Eddie writesTop 5 Great Uses of David Bowie Songs in 21st Century Movies

by Eddie Sayago

David Bowie resonated with a lot of people from all walks of life. The soundtrack to my life includes plenty of songs that have been included in the soundtrack of countless of movies. Here are five of them, all films released after 2000.

R.I.P. David Bowie, 1947-2016.

1. "Heroes" used in The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Teenagers, especially those struggling with depression, sexuality, and high school (or all three at once), were able to look at his music and his life and see that it was okay to be different. Some people say that his music saved their lives. Terri Hemmert once said that a song that take you right back to a certain moment in your life like it just occurred yesterday. When Sam found “Heroes” she needed to take a drive down that tunnel outside their small town and stand on top of the truck, so she could have her moment with this song. For a few minutes, the uncertainly of adolescence and the fear of the unknown just washed away. For the rest of their lives, Charlie, Patrick, and Sam's moment with "Heroes" will consist of driving down that tunnel, finding temporary (and hopefully a permanent) escape from their small town.

2. "Modern Love" used in Frances Ha (2013)

Frances (Greta Grewig) is a professional dancer in New York who is entering the next chapter in her life, so it makes perfect sense for a dancing in the street scene to appear in Noah Baumbach’s beautifully-photographed black and white film. There are plenty of Bowie tracks to insert here ("Dancing in the Street" and "Let's Dance" are way too obviously choices and may have been included if this was a Hollywood movie.) “Modern Love” works very well, especially when you take a look at the lyrics. “But I try/I try…Time terrifies me, Time makes me party."

3. "Space Oddity" used in Mr. Deeds (2002)

In this remake of the Frank Capra classic, Adam Sandler is the newly minted billionaire who struggles with his new-found fame and fortune. In this hidden gem of a scene, Mr. Deeds and the pilot sing along to “Space Oddity.” The best surprise is when veteran character actor Erick Avari joins in, belting in out elegantly like an opera singer.

4. "Starman" used in The Martian (2015)

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In this hiliarious Golden Globe winning “comedy,” Matt Damon is Mark Watley, an astronaut stranded on Mars. He is determined to stay alive and uses his wit and background as a botanist to "science the s--t" out of the red planet. “Starman” is playing during a montage where both NASA and Watley are both planning their return to Earth. “There’s a starman waiting in the sky/He’s like to come and meet us/But he thinks he’d blow our minds."

5. "Cat People" used in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Say what you will about Quentin Tarantino, but you cannot deny that he has a knack for selecting the right song for a scene. In this montage, Shoshanna (Melanie Laurent in a breakthrough performance) prepares for battle as she transforms from a quiet movie theatre owner to a stone-cold assassin, shooting an anti-Nazi film for the world premiere of the Nazis’ Nation’s Pride at her theatre. “Feel my blood enraged…see these eyes so red."

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