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girlsbtrs · 3 years

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The Five Best Songs in Movie Scenes, According to a High School Senior

Written by Jennifer Moglia. Graphic by Laura Cross.

As a girl who was born in the 2000s, lived out my childhood in the 2010s, and turned 18 years old in the year 2021, all forms of media have played a huge role in my experiences growing up. From movies and TV shows to all different types of music to YouTube videos and social media creators, I’ve spent a large portion of my life watching other people do things, whether it was acting, singing, playing an instrument, or even just reviewing makeup products on Vine or TikTok.

However, one of these mediums has stood out from the rest; movies (or as the nerd in me would like to call them, “films”). As a freshman in high school, I decided to try to start watching more movies when I realized that my favorites consisted solely of Disney cartoons and the occasional cheesy rom-com.

Over the years, I’ve practically exhausted Netflix and Hulu’s libraries, bought a ridiculous amount of DVDs, and my Letterboxd diary has just reached 200 films (shameless self-promo, you can follow me there @happilyjennifer). When watching movies, especially ones that I’ve never seen before, I always try to pay attention to the music used in each scene - not the instrumental score, but the specific songs used to highlight pivotal moments.

The right track can make a sad scene heart-wrenching or a happy scene exhilarating, a romantic scene fairy tale-worthy or a death scene absolutely traumatic; a particular song can elevate a key scene in a film, making it that much more impactful. So, without further ado, here are my five favorite uses of songs in movie scenes, from films I’ve seen throughout my 18 years.

Honorable Mention: Heroes by David Bowie in “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Some might be shocked at this scene’s placement in the “honorable mention” section due to how revered it is, but that’s almost why it lands there. This film and book have both been overhyped to death as a coming-of-age staple for as long as I can remember, and for that reason, I was underwhelmed when I first read and watched it.

However, I don’t think it should suffer because of its reputation, which is why I simply couldn’t pick a numbered spot for it. Standing alone as a scene, without any of the praise, this song and movie combination is absolutely breathtaking.

The visual of Emma Watson’s character Sam standing up in the car with Patrick and Charlie, her arms outstretched as the trio zooms through the tunnel to the city, is a visceral experience. Charlie proclaiming that he feels “infinite” is the cherry on top - he finally feels free, free from any past trauma or current stresses or general pressures of being a teenager.

It’s a beautiful moment, and it’s made iconic by the addition of Bowie’s hit song. The pairing of Heroes with “Perks”’ instantly recognizable “tunnel scene” is unforgettable.

5. God Only Knows by The Beach Boys in “Love Actually”

As a member of “Gen Z”, you won’t be surprised to hear that my attention span is not the best. That’s why, at times, “Love Actually” dragged a bit for me - I felt that the two-hour and 15-minute runtime was just a little much, especially with so many different stories to keep up with.

Despite all of that, though, I think that the ending practically saves this movie. The words “one month later” flash across the screen, and we are brought to Heathrow Airport, the place that David, played by Hugh Grant, spoke of at the beginning of the film.

We’re reminded of his opening sentiment, that whenever he’s feeling down, he thinks back to watching families reuniting at the gates in this airport, and he instantly feels better. It’s a perfect opening to a film about love, and calling back to it makes for a perfect ending.

The viewers see each of the film’s stories wrapped up neatly with a bow, particularly helpful for people like me who practically forgot about some of the characters by the time the two-hour mark was reached. What really makes this scene one of my favorites, though, is the very end of it.

As the lyrics “God only knows what I’d be without you” repeat and start to fade out, we are taken away from our characters and the screen now shows real families reuniting in Heathrow Airport, not actors. The clips form a collage and then, ultimately, a heart, before it all fades to black. True human connection can warm even the coldest of hearts, and this classic love song by The Beach Boys is the perfect soundtrack to these heartfelt moments.

4. Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop in “Guardians of the Galaxy”

Throughout my middle school and early high school years, I knew more about Marvel movies than I did about my family or the material I was learning in school. I saw “Avengers: Age of Ultron” in theaters five times, skipped my first spring formal dance to see “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” in 3D on opening night, and even had a personalized Iron Man sweatshirt that I wore nearly every day.

The Marvel franchise that utilizes music, or at least recognizable music, the most is definitely the “Guardians of the Galaxy” series. Chris Pratt’s character Peter “Star Lord” Quill’s mother made mixtapes for him while she was still in his life, filled with pop music from the 1970s-80s that she listened to when she was younger.

Titled “Awesome Mix Volume 1”, Quill becomes attached to it as it was one of the only items he had left of his mother after they were separated. The music that she shared with him becomes a key piece of this movie as well as its sequel, from Baby Groot swaying in a flower pot to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5 to Star Lord completing a mission while Redbone’s “Come And Get Your Love” plays through his headphones.

My favorite use of a classic song in a “Guardians” movie, though, is in an interaction between Quill and his love interest, Gamora. The two are bonding over their unusual relationships with their parents with Quill talking about how music connects him to his mom, pulling out his tape deck and headphones.

The dynamic between the two characters here is hilariously adorable, as Gamora explains that she doesn’t believe in music or dancing, which appalls Quill and leads to him explaining the plot of the movie “Footloose” to her, applying it to the people on her planet. He then takes off his headphones and puts them on her head, allowing her to listen to “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”, though she doesn’t quite appreciate the moment, talking over the music about how the “melody is very pleasing.”

I’m a sucker for awkwardly cute couples and the mini enemies-to-lovers storyline between Star Lord and Gamora gives me butterflies every time; I can’t help but giggle when Quill goes in for the kiss and Gamora immediately pulls a weapon on him. The use of such a well-known love song makes this moment that much sweeter.

3. Where is my Mind? by The Pixies in “Fight Club”

Yes, I realize that I’m automatically breaking the first rule of “Fight Club” by even listing it here, but I had to. This is a movie that countless people (men, countless men) had told me to watch for years, and I finally caved about a year ago out of “quarantine boredom.”

While I don’t praise this film as much as others do (men, as much as men do), I can certainly appreciate the influence that it has had on the world of film at large. There’s a lot of commentary on consumerism, violence, individualism, and the concept of masculinity packed into these two hours, even though many people (you know what these parentheses are about to say: many men) miss all of that and just watch it for the fight scenes.

The scene I chose from “Fight Club” as one of my favorites uses of a song in a film is the ending, which includes “Where is my Mind?” by The Pixies. The Narrator (Ed Norton) has just shot himself, effectively killing his alternate personality of Tyler Durden, and his love interest Marla (Helena Bonham Carter) has been kidnapped and brought to him by his Project Mayhem workers.

Marla is horrified upon finding The Narrator in the condition that he’s in and learning that he’s the one who put himself in this situation, or at least he thinks so. All he can offer to her is to say this: “I'm sorry...you met me at a very strange time in my life.” This is when the buildings start to fall.

All of the explosives planted by Project Mayhem begin to detonate, exploding and imploding as Marla and The Narrator look on, The Pixies’ hit playing softly in the background. She looks startled at first, before relaxing and allowing him to take her hand, and the two watch the city crumble to the ground with “Where is my Mind?” as the backing track; it’s masterfully done.

2. Everytime by Britney Spears in “Spring Breakers”

I want to start this section by saying that I’m fully aware that this scene shouldn’t work, let alone be beautiful, and the same could be said for this movie as a whole, but for some reason, there’s something captivating about “Spring Breakers” and the renowned “Everytime” scene. Netflix first suggested this movie to me as a freshman in high school (complete side note: Why, Netflix? What was okay about suggesting this to a 14-year-old?), and it has stuck with me for years after.

The way that “Spring Breakers” sugarcoats itself in its marketing is almost a microcosm of its themes and storyline. The neon color schemes and promos including former Disney Channel stars Selena Gomez and Vaness Hudgens hide a story of four girls on their spring break consumed by crime, drugs, and murder, and this scene exemplifies that perfectly.

