Numbers from Meru, Sweet Micky for President and Racing Extinction among qualifiers
The Oscar for Best Original Song is associated mainly with narrative films. But this year a slew of documentaries have tunes in contention.
The Motion Picture Academy announced today that 74 songs qualified for consideration this year -- nine of them from documentaries. Among the qualifiers: "Came to Win" from Sweet Micky for President, the film produced and starring Pras Michel of The Fugees, and "The Light That Never Fails" from Meru.
The other seven qualifying songs from documentaries:
>"Stem to the Rose" from Becoming Bulletproof >"Brother" from Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones >"Til It Happens To You" from The Hunting Ground >"The Movie About Us" from Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words >"Pink & Blue" from Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer >"Birds Of A Feather" from Poached >"Manta Ray" from Racing Extinction
There is precedent for a song from a documentary making its way into the Oscar race. In fact, just last year "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" from the film Glen Campbell: Ill Be Me not only qualified for consideration but earned an Oscar nomination (it lost to "Glory" from Selma).
Full list of qualifying songs [from Academy press release]: 74 ORIGINAL SONGS VIE FOR 2015 OSCAR® LOS ANGELES, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 74 songs from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Song category for the 88th Academy Awards®. The original songs, along with the motion picture in which each song is featured, are listed below in alphabetical order by film title and song title: "Happy" from "Altered Minds" "Home" from "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip" "None Of Them Are You" from "Anomalisa" "Stem To The Rose" from "Becoming Bulletproof" "The Mystery Of Your Gift" from "Boychoir" "I Run" from "Chi-Raq" "Pray 4 My City" from "Chi-Raq" "Sit Down For This" from "Chi-Raq" "Strong" from "Cinderella" "So Long" from "Concussion" "Fighting Stronger" from "Creed" "Grip" from "Creed" "Waiting For My Moment" from "Creed" "Don't Look Down" from "Danny Collins" "Hey Baby Doll" from "Danny Collins" "Dreamsong" from "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" "It's My Turn Now" from "Dope" "Ya Rahem, Maula Maula" from "Dukhtar" "Earned It" from "Fifty Shades of Grey" "Love Me Like You Do" from "Fifty Shades of Grey" "Salted Wound" from "Fifty Shades of Grey" "Hands Of Love" from "Freeheld" "See You Again" from "Furious Seven" "Brother" from "Godspeed: The Story of Page Jones" "As Real As You And Me" from "Home" "Dancing In The Dark" from "Home" "Feel The Light" from "Home" "Red Balloon" from "Home" "Two Of A Crime" from "Hot Pursuit" "Til It Happens To You" from "The Hunting Ground" "I'll See You In My Dreams" from "I'll See You in My Dreams" "The Movie About Us" from "Ingrid Bergman – In Her Own Words" "Bhoomiyilenghanumundo" from "Jalam" "Koodu Vaykkan" from "Jalam" "Pakalppaathi Chaari" from "Jalam" "Yaathra Manoradhamerum" from "Jalam" "Lost In Love" from "Jenny's Wedding" "True Love Avenue" from "Jenny's Wedding" "Hypnosis" from "Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet" "Juntos (Together)" from "McFarland, USA" "The Light That Never Fails" from "Meru" "The Crazy Ones" from "Miss You Already" "There's A Place" from "Miss You Already" "Johanna" from "Mortdecai" "Little Soldier" from "Pan" "Something's Not Right" from "Pan" "Paranoid Girl" from "Paranoid Girls" "Better When I'm Dancin'" from "The Peanuts Movie" "Pink & Blue" from "Pink & Blue: Colors of Hereditary Cancer" "Flashlight" from "Pitch Perfect 2" "Birds Of A Feather" from "Poached" "Still Breathing" from "Point Break" "Manta Ray" from "Racing Extinction" "Cold One" from "Ricki and the Flash" "Torch" from "Rock the Kasbah" "Someone Like You" from "The Rumperbutts" "Aankhon Me Samaye Dil" from "Salt Bridge" "Bachpana Thaa" from "Salt Bridge" "Kanpne Lage Tum" from "Salt Bridge" "Kyaa Bataaun Tujhe" from "Salt Bridge" "Le Jaaye Jo Door Tumse" from "Salt Bridge" "Na Jaane Kitni Door" from "Salt Bridge" "Sookha Hi Rang Daalo" from "Salt Bridge" "Feels Like Summer" from "Shaun the Sheep Movie" "Phenomenal" from "Southpaw" "Writing's On The Wall" from "Spectre" "Squeeze Me" from "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water" "Teamwork" from "The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water" "Who Can You Trust" from "Spy" "Came To Win" from "Sweet Micky for President" "Mean Ol' Moon" from "Ted 2" "Love Was My Alibi" from "The Water Diviner" "Fine On The Outside" from "When Marnie Was There" "Simple Song #3" from "Youth" |
AuthorMatthew Carey is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. His work has appeared on Deadline.com, CNN, CNN.com, TheWrap.com, NBCNews.com and in Documentary magazine. |