Rate Stepmom!

[Josh500 1,615]

One of the least known and discussed John Williams scores, for sure. And I suspect many people don't particularly like this, either. Which is--to a certain degree--understandable. The entire score seems to be made up of low-key underscore without any memorable or discernible themes.

 

But I kind of like it (the score)! Not one of my top 10 or top 20 or even top 50 JW scores, but it is what it is. It's kind of relaxing, soothing, and comforting, especially the classical guitar writings. If you're in the right mood, that is.

 

What do you think? 

 

For me:

 

Score: 3,5 stars

Movie: 2,5 stars (I hate Julia Roberts! Can't stand the obnoxious woman. But Chris Columbus does the best with what he has!)

 

 

[publicist 4,643]

3 stars, 1 star.

[The Illustrious Jerry 3,356]

You hadn't done Stepmom yet, Josh? It was inevitable I suppose.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

My parents are still married, I don't have a stepmom

[Josh500 1,615]

Just now, Disco Stu said:

My parents are still married, I don't have a stepmom

 

Is that what they told you? 😜

[Brundlefly 2,385]

The movie is not very credible, but it does something right. That it's not emotionally sensitive, can't be claimed by anyone.

[Josh500 1,615]

1 minute ago, Brundlefly said:

That it's not emotionally sensitive, can't be claimed by anyone.

 

In what way? 

[Obi 404]

3 stars and I don't see the movie.

[bollemanneke 3,342]

3 stars and 3 stars. I'm in a good mood today.

[Brundlefly 2,385]

1 hour ago, Josh500 said:

In what way? 

It has some bright moments.

[Richard Penna 3,679]

I liked the movie. A bit overly sentimental but that didn't ruin it. 3 stars.

 

The score has a nice, reflective main theme. That's about it. 2.5 stars.

[MrJosh 892]

I love the score! I love the oboe writing, the meandering main theme. Also, I got the score right around the time I really started getting to know John Williams' music, a magical time in life, and so perhaps because of that, it is a special one to me. 

[Thor 7,490]

Here's my STEPMOM thread from last year:

 

 

The score is wonderful (4 stars), the film forgettable (2.5 stars).

[mstrox 6,649]

3 and 3.  Completely functional execution of the form, but not spectacular.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

4 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

I liked the movie. A bit overly sentimental but that didn't ruin it. 3 stars.

 

The score has a nice, reflective main theme. That's about it. 2.5 stars.

 

Seriously? It is a wonderful autumnal score but film is more or less meh. 

[Richard Penna 3,679]

My opinion of the film is certainly closer to 'meh' than 'really good'.

 

I saw it once, in 2005, when I wasn't feeling particularly good. What I remember of it was relatively harmless.

[MrScratch 294]

2.5 for score

I have never seen the movie 

[crocodile 7,998]

I like the score. It is not a seminal work by any means but the main theme is terrific. That alone earns it a 4th star. I might listen to it tonight actually.

 

The film... well...

 

Karol

[Matt S. 493]

"You're stepmom's cute."

 

"Shut up, Ted!"

[SteveMc 2,674]

Have not heard the score nor seen the movie.  

Will hear it eventually, but I guess the whole backstory with Williams nudging out the ailing Doyle has left a bad taste in my musical palette.

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Score: 4 stars.  While it's not exactly a "career highlight" or anything, I really dig its warm subdued atmosphere.

Film: haven't seen it in a while.  It was pretty bad, but not terrible

[Bayesian 1,359]

19 minutes ago, Steve McQueen said:

Have not heard the score nor seen the movie.  

Will hear it eventually, but I guess the whole backstory with Williams nudging out the ailing Doyle has left a bad taste in my musical palette.

I don’t know this story. What happened?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,511]

The score? 2. The film? 1. It's mawkish beyond belief. Susan Sarandon's character is a bitch.

[publicist 4,643]

3 hours ago, Iron_Giant said:

I don’t know this story. What happened?

 

Apparently Doyle was slated to do the film when he became ill with leukemia. Still, he wrote the music for 'Quest for Camelot' around this time. The makers of 'Stepmom' became anxious and upon learning Williams was interested in the project ditched Doyle and hired WIlliams (it's blurry how that all came about but my uneducated  guess is that people talk to each other). Seems a typical Hollywood thing of shifting loyalties, though we just don't know if Williams was courteous enough to inquire about his colleague's recovery before taking the assignment. 

[crocodile 7,998]

Doyle did record his stuff, of course. At least a chunk of it.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

I don't remember, he did? Then it maybe was not to their liking or not yet in shape, whatever the case i remember it left some sour taste back in the FSM mag days. I read it in that magazine.

[crocodile 7,998]

11 minutes ago, publicist said:

I don't remember, he did? Then it maybe was not to their liking or not yet in shape, whatever the case i remember it left some sour taste back in the FSM mag days. I read it in that magazine.

 

Mark Watter's comment on FB:

 

Quote

I assume Maggie brought up Patrick Doyle’s rejected score to Chris Columbus’s, “Step Mom.” I conducted the sessions for this beautiful thoughtful score and I remember the director thanking the orchestra at the end and stating he wanted Patrick to score all of his movies from now on. Two weeks later we learned that John Williams was brought in to compose a new score. That’s showbiz!

