The driving force for the film s family ties is music; rock, classical, and other styles meet head on in a melding of genres that help take the film to the next level. The film is more than meets the eye, showing how something outside of us can have an impact on our lives. In this case, watch how music can prove to be the unifying force to drive us forward.

This soundtrack takes the featured songs and succesfully parts them from the film, providing an experience that is satisfying, although not quite as filling as the movie. August Rush is not a musical in the strictest of definitions, although it has a bit of that feeling. The musical feeling of the film becomes even more apparent when listening to the soundtrack.

When I think of a musical, films like Chicago and Singing in the Rain come to mind; films where the story has a good portion told through the characters singing. There are also films that I have seen described as musicals but aren t true musicals despite the inclusion of a lot of music. This type of film includes such recent entries as Ray and Walk the Line , neither of which is a musical. Period. Then there is something like August Rush .

It s story is not told through song, nor is it a bio-pic about some musical star. It falls somewhere in between the two extremes. The story is not told through song and it is not there to demonstrate the musician s pure skill (well, maybe a little bit). The music in this movie is the driving force and is what ties this separated family together. Without it, the story would be flat, lifeless, and the movie could not exist. It is more than just a score to help cue your emotions.