Stealing Harvard
Film released by Columbia Pictures
No score soundtrack available
US theatrical release 2002.9.13; Region 1 DVD release 2003.6.24; Region 2 DVD
release 2003.9.22
Music clip one, '23" (92Kb) [guitar
riff]
Music clip two 1'58" (462Kb) [end credits]
BRIEF REVIEW
Although no classic (certainly from the critical mauling it had on cinematic release), Bruce McCulloch's light-hearted comedy of errors is worth watching for the way in the final twenty minutes it transforms from an episodic succession of cringeworthy incidents into a laugh-out-loud tight-knit farce, all elements finally jelled. Jason Lee's 'John' is caught between his fiancée and niece's financial needs and resolves to steal the $30k needed to make both happy. In his quest he is unfortunate enough to be helped by his friend 'Duff', (played by Tom Green). Beck accompanies this off-beat film with a suitably off-beat score, reminiscent of but perhaps not as striking as 1998's The Alarmist. Musically this is suitably light-weight fare, but it's certainly worth noting for its pre-Tuxedo Bond bass guitar spoof (see the opening of clip2)
Note semi-regular orchestrator Douglas Romayne Stevens.
Webmaster's additional:
[0:0'00" song]
0:1'26"-2'06" John's voiceover intro at the race course - guitar
riff, beat [see clip1]
0:2'48"-3'08" riff returns
0:5'12"-5'31" Beck? heavy metal
0:6'06"-6'47" happy guitar music (for niece)
0:8'27"-8'44" bass-guitar, beat
0:9'40"-9'54" quiet bridging music (synth, accoustic guitar)
0:10'32-11'38" bridging music extended, with a theme poking through,
moving to bass guitar/beat music (as we meet Duff)
0:14'49"-14'57" riff bridging
[0:15'37" song]
0:16'11"-16'55" accoustic guitar, moving to guitar/bass/drum
upbeat music
0:17'33"-19'10" Duff's first plan (robbery) - sneaky music
(bass guitar, percussion, swelling string/synth chords)--at 18'13" with
Bond-like bass guitar music
0:19'43"-19'56" Prep for plan1 (bass guitar-heavy)
0:20'35"-22'21" Plan1: the robbery. Bass guitar-led music (again
from 18'13") with accoustic guitar accomp, leads to jaunty bass guitar
theme (20'57") used in end title music, interrupted periodically during
pauses in action
[0:22'45" - cheesey song 'Reunited']
[0:24'35" - rap/d&b song]
[0:26'24" - background cheesey music for workplace]
0:27'30"-28'33" sparse percussion and bass guitar underscoring
awkward moment with father-in-law-to-be
[0:31'07" - heavey metal song]
[0:31'44" - another pop song]
[0:32'22" - another pop song]
[0:34'20" - Spraying gun and prep for Plan2. Song]
0:35'50"-37'24" Plan2. Percussion, with some bass guitar work
entering as the tables are turned, synths entering as they escape
0:38'12"-38'23" - Cop questions boy after Plan2. Bass guitar
[0:39'11" - Britney Spears song]
[0:41'11" - song]
0:42'58" - Wife-to-be goofs up her business; phones her dad. Subtle
synth undercurrent
[0:43'49" - heavy metal song]
0:47'05"-47-23" Father traces John's footsteps through Plan1.
Cool bass guitar (with synths) (a variation of 18'13") returns again
[0:47'31" - 'Reunited' song]
0:48'26"-48'38" Father finds John's photo with Plan1's victim.
Swelling synth/string chords over synth percussion
0:50'17"-51'06" Plan3: the bank: foiled getaway. Bass guitar-led
cue, with synth and percussion.
0:52'48"-53'04" Police station after Plan3. Short cue. Again,
bass guitar, synth.
0:54'34"-55'58" John returns home to spill the beans to Elaine.
Quiet synths
0:56'15"-57'52" They make up. Quiet synth, guitars. Plan4:
robbing dad: At 56'57" a held string note segues into bass guitar/percussion
led faster pace
[0:57'52" song]
[0:59'33" S.W.A.T. theme - see credits below] Prep for Plan4
1:00'55"-04'41" Plan4. Bass guitar-led music based on 19'43",
now at its funkiest. Various pauses. Beck adds various synths, percussion, electric
guitar, etc. after each pause
1:04'53"-05'44" Bass guitar/synth/percussion kept lowkey
[1:06'29"-07'51" More 'metal'-heavy music finally launches
into full-blown electric guitars and drum song as John, Duff and Elaine run
from the cop]
1:09'04"-11'14" The trial. Beautifully over-the-top 70's-sounding
electric guitar-and-strings arrangement of 'Reunited' as the judge turns out
to be Plan1's 'victim'. at 1:09'50 subtler underscore (percussion-led) allows
the judge to speak and dismiss the case. Accoustic guitar theme aids a cut to
the top of John's house as Duff arrives to make up
1:11'14"-13'33" John's voiceover from 1'26" returns (we're
back at the race course) emphasised by the same riff. Extended cue includes
synth brass/strings to include the race; and then for the wedding (accoustic
and country guitars)
[1:13'09" end title song from the same band as the opening]
1:14'53"-end Beck's music reprises themes from the film, using the
18'13" bass guitar motif, and moving on to the jaunty guitar theme from
20'57" (at 1:15'09"). The music ends oddly on a heart-beat-like pulse
beneath a held dying string note [see clip2]
Full music credits