5 movies that made excellent use of a Cranberries songs
Any filmmaker will tell you the importance of a well-placed song so it’s no surprise that The Cranberries have seen plenty of their hits pop up in various movies and TV series over the last twenty years.
With the news that lead singer Dolores O’Riordan had passed away suddenly at the tragically young age of 46, Yahoo Movies UK has put together a list of five films that featured her defining voice.
Click (2006)
This Adam Sandler movie may not be one his best but it gets points for the clear appreciation of The Cranberries single “Linger” from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?
It’s a song that means a lot to the film’s main characters Michael (Sandler) and Donna (Kate Beckinsale); it’s playing at the bar when they first kiss and in a scene setin the future Dolores herself sings it live at their son’s wedding.
You’ve Got Mail (1999)
You’ve Got Mail reunited the dream team of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks so it seems fitting that “Dreams” appears less than ten minutes into the movie. The song kicks off as their characters Kathleen and Joe head to work, separately because they haven’t met yet, and we can hear Shopgirl’s latest email to NY152 being narrated by Meg:
“What will he say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go on line, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you.”
*heart melts*
Boys on the Side (1995)
“Dreams” is one of the most used Cranberries song in film and TV but its appearance in Boys on the Side might also be one of its most significant uses.
The critically-acclaimed film, starring Drew Barrymore, Mary Louise Parker and Whoopi Goldberg, featured songs exclusively by female artists and female-led bands to fit with its female empowerment message.
Sheryl Crow, Stevie Knicks and Annie Lennox songs all appeared on the soundtrack but it was “Dreams” that was chosen for the trailer.
Empire Records (1995)
This Nineties romantic-comedy-drama is about staff members at an independent record store trying to save it from being turned into a corporate music franchise, so of course the soundtrack was banging. And The Cranberries featured on it twice; both songs from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? and both times involving the babe that was AJ (Johnny Whitworth).
“How” comes on right after he declares his love to Corey (Liv Tyler) but she’s just had a dodgy experience with Rex Manning and is not in the right head space to hear his words. How dare she! Later, we hear “Liar” as Debra is giving out homemade badges, one of which goes to AJ who is currently in charge of the store’s playlist, thus the reason why The Cranberries were playing.
Clueless (1995)
Ah Elton, it’s a shame you turned out to be a bit of a douchebag because your taste in music was heavenly. The Cranberries get double featured in this Nineties high school classic and they both involve the young Jeremy Sisto’s character.
First in Mr Hall’s class, when Elton says “yeah I can’t find my Cranberries CD, I need to go to the quad before someone snags it.” This was obviously a totally acceptable use of a hall pass, of course, and the second appearance comes when he is dropping Cher home after the party in the valley.
Elton has No Need to Argue playing, specifically the just lovely song “Away,” and he even treats his passenger to a little rendition of it. Shame he acts like a jerk ten seconds later because we would totally have gone to a Cranberries concert with him. Sigh.
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