While we sort of detest random and indiscriminate features that have nothing to do with the daily, weekly or monthly discourse, we did want to steer the conversation back to music. So every week (or so…) we’re going to do a regular feature called, The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, where one of our writers is going to discuss an old soundtrack and film, why its great and why you should know it.
The Soundtrack: “Coming Home” (1978) directed by Hal Ashby
The Film: A love triangle representing three different sides of Vietnam: the wheelchair bound veteran turned hippie dissident coping with his paralyzed condition (Jon Voight), the straight-laced Captain looking forward to his first deployment overseas (Bruce Dern) and his innocent homemaker wife (Jane Fonda). While America’s solider is away, the naive spouse volunteers at the local hospital for wounded veterans where she meets the paraplegic, forming a connection and beginning an affair, shattered by her husband’s return. The movie was loosely inspired by real life ‘Nam veteran, Ron Kovic, who would go on to get his own movie based on his life, “Born On the Fourth of July.”
What Sets It Apart: “Coming Home” includes an excellent selection of classic rock that’s not easy to aquire these days (or… maybe not). Featured in the film are the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Simon and Garfunkel, The Rolling Stones, and even The Beatles (not covers mind you), which is generally a rare thing. Not only that, but these tracks all come from roughly the same time period, ’65-’68, keeping in relation with the Vietnam-era of the film, while the lyrics of the songs, if studied, actually provide the voices of the characters themselves. There is no fluff here (see “Forrest Gump” for that), as all these songs were chosen for a reason, and they serve as a time capsule that will never be matched.
The Money Shot: A lot of the songs are admittedly used as brief background music fodder. But, the film does feature an excellent opening title sequence set to The Rolling Stones’ lost classic, “Out of Time,” that serves perfectly in distinguishing between the two alpha male leads, the hippie ‘Nam veteran Jon Voight and the straight-laced war hero Bruce Dern, while the lyrics suggest that both men are at odds with the world they live in. The film also features one of the most powerful ending sequences we’ve seen in a movie, as the director cuts between Jane Fonda going to the supermarket, Voight giving a moving, heartfelt anti-war speech, and Dern going for a ritualistic swim at the beach (and to never return?), all soundtracked to Tim Buckley’s haunting opus “Once I Was.” Again, the lyrics play a big part complementing what you’re being shown, and even explain what happened to the characters over the course of the movie. A Powerful, powerful song to a tremendously heartrending moment in film (Voight won the Best Actor Oscar for this role; this scene sealed the deal).
Behind the Music: The Estimable laissez faire director/doob enthusiast Hal Ashby specifically chose the Tim Buckley song to close out the picture well before shooting began. He played the song to Bruce Dern before his final scene was shot, citing the reason for this choice. In 1975, when Ashby was casting his Woody Guthrie film, “Bound for Glory,” Buckley auditioned for the role (it eventually and surprisingly went to David Carradine). Ashby wanted badly to use him in the film, but ultimately, that decision was not made. Sixteen days later, Buckley died from an accidental heroin overdose, leaving Ashby to believe he owed the late singer “big time.” (*though its also been said over the years, Ashby also wanted Dylan to play Guthrie and he apparently auditioned too).
Bonus Tracks: An official soundtrack was never released for the film, probably due to both the outrageous cost it would require, as well as not really befitting to the subject matter of the film. The film uses six different Rolling Stones tracks (take that Scorsese and Anderson), and in 1983, Hal Ashby directed the Rolling Stones concert film, “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”
Extra Credit: Hal Ashby’s “Shampoo” (1975) also featured a classic rock soundtrack utilizing some of the same artists as “Coming Home,” such as Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane, and also included two more Beatles tracks! That’s another story though.
Choice Cuts: “Once I Was” – Tim Buckley, “Out of Time” – The Rolling Stones, “Bookends” – Simon and Garfunkel, “Time Has Come Today” – The Chamber Brothers Full soundtrack list.
– Jonathan Helm
