Customer Reviews

The Accidental Tourist

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This is one of my favorite movies..
this and Picnic are way at the top.
Both soundtracks are way at the top too.
I have the audiobook,movie and soundtrack.

It is a haunting soundtrack,it just is so beautiful.

TO ME, ONE OF THE BEST THREE SCORES EVER WRITTEN BY MR. WILLIAMS. BEAUTIFUL, SAD, LONELY AS THE MAIN CHARACTER, YOU CAN NEVER BE TIRED OF LISTENING, BECAUSE IS THE SOUNDTRACK OF EVERYBODY'S USUAL AND MEDIOCRIOUS LIFE. AN ABSOLUTE PIECE OF ART, FROM THE BEGGINING TO THE END. GOD BLESS JOHN WILLIAMS, AND GOD BLESS LAWRENCE KASDAN FOR THIS MOVIE

As a huge -- I mean huge -- John Williams fan, I've been spending my time lately buying some of his lesser known scores. $20 is a lot to pay for a CD these days, but I'm something of a completionist, and "The Accidental Tourist" is hard to get and promised to be a welcome addition to the collection. I wish I could say I wasn't disappointed. The main theme William's has written here is one of his best: a lovely, evocative, delicate melody. But on an album of 12 tracks, we hear this theme...12 times. Yes, there are changes in tempi and orchestration, but for the most part we hear it the same way over and over and over again. As well as the score may have worked in the film -- I haven't seen it in years -- as a home listening experience, it's fairly monotonous.

As always the orchestrations are superb, and Williams' ability to create mood through music is peerless. But a theme that represents the emotional wasteland of losing of a child should be different than one that represents finding true love the second time around, no? Even in his fantasy/action scores (the "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" series'), Williams masterfully created many different "leitmotifs" for different characters and situations. Williams' score for "Stanley and Iris," similar in feeling to this one, has three distinct and separate musical themes. As much as I respect Williams' talent, taste and judgement, I wish he had done more of that here.

If you enjoy music that is delicate, contemplative and beautiful. . .music that conveys many emotions at once while maintaining balance and texture--

If you delight in that occasional score that carries you away upon gentle string movements and the soft tricklings of a piano--

. . .then this soundtrack is one you'll love and listen to time and again.

It is a rare thing to find something that never grows old on you, nor allows you to ever tire of it.

I won't promise that this soundtrack will be that very thing for you. But I can tell you from hearing it myself that it certainly qualifies as a finalist in that category.

This is an over-looked and under-rated masterpiece by the great and prolific John Williams. The Main Theme opens with movements of foreboding, uncertainty, precariousness and trepidation. . .yet with a promise waiting just beyond the horizon. The soundtrack keeps up these sensations, but without sinking into mere repetition.

Right now, I am listening to this soundtrack as I write this review. I hear soft horns, a delicate piano, quiet strings, and the melancholy sighs of an oboe. It's charming and very relaxing, too.

I've now just put on selection four of this cd, titled, "The Healing Process." It opens with a shy xylophone, then tip-toes into some uncertain string movements. . .and then surges beautifully into a open sweep of deep, low strings, and very tender, compassionate piano work. It's gorgeous, and I'm very delighted to have this score available to enjoy when I wish.

It is unfortunate how difficult it is to secure a copy of this soundtrack. This is one of those musical gems one must hunt for. It was never one of Williams' blockbuster creations, but its beauty and simplicity are--in my mind--undisputed.

This soundtrack is the perfect example of the adage, "Less is more."

Then again, this is nothing new for John Williams. His score for HOME ALONE has that same stamp upon it. Though it does not maintain the adult gravity and mature tonalities of THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, it does showcase what Williams can do on more subtle levels.

People so often associate him with large-scale epic scores, that they do not know just how brilliant he is at more modest compositions.

Spend the money and get this cd. It's worth it. This is one of those quiet, unassuming masterpieces (like the scores for THE ENGLISH PATIENT and SOMEWHERE IN TIME) that speaks only to those who prefer a little contemplative music now and then, rather than the distracted, screaming, and pretentious roar of so many modern film scores.

You'll feel washed and refreshed after you've heard it. It really is that good. It clears away a lot of the rubbish a hard day leaves behind.

PS: Since opened cd's are difficult to return, you'll be interested to know that most of the soundtrack is featured on YouTube.

Preview it, and see if its not one of the most pleasant and rewarding listening experiences you've ever had.

Many dump on poor John Williams, though he is justifiably the king of film scores of the last 35 years. Besides his scores for the Spielberg/Lucas blockbusters, he has written fine scores for smaller films, one being Angela's Ashes and this score to the Lawrence Kasdan film. Williams' score is quiet and emotional and perfectly serves the film. Long live the King!

A long time ago, I had this item on LP and was very dissappointed that, for years, it was not (or very hard to locate) in print on CD. I finally landed one through Amazon (Halleluyah!). I remember Geena Davis won the oscar for her role in the movie, but for me, this is a case where the score far outweighs the movie. I mean, the movie was just okay, but this music is...TRANSCENDENTAL. It's brilliant, quiet, meditative--I just put the CD player on repeat and sleep with it on throughout many nights. Good to find this in CD print. Highly recommended.