With over 10 million in global album sales, over a billion global track streams, five platinum albums in the UK, six Brit Award nominations, and a Grammy nom, Gary Lightbody has achieved heady heights of musical success with his band Snow Patrol.
Now, Gary is back with a new song that's featured in the emotional movie “Gifted” (starring Chris Evans) that many are saying could be an Oscar contender for Best Original Song.
Gary spoke to “Extra’s” senior music correspondent Adam Weissler about “This is How You Walk On,” co-written with Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid.
I love this song, and didn't realise these two are from Snow Patrol!
"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” —Eckhart Tolle
2017 was a great year for film, and a tremendous one for genre films in particular. As you can probably tell from the composition of our writers' top films of the year list, there was no shortage of interesting, unique or just plain great films tailored to genre fans of all stripes in the last twelve months.
Jordan Peele's Get Out and Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk are the major mainstream hits that have a look-in for a Best Picture nomination at this year's Oscars, but even if either of those wins the big prize, neither will see their casts rewarded. Short of Heath Ledger winning Best Supporting Actor in 2008, it's much more difficult to get recognition outside of the more awards-y movies.
For example, Hugh Jackman (who almost always pops up somewhere on this list) is ultimately less likely to pick up acting nominations for Logan than he is for his turn as P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, despite the rave reviews for the former. So, at this time of year, we also like to point out the unsung performances of the last year.
Chris Evans, Gifted
This is a really witty and warm film that was overlooked in part due to its tonally jumbled trailers. [Edit: This is a UK film site so it's reference to it's UK B.O.] Chris Evans plays Frank, the uncle of a gifted and talented child (the adorable Mckenna Grace) who gets into a custody battle with his mother when the matter of her education is on the line. An admirer calls Frank “the sad, tortured hot guy”, but his foursquare performance transcends the unlikely characterisation of a college professor turned boat repairman.
Evans' only MCU duty on screen this year was in a series of hilarious Captain America PSAs scattered through Spider-Man: Homecoming, and in his year off he took this spirited family drama on his shoulders. It's not just an enjoyable diversion from type – he could easily make a career out of this kind of role once his comic book movie days are finally done.
Highlight: Frank's rapport with young Mary is the highlight of the film, and his determination to do what he believes is the right thing travels well from Steve Rogers to this earnest family drama.
I have looked for that song since the movie came out. I had no idea it was an original. Beautiful. Thank you for posting that.
I have been too, but today I found it on Spotify. Search under Snow Patrol and it's there!
"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” —Eckhart Tolle
42 Directors Pick Their Favorite Movies of 2017, Including Denis Villeneuve, Guillermo del Toro, and More
Films by del Toro, Luca Guadagnino, Sean Baker, Edgar Wright and Villeneuve are on most top tens, but who made their lists? From Almodovar to Zobel, 42 top directors write about what they loved in 2017.
Paul Feig
As happened last year, I once again am way behind on all the movies that came out this year and there’s just so much I’ve heard is great that I haven’t seen yet. But since the great Indiewire has once again kindly asked me to weigh in on my favorite ten movies of 2017, here’s this year’s very incomplete but extremely sincere list of my favorite things I’ve watched over the past twelve months:
[excerpt]
“Gifted”: I loved this movie for so many reasons. The story was wonderful and touching and Chris Evans turned in such a strong, nuanced performance. But it was young McKenna Grace as the lead actress that took this film to another level. I haven’t heard any Oscar buzz on her and it’s a true shame because she’s one of the most talented actors I’ve seen on the big screen in a long time. This is a lovely little film and Marc Webb did a great job directing it. If you want to watch something life affirming and leave all the cynicism of the current world behind, check this one out.
Chris Evans: ‘If I let myself open up, tears are never too far away’ He’s best known for saving the world as Captain America. But will tearjerker ‘Gifted’ prove there’s more to him than Spandex?
Chris Evans is Captain America, Marvel’s ass-kicking patriotic superhero clad in red, white, and blue. But today he’s more up for talking about his emotions than indestructible shields. When we meet he’s fresh from recording a ‘fucking adorable’ Bedtime Story for CBeebies, which has left him feeling ‘choked up’: ‘If I let myself open up, tears are never too far away.’
