If I Picked the Oscars: Best Original Song and Best Score

My picks (in alphabetical order):

Best Original Song
1) "Another Day of Sun" from "La La Land"

Try not getting the first few bars of "Another Day of Sun" stuck in your head- it's a near impossible feat.  I admit to feeling slightly underwhelmed seeing this sequence in theaters- I was a bit disappointed that this incredible LA freeway number I had read about and anticipated for so long didn't have more of a "bang."  Having listened to the song more, I feel the song actually works better on its own than in the movie.  Divorced from the visuals, the catchiness of the melody (the big band flourishes, the light piano runs) and the poignance of the lyrics (exuberance amidst the disappointing reality of the Hollywood dream) can be savored more fully.


2) "Audition" from "La La Land"

The song that gets to the heart of "La La Land."  Audition seems to work on three levels.  The first is the personal story Emma Stone's character is telling within the movie about her aunt.  On a broader level, it captures the essence of Hollywood artists striving for success.  And on a more universal level, it's about the quintessentially human goal of having dreams that are bigger than our ability to achieve them.

This interview with composer Justin Hurwitz and lyricists Benj Hasek and Justin Paul only increased my appreciation for the song.  I found it really interesting that Hurwitz intentionally resolved the melodic dissonance in a major seventh ("Here's to the ones who dream"), which allows for a resolution which still retains some dissonance (the bass note and seventh note clash).  It seems fitting for a film which is hopeful yet bittersweet.

3) "Can't Stop the Feeling" from "Trolls"

Guiltiest pleasure on this list.  I have to admit to typically being a JT hater, but "Can't Stop the Feeling" is one of those summer songs that's undeniably cheesy yet irresistible, one of those songs that makes me want to let loose on the dance floor.

4) "I'm So Humble" from "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping"

"Popstar:  Never Stop Never Stopping" had so many clever songs (Incredible Thoughts featuring Michael Bolton and Mr. Fish being a close runner-up), but I'm So Humble takes the cake.  It combines a melody as catchy as any top 10 hit with undeniably cheesy/tongue-in-cheek/clever lyrics (my favorite: "I feel more humble than Dikembe Mutumbo after a stumble left him covered in a big pot of gumbo").  Its use in the movie itself is an entertaining and immersive introduction to the movie and the character Conner4Real (a parody of Justin Bieber), and I love how the end of the song is paired with a pan-out of Conner bowing as his many holograms point to him.

5) "Try Everything" from "Zootopia"

The theme of taking risks and persevering permeates this catchy Shakira track which, interestingly enough, was written by pop star Sia.  It's got a great hook, great vocals, and most importantly a great message.  Try Everything resonates with the hopeless idealist in me- it's a good message for kids as well as adults.


Best Original Score
1) Hacksaw Ridge

Rupert Greyson-Williams' score for Hacksaw Ridge bears elements of the scores from previous action adventure/war films, but manages to convey a sound that's uniquely fitting to this particular film.  It's somber, but with elements of grandiosity, that match the situation Desmond Doss both found himself in and created.

2) La La Land

See above for all the virtues of Justin Hurwitz's work on La La Land.  In some ways I'm even more impressed with Hurwitz's instrumental pieces than with his work on the big musical numbers set to lyrics.  Engagement Party is a beautifully simple solo piano piece and Planetarium is a full orchestral composition with a Studio Ghibli-like melody (as one Youtube commenter put it).  And that's before you get to the strictly jazz pieces which I personally don't enjoy as much but admire for adding that much more stylistic range to the score.


3) Lion

I actually haven't seen Lion but I didn't think any of the other scores I'd heard really stood out and this song made me want to see the movie.

4) Moonlight

Nicholas Brittle's score for Moonlight took the already great acting, writing, directing, cinematography, etc. and elevated it to the next level.  It was an interesting artistic gamble to score a film about a young gay black man growing up in poverty to a classical score, but it leaves a distinct mark and only serves to enhance the cinematic experience.  Britell's piece "The End of the World" highlights the tensions Moonlight's protagonist Little/Chiron/Black feels, while "End Credits Suite" underscores the sadness of what has come before it.


5) 20th Century Women

There's something about Roger Neill's original pieces for the 20th Century Women soundtrack that seems almost ethereal, yet uniquely Californian.  They somehow conjure up images of palm trees, free spirits, and acid trips (or what I imagine they would be like).  As a sidenote, Greta Gerwig (who plays a supporting role in this film) seems to have a knack for appearing in movies with great scores.