James Newton Howard Deserves the Praise
Most of my friends know that I’m a huge fan of film scores. It isn’t a genre that is highly regarded, at least not in Sweden, even though many of the composers are classically trained and deliver orchestral pieces that not only are frequently played on various occasions but are of very high quality. The most famous of the composers is of course John Williams, the man who wrote the simple but ingenious music for Jaws and went on to write many other scores for Steven Spielberg’s films and win several Oscars.
I’d like to dedicate this entry to James Newton Howard, a younger composer who has become one of Hollywood’s hottest. Born in 1951, he was classically trained but went on to have an eclectic career in the 1970s, including a stint as Elton John’s keyboardist. He started writing scores for films in the mid-80s and got his breakthrough in 1991 with the music for The Prince of Tides, which received an Oscar nomination. He went on to receive two more nominations for The Fugitive (1993) and My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997), but curiously enough these three albums may not be his most memorable scores. Howard also wrote one of the most recognizable TV themes ever (even though it is virtually impossible to whistle), the one for ER.
Eventually, Howard came to find that perfect working relationship with a director that seems to exist between Spielberg and Williams. In 1999, he wrote the score for M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, which was quite understated and discreet and yet haunting. He has since written the music for every one of Shyamalan’s films, even earning his sixth Oscar nomination for The Village (2004) (check out the clip). Whenever Shyamalan has stumbled, Howard has been there to support his films to a certain point. One of the finest scores he has ever written is for one of Shyamalan’s worst pictures, Lady in the Water (2006). Apart from Bob Balaban’s performance, it is the only thing that works, including the instantly memorable, intriguing main title theme. The score he wrote for Signs (2002) is even reminiscent of another great collaboration between a composer and a director, Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock.
I’m sure James Newton Howard will continue to deliver excellent scores. I just hope Shyamalan will be able to reach his status.
Published by Stefan Hedmark 2007-10-27 13:46
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