Why do 4 movie reviewers all reference the same Talking Heads song when reviewing Lovely Bones?

December 11, 2009 10:28 AM

Why are all these Lovely Bones movie reviews referencing Talking Heads' Heaven? Examples I've found: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Was this quote included in the press notes? Is it simply that movie reviewers tend to be people of a certain age? Is the song in the movie? Is that song, for some reason, in people's minds these days? That is, is it being used in a commercial or something?

posted by Kattullus to society & culture (13 answers total)

Are you asking why a song about heaven in general, or why this particular song about heaven?
posted by SuperSquirrel at 10:35 AM on December 11, 2009

Why specifically that one Talking Heads song, and that one line from that one song: "Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens."
posted by Kattullus at 10:39 AM on December 11, 2009

Have you read the book?
posted by bluedaisy at 10:40 AM on December 11, 2009

Judging from this Amazon review, the line is quoted in the book, and I imagine it's in the movie too.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:41 AM on December 11, 2009

Hah! Of course. That's simple. No, I haven't read the book.
posted by Kattullus at 10:42 AM on December 11, 2009

Also, Brian Eno composed the score for the movie.
posted by brainmouse at 10:45 AM on December 11, 2009

Heaven is the setting for much for the book.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:47 AM on December 11, 2009

Much *of* the book.

Ugh.
posted by bluedaisy at 10:48 AM on December 11, 2009

Actually reading the review metroid linked to above does not suggest that the line is in the book. It is merely a line the reviewer used. An Amazon search of the content of the books seems to confirm this.

I would guess it's because the lyrics are an apt description of the heaven depicted in the movie/book, and quite possibly also mentioned in a press junket of some sort.
posted by travis08 at 11:19 AM on December 11, 2009

Oh, never mind, then. I'm back to my theory of it being in the press notes.
posted by Kattullus at 11:22 AM on December 11, 2009

To elaborate on what I said before:

It may have been in the press notes. If it was, that was probably related to the fact that the person who scored the film, Brian Eno, was involved with The Talking Heads and in particular produced the Talking Heads album which Heaven was on. It's not hard to imagine that the press kit played up this link.
posted by brainmouse at 11:38 AM on December 11, 2009

"Shooting heaven, " says Peter Jackson, "is one of the most nightmarish things I've ever had to face."

'Heaven' is Jackson and Walsh's working title for the film.
posted by Kerasia at 12:20 PM on December 11, 2009

It's funny because I thought it was going to be "And She Was"
posted by mattholomew at 12:32 PM on December 11, 2009