One of your early Hollywood scores was for Diane Keaton’s “Hanging Up” in 2000. What was that experience like on a comedic “women’s picture,” albeit one about sisters as opposed to best friends?
Working on “Hanging Up”, directed by and starring the inimitable Diane Keaton, is definitely a cherished highlight in my film-scoring career. Diane has such eclectic and sophisticated taste. Her musical brief referenced diverse styles such as Penguin Cafe Orchestra, as well as my score from “Sliding Doors,” which has the kind of humor and emotional core she was looking for. In “Hanging Up”, the three sisters’ characters are hilariously and disparately complex, their intense hyper-drive juxtaposed with the stalwart gruffness of their father, played by Walter Matthau. The “dramedy” surrounding this delightfully dysfunctional but nonetheless close-knit family called for a wide scope musical language ranging from energetic classicism to sparse whimsical simplicity. Diane loved the piano, and whilst there was considerable orchestration, she always gravitated to the piano as the primary instrument to reflect and articulate the quirky comedy and emotional beats of the narrative. The film also gave me the opportunity to record and conduct in the iconic MGM Scoring Stage with an A-list orchestra and a legendary scoring team; Dennis Sands recording and mixing the score, and orchestration by Thomas Pasitieri, and music editing by Richard Whitfield. What an experience for a young Aussie composer!
I loved your score for Jocelyn’s “The Dressmaker,” about a woman with big ambitions returning to her provincial Australian town.
I met Jocelyn for the first time just prior to her shooting “The Dressmaker.” The film’s editor Jill Bilcock introduced me to Jocelyn – Jill and I had worked together on “Strictly Ballroom” and “Elizabeth.” During that first meeting Jocelyn and I felt a strong sense of simpatico, and I felt honored to have been chosen by Jill and Jocelyn, two of the strongest female creative forces in Australian cinema, to tell this unique story of a strong woman played by Kate Winslet, wielding her “weapon” – a Singer sewing machine! Kate’s character Tilly exudes a super-cool minimalist screen presence, sort of like a female Clint Eastwood.
Joss, Jill and I all agreed that the score could use a modernist western flavor, echoing tones of a Sergio Leone / Ennio Morricone “spaghetti western. The setting was an offbeat remote Australian small town full of eccentric characters, so Joss wanted the score to reflect that location and small-town culture with references to a deep south Midwest American musical palette, whilst also turning to thriller noir orchestral scoring for certain scenes – “delicious doom” was the phrase coined by Joss. Even for the dramatic moments the score never TOO big, or cinematically sweeping. At all times we endeavored to keep a sense of irony in the score, as much as possible.
What’s it like to do your first film with Jocelyn in an American setting, particularly Key West? Had you been to Florida before this?
Jocelyn and I had been trying to work together again on a few projects during the years following “The Dressmaker.” It felt good to be finally working together again, especially on a film shot in America, with big American characters played by iconic American actors. Initially we tried quirky offbeat styles, using odd misfit sparse instrumentation. But after the experimental phase, we realized the film seemed to be crying out for a lush warm orchestral palette, a “big American score”, as opposed to a “small off-beat Aussie score”. Also, it became clear that for many scenes, the score needed to be more sweepingly cinematic and “straight” to allow the comedic personalities to be highlighted, without being over-shadowed by a score with a louder personality. In addition to the “main course” of orchestral cues, there were various “side dishes” of pop / jazz flavors and Caribbean tones, as well as ukuleles and guitars to evoke the breezy carefree island feeling, whilst reflecting the cultural diversity of Key West.
The last time I was in Florida was in 1985 (Wow! showing my age here) whilst on tour with The Little River Band. We played a couple of gigs in Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I’ve never been to Key West, but now after working on this film, I really want to go there. Looks like a wonderfully cool place to relax, enjoy the chickens, and escape from the world!
Director Jocelyn Moorhouse
Though you’ve scored some Hollywood comedies, what do you think are the differences and similarities between Australian’s humorous sensibilities and American ones?
Yes, I believe there are differences in American humor and Australian humor. Having said that,Australian culture has undoubtedly been enamored with – and influenced by – American culture. But also, when you consider films like “Crocodile Dundee” and more recently “Anyone but You” with its plethora of Aussie characters, it seems the cultural influences might be blowing in both directions. Australia is still a relatively young nation, with a culture infused with British and American influences, due to US and UK film and television programs playing in Australian households for decades. I grew up watching old US sitcoms such as “Mash,” “Gilligan’s Island,” the original “Lost in Space” (loving the score by a young John Williams) and countless other US TV shows and movies, entertaining and shaping my formative years in provincial Australia. Although a universal comedic sensibility may well be emerging, the regional cadences of the spoken word, the different cultural mixes in various English-speaking localities, for example, the peculiar characteristics of accents of the Irish, Scottish, New Zealanders, North Dakotans, New Yorkers etc.…. These accents, cadences and local cultural references definitely turbocharge humorous content, enhancing the way it is delivered. One could even surmise that the cadences and sounds of spoken language are perhaps echoed in the shapes and sonorities of music language.
