Filmtracks Traffic Rank: #1,292
Written 11/21/00, Revised 11/27/07
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Buy it... if you respect the pleasantly conservative dramatic
underscores that typically grace the Hallmark-style of films that
involve children bonding with animals.
Avoid it... if you expect to hear the more richly melodic, dynamic
style that Basil Poledouris provided for Free Willy and other
related projects in the same sub-genre.
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| Poledouris |
Amanda: (Basil Poledouris) The formula for the
small budget film Amanda could fit into an Hallmark Entertainment
scenario, though this film would never receive such exposure. The
primary focus of the film's story is a crippled young boy's relationship
with a horse, as well as all the typical themes of maturation of
confidence and the overcoming of disabilities that has a tendency to
drive such stories. The twist in Amanda is an older, wiser horse
expert who inspires the boy with stories of swords, warriors, and
knights, thus bringing an element of imaginative adventure to an
otherwise serene scenario of mundane character development. The setting
of Montana allows for expansive photography that serves any horse movie
well, and Basil Poledouris' career is equally at home in such
circumstances. In a cross between Poledouris' western, mystical, and
children's genres of composition, this light and fluffy score exists
where its movie does not. The film was slated to be released in 1996, at
a time when Poledouris had finished a string of popular and effective
films in the children's adventure scene, including the Free Willy
films, White Fang, Jungle Book, and Lassie.
Unfortunately, practically no audience was treated to his score, for the
film played in a limited theatrical release in South Africa in 1996
before being banished to a European video market. No American exposure
was ever afforded the film. None of this is necessarily a concern for
fans of Poledouris' writing, though most film score collectors have been
impressed by the scores that often come from this Hallmark style of
films, whether from Mark McKenzie, Lee Holdridge, or the plethora of
other talented B-film composers currently working. In the 1990's,
Poledouris was an expert at capturing the musical essence of the
relationship between an animal and a young human. You've likely heard
more flamboyant attempts at the sub-genre from both Poledouris and other
composers in the past, but Amanda utilizes a more pleasantly
conservative approach.
The formula of the score doesn't require much
analytical thought. Poledouris' two themes are simple in their chord
construction, one for the boy and other for the landscape of Montana.
Performed by the certainly adequate, but not overwhelming Seattle
Session Orchestra, the majority of material composed includes light
woodwind solos with string overlays. It is pleasant material, harmonious
in almost all circumstances, and contains the expected gravity of weight
that Poledouris often provides with supporting brass whole notes. The
overbearing, dramatic bass evident in his stronger action scores and the
forthcoming
Les Misérables, however, is absent. The
highlights of the score exist when the boy's imagination of knights,
swords, and warriors takes over and Poledouris injects the otherwise
subdued score with shades of timpani and brass that hail back to the
days of
Conan the Barbarian. While brief in their outbursts,
these cues for riding scenes are symphonically impressive and well worth
the price of the album for Poledouris enthusiasts. Explosions of brass
and snare occur exclusively during the four storytelling tracks of the
album, with an additional short burst of rhythmic spirit from
Quigley
Down Under and
Lonesome Dove in "To the Rodeo." No other
"local flavor" is really used in the score. The woodwind section
receives, as usual for the composer, some interesting performances at
the limits of its ranges. The delicate sensitivity utilized by
Poledouris for the mass of underscore has a hint of James Horner's
thematic approach for children's films, never deviating much from the
same lofty, adolescent harmonies throughout the score. Poledouris had a
knack for rarely repeating sequences of music or obvious styles in his
later efforts, and while
Amanda is no exception, the score offers
little in instrumentation or extended, rousing themes to distinguish
itself in his career. While therefore a lightweight when compared to
Free Willy and Poledouris' other children's efforts,
Amanda remains an enjoyable afternoon listen. Even with the
film's monumental failure, the score was released in limited numbers by
the Belgian label Prometheus in 2000, available only through soundtrack
specialty outlets.
*** @Amazon.com: CD or
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Bias Check:
For Basil Poledouris reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.54
(in 35 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.3
(in 36,800 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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