Stuck in the Middle With You

Reservoir Dogs (1992)
 

This Quentin Tarantino film took the Stealers Wheel hit "Stuck in the Middle With You" from relative obscurity to infamy. "Stuck in the Middle With You" is played during a famous torture scene, apparently with the lyrics basically providing the narrative. Read more about this scene and how Quentin Tarantino took this song that Paul Simon once said "was his favorite pop song at the time" and changed it into an anthem of violence and torture.

It is interesting how Gerry Rafferty came to allow this song to be used. The movie company contacted Gerry Rafferty and offered $50,000 for the use of "Stuck in the Middle With You". The film and scene was not described, and the director was unknown. Joe Egan (Gerry's co-author) had a daughter who was ill at the time. Gerry and Joe decided to take the money. The film certainly changed the way the song was perceived forever.... but the good news is that Joe's daughter got better.

Bio-Dome (1996)

This movie includes "Stuck in the Middle With You" on its soundtrack. It doesn't accompany any scene of torture, although any scenes featuring Pauly Shore and Stephen Baldwin come close.

Bean: The Movie (1997)

Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles sings "Stuck in the Middle With You" on the soundtrack.

Baker Street

Good Will Hunting (1997)
 

Here's some additional info dug up by Gerry-fan Matt Andrews (thanks Matt!)...

There's a fight sequence on a basketball court near the beginning of the movie. "Baker Street" is playing in the background, along with the score music by Danny Elfman. The version of the song used on the soundtrack is the single version (not the longer "City To City" album version and not the remix version from Right Down The Line). It's a bummer (a humblebummer, one might say) that they used the single version, but at least it's there. "Baker Street" sounds very out of place on the soundtrack, which is mostly soft, folky songs by Elliott Smith and a couple of Danny Elfman's score movements. Nevertheless, it nicely breaks up the flow of the soundtrack.

I picked up the GOOD WILL HUNTING screenplay by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The screenplay was published as the two originally wrote it, not as it ended up in the final resulting movie. In the fight sequence in the movie, "Baker Street" plays subdued behind Elfman's score; however, in the screenplay, Damon and Affleck originally called for Marvin Gaye's song "Let's Get It On" to be played during the fight sequence. From what I read somewhere on the net, Miramax recently signed agreements with EMI/Capitol, and those agreements entailed that there be some EMI/Capitol songs in Miramax films and on Miramax soundtracks. This, from what I heard, is one of the reasons that "Baker Street" ended up displacing "Let's Get It On."

Get It Right Next Time

Jimmy Hollywood (1994)

Barry Levinson wrote and directed this film, starring Joe Pesci and Christian Slater. One of Gerry's good songs, it's about time this made a soundtrack!

The Way It Always Starts

Local Hero (1983)
 

This film featured music by Mark Knopfler. The soundtrack album has only one song with vocals. It's called "The Way It Always Starts" and features the vocal stylings of Gerry Rafferty. This song does not appear on any Gerry Rafferty album.

In September 2000, U.S. Vice-President Al Gore stated that "Local Hero" was his favorite movie of all time. Who knew? Al Gore is a fan of Gerry Rafferty!

Lot swierkowej gesi (1987)
aka The Flight of the Spruce Goose

This film featured a score by Henry Seroka, John Parr, Gerry Rafferty and Manfred Mann. This Polish film, by director Lech Majewski, starred Karen Black.