One of my favorite scores is John Williams' "The Accidental Tourist" (1988). It is my favorite from that year and one of my top five favorite Williams scores.
The movie, itself, is a deliberately paced story about one man's life crisis after his son dies and his marriage dissipates. He has one thing left to connect him to his previous life -- a dog. That dog leads him to another, much different, woman than the one he lost. And, she has a son who desperately needs a strong-willed male figure to help him. Additionally, there is the dysfunctional family the man comes from -- two brothers and a sister who live together, unattached to anyone else.
John Williams breathes a sort of magic into all of this that makes me smile, and tear up, and my soul soars because of it. The final scene of the film is one of the most joyous I have experienced.
I don't know of many people who react to this film in a similar way, but the score is absolutely a thing of great and delicate beauty.
One of my favourite Williams' scores. I remember watching it in theatres and it still remains my all time favourite ending. Williams' soaring music with that close shot of William Hurt, finally smiling. Unforgettable.
The film, (and the score), are memorable to me for different and personal reasons. This was one of the last films I saw in San Francisco before I moved to Scotland for a year. And while in Scotland, I happened to catch the film at the art-cinema of Edinburgh as well, but the audience didn't respond the same way the American one did, perhaps it was too understated or regional? The score is gentle, and it never intrudes on the scenes, Williams music here is almost like a 'salve' to gently help the wounded characters we meet in the film. Geena Davis stole the film, "Don't forget to cluck!" and Edward the dog nearly steals the film from her. The film is overflowing with little scenes that linger long after we left the theatre. Macon's incredibly odd family, of which he is part of, when he thinks no one else is looking. Macon's Brothers and sister sitting at the table and hearing the phone ring but refuse to answer it because, well, 'he would know not to call, he'd know we wouldn't answer'. And the way this family puts away the groceries from the market into the shelves...alphabetically. The film is, and always will be the single best gift from Writer/Director, Lawrence Kasdan.
This is one of those scores I truly adore and find a lot of nostalgia in. I find it best suits a chilly fall, overcast day. It's melancholy but hopeful, sad but cheerful all at once. I find it very moving and as such, I can only listen to it once in a while.
I heard the score in college and fell in love with it, which made me seek out the book and it turned out to be a personal favorite. I've since read several Anne Tyler novels over the years so this score has a real connection with me. The movie is very good as well (how William Hurt didn't get a 4th consecutive Oscar nom for it is beyond me).
This, along with Stanley and Iris, are the scores all these publications that use Williams's name for "best score" clickbait should be including. Yes, Star Wars and Harry Potter, etc. but if you ask me, these intimate and reflective scores of his are major highlights of his career.
I like The Accidental Tourist, it is a very good film! Quirky at times, but it truly explores what happens to a family after a child dies. Great Performances by All…I love John Williams score. Very Delicate and well Balanced, with one of the Best Williams Endings.
I don't know when TAT was recorded, specifically. Could be late 1987. But Williams was out with back issues all of 1988, so this is his only score this year. He had to step temporarily down from the Boston Pops gig too. If he composed it while "bedridden", it's somehow appropriate that it's such a small, intimate and warm score.
Bruce Broughton was the original composer assigned to the film. According to the surviving paperwork mentioned in Jeff Eldridge's liner notes on the FSM release, his score was a small chamber orchestra adaptation of keyboard music by Bach (like the Well-Tempered Klavier, the English Suite and the Italian Concerto). Broughton even conducted a recording session on July 25, 1988, but after creative disagreement with Larry Kasdan, he left the project. Williams was signed to score the film on August 1988.
Strangely enough, there are no records for Williams' sessions at the AFM archives, but since the film was released on Dec 23, 1988, it's safe to assume they were held between October and November 1988. This was also the first film where John Neufeld did the bulk of orchestration work (albeit Herb Spencer worked on several cues too).
I'm deeply and personally attached to this film and score. It's one of my favourites too and I love many other fans feel the same. I brought my CD to sign when I met the Maestro in Vienna in 2020. He smiled when he saw the cover. I told him it was one of my favourite of his and asked him if he remembered the film fondly. "Oh, yes, very much so," he replied.
Bruce Broughton was the original composer assigned to the film. According to the surviving paperwork mentioned in Jeff Eldridge's liner notes on the FSM release, his score was a small chamber orchestra adaptation of keyboard music by Bach (like the Well-Tempered Klavier, the English Suite and the Italian Concerto). Broughton even conducted a recording session on July 25, 1988, but after creative disagreement with Larry Kasdan, he left the project. Williams was signed to score the film on August 1988.
Strangely enough, there are no records for Williams' sessions at the AFM archives, but since the film was released on Dec 23, 1988, it's safe to assume they were held between October and November 1988. This was also the first film where John Neufeld did the bulk of orchestration work (albeit Herb Spencer worked on several cues too).
I'm deeply and personally attached to this film and score. It's one of my favourites too and I love many other fans feel the same. I brought my CD to sign when I met the Maestro in Vienna in 2020. He smiled when he saw the cover. I told him it was one of my favourite of his and asked him if he remembered the film fondly. "Oh, yes, very much so," he replied.
Hello Maurizio,
John Neufeld first worked on The Witches of Eastwick, although uncredited. Mr Williams needed help as Herbert Spencer's health was declining.
First, I agree on all points mentioned so far, the score is great and one of the many hidden gems in his discography.
As a film music collector, the first thing that comes to my mind when I read about "The Accidental Tourist" is that the CD was readily available here in Germany in 1988 whereas -from what I read- it was ultra-rare in the USA, close to unobtainable! That made my CD all the more valuable to me because here you could easily buy it in the bigger record stores.
What was the deal with it back then? Why was the CD version so rare in the USA?
First, I agree on all points mentioned so far, the score is great and one of the many hidden gems in his discography.
As a film music collector, the first thing that comes to my mind when I read about "The Accidental Tourist" is that the CD was readily available here in Germany in 1988 whereas -from what I read- it was ultra-rare in the USA, close to unobtainable! That made my CD all the more valuable to me because here you could easily buy it in the bigger record stores.
What was the deal with it back then? Why was the CD version so rare in the USA?
I’m not sure but I also got the original CD release which now bears Williams’ signature on the booklet and a wonderful memory of talking briefly with him about this score. He almost gasped when I presented it to him to sign after a concert in 2003. “I didn’t think anyone remembered this score” he said.
First, I agree on all points mentioned so far, the score is great and one of the many hidden gems in his discography.
As a film music collector, the first thing that comes to my mind when I read about "The Accidental Tourist" is that the CD was readily available here in Germany in 1988 whereas -from what I read- it was ultra-rare in the USA, close to unobtainable! That made my CD all the more valuable to me because here you could easily buy it in the bigger record stores.
What was the deal with it back then? Why was the CD version so rare in the USA?
Perhaps someone with an absolute idea should weigh in on this one, but...I always felt it had to do with the label not pressing as many copies as it would were it a "Star Wars" or "Indiana Jones" score. It is also quite possible that sales were low in the U.S. and they either exported bulk, OR...did not re-press because demand was low.
Fortunately for all of us, Film Score Monthly picked it up and made it available again.
