Scoring Big

By Luke Langlois

Not to make a sweeping generalization or anything, but movies, although a somewhat new invention in the grand scheme of human history, have become one of the greatest sources of our everyday entertainment. Think of your favorite movie scene or a scene that has emotionally moved you in some way or another. Is it Yoda’s death in Return of the Jedi? Is it that moment in Avengers: Endgame where those lost from the snap triumphantly returned. Perhaps it’s the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest just runs. No matter what movie scene is most near to your heart, there’s one element that you maybe haven’t considered: the movie score. 

I always wonder how come our everyday life isn’t nearly as epic as life in the movies. How come there wasn’t that pizazz when I took the FIRST BITE of my ENGLISH MUFFIN this morning? The answer is simple: there was no John Williams movie score attached to it. Again, if you think about your favorite scenes from your beloved movies, I bet you overlook the soundtrack (unless you’ve already had this epiphany). But, movies are NOTHING without their score. Today, in honor of our theme, I’d like to recognize some of the most underappreciated artists in the cinematic industry. They are the true breath of life in a movie. 

• John Williams – As Ms. Zachik said to me when I told her about this post concept, “You have to mention John Williams; it seems like he’s composed everything!” He has. John Williams is the greatest movie composer of all time, and there is no question about it. In his over half-a-century long career, Williams has composed the scores for over one-hundred movies. Beyond movies, however, he has also composed the fanfare for NBC’s Sunday Night Football and the Olympics! Some of his compositions include the scores from the Indiana Jones franchise, the Star Wars franchise, the Jurassic Park franchise, the first three movies of the Harry Potter series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Saving Private Ryan. When I learned that he’s done all of these movies, I was SHOCKED! How do you just casually score a smash hit movie and then move on to another one, and another one, and then one more? I don’t like to use the “literally” expression often, but Williams has literally done everything. 
• Michael Giacchino – So many people gush over the scene in Disney Pixar’s Up where the newly married Carl and Ellie progress through life together, slowly growing old until eventually Ellie passes away. Not to devalue the writing and directing of that scene, but what would it be without the score, Married Life? Giacchino has become Disney’s go-to man for Pixar films (which makes him my personal favorite), and has recently jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his scores for Doctor Strange, Spiderman: Homecoming, and Spiderman: Far From Home. Giacchino’s resume includes, but obviously isn’t limited to: The Incredibles (the BEST), Sky High, Ratatouille, Jurassic World, Cars 2, Zootopia, and Coco. He also has also done the music for a couple of video games like Call of Duty. 
• Alan Silvestri – The most underrated movie score of all time belongs to The Polar Express. Guess who did that one? Alan Silvestri doesn’t seem to have a “type” of movie he prefers to score. He’s done movies ranging from Forrest Gump to Lilo and Stitch. Though, the most recent score of his that you’ve probably heard is from the highest grossing film of all time: Avengers Endgame. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it crazy that the same guy who scored movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit also scored a movie like Endgame. Regardless, Silvestri is just one of the many incredibly talented movie composers who has probably been a part of many of your favorite movies.

Appreciate the score in your next visit to the movies. What fun would dead silence be in an action montage? Maybe it would be fun if it was an action montage in the vacuum of space, but I haven’t seen that done before. Anyways, the next time you are ready to leave as soon as the credits roll, maybe stick around for a second and see who the music was done by. 

“Favorite Musicians” Editor: James Zheng