Best Original Song - 1996

"You Must Love Me" from Evita sung by Madonna
Movie Synopsis: The hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.


Does it appear in the movie (i.e. other than the end credits)? Yes.
Is it important to the plot? It shows Evita's health fading.
Is it pleasing to the ear? B+.

"I Finally Found Someone" from The Mirror Has Two Faces sung by Barbra Streisand and Bryan Adams


Movie Synopsis: Two Columbia professors enter a sex free marriage but the woman grows unhappy with this and makes herself over.



Does it appear in the movie (i.e. other than the opening/end credits)? No...opening credits.
Is it important to the plot? Establishing mood, I guess?
Is it pleasing to the ear? C.

"For the First Time" from One Fine Day sung Kenny Loggins


Movie Synopsis: Two single parents forget their childrens' field trip and end up falling in love.


Does it appear in the movie (i.e. other than the opening/end credits)? N/A.
Is it important to the plot? N/A.
Is it pleasing to the ear? C.

"That Thing You Do" from That Thing You Do! sung by The Wonders


Movie Synopsis: A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager.


Does it appear in the movie (i.e. other than the end credits)? Many times!
Is it important to the plot? Yes, it's the song that propels the band to stardom.
Is it pleasing to the ear? A.

"Because You Loved Me" from Up Close and Personal sung by Celine Dion


Movie Synopsis: A small-town family man gets into trouble whenever he drinks too much.


Does it appear in the movie (i.e. other than the opening/end credits)? Maybe. Jackie Gleason is credited as singing it, so it could be sung within the movie.
Is it important to the plot? I don't know.
Is it pleasing to the ear? B+.

So what won?

"You Must Love Me" from Evita

What would I have voted for?

"That Thing You Do!" from That Thing You Do!

If we're going off of shear importance, this one definitely takes the cake. I wonder how many times this song was played in this movie. It's a plot point. It's what a Best Original Song should be.

Analysis

So, we have our first (?) greedy Oscar bait song from a musical to take the top prize. It's not a bad song by any means, but it's also not the most deserving. It's also the year of cheesy love songs. "That Thing You Do" is the only up beat one.