After meeting in elementary school, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel became one of the bestselling musical artists of the 1960s under the name Simon & Garfunkel. The duo has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and have won a grand total of 10 Grammy Awards. Bridge Over Troubled Water, their fifth and final studio album, is one of the top-selling records ever produced.
The music of Simon & Garfunkel has been licensed by a handful of filmmakers to use in their movies. In addition to the obvious examples, like The Graduate, Simon & Garfunkel’s songs have been used in all kinds of contexts on the big screen.
“The Sound Of Silence” In Watchmen
Perhaps the most memorable music moment in Zack Snyder’s stylish film adaptation of Watchmen is the use of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’” over the opening credits.
But the electric version of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” also appears in the movie. It plays as a coffin draped in a flag is carried through a cemetery in the pouring rain.
“Mrs. Robinson” In Forrest Gump
Robert Zemeckis’ Forrest Gump has a heck of a soundtrack. From Elvis Presley to Aretha Franklin to the Beach Boys to Jimi Hendrix, a ton of iconic artists’ work appears in this movie.
In a pairing of scene and song that shouldn’t work but somehow does, “Mrs. Robinson” plays on the soundtrack as Forrest shows Lyndon Johnson the wound on his butt.
“Old Friends” In Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
In the second act of Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Ron is blinded and decides to live in solitude in a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere. When his son comes to see him, they rescue a wounded dolphin, name it Doby, and eventually release it back into the ocean.
At the end of the movie, when Ron thinks he sees Doby in the ocean, he runs after him, set to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Old Friends.” And then he’s viciously attacked by a shark.
“America” In Almost Famous
Simon & Garfunkel’s “America” is one of the many, many, many revered hits that Cameron Crowe licensed for Almost Famous, his tale of a teenager who lands a lucrative job writing for Rolling Stone magazine and following a rock band on the road.
Alongside “America,” The Who’s “Sparks,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” the Beach Boys’ “Feel Flows,” and Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” all appear on the Almost Famous soundtrack.
“Homeward Bound” In Wild
Based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of the same name, Wild tells the story of an inexperienced hiker’s attempt to undergo a challenging trek in the hopes of discovering herself along the way.
Reese Witherspoon starred as Strayed, whose backstory is filled in with flashbacks along the way. In one of those flashbacks, as Strayed discusses authors with her mother, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” plays on the soundtrack.
“Scarborough Fair / Canticle” In Lost In Translation
Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation is arguably the director’s masterpiece. Set in Japan, it stars Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray as two lost souls who find comfort with each other.
During a scene in the hotel bar, a woman can be heard singing the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Scarborough Fair / Canticle,” which was also featured on the soundtrack of The Graduate.
“Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard” In The Royal Tenenbaums
Although it’s technically a Paul Simon solo effort, “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” is used in one of The Royal Tenenbaums’ most memorable scenes.
Royal has become concerned about his safety-conscious son Chas’ overprotective parenting, and takes his grandsons Ari and Uzi out for a day of reckless fun in which they watch dog fights, shoplift, ride on the side of garbage trucks, throw water balloons at cars, and run into a busy street on a red light.
“Mrs. Robinson” In Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
“Mrs. Robinson” plays on the radio of middle-aged Cliff Booth’s car in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as he watches a twentysomething Manson Family member played by Margaret Qualley cross the street.
Quentin Tarantino gender-flipped the song’s original context from The Graduate — an older woman seduces a younger man — to suit Cliff’s characterization.
“Baby Driver” In Baby Driver
Given that the movie was named after it, Simon & Garfunkel’s “Baby Driver” was guaranteed to appear on the soundtrack of Edgar Wright’s action-packed iPod musical Baby Driver.
While its slower melody wouldn’t fit in with the hard rock tracks that play over the movie’s action scenes, it was perfect for the end credits following the hopeful final montage.
“The Sound Of Silence” In The Graduate
There are a handful of Simon & Garfunkel songs in Mike Nichols’ coming-of-age masterpiece The Graduate, but the best-used one is “The Sound of Silence,” which plays over the final scene.
Benjamin liberates Elaine from her wedding and they run away and jump on a bus together. Then, the camera lingers on them as they quietly contemplate their future. Nichols brilliantly subverted the Hollywood “happily ever after” ending with this scene.