From Here to the Oscars and Back ♫
Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 10:11AM This morning this sweet ballad popped into my head again -- I recently finally got around to Joyful Noise -- so I thought I'd share it. I hope Dolly Parton gets to sing this at the Oscars to the tune of her third nomination... provided it's declared eligible of course.
If the Academy would ever get their music branch in order, can you imagine how much fun the Original Song category could be? I mean this year alone we could have Paul Williams, Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Hugh Jackman singing at the Oscars.
But we've learned not to hope for too much. If you have legacy artists like Bruce Springsteen and Cher and Madonna and whomever singing on stage, you just won't have time for those this-has-nothing-to-do-with-movies-but-we-the-producers-like-it performances from the likes of Cirque du Soleil.
Oscar Trivia / 2012 Original Song Category after the jump...
Oscar Trivia: Dolly Parton has been nominated for the Song Oscar only twice for the classic title track to Nine to Five (1980) and then again for "Travellin' Thru" for Transamerica (2005). "How the hell did she lose for Nine to Five?" you ask incredulously. Another 80s classic title track, Fame was in the running, that's how. So much depends on the year! Though her songs are frequently popping up in movies, Parton hasn't written very many of them originally for the movies they're in. From my understanding (and Dolly or Music Specialist please correct me if I'm wrong) she's been eligible two other times and not nominated: for the title song from Straight Talk (1992) and Rhinestone's (1984) "Tennessee Homesick Blues". The original songs she wrote for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982) based on the stage musical of the same name, were all cut from the movie before its release except for possibly "Sneakin' Around". Did she write that for the movies? "I Will Always Love You" had already been a hit for her before the film, and then again with the film, and then again in the 90s for another film which you might have heard of.
Currently Eligible Original Songs That We're Aware Of Though It's Always Hard to Know Exactly What's Eligible. Thanks to reader Jeffrey for submitting some of these. If you know of anymore please share.
- Paul Williams "Still Alive" from the documentary Paul Williams is Still Alive
- "Touch the Sky," "Into the Open Air," and "Lessons Learned" from Brave... though isn't it weird that the movie just kind of stops for each of them to play over montages.
It's as if Pixar actually freaked out about the songs -- 'NOOOOOooooo. We can't make Princess Musicals like Disney!' Either ditch them or make it into a musical. Don't be half-assed about it! - Taylor Swift ft. The Civil War "Safe and Sound" from the Hunger Games
Wouldn't this video have been so much cooler if it showed Taylor Swift being killed by each of the Hunger Games characters in slow motion?
- "Suddenly" which will be sung by Hugh Jackman for Les Misérables
- "Let it Grow" from Dr. Seuss' the Lorax
- "Not Enough" with Dolly Parton & Queen Latifah & Choir from Joyful Noise
"But Nathaniel. What did you think of Joyful Noise the movie?"
Eh. Do I have to say?
Reader Comments (20)
if only 9 to 5 was released a year later; i'm sure dolly could've bested the dreadful 'arthur's theme' (but with the ever dodgy song category, who can say?)
I understand how she lost fo "9 to 5." What I don't understand is how she lost for "Travelin' Thru." Such a beautiful, well-written song and it loses to "It's Hard out Here for a Pimp" from Hustle & Flow. Ugh.
I think the winners of the Golden Globe for Best Song should start thanking the Foreign Press Association for ruining their chances of an Academy Award Nomination.
"Do you have to say?" Yes! Inquiring minds want to know. Clearly, it was never going to be a great movie (and it ended up not very good), but I still had fun.
And looking at that predictions page, what's with no mention whatsoever of Beasts of the Southern Wild in score?! It was spectacular. I can't even remember the scores of Moonrise Kingdom or the Hunger Games, which did make the list.
Why do you not include "Breath of Life" from Snow White and the Huntsman whch is really an amazin song and deserves to wn at this point in the year.
Any chance for one of the Metric songs from Cosmopolis?
"Safe & Sound" isn't eligible. It was the second end credits song and not the first. The song was originally written for "Speak Now."
There's a bunch of bollywood films that were released so far (just like every year) and there's original songs in all of them. If only those producers/distributors would think of sending in these songs.
There's an original song from Les Miz? Whaaaaaat? Any word on who sings it and where it will appear in the film?
Oh, I see it is Hugh. I just hope it won't play over the credits.
PLI -- thanks for letting me know. why on earth does hollywood do second songs in end credits. so dumb.
There is a song in Safety Not Guaranteed called "BIg Machine". It's sung by Mark Duplass and I think he also wrote it. I don't think it will get nominated (the movie doesn't have much buzz), but it is a good song and a very sweet moment in the movie.
There's the theme from Skyfall, whatever it may be. Though the Academy hasn't deemed a Bond theme worthy of nomination for thirty years...
after this year's fiasco i'm no longer waiting for anything good for this category. I actually fear academy will get rid of it soon
I liked the way "From Here to the Moon and Back" was used in the film, it's a lovely song and one of the very few bright spots in Joyful Noise. I won't hold my breath for it to get nominated though because the category is such a mess! I'm not familiar with Les Miz but I always find it odd when musicals are adapted and they cut songs that fans love and add new ones for the movie.
Nathaniel, do you know if these are eligible or not?
"Back in Time" - Men in Black 3
"Abraham's Daughter" - The Hunger Games
"I Believe in Love" - Mirror Mirror
"Breath of Life" - Snow White & the Huntsman
I doubt any of those (except maybe Mirror Mirror) would have a shot at being of the Academy's preference but just curious. Is it me or is the list of songs featured in the credits quite long actually for just July?
That said, I actually quite like "Touch the Sky" and "Safe & Sound" so I think it'd be nice to have them nominated. Especially considering how often they screw up this category.
I think there's a Christina Aguilera song eligible (from "La Case de mi Padre") so add her to your list of famous singers the Academy *could* get, but probably won't.
The song from Les Miz is called "Suddenly" and the song is about Jackman's feelings towards raising Cosette, it wll not be at the end, I think it will probably be played over a montage of years of raising cosette, it seems like t could be great because the orignal song writers wrote it.
I heard something a while back about Adele writing/singing the new Bond theme song...coming off of her amazing year (that's kind of still going), I could totally see them nominating her.
What about Matthew McConaughey's little ditty in Magic Mike? :)