THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN

ELMER BERNSTEIN

Rating:

Original Review: An emotional film that examines the implications of many deep-seated adult fears, The Deep End of the Ocean is based on the best-selling novel by Jacqueline Mitchard and stars Michelle Pfeiffer as a hard-working mother who, while on a trip to a school reunion with her two children, somehow manages to lose her youngest son, Ben. Nine years pass, and the trauma of what must be every parent's worst nightmare begins to take a heavy toll on her family - husband Treat Williams and remaining son Jonathan Jackson and, despite the best attempts of caring cop Whoopi Goldberg, the boy remains missing. Very slowly, things return to normal, until a twelve-year old boy bearing a remarkable resemblance to Ben turns up on Pfeiffer's doorstep wanting to know if she will pay him to mow her lawn. Could it be her son, almost a decade later? Director Ulu Grosbard, Pfeiffer, Williams and the four child actors are uniformly excellent in their roles, each effectively conveying the sense of loss, desperation, frustration and helplessness that any parent or sibling would feel in a similar situation. Accentuating the drama is Elmer Bernstein's touching score, a work of great beauty and simplicity which, as Bernstein states in the album's liner notes, was attempting to conjure up the images of childhood, and to support rather than disturb the delicate balance of the relationships between the characters in the film. His score is completely acoustic with heavy emphasis on strings and piano - Bernstein also notes the, in his opinion, regrettable trend towards synthesised music - and, although only just over half an hour in length, makes for an entirely satisfying album. Considering the rather tragic nature of the film, the score is remarkably upbeat in places. The main theme, performed initially on solo piano at the beginning of 'Main Title', quickly gives way to a sparkling, jaunty piece for the full orchestra accompanied by tambourines, moving back and forth between the two styles for the remainder of the track. Thereafter, as the movie becomes more sombre, the score reflects the downturn and regularly recapitulates the main theme in different guises. Occasionally, there is the faintest hint of his other classic children's score To Kill A Mockingbird, especially with the use of woodwinds in 'Brothers' and 'Giving Back', while at other times the music seems to be emulating Air on a G-String, especially in 'Home Again' where pronounced basses accompany the main theme. 'Photographs' is a touch more urgent in nature, underscoring the scene in which Pfeiffer frantically develops the shots she has taken of the boy who may or may not be her lost son, while the music in 'Reunion' and 'End Credits' provides a moving, but appropriate musical finale to the film, each providing complete renditions of the main themes. Elmer Bernstein was 77 on April 4th this year. It is astounding that, with all due respect to Elmer, a man of his advancing years is still able to create music that has such a pure sound, such grace and dignity, such beauty and life - even moreso than many composers more than half his age. While the score for The Deep End of the Ocean never was going to set the world alight, it is regrettable that this mature, accomplished work is being somewhat ignored by score fans. If CD length is an issue, don't worry. The half an hour allowed here is more than adequate for Bernstein to put across his musical messages because, given the generally forlorn tone of the music, any more would have become wearisome.

Track Listing: Running Time: 30 minutes 09 seconds

Milan 74321-66520-2 (1999)

Music composed and conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Orchestrations by Emilie A. Bernstein. Recorded and mixed by Dan Wallin. Edited by Kathy Durning. Mastered by Ramón Bretón. Album produced by Emilie A. Bernstein.


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