Airwaves: The Top 40 Beauty of the Air Soundtrack | Features


“Air” takes the form of an underdog sports movie and combines it with a muckraking thriller. It’s “Hoosiers” meets “All the President’s Men.” Instead of the basketball court, the movie takes place within the Nike headquarters—which was ranked in third place among the major athletic shoe companies at the time. Enter Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a basketball guru that Nike CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) has recruited to head their newly launched NBA endorsement line to face their competitors. Like “Mad Men”‘s Don Draper, Sonny understands that a great marketing idea is nothing unless there’s a dream behind it. Sonny, a gambler, is willing to bet his career and the marketing department’s entire budget ($250,000) on one player: a 21-year-old, No. 3 draft pick named Michael Jordan. Everyone agrees Jordan will be a star, but Sonny sees something else. He’s the future.

Two elements propel the ticking-clock suspense nature of the story. One, of course, is Jordan—who is never shown except through highlight clips and clever blocking in key sequences. The movie knows that the audience knows that Jordan would go on to become the GOAT. To pretend otherwise would be a form of false advertising. 

The other unifying element in the movie is its soundtrack. Like Martin Scorsese or Jonathan Demme, Affleck (working with music supervisor Andrea von Foerster) uses music as mood enhancers or signals for dramatic transitions. And unlike someone like Quentin Tarantino, Affleck doesn’t use music as an ironic counterpoint to violence. His sense of irony is more playful and humorous. For example, a montage of Sonny blowing off some steam in Vegas is set to the Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun.” The jaunty, buskin rhythms remind us that this was the moment when “alternative” music was becoming mainstream. 

Affleck doesn’t ladle the oldies over the images as emotional shorthand. Instead, his song selections are designed to get an immediate emotional response from the viewer. When Sonny decides to break protocol and impulsively goes to Wilmington, N.C., to cold call on the Jordans, we see him speeding down a highway in his rental car. The moment is scored to the joyous “In a Big Country.” The song’s chorus of “In a big country, dreams stay with you” endorses Sonny’s rule-breaking gesture. Similarly, when Sonny makes an impromptu trip to Los Angeles, the moment is given dramatic force when we hear the revved-up guitar riff of ZZ Top’s salacious “Legs.” Affleck, who has lived most of his professional life in L.A., understands that sleaze and glamour are a continuous mix. (In “Argo,” a transition to Hollywood is shown by a close-up of the Hollywood sign accompanied by the opening guitar riff to The Rolling Stones’ raunch classic “Little T&A.”) 

You can view the original article HERE.

‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
NBA Reopens Jaxson Hayes Investigation After TMZ Video of 2021 Incident
Kamala Harris Performs ‘SNL’ Cold Open, Takes Shot at Donald Trump
Kamala Harris Performs ‘SNL’ Cold Open, Takes Shot at Donald Trump
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
The Unloved, Part 131: Dark City | MZS
Ke Huy Quan’s New Movie Love Hurts Is a ‘Kung Fu Love Story’
Ke Huy Quan’s New Movie Love Hurts Is a ‘Kung Fu Love Story’
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Watch Fontaines D.C. sing Antonio Vega’s ‘Tesoros’ in Spanish in Madrid
Watch Fontaines D.C. sing Antonio Vega’s ‘Tesoros’ in Spanish in Madrid
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
Silver: NBA looking at ‘other formats’ for 2025 ASG
Grant Williams ejected late in Hornets’ loss for trucking Tatum
Grant Williams ejected late in Hornets’ loss for trucking Tatum
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Emilia Clarke’s ‘The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland’ Gets Release Date
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 11-04-24: Life Goes On In Salem Despite Heartbreaking Losses
Days of Our Lives Spoilers For The Week of 11-04-24: Life Goes On In Salem Despite Heartbreaking Losses
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards
The Best-Dressed Stars At The 2024 WSJ Innovator Awards
Estée Lauder’s New CEO, Naomi Campbell Covers V, & More!
Estée Lauder’s New CEO, Naomi Campbell Covers V, & More!