We’re in a central London hotel room to chat about his latest movie, which is a complete departure from punching aliens. In ‘Gifted’, from ‘(500) Days of Summer’ director Marc Webb, Evans plays Frank, a guy embroiled in a bitter custody battle with his mother over his mathematics genius niece Mary (Mckenna Grace).
Your new film ‘Gifted’ is leaving audiences a bit wobbly. Do you like weepies? ‘Yes! This is the kind of movie I would go and see. When I read it I got a little misty-eyed. I have a very big, colourful family who are complex at times. With friends you can always say “fuck off”, but with family you have to make it work. The stakes are higher.’
You play a different kind of superhero – a regular guy trying to do the right thing, raising his niece the best way he can. How was that? ‘Captain America is so selfless and noble. Frank is a little bit more of a gorilla, not quite as lucid with his emotions. He doesn’t really know how to process things. He bottles up his feelings and buries them. That’s very much not like me. I’m an open guy so it’s fun to play the opposite.’
Your co-star Mckenna Grace was nine years old when you shot ‘Gifted’. Did you want to make films when you were her age? ‘I think I was a shit actor all the way until… I still may be! I certainly did not have the emotional maturity to navigate complex performances when I was that age. I wanted to be an artist. I was really into painting, drawing and animation. I wanted to work for Disney.’
‘Emotion gets the best of me sometimes’
How would you have coped with fame at a young age? ‘I probably wouldn’t have handled it well. I struggle with it even now. It’s a tough business.’
You’ve talked openly about anxiety. Do you think it’s important that men in the public eye talk about their mental health? ‘I guess it’s important. To be honest, I talked about it for a more selfish reason. I don’t know how not to be candid, how not to say exactly what I’m feeling. I’m glad it helps, but I can’t pretend to be noble and say I did it for other people.’
What keeps you sane? I heard you’re big into meditating. And you’re a fan of the spirituality book ‘The Power of Now’. ‘That is everything. Consciously and proactively taking time to still your mind and be present is the best armour I can possibly think of. It’s important to carve out part of your day, every day, to truly unplug.’
You tweet about planned parenthood, LGBT rights and Trump’s plans for taxes. Do you feel like you have a responsibility to use your status as a celebrity for good? ‘Twitter is a beautiful platform; you can shine a light on things that you think deserve attention. Right now everything is highly politicised. Sometimes it feels like you’re fighting evil but that’s the stuff you have to be careful of. Everyone is so angry, you have to not lose your own credibility by letting emotion dictate how you express yourself. I don’t always do it. Emotion gets the best of me sometimes.’
‘There will be some tears when I have to hang up the suit’
Do you think your tweets make a difference? ‘My mother is a hippie, I grew up in Boston in a very liberal household and Hollywood is a very liberal place. I can’t say that I’m always interacting with Trump supporters – I don’t know that many – but I try my best to understand where they are coming from. We have to allow for differences of opinion and compromise.’
You’re reaching the end of your contract with Marvel. Are you looking forward to ditching the tights? ‘There are two sides to that coin. It’s exciting to not have any sort of professional obligation, but it has been a wonderful sense of job security. I’m sure there will be some tears when I have to hang up the suit. [Playing Captain America] has been the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.’
Last question. Are you used to having your face on lunchboxes and pyjama sets? ‘Oh yeah. It was weird at first but now it’s old hat. My mother has all of it. Her attic has turned into a museum of Captain America memorabilia.'
‘Gifted’ is in UK cinemas June 16.
"The movie came to life every time you were on the screen." Stan Lee to Chris Evans.
Somebody on Twitter sent me this and asked if it was true. My answer is that it's the first I've heard of it and I doubt if it's true. Does anybody know anything about it? Let me know, even if it's just to say you've never heard it either. Thanks.
Somebody on Twitter sent me this and asked if it was true. My answer is that it's the first I've heard of it and I doubt if it's true. Does anybody know anything about it? Let me know, even if it's just to say you've never heard it either. Thanks.
"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” —Eckhart Tolle
Do you mean you couldn't see the picture? I've changed the link to something else so hopefully you can see it now.
Yes I couldn't see it.
And, from what I know that was the truth. He did want to direct it. I don't know how far it got with the discussions for him to take the helm though.
"When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world.” —Eckhart Tolle
