My Favorite Scores: Mouse Hunt (Alan Silvestri)

I can't say it enough, kids: I love film music. The sounds, the melodies, the emotions it arouses. I've had an interest in film music for just over three decades and, in that time, I've come across a number of scores that I've no qualms about calling my favorites.

When it comes to film music, tracking the label’s soundtrack announcements can come to feel like watching a horse race: where you want to feel happy for the lucky saps that hit big, but your horse comes in last, assuming it comes in at all. However, one relatively recent release made me feel that I was not only watching the Kentucky Derby, but that I won the damn race myself. 

Two estranged brothers - restaurateur Ernie (Nathan Lane) and dreamer Lars (Lee Evans) - are reunited by the death of their father Rudolf Smuntz (William Hickey, in his last film role) and while his string factory is a relic of the past, the house that was also part of the inheritance could be worth a fortune, provided that it’s fixed up…and heavily fumigated. 

1997’s Mouse Hunt was a minor hit for then-fledgling studio Dreamworks. This may have owed to the fact that it was sold as a family movie. Though rich in the kind of violent slapstick that became de rigueur in the genre since the runaway success of Home Alone, the film is closer on the scale to ‘a Coen brothers movie that Laurel and Hardy somehow stumbled into’. (Lane even performs Ollie’s distinctive tie twiddle while flirting with two women.)  

The feature directing debut of commercial veteran Gore Verbinski, working from a script by Adam Rifkin, Mouse Hunt made for a fascinating capper of a diverse year for composer Alan Silvestri.  Somewhat suggestive of his Stalling-esque masterwork Who Framed Roger Rabbit, albeit with a darker edge, Silvestri’s score is built on three principal melodies with a wealth of secondary ideas flitting in and out as the narrative requires. 

(I am a huge fan of score and film, so expect a ton of words about both. You have been warned.) 

The album starts with “Funeral Prologue”. Pipe organ and brooding horns ably reflect the stormy weather as Ernie and Lars carry Rudolf’s coffin out of the church, but an argument about Lars’s outfit leads to the coffin getting away from them and fast-fingered organ following Rudolf’s corpse jack-knifing into an open manhole. In the “Main Title”, burbling woodwinds underline the open sewer transitioning to the hole in a spool, the brass building as parts of the film’s title are brought together by different strands. The mouse’s playful theme is heard for the first time on bassoons accented by chimes. The action shifts to the factory, the bouncy music contrasting with the grim surroundings and the trudging, elderly workers. The theme slows down ominously as a loose ball of yarn holds up the line. A brief wistful string passage accompanies the reading of the will in the office, and as the cue ends in sprightly figures, Ernie gets a good look at the ensuing chaos. He has no problem selling the place off, but Lars reminds him that their father wanted them to run the factory together. The executor (Eric Christmas) catalogs the various items bequeathed to them, among them, a box of cigars and an old mansion, the latter underscored by a grim, distended melody that follows the first five notes of the mouse’s theme, holding on the fifth and adding a sixth as a sort of exclamation point (“Also, A House”) Affecting a French accent, Ernie welcomes the mayor and his family to “Chez Ernie”, an exuberant big-band melody accompanying his greeting. As the “Lobster Bibliotheque” is served, Silvestri introduces Chez Ernie’s theme, a long-lined motif, but retains the big-band stylings. A brief cut to the kitchen hints at the grimness theme as a cockroach scurries out of the cigar box. (This cue - titled “Walking Crouton” on the album and joined with the next cue, “Love the Almonds” - appears in the film between the two above cues.) Quivering strings underscore the twin daughters' discovery of half a cockroach, with nervous brass as their father vomits up the other half. The shock undoes Hizzoner’s triple-bypass and the restaurateur's approbation; Chez Ernie is no more. The closeup of Ernie is treated with muted trumpet notes, a very minor idea for his failure. Not long after, Lars