Wonderstruck (soundtrack)

Wonderstruck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Film score by
Carter Burwell
ReleasedOctober 20, 2017
Recorded2017
StudiosAbbey Road Studios, London
GenreFilm score
Length59:35 (standard)
63:20 (special)
LabelLakeshore
ProducerCarter Burwell
Carter Burwell chronology
Goodbye Christopher Robin
(2017)		 Wonderstruck
(2017)		 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
(2017)

Wonderstruck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score to the 2017 film Wonderstruck directed by Todd Haynes and starring Oakes Fegley, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams and Millicent Simmonds. The original score is composed by Carter Burwell and recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in London. The album was released through Varèse Sarabande on October 20, 2017.

Development

In August 2016, it was announced that Carter Burwell would compose the score for Wonderstruck;[1] Burwell had previously scored Haynes' Velvet Goldmine (1998), Mildred Pierce (2011) and Carol (2015), the latter earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.[1][2] Since the film focused on two parallel stories—the deaf runaway Rose in 1927 and the deaf boy Ben in 1977—the film emphasized more on music, which resulted in Wonderstruck being Burwell's biggest film scoring achievement to date. Burwell said that he had wrote 80 minutes of music, much more than he had written for films.[3][4]

Burwell stated that much of the black and white sequences had wall to wall music, an established musical style in the cinema of 1940s and 1950s and went through numerous permutations and combinations of how to write more music without overwhelming the audience as a trial and error approach. Burwell wrote the music based on the rough cut of the film, developing a thematic motif for the young characters which should not be overly complex in terms of melody but to be played across numerous situations where the characters undergo a wide range of emotional spectrum. To achieve this, Burwell focused on the melody being consistent while the setting changes, which lead to utilize various instruments like oboe, clarinet and violin to play the melody or the harmonies around the melody changing to make the sound more major and minor, where Burwell invert the shape of the melody or let the instruments echo each other. Burwell had to create various through orchestration due to more music accompanied in the film, without any breaks.[5][6]

To accompany Rose's scenes, a lilting melody was created for the character. Added that "She's a very take charge person so her melody reflects this sense of optimism and energy". Burwell noticed this on Rose's arrival to Manhattan where the camera focused to magazines, hoovers and stockings and then shifts focus to the skyscrapers, as per Rose's perspective, which provided a shift in scale that had to be carried musically. Hence that sequence is scored with a harmonica and violin and the music grows further to match the visuals. For Ben's storyline, Burwell took a different approach, he added: "Ben has just become deaf when he leaves home and travels to New York so I wanted to convey confusion". Hence, much of the music had been muffled or either the lows being filtered so the audience might hear more of the highs. Burwell further had instruments slide from note to note to make it more woozy and get across Ben's sense of disorientation.[7]

After watching the rough cut, Burwell sketched musical ideas at his home in Long Island and after completing the score, Burwell then recorded it at the Abbey Road Studios in London, for a week, conducting a 38-piece orchestra that comprises eight violins, four violas, three cellos, two basses, a piano and an assortment of "single wind" instruments such as flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon, and a "slew of percussion" as the percussive instruments were not sentimental by nature, as the story in itself was emotional and he and Haynes collectively decided to avoid overwhelmingly sentimentalizing the kids' situations.[7][8]

Release

The score was released through Lakeshore Records in both standard and special editions on October 20, 2017.[9][10][11]

Track listing

Standard edition
No.TitleLength
1."Silent Whispers"1:33
2."Talking Pictures"1:02
3."Daughter of the Storm"0:46
4."Coming to Ground"2:28
5."Serious Trouble"2:10
6."Runaways"4:03
7."Ride to Hell's Kitchen"1:56
8."Little Girl, Big City"2:15
9."A Helping Hand"1:06
10."Ben Robbed"0:54
11."My Mother's Advice"1:46
12."Lillian in the Light"1:10
13."Lillian in the Flesh"2:03
14."The Museum Beckons"3:47
15."Dioramas"1:55
16."The Meteorite"3:12
17."Wolves"1:23
18."Museum Pursuits"2:34
19."Secret Place"3:08
20."Rose in the Cabinet of Wonders"2:37
21."Closed to the Public"0:49
22."Home with Walter"0:28
23."Ben?"3:00
24."The Unisphere"2:01
25."The Panorama"0:53
26."The Story of Rose"3:21
27."Mementos"4:25
28."The City and the Stars"2:50
Total length:59:35
Special edition
No.TitleLength
1."Death Recalled"1:15
2."Silent Whispers"1:33
3."Talking Pictures"1:02
4."Daughter of the Storm"0:46
5."Lightning Storm"0:35
6."Coming to Ground"2:28
7."Serious Trouble"2:10
8."Runaways"4:03
9."Ride to Hell's Kitchen"1:56
10."Little Girl, Big City"2:15
11."A Helping Hand"1:06
12."Ben Robbed"0:54
13."My Mother's Advice"1:46
14."Lillian in the Light"1:10
15."Lillian in the Flesh"2:03
16."The Museum Beckons"3:47
17."Dioramas"1:55
18."The Meteorite"3:12
19."Wolves"1:23
20."Museum Pursuits"2:34
21."Secret Place"3:08
22."Rose in the Cabinet of Wonders"2:37
23."Closed to the Public"0:49
24."To the Pictures"0:28
25."Home with Walter"1:55
26."Ben?"3:00
27."The Unisphere"2:01
28."The Panorama"0:53
29."The Story of Rose"3:21
30."Mementos"4:25
31."The City and the Stars"2:50
Total length:63:20

