Publicity: The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Deborah Lurie & John Ottman
"Imaginary Heroes" (Sony Pictures Classics; Release Date: Feb. 11, limited)
John Ottman: "Because ('Heroes') is a family melodrama, (director) Dan (Harris) wanted to have an off-kilter feel to the music. The idea behind this was to sort of counterbalance the film so it didn't feel like a movie-of-the-week. The film is about a family going through a fallout where one of the sons commits suicide. There are tiny themes that reflect moments with the characters like the mother, Sandy Travis (Sigourney Weaver), who has a light quirky theme. The main theme is mostly reflective of a piece of music that the lead character, Tim Travis (Emile Hirsch), has been working on secretly throughout the film -- but you don't really know it. In the end he performs a piano piece he has written, and it becomes apparent that it is the theme of the movie -- which is also the first time you hear the main theme in its entirety, when Tim plays the piano."
Deborah Lurie: "Anyone who has experienced a shocking tragedy in their life can relate to the surreal, dreamlike atmosphere of this film: The characters are trying to carry on with their lives after a horrible event, but everything sort of feels like a weird dream. They are also constantly taking drugs, which adds yet a few more layers of haze to their world. Musically, I approached this score by taking a traditional orchestral ensemble, as presented to me in John's original theme, and I added dreamlike textures using a combination of synthesizers and electric guitars. In one scene, the guitar slides up and down over the orchestra following the pattern of marijuana smoke as it's blown into the air -- that same guitar sound comes back every time a character is stoned.
"Some of the most serious subject matter is scored lightly with synthesizers rather than traditional strings in order to create a surreal feeling rather than melodrama. As two boys have a discussion about suicide, the score could have easily been a weighty and emotional orchestral thing, but I knew I needed to find the same balance in the musical tone that the dialogue had. There is a great sense of humor ... throughout the dialogue of the film; it was a great challenge to find the musical tone to complement that."