Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #92
Written 4/1/99, Revised 8/27/07
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Buy it... if a lightweight version of Randy Newman-style jazz
rhythms would serve as a safe and non-offensive souvenir from an equally
lightweight film.
Avoid it... if there was anything even remotely aggravating about
the film for you, because this short score helped define its peppy
cuteness.
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| Fenton |
You've Got Mail: (George Fenton) If there was ever
a safe bet for a studio in the late 1990's, it would be a romantic
comedy by Nora Ephron starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. You've Got
Mail was exactly that, reuniting the leads for the third time and
once again featuring a family safe script from Ephron. It delved into
the new realm of online romance, however, proposing the possibility that
two people who dislike each other in real life could actually be the
same two engaged in a friendly, anonymous romance online. The film was a
breathing advertisement for AOL, that now defunct giant of e-mail in the
1990's that made the phrase "You've Got Mail" famous. Hanks and Ryan
play the exact roles you expect them to, redefining the word "lovable"
and once again earning a decent return for the studio. Ephron would seek
a score for You've Got Mail as safe as Marc Shaiman's emotionally
delicate piece for Sleepless in Seattle, and that score would be
hand-wrapped and delivered with a bow by George Fenton. For the British
composer, the year of 1998 would be one of exceptional production,
ranging from the lush dramatic heights of Dangerous Beauty and
Ever After to the low key, romantic fluff of The Object of my
Affection and You've Got Mail. Fenton redefines the world
"harmlessly cute" with his music for You've Got Mail, even moreso
than in his already snazzy little The Object of my Affection. Not
many collectors associate Fenton with these comedy scores, but they have
been numerous and somewhat absent the normal attention from album
producers. You get the feeling that Fenton may have been the second
composer in Ephron's mind; so thorough is Fenton's imitation of Randy
Newman's style in You've Got Mail that you can't help but wonder
if the Ephron's instructions about the music were indeed that
specific.
Indeed,
You've Got Mail is a Randy Newman score
on a diet. The smaller ensemble is led by piano, electric bass,
percussion, tuba, and individual woodwinds, with occasional ventures
with a small string section lending a hand to the scenes of grander
contemplation. While Michael Lang's piano performances will leave the
most lasting memory, the tuba most specifically defines this score with
its comical blurps amongst Fenton's comedy rhythms. These rhythms bounce
and frolic with ease, staying consistent, for the most part, to the
jazzy theme established in the title track. A secondary romance motif
uses wishy-washy strings much like Rachel Portman usually did, with the
more ambitious moments using the tap of a snare in a fashion familiar to
her
Addicted to Love. Unlike some romantic comedy scores,
You've Got Mail doesn't jump around excessively in style or
theme. Only two funny adaptations of genre are employed by Fenton. In
"Books are Cocktails," Fenton briefly references a Henry Mancini style
of sleuth jazz from yesteryear. In the following cue, "To the
Mattresses," he plays off the many references to
The Godfather in
the story with a Nino Rota style of staccato rhythm and string drama,
complete with mandolin effect. Some listeners will fall in love with the
fuller ensemble cues like "Empty Store," which swells into a beautiful
and melancholy performance of the secondary theme. Overall, the score is
a lightweight, with only two or three singularly noteworthy tracks. Like
the film, it is completely non-offensive, but it also risks causing
boredom for those not inclined to appreciate this type of film. It
achieves its purposes without a lot of flash, and consequently makes for
an average listening experience. The two Harry Nilsson songs fit well
with the feel of the album, and the final track has a nice mix of
Fenton's music and "Over the Rainbow." Fenton's contribution to
You've Got Mail might have been, in all honesty, sufficient in
its suite on the previously released song album.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
Download
Bias Check:
For George Fenton reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.64
(in 14 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.44
(in 16,917 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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