Reception

Sophie Monks Kaufman of Sight and Sound wrote "Carter Burwell's delicate swell of a score engulf[es] the images. His music binds the two timelines, lending emotional continuity".[12] Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com wrote "the boldly percussive score from frequent Coen brothers composer Carter Burwell punctuates particular moments in dramatic, unsettling ways."[13] Wendy Ide of The Observer noted that Burwell's score carried the film.[14] David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Perhaps even more notable here is the work of composer Carter Burwell, who has created distinct musical moods for the narrative's parallel threads, following the adventures of two runaway deaf kids 50 years apart, with the sounds subtly folded together as their stories intersect."[15] Emily Yoshida of Vulture added that "the score by the otherwise brilliant Carter Burwell is affected by the whiplash".[16]

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote "Carter Burwell's utterly captivating, wholly necessary score. It's the true star of Wonderstruck, a strange and varied piece of work, swells of orchestral strings giving way to electric guitar, alternately soaring and lilting. Haynes heavily, and smartly, relies on the music to take us to grand emotional places, and the film is at its best when it lets itself be swept up in the majesty and mystery of Burwell's compositions. These are the moments when one sincerely feels struck by an enveloping wonder—how marvelous, that light and sound can still transport us so—before the film grows sticky and dismayingly uninspiring once more. It's perhaps a cruel irony that a movie about deafness is most ennobled by what we hear..."[17] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone wrote "The longing of two lost children metaphorically connecting across time is extremely moving, and ably abetted by Carter Burwell's graceful score."[18]

Bilge Ebiri of Miami New Times wrote "Wonderstruck plays like a city symphony; the kids' silent movements are accompanied by Carter Burwell's dominant score, bouncing from elegant orchestrations to funk fuzz to melodic drones."[19] Michael Phillips of Chicago Tribune wrote "Composer Carter Burwell's score, plaintive and vivid without bigfooting the action, adds a great deal."[20] Justin Chang of Los Angeles Times wrote "Much of Wonderstruck plays like a silent film, with Carter Burwell's lilting, surging score filling in the occasional long pauses between audible dialogue."[21] Alex Welch of IGN wrote "if there is one MVP in the Wonderstruck creative team, it's composer Carter Burwell. Already an accomplished film veteran, Burwell has created a score for the ages here, one that moves through all of the film's multiple sequences and time periods with graceful fluidity. The film's silent sequences are reliant on the crucial work of Burwell, and fortunately for everyone involved, he's met those challenges with his best score to date."[22]

Personnel

Credits adapted from Burwell's website:[2]

Accolades

Awards Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 16, 2017 Best Original Score – Feature Film Carter Burwell Nominated [23]
[24]
International Cinephile Society February 4, 2018 Best Original Score Carter Burwell Nominated [25]
[26]
Satellite Awards February 11, 2018 Best Original Score Carter Burwell Nominated [27]
[28]
[29]
Saturn Awards June 27, 2018 Best Music Carter Burwell Nominated [30]
[31]
Seattle Film Critics Society December 18, 2017 Best Original Score Carter Burwell Nominated [32]
[33]