After Gomez’s character Faith gets scared and goes back home, drug and arms dealer Alien (James Franco) takes Brit (Ashley Benson), Candy (Hudgens), and Cotty (Rachel Korine) to a strip club where they meet his rival, fellow drug dealer Big Arch. Alien arms the girls with shotguns and pink ski maks adorned with unicorns (hello, symbolism!), and they gather around the piano next to his pool to listen to him play.

Franco’s character begins to play Spears’ hit “Everytime”, the girls singing along, before Britney’s original version takes over, playing as a montage of the group participating in multiple armed robberies plays out on the screen in slow motion. The juxtaposition of the soft, feminine song with the violent crimes being carried out sums up this entire film in a nutshell; I strongly believe that this scene helps this film earn its title as a masterpiece.

1. Young Blood by The Naked and Famous in Disney’s “Prom”

Giving the top spot to a movie that most people probably haven’t seen could be seen as a bold move, but I’m telling you, this movie raised me. I have such a vivid memory of seeing it in theaters with my mom when I was only eight years old, dreaming about the day that I’d get to dress up and go to my own prom; pretty crazy that ten years later, I’ll be attending my high school’s prom in a month, and I still think about this movie often.

I identified with Aimee Teegarden’s character Nova Prescott heavily when I was younger, the star student who always wanted to be the best and do the best, quickly turning into the obsessive perfectionist who doesn’t know how to have fun and let go. Thomas McDonnell’s portrayal of Jesse Richter, the bad boy with a soft side who introduces Nova to a whole new world, has always tugged at my heartstrings.

The scene in this movie that has stuck with me for a decade now comes when Nova and Jesse are starting to work together to plan and decorate for prom while also started to develop feelings for each other. Nova is stressed that another school’s theme is too similar to theirs and that they will be upstaged, to which Jesse says, “let’s see how starry their night really is.”

The pair hops onto Jesse’s motorcycle and sets off to visit the rival school. As they take the ride, indie band The Naked and Famous’ song “Young Blood” plays in the background, the upbeat chorus and “yeah yeah yeah”s perfectly framing Nova’s change of heart towards Jesse.

They sneak into the other school to check out their decor, only to be caught by the police and taken home by their parents. Nova’s father snaps at Jesse, and while the girl she was at the beginning of the movie would have agreed with her dad, she doesn’t; in fact, she defends Jesse, and apologizes to him for her parent’s behavior the next day.

In addition to being one of my favorite coming-of-age movie moments, this movie also introduced me to The Naked and Famous and the album that this song is on, “Passive Me, Aggressive You”, which has become one of my favorite records of all time (listen to Girls Like You and Punching in a Dream and you’ll be hooked). As I mentioned earlier, the right soundtrack can make a romantic scene a million times more magical, and that’s exactly what the use of Young Blood does here.

#jennifer moglia

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eyesaremosaics · 7 years

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What are your experiences with Geminis? I love the astrological posts you've been doing. You write so vividly, so viscerally, that I can actually feel the experiences you convey - have you ever considered writing as a pursuit in itself?

Thank you so much sweetling, I have considered it, once as a young girl. However…I don’t know if my writing is good enough to get published. Bit insecure about my abilities, one of my flaws is lack of confidence. I have difficulty completing extraordinary tasks (such as writing a novel). It’s a huge undertaking and responsibility in my eyes.

However, I have always felt that I needed to write a book. That I need to leave something behind for others. I still feel that way, and I will. There is a novel I have been slowly working on for years, but I am very secretive about it. There is a superstition amongst writers, about sharing their work before it is fully formed. Rather like a jinx.

Oh Gemini…. As aforementioned in a previous ask, I have slightly dreaded answering the question about Gemini, because many of my personal experiences with them have been less than positive. Yet so many artists that I love and respect are Gemini, so I have very mixed feelings about them.

