Every great composer has them—hidden gems. Underrated,
under-appreciated—and often unknown musical treasures. Usually these are subtle
soundtracks, restrained sentimental works of wonder created to bring an audience
into the emotional pitch of a quiet film that may be light on action and plot,
but rich with heart.
John Williams has “Stepmom” (1999) and “Stanley & Iris”
(1989). Howard Shore has “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993) and “Nobody’s Fool” (1994).
Hans Zimmer has the superb “Regarding Henry” (1991).
James Horner is the most prolific composer of this type of
score—and one of the best. He has a supreme gift for color. When he is on his
game, creating the right thematic material for the matching film, the
synergistic combination can be magic. Horner’s score for “To Gillian of Her 37th
Birthday” (1996) is such a combination. It is subtle. It is restrained. It is a score
where you can feel the emotional pitch of every note.
“To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday” is the story of
about a family who has recently lost the mother/wife played by Michelle Pfeiffer.
Her husband—the always outstanding Peter Gallagher—is still seeing her, even engaging
in daily conversations and walks on the beach with his deceased wife. “To Gillian” also features a knockout performance
by a young Claire Danes. Kathy Baker, Bruce Altman, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Seth
Green round out a solid supporting cast.
Critics attacked “To Gillian” with vitriol at the time of
its release, dismissing it as a sentimental weepie. It is astounding how some
people react so violently to anything with an inherent sweetness to it. There
is a “Ghost” aspect to this underrated film; but it is a far more intimate
drama and scaled back production. There are a lot of similarities to this movie
and another underrated Michelle Pfeiffer film savaged by critics of the time, “Deep
End of the Ocean” (1999). That film also has an underrated gem of a score,
composed by the legendary Elmer Bernstein.
Horner opens up the soundtrack album of “To Gillian” with “A
Faraway Time/Main Title”, a carefully orchestrated introduction to the main
theme. It is a gentle theme—fluid in construction with graceful vertical and
linear movement. This is an emotionally accessible score that taps a direct
link into the heart of the listener allowing us to let go and feel what the
music wants us to feel. As is the case
in other Horner sentimental gems such as “Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius” and “Iris”,
we are given permission to let our emotions breathe and experience the beauty
of the music.
“The Boating Accident” uses phrasing from the main theme to
take us back in time until unleashing a brief series of dissonant chords and
notes to represent the tragedy that haunts the family and left them
dysfunctional.
“Gillian” is a tender, subtle statement of the main theme
featuring a stripped down orchestra and an exquisite, gentle piano solo that
makes the most of every note.
“The Lighthouse” is a gorgeous, haunting, ethereal cue in
the atmospheric, new age mode Horner would later perfect in 2004’s “House of
Sand and Fog”. The quiet, somber mood continues in “Fond Hopes…Distant Memories”
before Horner shifts gears a bit and takes us deeper into the emotional journey
of the soundtrack and introduces us to the heartbreaking “Goodbye” theme that
anchors “The Decision to Leave Home” and “Saying Goodbye/End Title”.
“To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday” is a subtle,
quiet, emotionally rich score with moments of profound depth and feeling. This
is Horner at his sentimental best and a must own soundtrack for fans of the composer
or anyone who appreciates music that will make you feel.
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