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Conducted by:
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Michael Kosarin
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Orchestrated by:
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Jeff Atmajian
Rachel Portman
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Co-Produced by:
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Scott Rudin
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Song Performed by:
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Carly Simon
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Release Date:
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January 14th, 1997
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you enjoy the continuation of Portman's pleasantly
thematic orchestral work.
Avoid it... if the same old Portman sound drives you nuts.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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Marvin's Room: (Rachel Portman) A Scott McPherson
off-Broadway play, Marvin's Room was translated onto the big screen
in 1996 by director Jerry Zaks. The film featured a blockbuster cast, with
several awards nominations spread among them for their performances in this
project alone. It is an intimate tale of a family estranged by distance and
brought together to take care of one another in a series of medical crises.
Along expected lines, the characters grow in their harmonious union as the
film progresses, and despite the rather grim circumstances of their
problems, the film also features its fair share of black humor. It is a
tear-jerker in the end, and there was not better a choice for the tender
scoring assignment than Rachel Portman. The year 1996 was best noted in
Portman's career as the one in which she scored her first Academy Award
nomination and win for Emma. While Marvin's Room is a story
set in contemporary times, its score shares the same deeply rooted dramatic
sense of love and harmony as the one for Emma. At the time, Portman's
music was still refreshingly new --especially with extensive re-use of her
Only You work from just a few years before-- and her critics had not
yet begun to assert themselves along the vein that her music for dramatic
art house films all sounds alike. Looking back at Marvin's Room, a
certain amount of repetition of sound will likely add fuel to that fire now,
however.
To enjoy the music for Marvin's Room, you need to be
in tune with the Portman style that would be best established in her The
Cider House Rules days. There is one distinction to draw between these
two styles of drama for Portman, however. While her sweeping themes and
subsequently uninteresting underscore is often the subject of debate in her
later scores, Marvin's Room differs in that its material is more
consistent throughout. The score doesn't have the magnificent highs as some
of her works, but it is a more evenly spread listening experience. Scored
with piano, strings, and woodwinds at the forefront, she mixes (what sounds
like) a sax into her steadier cues. With a rumbling orchestral pace and a
slightly playful bounce, the title theme performances offer a James Horner
Sneakers feel to them. The heart of the score does reside once again
in the piano performances, but Marvin's Room is elevated from
Portman's usually mundane underscore by her layering of all the
performances. Whether in mixing or live, the overlapping instrumental
performances in the score provide a texture more rich than even Portman's
usual work. This multi-level orchestral accompaniment keeps the score
energized for much of its length. On album, a decent offering of score will
more than satisfy fans of Portman's dramatic consistency. The title song is
delicately performed by Carly Simon, with an obvious connection in lyrics
and theme to the film and score. It's a rare occasion when the song, score,
and film are a perfect match, and they round out a pleasant album. Portman's
Marvin's Room isn't a particularly special entry in her career, but
it is no less a continuation of her strong dramatic talents. ***
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Two Little Sisters (Theme from "Marvin's Room") - Carly Simon (3:24)
• 2. Main Titles (3:03)
• 3. The Wig (3:33)
• 4. Burning Down the House (3:35)
• 5. Reflections (1:11)
• 6. The Loony Bin (1:54)
• 7. Florida (2:56)
• 8. The Toolbox (2:15)
• 9. I've Been So Lucky (2:29)
• 10. End Title (3:47)
• 11. The Toolbox II (1:13)
• 12. The Beach (2:23)
• 13. Tall Tales (3:02)
• 14. Clarence James (1:49)
• 15. Someplace Else (1:23)
• 16. Marvin's Room (3:37)
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Insert includes no extra information about the score or film.
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