I will say this: they are sharp, witty, childlike and hilarious. Often they would do well as a stand up comedian/comedienne. They generally are very gifted in the artistic sense, musically (Morrissey is a prime example, even though I want to punch him in the face), in terms of painting, sculpture, mixed media, dance, and most especially–acting.

Because Gemini have a dual aspect to their nature, they are rather like dr. Jekyl and mr. Hyde. When they are good–they are great. Bubbly, effervescent like champagne, with quick witticisms and random tidbits of information you may not have been privy to before. They are the life of the party, confetti, streamers, excited explosions onto the scene. They will make you come alive with their unique and creative sense of humor. However, when they are bad, they can be wishy washy, non-committal, pathological liars who are out to save their own hide.

It truly depends on what else is in their chart. For example, my aunt Joan was born in the 1930’s, and she is the toughest old broad you will ever meet. However. She is born on the first day of Gemini, so she carries with her a lot of Taurus, which grounds her significantly, and makes her very reliable and dependable with a sassy flair and biting wit.

Another Gemini friend of mine has a lot of Scorpio in her chart, which makes her very deep and penetrating–an excellent writer with a lot of depth and dimension and an ability to truly empathize with whatever you are going through. She usually has a unique perspective on a problem as well, gives great advice and insight. She is very observant, with a heavy aspect to her personality tempered with humor.

Another Gemini friend of mine had a lot of cancer, which makes him rather sensitive, touchy and moody at times. Though he is an excellent dancer, we called him “twinkle toes”. He has great taste in art and music–as most gemini’s tend to have.

In fact they rival libra in terms of being “art snobs” or “hipsters” at times. They can be a little judgmental about others who have what they consider to be “poorer” taste. They are the best party friends you could ever have, always on the incline with their tonality, they have a refreshing and eternally youthful quality about them. Even with heavy earth in their chart (Like Johnny Depp for example who has a Capricorn moon), they will have a playful, silly side to them which they compartmentalize.

Johnny Depp is someone I like to use to explore what I love about Gemini. He is truly a character actor, and very underrated in my opinion. He completely transforms into whatever character he plays to the point where you hardly recognize him. Look at him in blow, compared to fear and loathing, compared to Edward Scissorhands, compared to Charlie in the chocolate factory, compared to Pirates–all completely different. His voice, his walk, his mannerisms are so unique to the character. He’s a natural. As is Angelina Jolie, Helena Bonham Carter etc.

Another Gemini I love to death is Judy Garland. I feel for this woman so much. She was forced into the vaudeville circuit by her domineering stage mother at 2 years old, with little regard to her wishes or personal safety/mental sanity. Judy had this gift from the gods, this powerful voice that stands out even to this day. She was unique in her talent, and in my opinion–one of the greatest performers of all time.

Her life was a great tragedy, because so many people told her she was too short, too fat, too ugly. This took a toll on her self esteem as a growing girl. Her self concept became wrapped in other people’s opinions about her, and she NEEDED their validation to have self worth. Judy fell in love with Vincent Minnelli (Liza’s father) and she was told not to be with him, because he was an adulterer and a rumored homosexual. She said very seriously: “all I know is he is kind, and intelligent… And he adores me. And I NEED to be adored.”

Gemini is very dependent on the opinions of others because their own self concept is always changing. As a mutable sign they are very adaptable, but they constantly lose their sense of personal identity. This can cause a serious crisis for them. However, they won’t let this on usually. They like to appear sprightly, cheerful and driven.

This is why they make great actors, because they can so easily become someone else. Meryl Streep is the most famous and successful example of this. She has won more awards than any man (or woman) in history.

In Judy’s case, it was heartbreaking. The studio system starved her, and got her addicted to amphetamines to keep her figure thin and appealing for the camera. If you watch her in later films, you can see the hollows in her cheeks. This matched with gemini’s propensity to over analyze, led to drug induced psychosis in Judy. She had to be hospitalized many times for panic attacks, drug overdoses, and suicide attempts.

