Top 10 Favorite Musical Moments in Film

Last month I did a Top 10 Musical Performances in Film; this month it's Musical Moments in film. The difference: the musical performances were sung (or mimed) by the actor; the musical moments are just when the exact right song is playing over a particular scene. To be fair, I'm writing this just after completing the Meet Me in St. Louis/My Fair Lady blog that was posted yesterday, and I'm really wiped out and in no mood to pontificate about all the great musical moments in film. I probably should have spent more time compiling this list, but I'm tired, people. I could have included that disturbing moment from Reservoir Dogs when Mr. Blonde cuts off the cop's ear while listening to "Stuck in the Middle With You," or when Sam plays "As Time Goes By" in Casablanca, but I'm gonna be selfish. This list is gonna be totally secular and pop-culturey and full of stuff probably only I like. Which means a lot of the moments work for me because I totally love the song, but I tried really hard to find moments where the song complemented the scene, or made it more than it would have been without the song. I also posted videos of the scenes I'm talking about, but I couldn't find ones for all of them

• 10 - "Don't Worry Baby" by The Beach Boys in Never Been Kissed: This is one of the Beach Boy's best songs and brings a welcome dose of lightness. After being left on that mound for 5 minutes, Josie (Drew Barrymore) thinks that Sam (Michael Vartan) isn't coming to kiss her. But then this happy music starts up and Sam runs out on the field and kisses her in front of the crowd. Simply sublime. The lyrics let the audience know all is well, and somehow the Beach Boys scoring her first kiss is appropriate for someone as innocent and geeky as Josie. (This video goes on forever, but the scene I'm talking about is right at the beginning.)
  

• 9 - "Wheel of Fortune" by Kay Starr in L.A. Confidential: It's the midpoint of the film. The Night Owl Case appears solved, yet each of the main characters is racked with doubt or guilt. This song (from the era of the film's setting) plays over a montage in which life gets back to usual in corrupt L.A., but in which each of our heroes seems uneasy. Not only do the lyrics of the song fit the tale of the movie (the ups and downs of the Wheel of Fortune), but the music seems to hint at the sadness beneath the surface while still maintaining the cheery and entertaining surface that Hollywood represents.
  
• 8 - "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve in Cruel Intentions: With it's happy, hopeful, triumphant violins, this song is the perfect closing to the film. Sebastian (Ryan Phillipe) may be dead, but vengeance on his twisted step-sister Katherine (Sarah Michelle Gellar) is imminent. As she fakely delivers a eulogy, people start to whisper, then random get up and leave in the middle of her speech. The violins start up and she becomes confused by everyone's accusatory looks. The she runs, following them out into the quad, and the drums comes down as she faces everyone's judgment. Such a great slap in the face for that character.

• 7 - "Why Can't I Fall in Love" by Ivan Neville in Pump Up the Volume: Nora (Samantha Mathis) has just discovered nerdy Mark's (Christian Slater) secret identity as pirate radio shock-jock Happy Harry Hard-on. He plays this song at the end of his broadcast and dedicates it to a girl "who makes me feel...unusual." Then the two awkwardly dance around each other, shirtless, trying to bridge the gap between who they thought they were, and who they actually are, and it's just so damn sexy! Totally gets me!
  
• 6 - "Battle Without Honor or Humanity" by Tomoyasu Hotei in Kill Bill Vol. 1: I'm not even sure if this is the right song, but the IMDb FAQ says this is the one playing during the moment I was looking for. As O-Ren Ishii and her gang of body guards enter the House of Blue Leaves we are treated to this musical accompaniment, a low bass and trio of horns, mixed with stylized shots of the entourage looking cool and menacing. The cuts in the film match the beat of the music and the overall effect just makes them look like such doomed badasses who don't know that the Bride (Uma Thurman) is about to mow them all down.
  
• 5 - "Where is My Mind?" by The Pixies in Fight Club: It plays over the last scene and the credits and is a perfect capper to such a strange film. Not only to the lyrics poke fun at Edward Norton's dual personality, but the music somehow bridges the gap from the psychedelic revolutionary agenda of blowing up all the major credit card companies, to Norton and Marla's (Helena Bonham Carter) kind of sweet, new relationship as they stand, holding hands, watching the buildings fall in panoramic view. Plus, when the opening guitar riff starts up, it's in sync with the first building that blows (I love it when the cuts/action and music are in sync!)

• 4 - "Valparaiso" by Sting in White Squall: So this film is all about comradarie at sea when tragedy strikes. Honestly, it's really sad. There's a slight upswing at the end when the survivors all band together (aww, sweet), but then this song starts playing over voiceovers telling us the Captain will probably never sail again, footage from earlier in the film when everyone was still alive and happy, and then finally the credits. But the instumentation of this song employs Celtic sounds that are always evocative of the sea, the song sounds depressing, but that kind of nostalgic depressing that you still remember fondly, and it's somehow the perfect song to close out this sad yet inspiring movie. (Also, FYI, Valparaiso is the name of a large port city in Chile. Neat!)
  
• 3 - "Magic Man" by Heart in The Virgin Suicides: This movie is set in the '70's, so something by Heart is a fitting choice. However, it's placement in the film also coincides with the introduction of Trip Fontaine (Josh Harnett), the most beautiful boy in school, who is destined to steal the heart of Lux Lisbon (Kirsten Dunst). We first see Trip getting an excuse slip from an enamored girl, but the song starts as he walks down the hall, gawked at by every girl, given answers to tests without having to ask, brought breakfast at his home, and floating in his pool, the picture of lazy perfection. The song says it all and the sequence is really tongue in cheek, but it's a fantastic set up of the character. (The only unfortunate aspect is Josh Hartnett's bad '70's wig - he's a lot cuter than that!)

• 2 - "These Days" by Nico in The Royal Tenenbaums: Nico's voice is odd, which makes this song the right choice for Margot (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Ritchie's (Luke Wilson) first meeting in the film, because they are odd too. The music is cheery and romantic, but the lyrics and Nico's voice have an undercurrent of melancholy that's appropriate for these characters. I like that Margot is filmed waking in slow motion as the lyrics say "I've been out walking/I don't so too much talking these days." It's a great representation of the aimlessness of her character. This is the first time in the film her character has looked really happy and I always associate that relieved happiness with this great song.

• 1 - "Sweet Thing" by Van Morrison in Moonlight Mile: The closing sequence of this film made me fall in love with Van Morrison. After two hours of watching good people cope with horrendous grief, they are all finally coming out of the bleakness and starting to move on with their lives. In this final montage, Jake Gyllenhaal leaves the house of his dead fiance to start a new life with Bertie (Ellen Pompeo) who is also ready to leave behind the bar of her lost love. Dustin Hoffman packs up his office, ready to find a line of work that actually makes him happy. The young couple embrace and pack up the car for a road trip. Throughout these scenes, Susan Sarandon peels off Italian labels from the windows, pictures, doorways, ceilings and other random objects of her home, in a final, cathartic cleansing of her house of her dead daughter's memory. The song is a storytelling song; it lumbers along, filling this final scene with grace and peace and hope. Such a perfect moment.