Search - Various Artists :: Deep End of the Ocean

Elmer Bernstein's moody piano complemented by an alternately somber and lighthearted symphony is the musical equivalent to boilerplate. So many scores contain these same properties that one is tempted to overlook the beautiful orchestration and just fault the composer for being too unoriginal. In keeping with the film's story of family dysfunction and an abducted child, Bernstein uses his instruments to stress what he calls "childhood memories," accented by a competent fusion of harps, bells, and often skip-happy arrangements intended to be unobtrusive. A departure from the humdrum side of soundtrack art it is not, but Bernstein deserves kudos for opting for traditional instruments (instead of a synthesizer) to complement this sensitive story of the "delicate balance" in human relationships. --Joseph Lanza