The infinite abyss

Last week I went to go see the new Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig lovechild of a movie, "The Skeleton Twins" (2014). The dramedy follows the fraught but beloved relationship between a brother and sister who are both disillusioned with the current state of their lives. The pivotal moment of the film (probably only in my opinion) consists of Milo (Bill Hader) valiantly lip-syncing “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (1987) by Jefferson Starship and dancing through the living room in an attempt to cheer up Kristen Wiig's character, Maggie, until she eventually joins in, leading to a finale with high kicks, modulations and emotion-filled facial expressions. This perfectly crafted, funny and sweet musical moment brought a whole new dimension to the movie and left me moved and happy, cheeks tired from smiling so much.

This made me think of movies that utilize music to emphasize a moment or a feeling that often sticks with you long after the film is over. I think of "The Breakfast Club" (1985) when “Don’t Forget About Me” (1985) by Simple Minds is played as the gang’s manifesto is read, “the criminal” throwing his fist victoriously up in the air.Or the dancing scene in the library when Anthony Michael Hall plays “We Are Not Alone” (1984) on the record player as every kind of eighties dance move is demonstrated. After I saw that movie for the first time, I tried tirelessly to emulate Molly Ringwald’s sassy stairwell dance, but I never quite got it.

Eighties teen movies did a good job of incorporating music scenes that echoed the spirit of what it is to be young. There are still few things less romantic than John Cusack holding a boombox playing “In Your Eyes” (1986) outside Ione Skye’s window in "Say Anything" (1989), and the “Twist and Shout” (1961) scene in "Ferris Bueller’s Day Off" (1986) conjures up pure exuberant joy. And even as Duckie (Jon Cryer) gives his all to Otis Redding’s “Try a Little Tenderness” (1967) in "Pretty in Pink" (1986), Andie (Molly Ringwald) will not give him the time of day.

These moments can be profound, funny or terrifying. The “Hip to Be Square” (1986) scene in "American Psycho" (2000) is chilling and, unfortunately, established the film's rather morbid connection to Huey Lewis and The News. Conversely, there are moments of comedic gold in "Stepbrothers" (2008) and "Anchorman" (2004) , which feature a cappella renditions of “Sweet Child O' Mine” (1987) and “Afternoon Delight” (1976), respectively. In the former, an overbearing stage dad almost gets his family into a music-induced car accident; in the latter, a motley crew of anchormen sing together, trying to understand what love feels like.

A more profound example of a music-centric scene is the moment in "Shawshank Redemption" (1994) in which Mozart’s 18th-century composition, “Letter Duet,” resonates throughout the prison yard, shining a light on an unjust place void of beauty and grace. Morgan Freeman’svoice-over says that he didn’t know what the women were singing about and didn’t want to know. Instead, he preferred to think that they were singing about “something so beautiful it can’t be expressed in words and makes your heart ache because of it."

Music in film can create those moments in life that we feel but don’t exactly know how to express in words. Screaming into a New Jersey rock quarry while wearing plastic ponchos in the rain turns into standing on the edge of “the infinite abyss” with the addition of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Only Living Boy in New York” (1970) in a scene from "Garden State" (2004). Holly Golightly (Audrey Hepburn) sits on the fire escape softly singing “Moon River” (1962) with a scarf around her head, cutting past her cocktail party persona and showing that she is a vulnerable, sincere person just as scared of getting hurt as everyone else.

Where words leave off, music picks right back up.