is met by a pair of representatives from ZeppCo who hope to retrofit the factory. Their offer of a consultant position compels Lars to fish out a pen to sign up, only to instead pull out his father’s string. A violin solo backed by klezmer introduces a flashback, as well as the memories theme as Rudolf bequeaths the string to Lars, hoping that his “Dying Wish” to keep the business in the family will be honored. Citing his father’s axiom (“A world without string is chaos.”), Lars rejects the offer. As a result, Lars finds himself tossed “Out on the Street” by his money-hungry wife April (Vicki Lewis, at a full 180 from flighty secretary Beth on “NewsRadio”), a doleful string and chime take on the memories theme his only companion. The brothers find themselves “Together Again”, lamenting their (down)turns of fortune to the memories theme on clarinet with string backing. Neither has a place to stay…at least until “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” comes in on strings, reminding them of their surprise bounty. Arriving at their new “Home Sweet Dump”, tweeting flutes show a small, furry occupant spying its new housemates. The grimness motif plays as Ernie and Lars inspect the property. More playful music follows as they find a single bed and their decision to flip a quarter for it results in the coin landing on its side. “Meet the Mouse” (comprised of three short tracks) starts with pitter-patter strings as the boys emerge from bed to investigate strange noises, only to be assaulted by moths and ghostly shadows, which are accompanied by orchestral outbursts and ever-more-worried snatches of the mouse’s theme. The 1:32 mark introduces the brothers’ comic saxophone melody as they discover the rodent…and blueprints detailing that the house is the work of renowned architect “Charles Lyle LaRue”. This subsequent discovery turns the A-section of the memories theme into a beautiful waltz; maybe, their luck is turning around. Among the looky-loos inspecting the house is eccentric house collector Alexander "Falko" (Maury Chaykin), who is treated to a minor, Judge Dredd-like horn-and-string fanfare. The idea of an auction for the house is bandied about by Ernie, with swaying winds accompanying Falko's offer to go as high as "Ten Million Dollars". (In the film, the two cues are followed by a Silvestri arrangement of "We're in the Money" as Ernie and Lars dream about the things such an amount can buy, but, sadly, a rights issue precluded its inclusion on the Deluxe Edition.)
The mouse’s theme returns as the creature scampers “All Thru the House” overhearing their conversation. Ernie goes about “Setting the Trap” with an olive to abbreviated takes on the rodent’s melody and with a “Clang!” and a busy bassoon, the mouse is taken care of…or so one would think. The next morning, Lars finds the trap empty and the olive pit left behind. Ernie mocks Lars’s assumption that this was done deliberately, proclaiming with undeserved confidence that ‘I don’t think we’ll be seeing any more of that “Mouse(!)”’ as it plops into his cereal bowl. The themes of the mouse and the brothers fight for supremacy as each tries to gain the upper hand in this chase. The boys try again with a mouse trap, this time baiting it with a piece of cheese, little realizing that the mouse is making off with the entire “Cheese Wheel”. The mouse’s theme on tuba gives way to a folksy rendition of the Chez Ernie motif with whistler, guitar and accordion underscoring the boys’ failed home improvement. The mouse, meanwhile, looks to sleep off its feast and its theme accompanies its journey to bed. As the rodent settles in, the memories theme on piano rocks it to sleep spiced with Hawaiian accents. However, the mouse gets a rude awakening to chattering xylophones as the payload from Lars’s “Nail Gun” fires into the wall, the cue bouncing between the mouse’s theme and the brothers’ theme. The mouse finds itself trapped by the nails, strings bearing down. One of the nails comes up short and before Lars can hammer it in, Ernie calls him outside, offering a musical reprieve. Ernie and Lars haul a Jacuzzi (their last $1200) up the stairs and the sight of the mouse through a bottle sends the boys and their “Hot Tubbogan” down the stairs and out the door, sleigh bells giving their theme a Christmassy feel.