Judy never stopped fighting though, she was up and down on a daily basis, damn near impossible to work with, but she clawed her way out of her own grave many a time to prove everyone wrong. That is what I find so inspiring about her. She never could quite get over the rainbow, but it wasn't for lack of trying.

In the darker aspect: Gemini are (in my experience) self deceptive. The reason the exaggerate or stretch the truth as often as they do, comes out of their innate insecurity about their abilities/accomplishments, but also because they convince themselves of their own lies. They truly believe them. So, in that way, they are innocent not malicious about it. They have a way with words and cal talk themselves out of almost anything.

If they have have water influence in their chart (as many of the Gemini friends I have do) there will be an added depth and complexity to their character. They will have a greater capacity for empathy. Gemini is known as the pre school age child, if you were to look at each sign as an age bracket. They are eager to be a part of things, curious about the world around them, always questioning reality, always absorbing information. Although… In my experience they know a little about a lot of things, so they can carry on conversation in a broad spectrum, very few things interest them enough for them to specialize in, the way say a Virgo does.

They are curious about everyone and everything, but they are often restless. They become easily bored or overwhelmed–sometimes simultaneously. Depending on what they have in their chart to support them, they CAN be there for you. However, a typical “true” Gemini is gone when the party is over. They are on to find the next adventure.

My bitterness toward them comes from a Gemini friend that was very important to me. He left me in a situation where I was at risk, and as a result I was molested by an older man. We went to a party together, where I was drugged by this predator, and the Gemini just left me like that at a strangers house. When I confronted him about what had happened in his absence, he got very impatient and evasive and said: “well it’s in the past now. Let’s just forget it.”

Dismissing my trauma because he couldn’t shoulder the responsibility, made me lose respect for him, and our friendship dissolved very quickly following this incident. I realized I could not count on him, and if it came down to the wire, he would throw me under the bus. Now granted, I know not all Gemini are this way, but this situation deeply affected me.

I dated a Frenchman when I was 18–also a Gemini–absolutely gorgeous man. He looked like Stuart Townsend as Lestat in queen of the damned. He was very romantic, very suave with his words, big romantic gestures… Roses, chocolates, picking me up in a sports car. Yet he only saw me as a conquest. After he “had” me he discarded me abruptly, and with little regard for my feelings at all.

Many exes of men I have loved were Gemini. These women were often conniving, vengeful, many of them trying to break up my relationships. Crusading to put me in the ground because they were jealous and insecure. Spreading lies about me, trying to taint other people’s perception of my character. One of them even put a curse on me–no joke.

There was a Gemini girl who I became friends with, I admired her so much. She was a clothing designer, had her own antique shop, was a ballet dancer, a painter, and she went to an environmentalist high school where they planted trees and learned about conservation. I looked up to her–even though we were the same age. We got along famously, and became very close. One day she abruptly stopped talking to me. I asked her tearfully why and she very coldly said: “because. You treat me like you are older than me, or better than me. I don’t want to be your friend anymore.”

I was totally crushed, I had adored her. My maternal instincts come out when someone is hurting, and her insecurities prompted her to perceive this quality of mine as “looking down on her”, which was not true.

I had a manager at Starbucks who was Taurus/Gemini, she hated me for some reason. Once I was sick with a fever, throwing up. She told me if I didn’t come in she would fire me. I came in to prove to her how sick I was, and she told me I was just hungover (which I wasn’t, I didn’t drink back then. I was a stoner). She forced me to scrub the grout lines in the tile while I was simultaneously vomiting in the toilet, and sadistically watched me do it while she sat at her desk doing nothing.

So you can see my aversion to them. In my experience they were unreliable, wishy washy, and self absorbed. Yet I have also been very close with many Gemini’s who I love dearly so it’s confusing. My godson is a Gemini–true blue Gemini. He’s hilarious! He has such sweet, vibrant energy, always coming up with hilarious phrases and opinions about things. Super active and excited.

