My Love for Hans

If you were to look through my iTunes you would find that my playlists are what I listen to most often, in fact I have listened to one of my playlists over seventy times (remember this is just on my computer, not counting the daily walks with my iPod in my ear, and also note that my computer is very new). So in reality I have probably listened to my favorite playlist four times a week since the soundtrack came out in 2006! What is this playlist you ask. . . the soundtrack to the Holiday by Hans Zimmer.

If you have never seen The Holiday, it is vital for you to see it. Not just because of the cute love story but because of the soundtrack. The soundtrack by Hans Zimmer is incredible. It has some real gumption, literally, one of my favorite tracks is titled Gumption.

The Holiday is a story about two women, Amanda and Iris. Both having troubles with their love lives they decide to switch houses for two weeks. (Amanda is from Los Angeles and Iris is from Surrey, England.) While living in each others homes, Amanda falls in love with Graham, Iris's brother, and Iris falls in love with Miles who is Amanda's friend. With a few twists to the story including a sweet, old next door neighbor and few others that I don't want to spoil, it is truly a great love story. I'm usually not the type of person who watches the sappy, romantic comedies but this one is just so good!

The theme of gumption is used periodically throughout the film and like I stated earlier is used in the amazing soundtrack! The soundtrack is mainly comprised of scores created by Hans Zimmer. The music has a delicate feel that makes you think about everything but gives you such a happy feeling. It is the best music. (I bet the director told Hans Zimmer to think about the word gumption and just go off that). The soundtrack is such a great representation of the film. Music in this film is so important, not only because it adds to the feel of the film, but because the film revolves around music and art. Amanda owns a movie trailer making company, her next door neighbor was a famous screen writer, and Miles is a film composer. If this film had not had such incredible music the movie would not have been as successful. I hope you take my word and listen to this soundtrack, you can thank me later!

Kramer vs. Kramer

As for anyone who knows me my emotions are quite limited, usually I'm laughing or content with the situation, but that's about it. It's rare to see me cry, especially when it is something that I am not personally experiencing. A perfect example is a film. It is unusual for me to cry (hard-core cry) during a film. In fact, I can count on my fingers the films I have cried during: The Land Before Time, My Dog Skip, The Notebook, Click, American Beauty and my newest edition, Kramer vs. Kramer.

Kramer vs. Kramer is such a realistic representation of a torn family. A mother decides to leaver her husband to find herself, but when she leaves she also decides to leave their child, Billy. Ted Kramer, played by Dustin Hoffman, works in advertisement and happens to be very successful, but as a single dad he learns to juggle his time between work and his son. Almost a year after Johanna Kramer had left, played by Meryl Streep, she is back and is asking for custody of her now seven-year-old son. Ted, once a busy businessman, has flipped his world upside down to care for his son. Now in the midst of the custody battle Ted fights till the end for his son. The heart-wrenching performance from both Streep and Hoffman is incredible and so real. Not only did it bring tears to my eyes but their performance made me think about my own personal experiences with family. I would recommend this classic film to anyone! It was unbelievable.

note: Both Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman won an Academy Award for their roles as best leading actress and actor in Kramer vs. Kramer.