My Favorite Musical Movie Moments

That aren't in musicals (no offense to musicals)

I guess that, as a novelist, I should probably think that books are the superior artistic medium. But as you might be able to tell from the fact that I’m writing a newsletter primarily about movies, I don’t think that at all. I mean, yes, I love books and I read all the time and I know they do so much that other mediums cannot (example: show interiority, unless you’re a book-to-film adaptation that just uses narration to quote parts of the book which is, let’s be honest, kind of cheating). However, there’s one big thing that visual/auditory mediums can do that books can’t, and that’s use music. There is nothing—nothing!—I love in a film as much as a perfect musical cue. And nothing inspires me as much in my own writing like a great song in a movie. This is a feeling I’m forever trying and failing to capture, given that books cannot, at this moment in time, play music. Instead, I just keep including song titles and paraphrased lyrics and hoping that I’m creating a cinematic mood in readers’ minds. “Kerry,” you might be asking, “are you perhaps writing in the wrong medium, given that you’re consistently trying to do something that isn’t possible?” Well, some certainly might say so, but I solider on regardless.

This is all to say that films are a big inspiration for my writing, and when I’m spending a late (by which I mean, past 9 PM) night in my office trying to capture an elusive vibe, I like to rewatch my favorite musical movie scenes. I have more faves than I could ever mention, but here are just a few that I watch over and over and over.

The opening of Staying Alive

I maintain that Saturday Night Fever is one of the most consistently misremembered films in our national psyche. Every reference to it is like, “yeah, dancing and eating a big slice of pizza!” but if you’ve watched it, you know that’s really not what it’s about. It’s dark and gritty and features a truly horrific sexual assault scene. Also there’s a shocking death that’s the direct result of performative masculinity! It’s kind of like how people think the original Magic Mike is sexy and fun because of the “Pony” scene, when mostly it’s about Channing Tatum wanting to build furniture and failing to get a bank loan.

Anyway. The sequel to Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive, is absolutely as silly, fun, and dance-heavy as people think Saturday Night Fever is. It’s unquestionably a much worse movie, but I love it, and I watch this opening scene all the time. I wish I was kidding, but when I need to get pumped up for something, I’ll watch this. If you’re doing a virtual event with me, there’s a 75% chance I just pregamed by watching John Travolta dance while Red from That 70’s Show looks on disapprovingly. I don’t know, this just makes me feel good. Maybe it will work for you too!

The Annie Lennox dance in Blue Jay

I love movies that are simply heartbreaking, not devastating. Like, no one dies, but someone is miserable/possibly has their life ruined. It’s cathartic! Blue Jay is a prime example of a great, cathartic heartbreak film. The film is shot almost entirely in one cabin and only has one cast member besides Mark Duplass and Sarah Paulson, and yet I found it incredibly watchable and propulsive. The two of them play high school sweethearts who broke up and, in her case, moved on. But now she’s back in town and they’re rehashing their whole relationship and you guys…there’s some unfinished business. The reason this movie works so well is their undeniable chemistry, which I think shows in this scene. You believe that they really cared about each other and they really got each other, and you know Sarah Paulson doesn’t act this silly around her husband. Mark Duplass is the only one who gets her, or the “her” she used to be! It’s sad but it’s sweet, and this is a perfect song. I love pretty much everything about this movie, including the fact that (if I remember correctly) it only has two songs, this and a Bill Callahan song over the credits. Two absolute bangers! Less importantly, this movie makes me consider a question that comes up surprisingly often (in my head): is Mark Duplass hot? I’ve watched a lot of Mark Duplass content in my 35 years, certainly more than the average American. I even read the book he wrote with his brother. And yet my opinion changes with each project (in this movie, I believe that he’s hot…except for that part where he’s screaming near the end). I don’t know how to do a poll on Substack but maybe I will on Instagram. I need to know the consensus! But nobody tag him, for the love of Pete! I don’t need to do a poll for Sarah Paulson. She’s luminous, we all know that.

“Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” in The Skeleton Twins

First, let me give you a heads up that The Skeleton Twins is an upsetting movie that’s largely about suicide, which I don’t think you would get from this exuberantly joyful clip. And that’s what I love about this movie—it veers violently from “extremely dark” to “extremely funny,” sometimes in the same scene. Also, for reasons I don’t entirely understand, Bill Hader is at his most attractive when playing a depressed gay man. I think this scene is probably better in context, given that it offsets a lot of the darkness, but I still watch it on its own all the time. Luke Wilson is only in it for a second, but he still manages to be so good (and I’m pretty sure he’s actually laughing, not acting). This reminds me so much of Blue Jay—two people who unlock the fun parts of themselves when they’re together—but this time it’s about a brother/sister pairing instead of a romantic pairing. Oh, also this is a Halloween movie. Simply not enough of ‘em out there!

The “Oh Yoko!” montage in Rushmore

I firmly believe that Rushmore is the best Wes Anderson film, but maybe you shouldn’t trust my opinion because I stopped watching Wes Anderson’s movies after Moonrise Kingdom. But I don’t want to spend our limited time here being a hater. The point is, this is a fantastic film with a fantastic use of music, and this is one of my favorite parts. I loved this movie in high school, and I love it even more now that I’m an adult/a mom. Once I got in a big argument about it with my intro to creative writing teacher who, in retrospect, was a grad student who was simply trying to do his job and not be yelled at during a one-on-one meeting. I’m sorry, but he tried to tell me that Max was a brat! I yelled “HE JUST LOST HIS MOM!” and I don’t regret it! Anyone who ever insults this movie should first have to produce a work of art as perfect as this scene. It can’t be done.

When Andie shows up at prom in Pretty in Pink and Duckie is unexpectedly there and then she runs down the hall in that Frankenstein-ed dress

I probably shouldn’t count this because the music here is part of the score and not one of the (many!) iconic 80s jams in Pretty in Pink. But I’m being honest, and honestly I’ve spent much of my life rewatching this movie and this scene in particular. Back when I watched it on VHS in high school (I think I got a DVD eventually, but it was still normal to watch things on VHS back then!), I would rewind it to watch this scene over and over, as if I was trying to unlock its magic. If there’s one feeling I want my books to capture, it’s this one. And even though this isn’t a song on the soundtrack, I’ve still memorized it! She doesn’t even end up with Duckie and I agree with that but I don’t care, this scene is romance. Some kind soul isolated the score and shared it on YouTube, so now I can jam to it whenever I want.

The “It Might Be You” scene at Jessica Lange’s dad’s house in Tootsie

I want to write an entire newsletter about Tootsie, but I know that’s going to take a lot of time and dedication that I don’t have at the moment. This is one of my comfort films, and it’s what I watched two years ago when the pandemic was just beginning. This isn’t the exact scene I love—it’s a compilation of scenes from the entire film, but I’m not complaining because I just accidentally watched it again. In the film, the song plays when Dustin Hoffman (dressed as Dorothy Michaels) accompanies Jessica Lange on a trip to her father’s house. He’s falling in love with Jessica Lange (who is next level beautiful here), while she’s trying to set him up with her dad. It should seem like a screwball comedy or a Shakespeare play, but it doesn’t. It somehow stays incredibly sweet and a little sad. It’s just, like, Dustin Hoffman watching Jessica Lange riding a horse and realizing that he’s in love with her but they can never be together as a yacht rock classic plays.

The dance scene from Children of a Lesser God

I promised myself I’d stop talking about Children of a Lesser God in this newsletter, but I’ve gotta be me.

Me when I start yet another conversation about Children of a Lesser God

 I cannot possibly tell you how many times I’ve rewatched the ending dance scene from this film. It’s not on YouTube, but the movie’s usually streaming somewhere (currently: Hoopla), and I watch it whenever I can. I love incongruity in a musical scene, and this one has it. That impossibly upbeat song butting up against the hopelessness in William Hurt’s resigned shrug! The way his face stills when he sees Marlee Matlin! The way she looks so brave and determined! This movie has just wormed its way into my heart and this scene is so perfect, so weird, that I can’t look away. Sorry I can’t provide you a clip, but honestly…just watch the whole movie.

There were a few songs I wanted to include but didn’t have the time for or couldn’t find on YouTube (that wedding prep montage in The Wedding Singer! Perfection!), but these are just a few of my absolute favorites. I’d love to hear your favorite musical moments in movies! I’ll see you next week.