Did "Remember Me" deserve the Oscar?- Page 3
Did "Remember Me" deserve the Oscar?
finebydesign
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/17/07
#50Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 1:41pm
I forgot about Evermore, that was my favorite. I think Coco should have won Best Picture as it is an incredible film.
I thought Remember Me kinda trite the first time I heard it... but then I realized what they were doing. This song does some damn HEAVY LIFTING.
-This is a diegetic song, meaning the characters are aware of it. So it has to be real in that world and it is.
-It is a period song. The lyrics are simple but it has to sound like it is from the period and tell some of the story.
-We have to believe this is Mexican Song Book. Unlike our American Song Book, Mexicans keep theirs songs going on and on. So this is song everyone would know and they do. Added bonus the tune and lyrics are something that would have done this.
-Lastly story. This song does everything for the plot AND the story.
If you haven't seen Coco, please do.
#51Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 1:57pm
Once again, the Oscars got something wrong.
Nope. The award wasn't for Best Oscar Performance of a Nominated Song. Remember Me isn't as pop-ballad flashy as This Is Me, but it was not only beautifully written and constructed, the various ways its served the film was ingenious.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Theatrefanboy1
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
#54Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 2:23pm
100% the right choice. The song itself is simple, but it's used so intelligently throughout Coco to have different meaning and context depending on who's singing it. I think that song is one of the reasons the movie is so poignant. [Spoiler:] You can't possibly watch Mama Coco singing it at the end and not have a tear (or several) in your eye.
I honestly can't stand This Is Me, sorry. It just makes me cringe because there is no subtext whatsoever - it's all cheese. Sounds like something written for a high school show choir. (FWIW, I typically really like Pasek & Paul's work. This one just did not do it for me.)
To be fair, I didn't really know the other three songs (and it's hard to judge since everyone sounded off yesterday, which I'm sure was a sound design thing), but between the two Broadway-relevant songs, I was definitely rooting for Coco.
Edit: I just went back to read this whole thread, and wanted to thank seaweedjstubbs for exactly putting into words how I feel about This Is Me: "The lyrics come off like a computer was asked to write an uplifting anthem." YES. Hit the nail on the head.
ebontoyan
Broadway Star Joined: 9/22/14
#55Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 2:24pm
Pasek and Paul won this same category (Best Original Song) in last year's Oscars for a song from La La Land. I doubt Oscars wanted to give them back to back Oscars so soon unless their song blew the competition way. Looks like it did not. But Keala Settle really sold that song
#56Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 3:34pmFineByDesign, I agree 100% with your assessment, all well said. Beautiful song, marvelous film. I want to share your post with my friends who did not understand why it won but haven’t seen Coco yet, just basing their opinions off the performances last night. You expressed perfectly what I tried to tell them but couldn’t quite convey. Thank you!
#59Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 4:37pm
I was hoping for “Mystery of Love” to win (I think it’s so poetic and totally captures the movie/moment), but “Remember Me” is completely deserving. It’s a better song than “Let It Go” and serves the film better as well. I think it’s a brilliant musical moment in the past year of film. For a song you’ve heard twice already to have a much deeper impact later on in the movie...wonderful and not an easy feat.
Updated On: 3/5/18 at 04:37 PM
#60Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 4:49pm
Mmmm. Or perhaps I wish "Visions of Gideon" were the song that was nominated and won (from Call Me By Your Name) - rips my heart out.
The oscar performances were just weird odd this year. Very shakey starts.
"You can't overrate Bernadette Peters. She is such a genius. There's a moment in "Too Many Mornings" and Bernadette doing 'I wore green the last time' - It's a voice that is just already given up - it is so sorrowful. Tragic. You can see from that moment the show is going to be headed into such dark territory and it hinges on this tiny throwaway moment of the voice." - Ben Brantley (2022)
"Bernadette's whole, stunning performance [as Rose in Gypsy] galvanized the actors capable of letting loose with her. Bernadette's Rose did take its rightful place, but too late, and unseen by too many who should have seen it" Arthur Laurents (2009)
"Sondheim's own favorite star performances? [Bernadette] Peters in ''Sunday in the Park,'' Lansbury in ''Sweeney Todd'' and ''obviously, Ethel was thrilling in 'Gypsy.'' Nytimes, 2000
#61Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:00pm
Personally I found This Is Me to be trite and predictable, even during the first listening- copying the same easy tricks as Waving Through A Window.
Remember Me took me totally by surprise in the way it developed through the film- and the final rendition to Mama Coco had me genuinely in floods of tears. I'm glad that craft was recognized.
