Good Will Hunting: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture [SOUNDTRACK]

Various Artists - Soundtracks - 1997, Danny Elfman

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 2, 1997)
• Original Release Date: December 2, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000002TM0
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #14,398 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Movie soundtracks are chancy in that the music is often geared to specific parts of the film that are meant to evoke concurrent emotions; many don't hold up apart from their cinematic context. The trend of the past few years has been to gratuitously traipse down memory lane, with the convenient stance that a hit parade of '70s funk will lend an otherwise bloodless film some street cred. Thankfully the soundtrack to Good Will Hunting doesn't strive for fake urban cool; this film about white, working-class Bostonians gets a mostly white, working-class sound. The soundtrack effectively mirrors the half-filled desires and lives that the film capitalizes on: restlessness, ennui, doubt, and unrequited love rule here. Elliot Smith contributes the most, and the best, songs, beautiful weepers that outshine Danny Elfman's somber original score, which makes only a few appearances. --Alan E. Rapp

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, greater soundtrack, April 25, 1999

By A Customer

Before I saw Good Will Hunting I had never even heard of Elliott Smith, but once I saw the movie I had to have the CD. While Danny Elfman's compositions and the other songs (especially Luscious Jackson's catchy "Why Do I Lie") are wonderful, Smith's music is what makes this CD - it's worth buying for "Miss Misery" alone. In an age where most soundtracks include predominantly glossy pop tunes, cheaply sentimental love songs, and unnerving punk rock, the Good Will Hunting soundtrack contains simple, sincere music that's a refreshing change from other movie/TV soundtracks.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A movie deserving of this excellent soundtrack., July 17, 2000

By	Stephen Doig (New Zealand) - See all my reviews

Soundtracks are a music business trend on the decline and for good reason. In recent years many soundtracks have been thrown together with sub-standard artists or tracks, little correlation to the movie itself which in turn probably didn't even deserve to be seen let alone heard. Yet these cash cows have been lapped up by the truckload. The Good Will Hunting soundtrack bucks this trend however, and is a startlingly good collection of songs that not only relates well to the film and it's lead character Will, but also entices you to seek out more from the artists involved - this is what a good soundtrack should do. The very talented Elliot Smith provides the backbone of the album with his superb compositions, however I find myself enjoying the other artists involved here just as much. The Waterboys' 'Fisherman's Blues' and Luscious Jackson's 'Why Do I Lie' are two inspired choices, as is Al Green's perennial tear-jerker 'How Can You Mend A Broken Heart'. Danny Elfman's theme songs are quite hauntingly beautiful and help make this a great album for the road, and exploring new places. An exceptional soundtrack with a great amount of spirit.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overall theme of tragedy... well thought out soundtrack., September 9, 2002

By	J. Carmichael (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Great soundtrack to a great movie! The Elliot Smith selections seem to perfectly reflect the tragedy within the drama, a lonely pop track by Luscious Jackson, "Why Do I Lie?" (sad, sorrowful, nicely done), Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' (A classic with a tragic story and mood), and even an Al Green tune, "How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?" (need I say more?). I could do without The Waterboys.