The Last Kiss (2006)

After winning a Grammy Award for compiling the soundtrack to his own film, “Garden State,” Zach Braff was approached by the filmmakers with the idea of putting together the music for “The Last Kiss.”

“Tony was really open to the idea,” says Braff, “so while we were filming, I started making mix CDs for him – five or six in total, just filled with songs – and little by little, as he started cutting the movie, he started placing them here and there.”

The resulting soundtrack, which is produced by Braff, is an eclectic collection of songs from indie pop artists ranging from Coldplay to Imogen Heap to Snow Patrol to Joshua Radin. Nine songs suggested by Braff and chosen by Goldwyn are in the film and several more are on the soundtrack.

One song in particular that spoke to the filmmakers is “Chocolate” by Snow Patrol. “In many ways, it’s the theme of the movie,” says Braff.

For a song that describes the relationship between Michael and Jenna, Braff points to a song not in the film, but on the soundtrack: “Arms of a Woman,” by Amos Lee. “The lyric is, ‘I am at ease in the arms of a woman / but most of my time I spend alone.’ I think that’s a good way to articulate what happens to them because they’re so at ease with each other; they’re a perfect match. When he finds himself alone, lonely, and in pain, he’ll do anything to get her back.”

For one particularly poignant sequence in the film, Goldwyn and Braff chose Imogen Heap’s “Hide & Seek.” “At the end of the sequence, all the characters are saying goodnight to each other,” says Braff. “It’s the end of a chapter in the film. The way the images work with the song is so powerful. It’s sung a capella and synthesized; it’s heartbreaking.”

Joshua Radin – Braff’s close friend – provides two songs for the soundtrack. The first is “Star Mile,” which plays over the end credits of the film. “‘Star Mile’ sets the perfect tone to end the movie,” says Braff. “The movie ends without a whole lot of answers; there’s a lot that’s implied. There’s something about Josh’s song that sums it up.” Radin wrote “Star Mile” specifically for the film. “One of the things that struck me was how similar the themes of ‘The Last Kiss’ are to the themes of ‘Garden State,’” says Radin. “I think the idea that there are no surprises left once you hit 30 is common among guys. No matter how good it is, the grass is always greener – it’s hard to be content with what you have. That’s what the song is about.”

Radin’s other song – and final song on the soundtrack –is “Paperweight,” which the artist performs with Schuyler Fisk. Although not in the film, Braff felt that the song caught the themes of the film. “The song is about the power of love and love finding its way through a lot of nonsense,” says Braff.

“Paperweight is the first song I’ve ever co-written,” says Radin. “All my other songs, I wrote by myself. When Schuyler and I met and started dating, I played her the melody for ‘Paperweight’ – I wasn’t really sure what it was going to be, and I thought it would be a good experiment, to see what it would be like to co-write a song.” “I wrote the lyrics that night,” says Fisk. “I sat there with my headphones on, listening to the melody over and over, and the lyrics just poured out. I was so nervous! It’s been a great experience because Josh and I are so close – this song means a lot to us and it’s fun to play.”

---