Photo via flickr.com user Boca Dorada
For many of us, Pixar movies hold memories. Whether it be watching A Bug’s Life with your little brother on a rainy Sunday afternoon or going with your high school crush to see Monsters University, there’s something magical about Pixar movies, new and old. But the colorful characters and fantastical worlds aren’t the only qualities that make Pixar movies stand out from other animated films. From Wall-E to Finding Nemo, each film has a soundtrack creating a mood that carries the audience through the highs and lows. But some Pixar films stand out above the rest, with music that takes the spotlight and lingers in our heads long after the credits roll.
Toy Story
Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” is hands down the most iconic Pixar song, and that’s more than OK. It’s guaranteed to bring overwhelming feelings of nostalgia to anyone who grew up with Woody and Buzz. But that’s not the only song worth mentioning. Sarah McLachlan’s tearjerker, “When She Loved Me,” from Toy Story 2 probably made you never want to give a toy away again. Newman’s work helped us believe in a world where toys can live out their own ambitions without us knowing.
Ratatouille
Michael Giacchino won his first Grammy award for Best Score Soundtrack for his work on this 2007 movie about Remy, a French rat who secretly becomes the chef of a high-class Parisian restaurant. The music echoes the setting; “Le Festin,” the film’s theme, sung entirely in French, translates to “The Feast.” The strings and accordion transport you to the quiet cafes and side streets of Paris where you hope to get a whiff of Remy’s soup du jour. Whether he’s lost and alone, separated from his family after a thunderstorm or on top of the world as head chef, the music plays an integral role in the movie’s Parisian charm.
Up
Giacchino had another victory in Up, the movie that follows the unlikely relationship between grouchy old man Carl and eager, young Boy Scout, Russell. The tense friendship quickly becomes the only means for survival when Carl’s house floats away to Paradise Falls. But Giacchino’s greatest musical accomplishment actually comes during the montage that tells the backstory of Carl and his wife’s life together. “Married Life” has a similar feel to the Giacchino’s Ratatouille soundtrack but is far more sentimental. You can’t help but smile at the couple’s picnics and cute games, while simultaneously feeling sad that it had to come to an end. And you have music to blame, or thank, for it all.