Oscar Outlook 2002

When we hit the end of Summer 2001, I was appalled by the lack of good scores in any of the movies. The hope, of course, is that the Fall and Winter movies will not only hold the hopes for entire Oscar race, but for us film score fans, who had suddenly diverted funds from the "New Score" CD wallet to the "Re-Release" CD wallet. The year would be great if all the re-releases we got this year were actually from 2001 movies. Not only would we have the Omen trilogy, but John Williams' The Towering Inferno and Heartbeeps, Georges Delerue's The Black Stallion Returns, David Shire's The Conversation, James Horner's Project X and Jerry Goldsmith's The Illustrated Man. Although a Film Festival of these movies would be a chore to sit through, the scores are great.

But, like Haley's Comet, sure enough, the better scores were indeed released (although it seemed pretty dire before the Thanksgiving releases), and we can all now breathe a sigh of relief. Of course, no relief will come when the Oscar nominations are announced on February 12. Rarely do film score fans' choices ever make it to final five (2/5 is as good a ratio as we can hope for). There are three categories for music: Score (no more distinction between comedy and drama any more), Song Score (which will probably be eliminated this year because of the lack of nominees) and Song (more later). Putting my personal preferences aside, and trying to think objectively and based on history, here are my thoughts as to which scores are in the ether to get a nomination this year for Best Original Score.
 

Sure Things:

A Beautiful Mind - James Horner
The Fellowship of the Ring - Howard Shore

To coincide with their inevitable Best Picture nods, these two scores should easily get into the final five. This is Horner's first appearance since 1997's Titanic, and this will be Shore's first (!) nomination.
 

Too Many Choices:

James Horner - A Beautiful Mind, Iris, Enemy at the Gates
Alan Silvestri - The Mexican, The Mummy Returns, Serendipity
John Williams - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, A.I.
Hans Zimmer - Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, Pearl Harbor, Riding In Cars with Boys,
The Pledge

When a composer has more than film score in a year, it's sometimes a Sophie's Choice dilemma as to which score should be pushed harder for a nomination. Of course, composers have been nominated for two scores in the same year before (both Williams and Horner have done it before), and if anybody has a shot at a double nomination, it's Williams. If push comes to shove, however, I believe A.I. will come up on top. Same with Zimmer, who some thought should have won last year (for Gladiator which lost to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). If he does get, it'll definitely be for a Josh Hartnett war movie.
 

Movies too small:

Amelie - Yann Tierson
The Deep End - Peter Nashel
Gosford Park - Patrick Doyle
In the Bedroom - Thomas Newman
The Man Who Wasn't There - Carter Burwell

Except for Amelie, these scores do not really call attention to themselves, so most people wouldn't even remember these films had scores (especially a score dominated by Beethoven). However, all these scores have their merits, they just needed a little more exposure.
 

Movies too weird:

Memento - David Julyan
Moulin Rouge - Craig Armstrong
Mulholland Drive - Angelo Badalamenti
The Royal Tenenbaums - Mark Mothersbaugh
Vanilla Sky - Nancy Wilson

Without a doubt, the stranger the plot, the stranger the music, and these movies broke the bounds of linear structure, reveled in alternate realities and highlighted their heighten sensibilities. The music to these movies are risky, interesting and just plan weird. Keep 'em coming. If Armstrong gets a nomination, maybe someone will finally release his score on CD. Badalamenti is a veteran composer whose collaboration with David Lynch may finally pay off with his first nomination.
 

Too Many Composers:

Ali - Lisa Gerrald and Pieter Bourke
Shrek - Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell
Monster's Ball - Asche and Spencer

There may be a rule that if there's more than one composer for a film, the score is ineligible for consideration. I don't know if this rule changed for the 2002 awards, but perhaps these scores will be left off.
 

Animation music - too passe:

Atlantis - James Newton Howard
Final Fantasy - Eliot Goldenthal
Monsters, Inc. - Randy Newman

It used to be that the scores to animated movies automatically made the list, and they usually went on to win, especially the Disney ones. Well, times have changed, and these scores are now taken for granted. And while these three scores are some of the best works of their respective composers, they probably won't make the cut. But if there's one more likely to squeeze in than the others, I believe it will be the Susan Lucci of film composers, Randy Newman.
 

Fan Favorites - iffy chances:

The Last Castle - Jerry Goldsmith
The Others - Alejandro Amenabar
Planet of the Apes - Danny Elfman
The Shipping News - Christopher Young

Each of these scores are turning out to be favorites of film score fans, but they may not have the visibility or name recognition to actually get a nomination. Goldsmith's score is especially good, and if the "good ole boys club" wants to recognized its unofficial iron-man, then Goldsmith will get that "oddball, head-scratching nomination" that was held in previous years by The Milagro Beanfield War and The Red Violin. Both winners, by the way.

I will narrow my final five choices as the nominations get closer to February 12. I will also take a stab at the songs that will probably get nominated, so we'll know what will be underscoring our trips to the bathroom and kitchen on Oscar night.
 

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