from the first movie.
titanic (1997)
Look, this soundtrack blew up when the movie was released. Mostly due to Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On and so I think James Horner’s score is oftentimes forgotten. His work on Glory made me a lifelong fan of his, and I adored his original score for Titanic. I feel he was long overdue for his Oscar, and I’m so happy he won before his untimely death.
BEST ORIGINAL SONG
chim chim cher-ee (mary poppins)
Mary Poppins is one of my favorite movies! It’s definitely a cozy, watch when I’m feeling down sort of movie. The songs are all magical and Chim Chim Cher-ee is one of my favorites. I know Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is the most famous music from this film, but it’s actually my least favorite! Stay Awake, Feed the Birds, Jolly Holliday…and who can forget, Sister Suffragette? Chim Chim Cher-ee was a deserving winner.
man or muppet (the muppets)
I cannot tell you how thrilled I am that Bret McKenzie is an Oscar winner. Man or Muppet is so much fun and McKenzie himself has described this song as “sincere but ridiculous”, which is honestly the absolute truth.
into the west (the return of the king)
What?? Sara, another LOTR choice? You betcha! While I enjoyed May It Be (Enya) from the first film, Into the West is a gorgeous farewell to the entire trilogy and who better to sing it than the incomparable Annie Lennox. The lyrics, the music… such a beautiful homage to the films. “Don’t say we have come now to the end.” That was exactly how I felt when the credits began to roll on Return of the King. Three years of this cinematic journey and I was so sad when it ended. ROTK really did sweep the Oscars that year, including Annie Lennox for the original song. I still listen to it frequently.
Joel
September 2, 2021I love that you went with Chim Chim Cher-ee!! Mary Poppins is such a great film, both captivating and dark in places. I like Super… and my sister and I sang it all the time when we were kids but my favorite of all the songs is the plaintive “Feed the Birds”. Also love Glynis Johns and Reta Shaw marching through the house singing that wacky Sister Suffragette! The new version had some decent things in it but just can’t compare.
The story that Cameron tacked onto Titanic is unbelievable but in all its technical aspects including scoring the film is brilliant.
That Muppet song is sweet if forgettable.
I just can’t with the LOTR films but they are technically proficient.
I stuck to the song category and chose to do a theme within the theme where all three share their title with the film that won them the Oscar plus the trio all were chart successes on their own.
The Way We Were (1973)-Fiery, opinionated Katie Morosky (Barbra Streisand) meets handsome goyish guy Hubbell Gardiner (Robert Redford) in college during the 30’s. While he admires her moxie and she his writing talent they move in different circles. As WWII is winding down, they meet again and despite their vast differences they fall in love and marry but those very differences eventually tear their relationship asunder. Both the film and the title tune by Marvin Hamlisch, Alan & Marilyn Bergman were gigantic hits, the Streisand’s recording of the song going to # 1 on Billboard as well as winning the Grammy as Record of the Year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNEcQS4tXgQ
The Days of Wine and Roses (1962)-Gut wrenching chronicle of young couple Joe & Kirsten Clay’s (Jack Lemmon & Lee Remick-both Oscar nominated) descent into blackout alcoholism. Fittingly for something so dark the title song by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer has a mournful quality but a soulful lilting beauty. Recorded by many artists it reached # 9 on the Billboard charts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNlT7Rx77y8
The Joker is Wild aka All the Way (1957)-Joe E. Lewis (played by Frank Sinatra) was a rising singer on the Chicago nightclub scene of the Roaring Twenties until he angered a mob boss by switching clubs. In retaliation the mobster has Lewis’s throat cut, slashing his vocal cords and therefore his career. He slowly worked his way back as a comic over the next decade. Sinatra’s recording of All the Way written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn was so popular (# 2 on the Billboard charts) the film was retitled to match it upon re-release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxxDK0sFENo
I prefer the live action version of Beauty and the Beast but the score is truly memorable.
Sara
September 2, 2021I love The Way We Were! I used to get it mixed up with A Star Is Born when I was younger lol. I also love All the Way! What a beautiful song. I love the “duet” Celine Dion did with the song too.
Brittani
September 3, 2021Great picks! I still listen to Into The West often, the entire soundtrack is great but that’s such a perfect song.
Sara
September 3, 2021It’s so good. I love how it incorporates some of the movies’ lines into the lyrics. Just beautiful.
Sonia
September 4, 2021Great picks! I’m not a fan of the Mary Poppins song, but the other songs and the scores are terrific.
Cinematic Delights
September 4, 2021Ah, we match with Fellowship! A very worthy win.
I agree: Horner’s score for Titanic is beautiful. I nearly included in my picks.
And we match with ‘Man or Muppet’ as well. It is so darn catchy!
Sara
September 8, 2021Yay! Man or Muppet seemed like one that might get lost in all of the other winners but it’s SUCH a cute song.
ThePunkTheory
September 5, 2021Those are all amazing picks! I almost went with Mary Poppins myself.
Sara
September 8, 2021Mary Poppins is such a fun soundtrack. I have an urge to watch the movie again.
Allie
September 7, 2021Oh, Man or Muppet! I love that movie so much and I was thrilled when it won <3
Sara
September 8, 2021Yes! I think there were only 2 or 3 songs nominated that year but it was still so very deserving.
Ruth
September 7, 2021Wonderful picks!! LOVE Beauty and the Beast, LOTR and Titanic… such gorgeous and timeless scores.
Sara
September 8, 2021Thank you! They’re still scores I listen to frequently 🙂
Birgit
September 8, 2021I do like all your choices. Beauty and the Beast is great and set the stage for all the animated films later. I love…love LOTR so I am glad you chose them and we match with this. I hate the movie Titanic but I do love the music. I love, Let’s Go Fly A Kite.” This Song From Mary Poppins is also a good one. I have not heard of the Muppet song but I like it. I love the Annie Lennox song but my heart always goes to “MY It Be.”
Wandering through the Shelves
September 9, 2021I don’t remember the music of Titanic at all…only My Heart Will Go On.
Sara
September 13, 2021It was so overplayed at the time. I remember the radio edits splicing in parts of the movie during the song. Intolerable! I love it now only because it’s been years since the song blew up.