Of film composers working today, Bruce Broughton is probably second only to Elmer Bernstein in his output for western films, which given the fact that he has only been composing over the last couple of decades (over which time westerns have become more and more rare), is quite a feat.  Given that, he was a perfect choice to score the 1997 Hallmark tv movie True Women, featuring an early turn from the buxom Angelina Jolie.  His musical style is so well-suited to westerns that there's an argument to be made that he was just born thirty years too late.

Anyhow, True Women is a delightfully beautiful piece of music.  Broughton paints such a vivid, colourful canvas: his main theme is so expressive, a joy to hear.  It's more in the Lonesome Dove vein of western themes than say The Big Country, but there's certainly time for some "big" music.  It first appears in the thunderous "Night Raid", a piece of really thrilling action music.  "Passings and Crossings" is an extended track with much to offer: full of emotion (and not just positive emotion - there's an incredibly range within the piece).  It almost reminds me of something Alex North might have written.  There's a secondary theme with more than a hint of Aaron Copland to it - appearing in joyous fashion towards the end of "Passings and Crossings", before being developed into something slightly dissonant and threatening.  The fluttering woodwind of "Big Elm Draw" adds yet more orchestral colour; another impressive moment.

It seems only yesterday that I wrote that Broughton was the most underused composer in Hollywood (a potential reason being that it was only yesterday), but it really is true.  I doubt that a score as well-developed and appealing as this has been written for a tv movie very often, even by the comparatively high standards of the Hallmark efforts; and it's very rare for Broughton not to impress.  There are countless movies each year that would benefit greatly from his talents - I just wish one of them would seek to employ those talents.  In the meantime, we can enjoy superb music like True Women.

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