Thursday Token Themes

Welcome a weekly feature here at Movies With Abe. I’m a hugely enthusiastic fan of film scores, and music is far too often an element of cinema that goes unrecognized. Therefore I present a platform for a look – or rather, a listen – to some fantastic film scores. I’ll be selecting a composer and one or more of their film scores for your listening pleasure, embedded from YouTube.

This week’s featured composer is Alan Silvestri. The New York native has scored a few notable Tom Hanks movies and frequently works with director Robert Zemeckis. Most recently, he wrote the highly patriotic, adventurous anthem for “Captain America: The First Avenger.” His loud, barbaric composition for “Beowulf” was more than fitting for all its characters, and the magical theme that brings in familiar holiday music was just right for “The Polar Express.” The haunting end credits for the great thriller “Identity” are chilling, and his very distinctive and only semi-serious score for “The Mexican” is part of what makes that film so odd and enjoyable. The melancholy, lonely theme for “Cast Away” is a mood-setter, and the alternately dramatic and buoyant score for “The Parent Trap” establishes a fun-spirited tone for the film. “Forrest Gump” contains a wonderful theme and the classic inspirational running music embedded below. Silvestri provides a frantic introduction to the family world of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” but it’s one of his even earlier collaborations with Zemeckis that ranks as one of the best all-time compositions, and that’s the unparalleled, highly invigorating score to “Back to the Future.”

Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)



Beowulf (2007)



The Polar Express (2004)



Identity (2003)



The Mexican (2001)



Cast Away (2000)



The Parent Trap (1998)



Forrest Gump (1994)



Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)



Back to the Future (1985)