References

  1. 1 2 "Carter Burwell to Score Todd Haynes' 'Wonderstruck'". Film Music Reporter. August 22, 2016. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Wonderstruck". carterburwell.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2017. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  3. ↑ Laws, Zach (October 19, 2017). "Composer Carter Burwell chats prolific year working on 'Wonderstruck,' 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,' and 'Goodbye Christopher Robin' [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW]". GoldDerby. Archived from the original on May 8, 2026. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  4. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 29, 2017). "Carter Burwell's Music For 'Wonderstruck's Silence & Frances McDormand's Warpath In 'Three Billboards' – Crew Call Podcast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2020. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ Eidelstein, Eric (November 3, 2017). "Inside the Long-Running Partnership Between Director Todd Haynes and His Favorite Composer". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  6. ↑ Grieving, Tim (December 7, 2017). "Composer Carter Burwell left his comfort zone for 'Wonderstruck' and felt at home with 'Three Billboards'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 21, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  7. 1 2 Abrams, Bryan (October 26, 2017). "Composer Carter Burwell Orchestrates Emotions for Music-Filled Wonderstruck". Motion Picture Association. Archived from the original on September 23, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2026.
  8. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (October 27, 2017). "'Wonderstruck': How Carter Burwell's Percussive Score Carries Two New York Stories Divided by 50 Years". IndieWire. Archived from the original on July 8, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Wonderstruck (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. October 20, 2017. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Wonderstruck (Collectors Edition) – Carter Burwell – 'Museum White Mar". Lakeshore Records. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  11. ↑ "'Wonderstruck' Special Edition Soundtrack Announced". Film Music Reporter. October 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  12. ↑ Kaufman, Sophie Monks (May 24, 2017). "Wonderstruck review: Todd Haynes's split-era kids' yarn provides sumptuous but saccharine cinephilia". Sight and Sound. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  13. ↑ Lemire, Christy (October 20, 2017). "Wonderstruck movie review & film summary". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  14. ↑ Ide, Wendy (April 8, 2018). "Wonderstruck review – enchanting interwoven stories". The Observer. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2026 – via The Guardian.
  15. ↑ Rooney, David (May 18, 2017). "'Wonderstruck': Film Review | Cannes 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ Yoshida, Emily (October 20, 2017). "Todd Haynes's New Film Is Beautiful. Maybe Too Beautiful". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 2, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ Lawson, Richard (May 18, 2017). "Wonderstruck Is a Beautiful, Twee Children's Art Film". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on July 26, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  18. ↑ Travers, Peter (October 19, 2017). "'Wonderstruck': Todd Haynes Turns Kids' Book Into Eye-Popping Wonder". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  19. ↑ Ebiri, Bilge (October 31, 2017). "Todd Haynes' Out-of-Time City Symphony Wonderstruck Fully Lives Up to Its Name". Miami New Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  20. ↑ Phillips, Michael (October 25, 2017). "'Wonderstruck' review: Seeing is believing this beguiling riddle set in two eras in NYC". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  21. ↑ Chang, Justin (October 19, 2017). "Review: 'Wonderstruck' spins a visually captivating and fully engrossing tale of wonder for movie fans of all ages". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  22. ↑ Welch, Alex (October 17, 2017). "Wonderstruck". IGN. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Hollywood Music in Media Awards: Full Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. November 17, 2017. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  24. ↑ Pond, Steve (October 26, 2017). "Hollywood Music in Media Awards Announces Nominees in Film, TV, & Video Game Music". Shoot Online. Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  25. ↑ Stevens, Beth (January 21, 2018). "2018 ICS Award Nominees: Call Me by Your Name Comes Out Peachy Keen at ICS Awards". International Cinephile Society. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  26. ↑ Stevens, Beth (February 4, 2018). "2018 ICS Award Winners: Call Me by Your Name and Phantom Thread Match Wins at 15th ICS Awards". International Cinephile Society. Archived from the original on May 12, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  27. ↑ Blaricom, Mirjana Van (November 29, 2017). "IPA Reveals Noms for 22nd Satellite™ Awards, Plus Robert Legato for Tesla Award & Greta Gerwig as Auteur Recipient" (Press release). Los Angeles, CA: International Press Academy. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  28. ↑ Pond, Steve (November 29, 2017). "'Dunkirk,' 'The Shape of Water' Lead Satellite Award Nominations". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
  29. ↑ "2017 Awards Nominees". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on February 13, 2018. Retrieved November 29, 2017.
  30. ↑ McNary, Dave (March 15, 2018). "'Black Panther,' 'Walking Dead' Rule Saturn Awards Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  31. ↑ Hammond, Pete (June 27, 2018). "'Black Panther' Tops 44th Saturn Awards With Five; 'Blade Runner 2049', 'Shape Of Water', 'Get Out' Also Score". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  32. ↑ "'Blade Runner 2049' Leads the 2017 Seattle Film Critics Society Nominations" (Press release). Seattle, WA: Seattle Film Critics Society. December 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  33. ↑ "'Get Out' Named Best Picture of 2017 By Seattle Film Critics Society" (Press release). Seattle, WA: Seattle Film Critics Society. December 18, 2017. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
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