Some stuff is just meant to be. A killer soundtrack and a perfectly matched film can blend so well that we wind up not being able to separate one from the other. When this happens, a mainstream film or artist can give its indie counterpart just the bump it needs to gain some popular attention. Here are 8 examples of pairings where taking a risk on a little-known [[[]]] worked out well for everyone. catapult both to the top A really killer soundtrack can lift a movie out of indie status
7. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, Once
More than any of the Saw movies, the notion of spontaneous choreographed dancing sends a shiver up my spine. In fact, I may have to go on record and list the South Park movie as my favorite musical of all time. Once is a breakthrough, though, in that it's found a way to appeal to people aside from women and gay men. This low-budget Little Indie That Could consists of music written and composed by the leads, and a bittersweet story that makes grown men pretend they aren't crying. The movie's success led to a Best Original Song Oscar win for Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, and a possible Broadway production. Let's hope this quiet little love story stays intact and Hollywood doesn?t make a remake based on the Broadway production of the original motion picture.
6. Kimya Dawson, Juno
Pregnancy has generally been a successful formula in Hollywood, and Diablo Cody's charming and honest Juno is no exception. Plus, a killer soundtrack really helps. ?Anyone But You?, the main track of the film, appears on the soundtrack twice. The first version is by The Moldy Peaches (Kimya Dawson and Adam Green), and the other is performed the king of awkward Michael Cera with the whip-tongued Ellen Page. Dawson appears on the soundtrack a total of six times and her profile as solo artist has blown up since the films release.
5. Badly Drawn Boy, About A Boy
There are mysteries in the world that have yet to be fully explained. One of them is how Hugh Grant has maintained that romantic comedy appeal over the past thirteen years. It's hard to find a good answer, but based on his performance in About A Boy, one of the reasons must be his shift from Stammering Brit to Strong Leading Male. Grant's mainstream appeal combined with upbeat melodies and quiet, disarming background tracks by indie band Badly Drawn Boy turned out to be the perfect mix.
4. Elliott Smith, Good Will Hunting
There are a few things to learn from Good Will Hunting: 1) always remember who your best friends are, and 2) people from Boston curse a lot. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck teamed up to make this indie feature, which ended up being a smash hit. Following the tortured genius of Will Hunting, the film ends with an Elliott Smith single titled ?Miss Misery?. Having already established himself as an independent folk artist, Smith recorded the song after being asked by director Gus Van Sant to write a track for the film. It was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Awards, but lost to Titanic's ?My Heart Will Go On?. Tragically, in 2003 Smith died from an apparent suicide, leaving indie music fans in mourning and wishing Céline Dion had taken his place.
3. Air, The Virgin Suicides
Dreamy landscape shots of Michigan, soft-focus closeups on teenage girls, ritualistic suicide ? what else could a teenage boy want? The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola?s debut feature film, is shown from the perspective of a group of well-meaning young boys who are (overly) fascinated by the suicidal daughters in a really creepy family. The French band Air provides a pitch-perfect soundtrack in a movie that winds up making us feel like a stalker who?s seen something he wishes he didn?t. Fair enough. If Kirsten Dunst lured me into a house full of dead girls, I'm sure it'd be hard to forget.
2. Various Artists, Garden State
If I had a nickel for anyone under the age of 25 that hasn?t seen this movie I?d have just enough for a gumball out of a vending machine. Zach Braff?s dramedy about the 21st generation created a small sensation, not to mention some memorable movie moments. Although there wasn?t a particular artist who supplied the film with the entire soundtrack, this film helped put The Shins, Iron and Wine, Frou Frou, and Zero 7 on the map. Like most indie hits, the buzz from its release has subsided over time, and listening to the soundtrack now feels like revisiting an old mix-CD from an ex. As much as you?d like to throw it away, though, you just can't seem to let go.
1. Simon and Garfunkel, The Graduate
This wasn't just the album that put diamonds on the soles of Paul Simon?s shoes, it was also one of the first soundtracks to successfully pair mainstream music and independent film. Before lending their talents to Mike Nichol's The Graduate, Simon and Garfunkel had already broken up once and achieved minor success with their first album The Sounds of Silence. The album soared to number one after the film's success, nabbing a Grammy for Record of the Year and proving that indie and mainstream can coexist.