#62Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:11pm
Pasek and Paul won this same category (Best Original Song) in last year's Oscars for a song from La La Land. I doubt Oscars wanted to give them back to back Oscars so soon unless their song blew the competition way. Looks like it did not.
Only for serving as lyricists. They shared the award with its composer, Justin Hurwitz, who also won for Score. Why would "Oscars" care if they won back to back years or not for Song? I don't know why they'd prevent someone from winning for being fairly new to the Oscar game, but already having a Tony under their collective belt. I'm not convinced every voter is saying, "They got an Oscar last year for lyrics, so it doesn't matter how good the song is, we can't give them another this year. It's all about the timing. One Oscar if you're new, but there has to be at least a year gap..." I mean, how do you imagine this unspoken rule plays out that doesn't sound completely silly?
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#64Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:25pm
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I love both Remember Me & This is Me and I would be equally happy to whoever would win. But This is Me deserved it more. You need to watch Coco to get the meaning of Remember Me. This is Me gets the point and meaning across right away."
Your logic doesn't make any sense to me. The Oscar isn't about rewarding the song that you can listen to outside of the context of the movie and instantly understand it.
ScottyDoesn'tKnow2
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/22/14
#65Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:28pm
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I love both Remember Me & This is Me and I would be equally happy to whoever would win. But This is Me deserved it more. You need to watch Coco to get the meaning of Remember Me. This is Me gets the point and meaning across right away."
Which is actually a case against "This is Me" and the point people were making above. "Remember Me" is so integral to the film that it really was a part of the film and the storytelling while "This is Me" sounds like something somebody else could have made out-of-context and work as well without any connection to the movie. I think having the song be a big part of storytelling and narrative of a movie is an important factor to have if you're giving it a movie award.
#66Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:30pmYeah, the point is the best song used in a film. If we’re talking about context, there’s no resolution to “This Is Me,” the next time you see the characters, they don’t really stand up for themselves like they sing in the song. I thought it actually a little out of place, that it belongs more out of context of the film, more on the Grammys than the Oscars. My perspective though, I know a lot of people love it.
#67Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:39pm
I think having the song be a big part of storytelling and narrative of a movie is an important factor to have if you're giving it a movie award.
So does the Academy. The songs have to be submitted in context of their respective films for consideration.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
KathyNYC2
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/2/10
#68Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 5:42pm
disneybroadwayfan22 said: "I love both Remember Me & This is Me and I would be equally happy to whoever would win. But This is Me deserved it more. You need to watch Coco to get the meaning of Remember Me. This is Me gets the point and meaning across right away."
You need to watch Coco to get the meaning of Remember Me? I respectfully do not agree. The lyrics are not specific to this movie, though obviously they refer to something specific in Coco. But they certainly have meaning if you didn't see the movie. There are many types of goodbyes that people can relate to and the words are meaningful. It's the same as This is Me. You don't have to see the movie and see this song sung by a bearded lady and some other unusual types sing to hear this song as uplifting and support in ones everyday life. I personally think this should NOT be the deciding vote for these two.
Jarethan
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/10/11
Nycat63
Broadway Star Joined: 10/31/16
#71Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 7:57pm
Gpvegas said: "I love This is Me and I might get flamed for this but I thought the performance last night was over sung. I loved this song but last night it seemed too forced to the point of perhaps yelling. It was good but not as good as other performances of this song I have seen."
Just so you don't feel flamed, I agree completely. Though I often feel like she oversings and screams (now I may get flamed). I enjoyed her in Waitress but haven't loved a lot of her other performances. Last night she also just seemed pitchy to me, and then there was the choking up to barely getting vocals out that was a little over the top - though Im not saying it was intentional. I know I'm very much in the minority given social media reactions. The standing ovation surprised me but I suppose part of the reason could have been the choir and representation of diversity? I don't know, I feel like people are tremedously impressed by the huge belt she has but it doesn't do it for me.
Flame away!
bk
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/03
#73Did
Posted: 3/5/18 at 10:39pm
This Is Me is a horrid song musically and lyrically - it's what these boys do. I'm not a huge fan of the Lopez's either, but they're better than this team. Doesn't matter if This Is Me has become whatever it's become - a lot of musical crap sells millions of records - the song was Oscar bait from word one, designed for a singer to wail her/his way through, and it has not one interesting musical idea or turn of phrase in it. All that said, I really thought the Academy would choose it, but they actually showed some intelligence this year. I'm sure all those cocky people around those This Is Me songwriters could not believe the upset.
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