Paul McCartney was in the thick of the Best Original Song race back in 2001 for his title track from Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky.” Unfortunately, the film was a pale reflection of Alejandro Amenabar’s “Abre Los Ojos” and didn’t register with voters enough to push that truly great song far enough. Not that I’m arguing with Randy Newman finally winning his Oscar that year, mind you.
Well this year, McCartney is back in the race with “(I Want to) Come Home,” yet another breezy nostalgic ditty that, once again, was written for a film that doesn’t really work: Kirk Jones’s “Everybody’s Fine.” But it’s a great song. And I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it sounds like some undiscovered Beatles B-side, a warm and catchy tune that plays over the film’s closing credits (visually accompanied by the photos Robert De Niro’s widower character snaps on his journey around the country reconnecting with his children).
One would think Paul McCartney’s presence in a race like this would be a no-brainer, but then again, Bruce Springsteen proved that logic wrong last year. Have a listen to the track below and tell us what you think.
[display_podcast]