David and The Little River Band play Florida
There’s a lot of delightful “Mickey Mouse’ing” to the visual gags and wordplay in “The Fabulous Four.” How hard was it to hit all the rapid-fire humor in it? Did you have a favorite musical joke here?
Yes, there were scenes that seemed to call for specific comedic timings marked with score – not quite as overtly cartoonish as Carl Stalling (one of my heroes), but definitely a lot of very specifically timed underscore. With the rapid-fire humor, the scoring often ending up being a “less is more” approach using minimalism and space for the wordplay. It was the visual gags that lent themselves to grander scoring gestures. Probably my favorite sequence was “Doctor Snowball”, a comedy-action sequence, when Susan Sarandon’s character Dr. Louise Zabarsky has a daymare meltdown during a boat trip, causing considerable mayhem – details left out deliberately so as not to give away any plot spoilers!
Tell us about your main theme.
The main theme came to me one morning as I was waking up – as they often do. I guess overnight, something was cooking in the subconscious after a discussion the previous day with Jocelyn and Richard Barton-Lewis (the film’s producer) about the idea of creating a strong, memorable sweeping melody to express and encapsulate the sisterly bond between these life-long best friends, rivers running deep so to speak, despite the extremely disparate characters. Anyhoo, I woke up with the main theme, as heard in the opening cue, “Photo Intro”, which builds to the title card, and then transitions to the first scene. Originally, I had written a different, quirkier theme for that section, but in hindsight, it was too lightweight. Glad Joss, Richard and I had that discussion, as what’s now there works so much better, and indeed planted the melodic seeds for thematic variations throughout the narrative roller-coaster of the film.
How did you want to weave the theme into the comedic scoring?
The main theme comprises a melody that’s quite sweeping, almost heroic. However, the first few notes in its initial phrase are self-contained, compact and malleable enough to seamlessly adapt to a variety of scenes. And so, the main theme has been able to evolve into new, quite different versions of itself. For example, when the four friends re-unite for the first time in years, the mood is celebratory, then quickly becomes quite awkward. Later on, at the midway point of the film, during a boat trip, the theme develops into a more adventurous mode, even a slightly Irish “nautical” tone with the introduction of Captain Ernie, a potential love interest. During this middle portion of the story, the score escalates from fun and adventure to comedic mock danger.
Did you want to musically differentiate the characters?
Rather than have individual themes for each character, it felt better for the score to reflect and enhance the mood and tone of the situations, using instrumentation, tempo, pauses, and a potpourri of musical styles to differentiate scenes and enhance each moment. Throughout individual self-contained scenes, there were various recurring music themes, melodies and motifs to provide the connective tissue of the story arc. The main theme was really the “best friends” theme, but other recurrent themes emerged, such as a “romance/marriage” theme, a “jealously/intrigue” theme, and a reflective “lost friendship” theme.
Of course, movies like this have got to have their more dramatic scenes. How did you want to capture that genuine emotion?
In dramatic dialogue-heavy, it usually feels best to be led by the action, drama and the words. Our two main characters had a damaged relationship, which they both struggled to reconcile. Towards the end of the movie, a dramatic argument (actually a catfight) erupts between the main characters, with appalling timing and intensity. The performances were so compelling one could easily have decided to have no music. However, it was decided to give scoring a go there, so I started off with a classic western “showdown” style (with eerie water phones and Tex-Mex guitars) that gradually escalated into an apocalyptic oratorio. Soon after the catfight abated, the genuine rawness, vulnerability and hurt is exposed. Accordingly, the music, follows the leads, contrasting the previous dramatic mayhem with simple clarinet and piano, gently supported by delicate string pads.
In the fo.llowing scene, more repressed truths and confessions are finally expressed with long-overdue apologies and regrets. Although it was near the end of the film, this scene was one of the first scenes to be scored. It was the full revelation of the emotional underbelly of the story. I opted for gentle clarinet, oboe and flute, with soft piano and celeste, supported by strings, coming together with slow delicate statement of the main “friendship” theme.
Did you identify with any of the foursome?
I feel like I identify with all four characters . . . .
Marilyn – flamboyant, dramatic. She likes being in control and getting things done.
