MOVIE MUSIC UK

Original Review by Jonathan Broxton

Everybody’s Fine is a rather belated English-language remake of director Giuseppe Tornatore’s classic 1990 Italian film Stanno Tutti Bene, which was scored by Ennio Morricone; this new version is directed by Kirk Jones and stars Robert De Niro who, having been recently widowed, decides to make up for lost time and sets off on a road trip intending to re-connect with his estranged children Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale and Sam Rockwell.

Dario Marianelli’s score for Everybody’s Fine adopts a similarly whimsical tone to its illustrious predecessor, with light woodwind, piano, string and guitar writing to accompany Frank on his journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. Cues such as “Frank’s Journey Begins” and “Telephone Poles” are warm, pleasant and pretty, with softly romantic orchestrations and a light, agreeable tone; the delicate woodwind writing in “Leaving New York” is also quite delightful. Cues such as “Trains” and “Hole in One” are slightly perkier variations on the same set of orchestrations, playing up the comedic aspects of the story a little more vibrantly, while cues such as “You Will Become an Artist”, “Why Did You All Lie to Me?” and the touching “A Hospital Visit” are slightly more dramatic and melancholy, often making use of a subtle synth tone under the acoustic instruments to create an almost subliminal mood of sad reflection.

Once in a while Marianelli even uses a solo child’s voice to add another layer of thoughtful pathos so the music. The prominent emotional content of the score rises slightly towards the end, beginning in “Some Nightmares”, and reaches its zenith in the lovely finale of “David’s Painting” and “Christmas Together”. In the bigger scheme of Dario Marianelli’s career Everybody’s Fine is a lightweight, throwaway score, with nowhere near the orchestral sophistication or thematic strength of scores such as V for Vendetta, The Brothers Grimm, Pride & Prejudice, Agora or Atonement; nevertheless, it’s still a charming 34-minute diversion that makes for pleasant listening, and is an ideal example of Marianelli’s softer, more lyrical side.

Rating: ***½

Track Listing:

• Frank’s Journey Begins (1:51)
• Trains (1:05)
• You Will Become an Artist (2:07)
• Leaving New York (1:50)
• Hole in One (0:52)
• Telephone Poles (3:08)
• Robert’s Rehearsal (3:33)
• Some Nightmares (3:29)
• Why Did You All Lie to Me? (4:22)
• A Hospital Visit (3:48)
• David’s Painting (5:54)
• Christmas Together (2:08)

Running Time: 34 minutes 07 seconds

Varese Sarabande VSD-6999 (2009)