#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.

#15 - Movie: Armageddon / Song: Leaving on a Jet Plane

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In the movie Armageddon, an unlikely crew of heroes prepare to depart for outer space on a dangerous mission to save the world.  This unlikely setting becomes the stage for my next Musical Moment pick.  Ben Affleck's character, A.J. Frost, is saying goodbye to his fiance, Grace (Liv Tyler, yes Steven Tyler's daughter) and he starts singing Leaving on a Jet Plane.  The rest of the crew joins, and though musically this moment may not win an Oscar or a Grammy, it has earned mention on my list of musical moments.

#14 - Movie: Monkey Business / Chico Marx At The Piano (Delibis Pizzacato)

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This is one of the older, if not the oldest, movie scenes included in my list of musical moments.  It is from the Marx Brothers movie Monkey Business from 1931.  I probably could have my pick of dozens of great musical moments from the many films the Marx Brothers made during the 1930's.  I chose this one as I felt it showcases the uniqueness of Chico Marx's piano style; comedy and creativity, combined with true great musical skill.  The only thing missing is Harpo playing his Harp, but perhaps I'll include one of those moments in a future post.  I think this is brilliant and hope you enjoy!

#13 - Movie: Airplane / Song: We are One

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This musical moment is not the first on my list to involve a mid-air acoustic guitar/vocal performance during a commercial airline flight (see Musical Moment #5).  Airplane is a 1980 satirical film which parodies the 70's disaster movie, Airport, and includes an over-abundance of poor puns and excessive plays on words.  At face value, a movie like Airplane would have run its course and long been forgotten by now. Instead, thanks to casting surprises like veteran actors Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, the genius of the late great Leslie Nielsen, and scenes such as this musical moment, Airplane has endured to be cherished by new generations, and to this day serves as the standard for all modern comedic parodies.