Disappointed with James Horner

You know who James Horner is, don't you?

He's the guy who composed the wonderful background scores for Braveheart and Titanic (among many of his very well known soundtrack scores). He is the man who came up with the theme for the Titanic, which was later defiled by Celine Dion by using it in her "My heart will go on" song. I love the theme, not so much the song. He is also the man who composed the haunting "Gift of a thistle" in Braveheart which is probably the most soulful piece of music I have heard in a movie.

So if I like his compositions so much, why am I disappointed with him, you ask?

I'll tell you why.

I was resting my foot the other day and was watching TV (as I had nothing better to do with my foot the way it is) and they announced that the Bobby Jones movie was coming on.

If you dont know who the great Bobby Jones is, I pity you. He is only probably the greatest golfer who ever lived. His domination was such that he either won or came second in most of the tournaments that he entered. He also accomplished a feat which nobody else has a claim to in all time.

He won The Grand Slam! He won all the four major tournaments of golf in 1930 and retired as the most successful and dominant golfer ever. His feat has never been accomplished, even to this date. Tiger Woods has come close...holding all four major titles at the same time, but he has not held all four in the same year. That is what makes Bobby's feat so unique.

Coming back to the movie, it was to chronicle the life of Robert Tyre Jones Jr. (a.k.a Bobby Jones) and his crowning achievement. As the movie started and the background score reared it's head, I felt like I was watching Braveheart.

So uncannily similar were these two scores that I actually waited for the credits to show who the composer was. And no surprises when James Horner's name came up.

The reason I am disappointed is that the soundtrack sounds like a B-side of the Braveheart soundtrack. All of it. It is almost like James Horner just gave away the unused pieces of his Braveheart recordings for the movie. Nothing original here.

I was really disappointed. I have a very high regard for him and his compositions. This movie just made me lose a little respect.