Every morning he comes into Jeanne’s room smiling, wearing an apron with a serving tray on his hand saying: “hey guys! It’s me! River Thompson!” He tells everyone that I am a dancing vampire. Introduced me to the guy at chuckie cheese by saying: “this is my friend Megan, she’s a vampire from San Francisco.”

One time, he ate all the candy his grandma left out and I said: “oooooo Riverrr. Your mom is gonna be maaaaaad… You ate all that candy tsk, tsk.” When Jeanne came in half asleep, River said: “ mom, you can’t come in here because Megan says you’re mad because–I ate all the candy.”

She just walked away un phased, to which his response was: “phew, that was a close one.”

He loves me so much, his whole being lights up when he sees me. It’s nice to be greeted with such enthusiasm. He always gives me a big hug and starts dancing around when I come over, and always asks about me when I’m not there. He tells Jeanne: “I need to be with Megan because she loves me.”

Gemini’s have a very lively imagination, which is why they are so creative. They are natural writers, and sweepingly romantic. They foil Sagittarius in this way. They are natural orators, commentators, creative genius’, musicians, actors, and designers. They have a natural eye for an image, and it’s a very effortless process for them.

Gemini’s avoid conflict and like to walk away before things become too heated. Gemini tries to be a pacifist however, if you back them into a corner they will not hesitate to retaliate and put you in your place.They’re not afraid to stand up for themselves and can be quite severe with their words when they are angry.

They are extremely independent and can’t be controlled. I sense this is why Gemini and Scorpio have an attraction to one another, Scorpio sees it as a challenge and Gemini enjoys the intense focus that Scorpio brings.

The Gemini mind is constantly racing with thoughts and ideas, as an air sign they can become constantly trapped in their own mind, which is why they appear to always be fleeing from something. Always arriving. They are more mercurial than Virgo, and are a pure incarnation of Hermes (the messenger God).

Gemini are curious creatures, and they are always soaking up their surroundings and retaining knowledge. They are natural investigators, they rival Scorpio in this aspect. Do not underestimate their ability to get to the bottom of things.

They are fickle and indecisive at times, but they are generally good friends. In my experience they are supportive and encouraging of whatever your dreams and ambitions are.

They are also majorly flirtatious, this is maddening to the more possessive signs. Gemini have a way with words, they are charming and genuinely like people most of the time. They can’t help themselves really, and just think they are being friendly. They are always on the go, have eclectic tastes, and prefer to keep things offbeat and interesting. Gemini love to travel, city life, large parties, art galleries, camping trips anything gregarious that will get them out in the world.

If they have more earth or water in their chart, they will tend to be a bit more shy. Though once they warm up their weirdness will come out. I have known a few shy gemini’s, but not many. Mostly they are VERY vocal about what they think and how they feel. They are usually great fun to play with. They are playmates.

More famous gemini’s include: Natalie Portman, Clint Eastwood, Donald Trump 😑, Prince, JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Nicole Kidman, Kanye West… You get the picture. They run the gamut from amazing to horrible. I think an important thing to note is that they are a dual sign. They have two sides to them, and as JK Rowling said in the HP series: it is not our abilities that decide who we are in is our choices.

Gemini’s like Johnny Depp, JFK, Prince and Nicole Kidman are excellent examples of all the beauty and artistry that Gemini can bring into the world. I find that highly evolved gemini’s who are artistically oriented and (most importantly) self aware are wonderful. Gemini’s who are unevolved, who refuse to look inside or be there for others because they can’t even be there for themselves are unbearable.

Gemini is the little girl asking you to play with her, they are murals spanning the walls of an otherwise filthy urban environment. They reinvigorate and add sparkle to any environment they enter. They are the wandering poet, the distressed painter mad with drink and excess. They are the inconsistency of the sky. The impurity of the air. Chalk drawings, geology, a massive library, microscopes, satellite signals, glitter polish. Air brush, pin wheels, sour candies. Music festivals, disco lights, The sound of music. The flowers of spring, blooming youthful, ostentatious. Forever young, and always inspiring.

#asks #Gemini #zodiac #astrology

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