Editor’s Note: The Albumism staff has selected what we believe to be the 100 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time, representing a varied cross-section of films and musical genres. Click “Next Soundtrack” below to explore each soundtrack in the list or for easier navigation, view the full introduction & soundtrack index here.
Good Will Hunting
Capitol (1997)
Selected by Justin Chadwick
“I wouldn't want to live in that world, but it was fun to walk around on the moon for a day,” Elliott Smith confided to The Boston Globe in recalling his performance of “Miss Misery” at the 70th Annual Academy Awards in March 1998. Indeed, despite Smith’s reluctance to stand in the spotlight that surrounded him after four of his previously released songs and his new, Oscar-nominated composition featured on the Gus Van Sant directed, Ben Affleck/Matt Damon-written/starring Good Will Hunting, the project fundamentally changed his career trajectory.
With three excellent, indie-label supported studio albums already under his belt, the acclaim that greeted Smith’s foray into film music helped him land a major label deal with DreamWorks, which then led to two noticeably more polished long players in the form of XO (1998) and Figure 8 (2000).
Tragically, Smith did not live to see his sixth studio album come to fruition, as he passed away from self-inflicted stab wounds on October 21, 2003.
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