Following articles on my choices for hip hop album of the year (the Wu-Tang Clan’s 8 Diagrams), and overall album of the year (by The National), I’ve decided to round things out with my 2007 Soundtrack of the Year: Knocked Up.
The irony here is that there is not, in fact, a soundtrack for this movie. Yes, there is a collection of Loudon Wainwright music composed for and “inspired by” the film (entitled Strange Weirdoes), but no composite album that combines those songs with the other previously recorded music used in the movie.
But that doesn’t concern me in the least, because in this day and age of digital access, one can create a soundtrack with a few mouse clicks and drags. (If you are wondering how to put this whole thing together, go here for a list of all the songs used in the movie.)
Besides, when I anoint a collection of music the “Soundtrack of the Year,” I’m thinking less about the album and more about the movie. After all, the music was used to further the film – what you put on a CD and play in your car is merely the result of that. If it turns out to be a nice playlist, so be it. However, the true test of a soundtrack is whether it expands the power of the story, furthers character development, rounds out scenes, creates atmosphere, and so on. Simply put, the music should make the movie better.
Martin Scorsese has always been one of my favorite directors when it comes to creating soundtracks that enhance his narratives. Goodfellas is a prime example of this, and who can easily forget the awesome use of “I’m Shipping Off To Boston” by The Dropkick Murphys in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning film, The Departed? (“I’m a sailor’s PEG!/And I’ve lost my LEG!”) And if Scorsese was the first “genius” filmmaker to incorporate popular period music and modern hits into the scores of his films, Quentin Tarantino certainly took the art to another level. One could argue that the only thing better than Pulp Fiction was the soundtrack to the movie.
Now, it seems we have a new maestro when it comes to heightening carefully crafted film with carefully selected music. This time, however, it is the new king of comedy, Judd Apatow. All of Apatow’s films use music deftly and perfectly to enhance his stories. Much has been made of the yards of film he goes through, the freedom he gives his actors, and his ear for “real” dialogue. You can’t read an article about Apatow without encountering gushing praise for his ability to meld raunchy comedy and heartfelt stories into a single package.
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