Louise – smart, nerdy, a high-achiever. She tends to repress her emotions.
Kitty – an earth mother, in tune with nature, a nurturer and a listener.
Alice – wild, adventurous, rebellious. She likes to be naughty, and never grew up.
Yep! I can see myself in all of them.
Do you think” The Fabulous Four” gave you a particular opportunity to draw on your pop background?
I come from classical, jazz and pop backgrounds, so yes, it was definitely handy to have all those sensibilities and skillsets available to utilize in “The Fabulous Four” score. In that sense, this was a dream project tailor made for a composer like me, who loves genre-hopping.
You have scored more than your share of ultra-serious movies. But do you think doing a particularly wacky audience pleaser like this is more liberating as such, especially as you get to play everything from kettle drums and jazz to satanic satire here from second-to-second?
Absolutely – liberating indeed! Films like this which require a score to rapidly change direction in a heartbeat serve up a smorgasbord of opportunity for a screen composer. I relished the challenges presented in this wonderful, wacky film full of humor and bucketloads of heart! It was immensely satisfying to achieve the right tone to blend in seamlessly with the fabric of the scenes, supporting . . . . without gilding the lilies.
What was it like to see Baz’s “Australia” get expanded into a miniseries as “The Faraway Downs?”
The appearance of “Faraway Downs” TV series was initially a somewhat of a surprise and yet, somehow it was inevitable, given the amount of footage that was shot. I had no involvement in the redux, and haven’t watched it yet, but I am curious to see how it turned out. One day I’ll get around to watching it.
How do you think Australian artists have made an impact on Hollywood?
Hollywood has always been a melting pot as well as a mecca of international filmmakers and actors. The first Australian filmmaker to make an impact in Hollywood was J.P. Morgan, who directed and/or acted in 399 films from 1910 to 1952. However, the first Australian movie star was undoubtedly Errol Flynn, who started lighting up Hollywood pictures in the mid-1930s. Errol is famous for his swashbuckling roles and charismatic screen presence. Since then there have been many other famous Antipodean actors, directors and producers: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Margot Robbie, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman, Rose Byrne, Heath Ledger, Naomi Watts, Peter Weir, Jane Campion, George Miller and Bruce Beresford, to name just a few. Even with this hugely incomplete list, it’s abundantly clear that many Aussie filmmakers have made (and continue to make) their mark in Hollywood. In Australia, we talk of the “larrikin” spirit. The dictionary definition of “larrikin” is a “boisterous person, a maverick with an apparent disregard for convention”. Perhaps it’s the Aussie larrikin spirit that Hollywood loves and identifies with.
What’s ahead for you, and what scoring arenas would you like to explore?
What’s ahead for me is an action-adventure thriller score set in an exotic locale – too early to discuss due to confidentiality, but I am really excited about this film. Also, later this year I am rekindling my passion for improvised music, collaborating with an extraordinary Chinese composer and virtuoso Guzheng player based in Melbourne. From time to time I have also enjoyed journeys into the concert music space, and hope to continue receiving the occasional classical commission, for small and large ensembles. I love writing for all genres of film, and plan to keep doing that for many years. The scoring arenas I hope to explore are . . . the unexpected
“The Fabulous Four” joins a growing number of comedies appealing to mature women like “Girl’s Night,” “Book Night” and “Summer Camp.” Why do you think this genre is on the rise?
Wow, is this an actual genre on the rise? I did not know that. Fantastic! Just thinking about it, makes total sense – aging population combined with long overdue female empowerment. I love women. Some men are wonderful, but to be honest, I have always generally preferred women’s company. Luckily, I am married to a very appealing mature woman, so I look forward to enjoying many more years of “comedies appealing to mature women” 🙂 Hopefully my future experiences in this genre will be on both sides of the lens.
Why do you think your collaboration with Jocelyn has continued to endure? And what have you learned about playing women from your work with her, particularly when it comes to “The Fabulous Four?”
Jocelyn and I have found a mode of communication and collaboration that helps the film score arrive at a distinctive and effective music language. I hope to be making many more picture scores with Joss. She is inspirational – a boundless supply of creativity and passion. It’s no secret that women are forces of nature. It’s no coincidence that we refer to nature as “Mother Nature”. Working with Joss on films driven by dynamic female characters has given me opportunities to dig deep and find music that articulates and reflects the humor, nurture and enduring strength emanating from that powerful force of nature we know as “Woman.”
See “The Fabulous Four” in theaters via Bleeker Street, with David Hirschfelder’s score available on HERE on Filmtrax Ltd. Visit David Hirschfelder’s website HERE
Special thanks to Jim Barne