As Ernie sets up in the kitchen a “Mousetrap Minefield”, a wafting string and wind melody plays that is quintessentially Silvestrian. The descending registers of the cue hint at the unfortunate revelation that the door is locked, trapping he and Lars inside. “Cherry Catapult/Cherry Spin” begins with the mouse’s theme as the creature maneuvers around the devices with Mickey- mousing for some of its more acrobatic moves. Finally, it stops at a bowl of cherries, a snare drum playing as it launches a cherry from a spoon. The fruit spins about, its stem triggering one, then all of the traps to a raucous outburst of brass and organ. After removing some of the traps, Ernie and Lars chase the mouse to a hole with a vacuum cleaner. Swirling strings accompany the mouse’s theme as it holds on for dear life. However, the mouse connects the vacuum to a sewer pipe, the music building to a “Shit Explosion”. At the "City Pound", all quietly rumbling tympani and sinister strings, the boys are met by worker Maury (played in a canny bit of casting by Ernie Sabella, Pumbaa to Lane's Timon in The Lion King), who points them in the direction of the aptly-named Catzilla. Wavering flute and horn blasts blare forth as the monstrous feline makes its way around the house while stuck in its shipping crate. "Catzilla Emerges" to an Ifukube-esque fanfare, giving way to the mouse's theme for their chase. Catzilla pursues the mouse into a piano ("Ebony and Ivory"), their antics appropriately accompanied with Scott Bradleyesque figures. At the factory, Lars tries to inure the workers to having their paychecks deferred for the house’s restoration to a nervous waltzing melody of chimes, strings and woodwinds. Meanwhile, “Ernie Finds (the) Contract” from ZeppCo in the office to the grimness motif and not even the suddenly withering gaze of his father’s portrait can stop the gears from turning in Ernie’s head. The cue slowly but surely turns militaristic as the boys are forced to retreat from the upset (and violent) employees. Meanwhile, the mouse tripping Catzilla up with mouse traps is treated to another racing variant of the mouse’s theme (“Cat Trap”). Catzilla pursues the mouse into a dumb waiter. However, the mouse chews through the rope, sending the cat plummeting with a wry flourish. Threatening brass figures greet the sight of the giant roach atop Caesar's van ("Roach Mobile"). Descending horns and snare mark the arrival of Caesar (Christopher Walken, strolling away with the film in his all-too-brief screen time), the gangly exterminator leaving Ernie and Lars in awe of his analytic prowess...and unnerved by his eccentricity. As the man notes that 'to a mouse, "You'(a)re the Intruder"', the militaristic idea from "Ernie Finds (the) Contract" returns as he leaves Lars to scab amongst the striking workers, whose resemblance to the angry villagers in Frankenstein was clearly not lost on Lane, given his ad-lib: "Light a match! They're frightened by fire!". Sadly, Lars is not quite equal to the task, the “Loose Thread(s)” of his outfit ending up caught in the machinery to a mischievous rendition of the brothers’ melody. “Caesar Searches” for the creature, scampering figures following the mouse. “Evidence Found” in the dining room, he notes on his tape recorder that the mouse has a slight “Calcium Deficiency”. Caesar’s soldier-like motif returns followed by curious-sounding winds for this impromptu meal. While waiting for the ZeppCo bosses, Ernie sits on a bench, opposite two women - Belgian hair models Ingrid and Hilde. Their mutual attraction plays without words, Silvestri’s piquant melody of vibes, accordion and violin carrying the “Silent Movie” scene. However, Ernie’s amorous mood - and business meeting - is cut short by an approaching bus. “Lars au Naturel” finds him gathering the yarn balls that were his outfit off of the line and retreating to his office, the brothers theme in a nervous string variation. There, a scantily-clad April - having been made aware of the auction - waits for him, slinky sax finishing the melody off. (The surprised-sounding final notes underline a great gag that I dare not spoil.) Caesar sends a camera under the floor, strings and flute hanging in the air. Unfortunately, the picture cuts out. Silvestri’s backing of the mouse’s theme reveals the innards of the house, the camera having made its way deep inside. Caesar reconnects two loose wires, revealing that the camera is now outside…and the mouse retracts the winch apparatus connecting the man to the truck. “Caesar’s Big Drag” ensues, Caesar (and the poor stuntman doubling Walken) getting pulled through the house - the mouse’s theme given a frantic treatment - but not before leaving behind a flea bomb. With a flute trill, the mouse performs a “Face Walk” on Caesar, leaving him a snack for the road. The boys return home from Ernie’s hospital stay, having spied “Caesar’s Truck” on the way. The grimness motif sounds as a raving Caesar is loaded into an ambulance, an officer noting that the exterminator was locked in a trunk in the attic, much like LaRue. The house in shambles, grim chords follow the boys into the kitchen. There, they find a sandwich and bassoons burble as it moves on its own (“Sandwich to Go”). Once again, the mouse gets away, its theme hot on its tail. Ernie follows it up the chimney, only to get stuck (“Ernie Settles In”). The 1:34 mark introduces a nine-note string melody for the boys believing themselves on the verge of triumph. Lars, meanwhile, trades his faulty flashlight for a helpfully placed book of matches. Unfortunately, the mouse has undone the fireplace’s gas main. The ensuing explosion results in a big feeling of “Ouch!” for the both of them: Lars is blown into a cupboard, which then lands on his fingers, while Ernie is launched into the air and plummets into the ice lake, greeted by the jacuzzi and the muted trumpet of “Love the Almonds”. “Shotgun