“Falling Slowly” Wins Best Original Song (2007)
It is sad that the Best Original Song category is not the beast it used to be. With a few exceptions each year, studios are choosing not to focus attention on their films’ soundtracks, unless the music is a mix-tape of classic songs (Guardians of the Galaxy, Moulin Rouge) or filled with many lovely, lesser-known indie acts (Garden State, Juno). A few years ago, the song selection was so bare that only two titles were nominated in the category, with “Man or Muppet” winning for composer Bret McKenzie.
The bright side is that with so little competition, it is easier for modest films with terrific music to make major headway. The perfect example of this is “Falling Slowly,” the lovely and soaring acoustic ditty from Once, which earned Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová the Oscar. Its victory gave the film, shot for only $150,000 before a brief theatrical run in the U.S., a satisfying ending that made millions want to watch the captivating musical (and eventually buy its soundtrack).
What made the victory even sweeter was that Hansard and Irglová had met and fallen in love during Once’s filming. This gave the song’s references to romantic longing and connection an even deeper resonance. (Their acceptance speech, cut short by the orchestra, would lead to one of the more memorable moments in telecast history, when classy host Jon Stewart brought Irglová back out to finish her speech.)
Published: Feb 18, 2015 12:59 pm