#22 - Movie: Stepmom / Song: Aint No Mountain High Enough

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In the movie Stepmom, Susan Sarandon plays a devoted mother dealing with terminal illness and harboring deep concern over the fate of her children.  It pains her to consider that she may ultimately relinquish the raising of her beloved son and daughter to their father's new young trendy fiancee (Julia Roberts).  In this scene Sarandon's daughter, still struggling to come to terms with situation, tries to resist the joyful moment created when her brother and mother lip sync to this great Motown classic.  In time however, love and music wins, as it always does, and she joins in signing backup for "Marvin and Tammy". 

#21 - Movie: Anger Management / Song: I Feel Pretty

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Jack Nicholson plays Buddy Rydell, a rather unconventional anger management therapist treating generally mild-mannered David Buznik (Adam Sandler).  Among the bizarre treatments administered by Dr. Rydell's is the one in this scene where he has a frustrated Buznik stop in the middle of rush hour traffic to sing a selection from Leanord Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's West Side Story, I Feel Pretty.  To see Dr. Rydell's other therapy techniques you'll have to watch the rest of the movie (one involves Woody Harrelson in drag, to peak your curiosity). 

#20 - Movie: To Sir With Love / Song: To Sir With Love

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To Sir With Love, a great movie and a great song.  This musical moment from the 1967 movie is dedicated to all the wonderful teachers who have, and continue to, make a difference in our lives and the lives of our children and our society.  Wishing each of you your own "To Sir With Love" moment ... an unexpected gesture, great or small, which reminds you how much you are appreciated, and inspires you to continue making a difference in your students' lives day after day.  Thank you.

#19 - Movie: Big / Song: Heart & Soul - Chopsticks

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Here's a great musical moment from the movie Big.  Tom Hanks plays a 13 year old boy named Josh who is slighted by a girl because he is 'vertically challenged'.  After wishing to be 'big' on a carnival wishing machine, to his surprise he wakes up the next morning all grown up.  Being an adult has some benefits, but for the most part it isn't all its cracked up to be.  In this musical moment, Josh is a boy in a toy store, in a man's body, when he stumbles upon this giant floor keyboard.  The result, these delightful renditions of the great piano standards Heart & Soul and Chopsticks. 

#18 - Movie: Rocky IV / Song: Living in America, James Brown

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Toward the beginning of Rocky IV James Brown, The Godfather of Soul, "opens" for the main event, a boxing match between Apollo Creede and Russian fighter Ivan Drago.  Performing "Living in America" with an entourage of show girls and backup singers, Brown's performance and Creede's arrogant celebrating seem targeted at provoking and humiliating the Russian.  If you've seen the movie, you know how that turns out.  Though today worries of Cold War, and of another Rocky sequel, seem distant memories, this performance lives on in the archive of great musical moments in movies.

#17 - Movie: Dickie Roberts / Song: Former Child Stars on Your Television

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David Spade plays Dickie Roberts, a former child star struggling to salvage what is left of his dysfunctional life after achieving fame staring in a short lived sitcom at the age of six.  Dickie tries to reclaim celebrity status by auditioning for a movie directed by Rob Reiner (one of many great celebrity cameo appearances in this movie). Reiner rejects Dickie because, having been deprived of a normal childhood, he cannot relate to the character he wishes to play.  Dickie spends the rest of the movie trying to relive his childhood, with many amusing moments along the way.  BUT THE ABSOLUTE BEST PART of this movie is the prelude to the closing credits, a "We Are The World" relief-style performance of an anthem expressing the plights of former child stars.  The intro is a duet by Florence Henderson (Carol Brady, The Brady Bunch) and Marion Ross (Mrs. C, Happy Days). The other performers are all the child stars from the great sitcoms of the past, all grown up now.  Very funny.  Enjoy

#16 - Movie: Groundhog Day / Song: Piano Improv & Medley

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In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a self-centered weatherman assigned to cover the emergence of the famous weather predicting rodent, Punxsutawney Phil.  The twist is, he wakes up morning after morning in the same small town, reliving the same endless day.  He finds a purpose for his infinite supply of time: transforming himself in an attempt to convince his female coworker (who loathes him) to fall in love with him.  He learns one of the qualities she desires in her dream man is musical talent. With all the time in the world at his disposal, he finds a music teacher and masters the piano, then delivers this impressive performance.