Chase” finds Ernie grabbing a rifle off the wall to a grim, determined march rendition of the brothers theme; he’s had all he can stand. Lars tries to stay his anger, only to yell for him to “Shoot!” when the mouse hurries by. Swirling strings follow the mouse using an empty can as a shield. Ernie seems to nail it, only for the mouse to disappear down a hole...the same one that housed Caesar’s flea bomb (“Floor Collapse”). As the boys stew in the freshly blown hole, quivering strings hang in the air for the answering machine message from ZeppCo, revealing the “Brotherly Betrayal”. The men finally have it out, the scene left unscored. The orchestra returns as they each declare to the other that “I Hate You”. Lars’ orange toss at Ernie ends up knocking the curious mouse unconscious. However, the men can’t bring themselves to kill the rodent, so they ship him to Cuba. Silvestri whips up a lovely combination of samba and lounge music for the restoration (with April’s financial help) of the mansion, only for the package to be returned due to “Insufficient Postage”. The night of the auction, a descending flute and quavering strings alert Lars that the package has been marked “Return to Sender”. Ernie’s speech to the audience is interrupted by the “Mouse on (the) Podium”, which he tries to nail with the gavel to scampering bassoon and string sustain before it eats Rudolf’s prized string. As the bidding gets underway in “There He Is!”, pitter-patter strings and tinkling piano follow the boys’ pursuit of the mouse, which soon jumps down Hilde’s cleavage. Lars’s attempted retrieval draws a less than favorable reaction from April, but (at least, for a moment), he is successful. As another patron's cigarette ash causes Hilde’s fancy hair to catch fire (“Flaming Doo”), the mouse’s theme is given a rowdy brass rendition following the chaos. The hose that Lars brings in gives Ernie an idea: drown the rodent. Bouncing low brass and twitching string figures sound as the bids for the house get higher. The mouse’s theme in ever more agitated snatches - punctuated by the triumph motif - dominates the cue as he escapes to safety. Unfortunately, the hose is on at full strength, the “Water Pressure” building to cascading brass waves as the patrons are flooded out the front door. The BS motif from “Ernie Finds (the) Contract” returns as he tries to stop the departing guests, the collapse behind him directly contradicting his claim that “this house will last forever!”. As the boys stand among the “LaRue Ruins” and find Rudolf’s string seemingly floating down from Heaven, the B-section of the memories theme plays on clarinet. The A-section on strings and celeste soon after reminds the boys that, in spite of all they’ve lost - money, homes, dignity - they still have each other. A slow, loungey version of the brothers theme plays as they embark on a “Sad Drive”...unaware of the mouse hanging onto the car’s undercarriage or the brass chords accompanying him. Ernie and Lars return to the one thing they have left - the factory - and fall asleep in the office. Suddenly, a bustling version of the mouse’s theme appears as the machinery starts up seemingly of its own accord. The boys wake up as a hunk of Swiss is processed, ending the line as a literal ball of “String Cheese”. The memories theme tentatively plays on celeste as they sample the product. An abbreviated version of the mouse’s melody leads to a warmer version of the memories theme on strings as the factory takes on a brighter character. The mouse’s theme returns on winds as Ernie runs new flavors by their taste-testing partner. The memories theme finishes things off, a smile on the face of Rudolf’s portrait and his string on a plaque. The “End Credits” cycle through Silvestri’s principal melodies, starting with the mouse's theme at a somewhat slower tempo than in the "Main Title". The brothers' melody appears next, garnished with the sleigh bells of "Hot Tubbogan". Piano leads into the memories theme, with strings taking over the B-section and winds bringing the A-section back. This is followed by the mewing string motif of "Meet the Mouse" before allowing the mouse's theme to have the last word. Alan Silvestri's Mouse Hunt is one of his finest achievements and any fan of his work owes it to themselves to pick up Varese Sarabande's Deluxe Edition, a long-in-coming, but very welcome release. Availability: Still widely available at Varese Sarabande's website. Varese Sarabande VCL 0723 1236 (2023) Track Listing: 1. Funeral Prologue (1:19) 2. Main Title (2:44) 3. Also, A House (0:41) 4. Chez Ernie (0:38) 5. Lobster Bibliotheque (0:37) 6. Walking Crouton/Love the Almonds (1:05) 7. Dying Wish (1:46) 8. Out on the Street (0:37) 9. Together Again (1:24) 10. I'll Be Home for Christmas (0:42) 11. Home Sweet Dump (1:27) 12. Meet the Mouse (2:21) 13. Charles Lyle LaRue (0:47) 14. Falko/Ten Million Dollars (0:31) 15. All Thru the House/Setting the Trap/Clang! (1:31) 16. Mouse (0:55) 17. Cheese Wheel (2:06) 18. Nail Gun (1:12) 19. Hot Tubbogan (0:53) 20. Mousetrap Minefield (1:13) 21. Cherry Catapult/Cherry Spin (2:09) 22. Shit Explosion (1:37) 23. City Pound/Catzilla (1:42) 24. Catzilla Emerges/Ebony and Ivory (0:56) 25. Ernie Finds Contract (1:47) 26. Cat Trap/Roach Mobile (1:39) 27. You're the Intruder (0:47) 28. Loose Thread (0:56) 29. Caesar Searches/Evidence Found/Calcium Deficiency (0:44) 30. Silent Movie (1:12) 31. Lars Au Natural/Caesar's Big Drag (2:30) 32. Face Walk/Caesar's Truck (1:02) 33. Sandwich to Go/Ernie Settles In/Ouch! (2:49) 34. Shotgun Chase (1:29) 35. Floor Collapse/Hate That Mouse (0:40) 36. Brotherly Betrayal/I Hate You (0:39) 37. Insufficient Postage (1:20) 38. Return to Sender/Mouse on Podium (0:32) 39. There He Is! (1:28) 40. Flaming Doo (1:48) 41. Water Pressure (2:42) 42. LaRue Ruins/Sad Drive/Factory Brothers (2:07) 43. String Cheese (2:17) 44. End Credits (5:41)