Coming Soon
Film released by 20th Century Fox
No score soundtrack available
Music clip one, 0'58" (458Kb) [at 36'41" of vcd disc 1] Habanera
BRIEF REVIEW
Christophe Beck's music for this rather tame teen comedy (tame in terms of comedy rather than its under-age sex, rampant recreational drug use sexual exploration via advertisement, and swearing) is rather as you'd expect for a film which is dominated by teen-friendly pop music. His brother Jason has quite a lot of credit here also, which leaves Chris's contributions mostly reduced to forgettable underscore, but occasionally peeking to audience consciousness with a cheeky little habanera tune (used mainly for the least-likeable Jenny) or soft guitar-based teen romance music (this latter rather more generic). Reprised in Just Married, Spanish dance style is naturally bursting with sexual vitamins, which are urgently required in a comedy which is reliant on its premise of 3 teen girls prioritising their first orgasm against university entrance exam pressure and home life. Bluntinstrument was forced to watch this film three times and heard the soundtrack from the film further. After this gruelling test of endurance all credit must be given to the composer for hanging in. The chief pleasure in this film is seeing a therapy-reliant Mia Farrow in a ginger fright-wig, rhapsodising over herbal face cream. And the odd glimpse of a Beck score well-hidden. Keep taking the tablets, Chris.
Webmaster's additional1:
Chris Beck wrote the score to this movie in September 1998, in a two week break after scoring Buffy 3.03, according to his own words in a discussion forum. (See Chris Beck Says).
Webmaster's additional2:
Film credits details and any timings listed are based on a commercial VCD copy rather than any DVD release, and thus inaccuracies due to the compression format are unfortunately inevitable. Do e-mail with corrections! No further work is planned for this review.
VCD DISC ONE (46'06" total)
ca.9.15 - Electric guitars and drum underscore (Chad, current boyfriend,
asks Stream, the central character, for more sex at school)
a tiny bit of accordian music at the beginning of the French lesson
24'37" - Similar guitar-based underscore (the examination)
31'45" - Stream takes a small interest in Lipschitz (Ryan Reynolds
as "quirky-but-real" boyfirend material). Electric/acoustic guitars
with soft synths
[34'47" - The masturbation scene - an opportunity wasted by usage
of pop music, although a fun choice! Unsure what it is. 1960s?]
36'41" - Habanera cue. Not apparently tied to any
particular person, but you get the impression that it is focussed on the outwardly
confident Jenny (played by Gaby Hoffmann, long black hair). This cue veers off
into a minor-key acoustic guitar variant, and back, and this replayed at 13'35"
of the second disc
41'22" - Apple scene - Lipschitz/Stream music again
(see 31'45") ..
43'26" - The Othello essay lesson (electric guitar) ..
44'06" - Nell (a starchy Tricia Vessey) explains she's off to her
modeling (accoustic underscore) ..
44'28" - 'Cool' bass guitar, and minimal synths and percussion
44'11" - Jenny hears by phone of Nell's modelling success, and offers
a 40-year-old relative to Stream as a prospective sexual partner: habanera
VCD DISC TWO (44'28")
4'12" - Rolling in the mud scene. Stream/Lipschitz music. Slightly
less timid, with cello bass line. Slower and more tentative again (acoustic
guitar line and percussion only) as Stream goes storming off
6'34" - Stream's post-storming-off chat with imaginary friends.
Short habanera cue. Acoustic guitar takes up the theme
9'59" - Stream's mother (played by Mia Farrow) hates herself for
being "100% judgemental". Quiet percussion. Very brief underscore
cue.
13'35"-15'41" - Jenny waits for her advertised partner. Lonely
minor-key acoustic guitar version of the habanera cue (bass guitar and quiet
synths accompany in places), which moves back to cello-pizzicato as her hopes
rise, and then the fanciful major-key tune makes a return on acoustic guitar
plus upper strings when her decision is made to phone for her car. A quiet return
to the minor-key theme accompanies her unconfident car-based conversation with
the chauffeur, but ever-so quiet, and then back to the major-key theme when
he tells her she's too skinny. Result: a neat little battle of inner and outer
confidences played out in the music.
17'25" - Brief sitar and tabla sounds for Stream's tiff with her
mother. Presumably the Indian flavour reflects her mother's spiritual leanings
23'47" - Tiny link to a scene involving Stream and her mother: sneaky
electric guitar impersonation of a [Sitar?]
31'46" - Sitar link to a scene where Stream's mother releases her
inner entrepreneur. The scene itself is accompanied by percussion, partly reminiscent
of tabla, and plucked Indian(?) instrument
33'29" - Jenny on the exercise bike after having both her friends
start to take their own routes to happiness. Rather than sad music, her habanera
returns, but there's a cheeky Indian/eastern inflection to the instrumentation
which perhaps hints at the self-analysis of Stream's mother through the film
35'16" - Short acoustic/electric guitar link
36'25" - Stream congratulates Nell on her new-found self-confidence
(and lesbianism) and gets together with Lipschitz. Stream/Lipschitz guitar-dominated
music, building with the confidence of the characters (percussion, cello bass-line...)
38'26"-40'56" - Is this the "new" sensation she's
after? The new arrangement of the Stream/Lipschitz theme is perhaps the hint.
Beck uses piano instead of acoustic guitar, and brings in a more melodic cello,
before guitars retake the centre stage for the actual eponimous moment, with
unison cello/violin topping it off. Quietly satisfied guitar ends the cue.
40'57" - End credits music. Guitars, shakers, some other subtle
percussion, quiet synths. By Chris Beck, presumably
Film music credits