I Love You Beth Cooper [Soundtrack]

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B002935GHS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #260,327 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

William Ruhlmann, AllMusic.com

The high-school romantic comedy I Love You, Beth Cooper, directed by Chris Columbus, has a screenplay by Larry Doyle, who adapted his novel, and it sounds like the person or people who assembled the soundtrack album of pop songs (Patrick Houlihan is credited as music supervisor) wanted to split the difference between tracks that a high-school student of 2009 actually might be listening to and songs that Doyle, who graduated from high school in 1976, was listening to around then. Actually, this doesn't work out as badly as it might seem, perhaps because of the choices, perhaps because basic rock & roll music hasn't really changed that much in 30-plus years. For example, Australian band Airbourne's "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" is a sound-alike for any number of songs by an Australian predecessor, AC/DC. Then, too, the old songs are sequenced toward the end, separated from the newer, earlier tracks by some of Christophe Beck's scoring. Beck's main suite uses music that sounds like it belongs in one of Columbus' more adventurous pictures, one of his Harry Potter epics, say. Also adding diversity is the acoustic performance of Eleni Mandell's "Forget Me" up front, performed here and in the film by 15-year-old Violet Columbus, who just happens to have the same last name as the director. It introduces a Juno-like tone that thankfully is not carried through on the rest of the album. Mandell's own rock version closes things out.

On July 10, 2009, the movie I Love You, Beth Cooper hit movie screens across the nation. Based on a book from Larry Doyle, the film focuses on geeky valedictorian Denis Cooverman (Paul Rust) who in his speech to the graduating class announces his love for cheerleader and all-round popular girl Beth Cooper (Hayden Panettiere).

But he doesn't stop there... He then manages to tell off his best friend, the school bully, and others, to release the pent up rage of high school societal circles.

The movie soundtrack includes 15 songs from the film - everything from Alice Cooper, Kiss, and Smokey Robinson to Violet Columbus, The Perishers, and Airbourne. It's an interesting mix of new and old, which helps solidify the movie's broad and timeless appeal. High school is a right of passage that leaves its share of scars on all who survive it. And though the book is set in the 1970s, the themes are equally applicable to today and generations to follow.

Lyrics from the many songs play into the insecurities your typical students suffer. Discovering your own hopes and dreams is just as difficult as navigating the minefield of social relationships formed along the way.

For example, songs like "Forget Me" from Violet Columbus and Eleni Mandell and "Try It Again" from The Hives focus on the need to be able to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when relationships don't go well.

"Come Out of the Shade" from The Perishers deals with the transition from friends to more in lyrics like "Just friends, am I a fool to be asking for / a fool to wish that we could be more..."

"Sway" from The Kooks feels a bit like The Cure and is also about friendships becoming more ("... take whatever you have to take, you know I love ya / come however you have to come, and get it out...)" It's about being there for one another as friends discover themselves and one another.

Beyond that, the songs are about that summer after graduating from high school. Cutting loose and playing before heading off to the next rung of the social ladder, whatever that may be. "School's Out" from Alice Cooper and "Feels Like the First Time" from Foreigner are classic tracks that will remain relevant forever. But "Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast" from Airbourne rocks right along with them. The song lyrics proclaim "if this is the end of days, then I'm goin' out in style..." "A Good Idea At the Time" from OK Go rocks along in an almost Jimi Hendrix mode talking about just cutting loose.

Intermixed along with the pop and rock tracks are a few bits of the rest of the soundtrack, including "Who Knew?" - which reminded me a bit of some of the tunes from the August Rush soundtrack. It felt a bit out of place here, but is well orchestrated for the slower, more emotional moments of the film.

Overall I think this is a great soundtrack for the summer. It includes a terrific mix of old and new songs and would be a great party mix without the few non-pop/rock bits. Be sure to check out the I Love You, Beth Cooper movie and soundtrack!

Product Description

The hottest soundtrack release of the summer hits stores on June 23rd, paving the way for this summer's blockbuster film "I LOVE YOU, BETH COOPER" opening on July 10th. The film is based on the book by Larry Doyle ("The Simpsons"). The eclectic soundtrack features tracks by Gym Class Heroes, Kiss, Foreigner, The Kooks, Alice Cooper, OK GO, The Hives, Smokey Robinson, Airbourne, The Perishers, Eleni Mandell and more. The soundtrack will also feature several songs from the score, composed by Christophe Beck, the Emmy Award-winning composer ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") whose scores have been heard in such films as License to Wed and The Pink Panther.

"I Love You Beth Cooper", starring Hayden Panettiere ("Heroes") and Paul Rust, follows a nerdy valedictorian (Rust) who proclaims his love for the most popular girl in school, Beth Cooper (Panettiere), during his speech at graduation. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good soundtrack., November 16, 2009

By 

Big Kahuna (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Love You Beth Cooper (Audio CD)

Good soundtrack, with some good songs. It was a pity that some of the best and biggest hit songs from the movie went missing from this soundtrack.