Randy Newman - Awakenings (LP)
- LP
- 1 piece(s)
- 1991
- 14 tracks
- 42 min
Awakenings
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Growing up, I cherished those balmy summer evenings playing with pals on the streets of our quaint coastal town. Occasionally, our parents would surprise us with coins for a cinema's double feature. It was during these screenings that I encountered films that remain close to my heart, such as "Awakenings". Drawn from Dr. Oliver Sacks' memoir, "Awakenings" chronicles his work with encephalitis lethargica patients in a New York hospital during the late 60s. Robin Williams, as Dr. Sayer (Sacks' stand-in), and particularly Robert DeNiro, as the primary patient Leonard Lowe, deliver powerhouse performances that bring this heartrending tale to life. Randy Newman's score is nothing short of extraordinary, a personal favorite since that summer night. With minimal orchestration, Newman's music complements the story's intimacy, yet soars to breathtaking heights in tracks like "Leonard" or "Outside". "Doctor Sayer" captures Sayer's intellectual and reserved demeanor, while "Lucy" and "Rilke's Panther" encapsulate the disease's enigma and the patients' vulnerability. "Catch" and "L Dopa" mirror the medical team's energetic investigation and the conundrum they face. The title theme is a marvel of musical narrative, embodying the awe and miracle of Sayer's treatment, subtly crescendoing to emphasize its human aspect, yet maintaining a restrained tone, as if wary of disrupting the miracle. The gloom in "Escape Attempt" and "Ward Five" encapsulates the dread of treatment failure and its side effects, contrasting with the exquisiteness of "Dexter Tune", played during Leonard's final dance with Paula (Penelope Ann Miller), making his gradual relapse even more poignant in a scene that'll have you blubbering like a child, partly due to this gut-wrenching melody. In summary, an unjustly underrated film and soundtrack.
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