The Cure (Original Soundtrack)

by Jason AnkenyDave Grusin's score to the little-seen but poignant coming-of-age tale The Cure proves as subtly affecting as the film itself. The music's gentle strings and playful woodwinds sweetly capture the innocence of childhood without trafficking in schmaltz. Grusin's uncommon flair for evoking particular moments in place and time is put to good use here as he effortlessly captures the pastoral splendor of summertime in the Deep South. More important, he treats the film's subject matter -- a Huckleberry Finn-inspired odyssey in search of a cure for the HIV virus -- with admirable restraint, eschewing heart-tugging treacle in favor of light, organic melodies that celebrate life instead of mourning its loss.