Oscar Tragedy: Music Of Once Disqualified

By Josh Tyler: 2008-01-29 01:14:02

The best musical of 2007 wasn’t Hairspray, Sweeney Todd, or even Enchanted. It was a little movie called Once, which almost none of you saw because it was only in two theaters for about two minutes. It’s a heart-breakingly hypnotic film, a musical that’s actually about music, and not about choreographed line-dancing, of which there is none. It also contains a beautiful little tune called “Falling Slowly” which ought to be a shoe-in as the Academy Awards’ selection for Best Original Song. The Academy has no excuse, since they all received copies of it on screeners and have therefore all been exposed to its greatness.

One problem though. “Falling Slowly” may not even be an option for Oscar voters. The Carpetbagger blog over at the New York Times reports that the tune may be about to join a growing list of great music which the Academy is disqualifying from contention. Already on that list is all of the amazing Eddie Vedder music from Into The Wild, and now the music from Once may be about to get the axe.

It’s not entirely clear at this point why “Falling Slowly” may be disqualified, but there’s speculation that the songs in the movie weren’t originally written for this movie, or that they may have been written for another movie which was never made. In some weird way this could disqualify it from original song. If you’ve seen the movie though, that makes sense. Once feels as if it is a movie written to explain a soundtrack, as if the music always existed, and the film is about how two people come together, intertwine with one another, and create that beautiful music together. It’s as if the film is an explanation of the music it contains, and that’s a big part of what makes it so entrancing and utterly unique. If that’s really why they’re disqualifying it… well that sucks. The Academy either needs another category for music like this, or Once needs an exception.

Even if you haven’t see Once yet, start up your iTunes and purchase the soundtrack. Blind buy it, you won't regret it. Digging up this story reminded me of just how much I wanted it, and so "Falling Slowly" is wafting gently out of my speakers right now. It gets better every time I hear it.

UPDATE! The Academy has ruled on this issue. Get their answer here.

RELATED: oscar, musical, once

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Dan Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 02:52
If you've seen Once, you should be aware that Glen Hansard is and has been the frontman for The Frames. His music from that band was used for the soundtrack.

JoshT Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 03:05
Dan,

Just because he's the frontman for the Frames doesn't mean he couldn't have written original music for ONCE. Eddie Vedder, who you may have heard of, is the frontman for a little band called Pearl Jam. Yet he wrote music specifically for INTO THE WILD.

No one seems entirely certain which came first at this point... the music or the movie. If what you're claiming was the case, then the studio would never have submitted the music for consideration in the first place.

However if you have some evidence that ONCE just lifts a bunch of music off of one of his CDs you're welcome to present it. Would certainly clear up a lot of the confusion.

Like I said above though, the movie certainly feels like it was written after the music... that's part of it's genius. That doesn't necessarily mean the music wasn't original music used just for that movie though, it all depends on how the Academy defines it I guess.

Lizerne Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 13:52
I'm a strong believer that "Once" should've been nominated for its music. It really will be a heartbreaker if it was disqualified for the reasons you mentioned, and I disagree that it deserves an exception if indeed it was disqualifed for those reasons. It would certainly taint the genius of the film, making it a feature-length music video.

Having loved the movie, I'm hoping that wasn't the case. I'll still be purchasing "Falling Slowly."

Anyway, as unfortunate as this all is, it's a moot point since there's really nothing that can be done about the nominations now.

Ed P. Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 13:52
I just got the soundtrack for my birthday. It's tremendous. Not just "Falling Slowly" but the whole thing. It makes me want to look into more of Hansard's music. If anyone has failed to get this movie on DVD as a rental or purchase, they are truly missing out. It came close to being my top movie of the year.

I don't give a crap who is nominated or isn't, the Oscar's, to me, are a waste of time and space, but I was actually going to WATCH for the first time in about 15 years just to see Hansard and Irglova play this song (and see Amy Adams do "How Will She Know?", which is also wonderful in a different way.)

David Leith Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 13:53
That completely sucks. I went to see Once because I was bored and it was the only thing playing I had never heard of. I have never been so surprised by a movie in my life. The music was definitely the best part of the movie, though, and I assumed it would win the Oscar. I really hope they don't disqualify it, because it deserves to win.

JoshT Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 15:52
Lizerne,

To clarify Once has already been nominated in the Best Original Song category. it is currently one of the 5 nominees. The concern is that it may now be removed from the category.

Brian Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 16:12
Hi,

Im here in Ireland and worked with some of the crew.

The song was recoreded before the idea for the film. It was the recording of the song that inspired them to make a film like it.

Which came first - the song, then they shot the film , then they released an album with it on it then the film.

It wasn't recored for the film.

I like the film but rules are rules.

BG

JoshT Says:
January 29th, 2008 at 16:15
Brian,

Does that necessarily break the rules though? The song was an original, and it was first used in the movie before being used anywhere else. To me, that would make it a fit...

Normally something which wouldn't qualify would be something that was written, released on a CD or in another movie, and THEN used in this film. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

It definitely sounds like a grey area. I have no idea what the specifics of the Academy's rules are though.

ais Says:
January 30th, 2008 at 00:32
i remember an interview with glen and mar where one of them said that the film is basically a documentation of their relationship and they wrote the song together for whatever reason...maybe because they were inspired by their own feelings for each other, who knows and so abstractly the song was written for the film... and good luck to them but i think the luck of the Irish looms. white light to it.

Peter Says:
January 30th, 2008 at 00:32
JoshT,

this song is 5 years old. He played it since 2002. That is the problem.

Ly Says:
January 30th, 2008 at 05:09
Everybody seems to have their own idea of the inception and conception of the song and the film. But no one but John Carney, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova have the full story. So when I hear someone say they know all the details ... I say -- show me the proof. The Academy was provided the documentation to make their decision and they ruled that the song is eligible. Why are we beating a dead horse? If it comes down to which of the 5 nominated songs were the most memorable, emotional and pivotal to the movie... then FALLING SLOWLY deserves to be included and deserves to win!

Paula R Says:
January 30th, 2008 at 15:46
Re the above comments by BG,

I too was peripherally involved in the production of "ONCE", during January of 2006, and as such was privy to the core details being debated. The song in question was written several years before the eventual production of the film, but it was written SPECIFICALLY for the film, with the films characters and basic story in mind, at the request of the films author and director John Carney. The films genesis was long in gestation, and complicated in development due to re-casting/funding/ other work commitment issues, but this in no way invalidates the FACT that the song was written for the film, as required by the Academy.

I respectfully suggest that ''BG" reads today's statement from the Academy to see what clarity they bring to the issue. Also taking a few classes in basic spelling wouldn't go amiss.

Paula

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