 

To which Robert Townson added:

 

Quote

A great example of an absolutely beautiful score not being used it its film for reasons having nothing to do with the music itself.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

Sounds about what i expected but his illness came additionally into play.

[crocodile 7,998]

There's one more story from Krakow Q&A in 2014. Doyle was taken off a picture due to his illness and it was then offered to Elliot Goldenthal who turned it down on principle. They were both there to tell this story. But this might be yet another film as I doubt Goldenthal would be brought in to do Stepmom. But maybe...

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

And it somehow contradicts the score-in-the-can story with Columbus applauding. 

[crocodile 7,998]

It's probably a completely different story.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

You better don't get sick when you're a film composer.

[crocodile 7,998]

You'd think it would make a good PR story to promote the score with. You know, to get Oscars and what not.

 

Karol

[publicist 4,643]

You mean the 'I stole it from him while has was sick with cancer' type PR?

[crocodile 7,998]

Well, at least that's something!

 

Karol

[Josh500 1,615]

This score is actually growing on me....

 

Perfect music for the hectic pre Christmas season! 

[Thor 7,490]

As I mentioned in "my" STEPMOM thread, I would have loved to hear Doyle's version too, but I'm thankful we got such a beautiful score by Williams instead. Would have been cool and fun if he had employed the guitarist John Williams for the solos, but of course Parkening is no slouch either!

 

In a way, Doyle got his "revenge" when he took directly over from Williams in the HARRY POTTER films. Not quite the same thing, I know, but still.

[TownerFan 4,983]

On 11/20/2018 at 9:02 PM, publicist said:

Sounds about what i expected but his illness came additionally into play.

 

I remember it was reported that Doyle wrote the score while recovering from his illness and the fact the movie was about a person diagnosed with cancer resonated with him. How Williams ended up replacing him is still a mystery. I think someone on the FSM board once wrote that JW only expressed an interest when he learned about the film and all the rest was arm-twisting on agencies' part. I don't know, sounds like some crazy showbiz affair.

[Thor 7,490]

Doyle holds no grudges for this incident. He told me this when I interviewed him a few years ago (although that part was off-microphone, unfortunately).

 

One would think Michel Legrand would hold more of a grudge, since he was replaced just two weeks or so before the premiere of THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING -- and because of the music, not an illness -- but if he did, it was obviously directed at the filmmakers, not Williams. 

[TownerFan 4,983]

Legrand told a very funny story about that a few years ago: when he learned that his rejected score was being released together with JW's own replacement score, he spoke to JW and told him "Well, now people will hear that I wrote a much better score than yours!" and then JW got a big laugh at it

[Josh500 1,615]

Wait! 

 

PD actually wrote a full score for Stepmom? I knew JW replaced PD due to the latter's illness, but I didn't know that! Is that a fact? Is this rejected score available somewhere!? Anybody ever listened to it?

[Thor 7,490]

48 minutes ago, TownerFan said:

Legrand told a very funny story about that a few years ago: when he learned that his rejected score was being released together with JW's own replacement score, he spoke to JW and told him "Well, now people will hear that I wrote a much better score than yours!" and then JW got a big laugh at it

 

He, he...that's funny.

 

Here's Williams and Legrand performing together back in the 90s(?) -- good friends and colleagues:

 

 

45 minutes ago, Josh500 said:

Wait! 

 

PD actually wrote a full score for Stepmom? I knew JW replaced PD due to the latter's illness, but I didn't know that! Is that a fact? Is this rejected score available somewhere!? Anybody ever listened to it?

 

Don't know if it was a full score, but yes -- Doyle wrote material before the replacement. As far as I know, the score is not available anywhere, except maybe in Doyle's office drawer (unless he's reused the material later on).

[Josh500 1,615]

Maybe, when Doyle realized he'll be replaced by JW, he gave his sketches to JW, saying, "Here you are! Do whatever you like with it!" 

 

And what we know today as the main theme of Stepmom was actually Doyle's brainchild! 

[pete 907]

I play guitar (not professionally), so I have a soft spot for Stepmom. Taking Pictures, Isabelle's Horse and Buggy, and The Days Between (guitar version) are highlights for me.Those three pieces make a nice little 11-minute suite.

[Josh500 1,615]

I play the acoustic guitar too! 

 

My favourite pieces? Pachelbel's Canon in D and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven"! 

 

 

[pete 907]

21 minutes ago, Josh500 said:

I play the acoustic guitar too! 

 

My favourite pieces? Pachelbel's Canon in D and Eric Clapton's "Tears in Heaven"! 

 

 

 

A few simple arrangements for guitar of William's pieces have popped up on Music Notes of late including Han Solo & The Princess. Quite a simple arrangement, but it sounds nice, and of course, you can always add more notes. I haven't checked it in detail, but some of the chords are different from the published piano arrangement. Do a search on "John Williams Guitar Tab" to see what else is there. Also some interesting leadsheets like the theme from The Paper Chase. 

[Josh500 1,615]

By the way, is the OST album more or less complete? If not, how much music is missing? 

[Kasey Kockroach 2,344]

2 hours ago, Josh500 said:

By the way, is the OST album more or less complete? If not, how much music is missing? 

The OST only includes less than a quarter of the entire score.