One of the more interesting bands to break out in the 90s alt-rock scene was The Goo Goo Dolls. Originating in the late 80s punk underground, the group eventually switched gears to a grunge-rock style after Nirvana’s smash hit Smells Like Teen Spirit. They enjoyed mainstream success with the 1995 ballad Name, a stark departure for the band with a more radio-friendly sound. Just when the Goo Goo Dolls seemed destined for one-hit wonder status, they cannily started producing tracks for several big hit films like Twister and Batman & Robin. Yet it was the supernatural romance City of Angels, starring Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, where the band scored arguably their biggest hit, Iris.
Released in 1998, City of Angels chronicles the love affair between an Angel, played by Cage, and Ryan’s ER doctor as he decides to leave his immortal life behind and become human. The film was a solid box office success, with a soundtrack that featured several hit singles like Alanis Morissette’s Uninvited and the weepy ballad Angel from Sarah McLachlan. But it was the Goo Goo Dolls Iris that enjoyed the biggest success and became the signature song of the romantic movie.
Iris not only appeared on the City of Angels soundtrack but was also the lead single from the band’s 1998 LP Dizzy Up the Girl. This became a breakthrough album for the Dolls, completing their genesis into a mainstream rock outfit with a string of hit songs. Iris is still the standout track, as the lyrics complement the 1998 film. The song was penned by Dolls frontman John Rzeznik, writing from the point of view of Nicolas Cage’s Angelic character, struggling to decide between his spiritual existence or mortality to be with his true love. It’s a beautiful power ballad highlighting the film’s central theme, which is readily apparent in the music video that received heavy airplay on MTV.
Since Iris had a dual release on the film’s soundtrack and the Goo Goo Dolls album, two versions of the music video were commissioned. Both were directed by Nancy Bardawil, who was popular in the 1990’s helming videos for the likes of Stevie Nicks, Motley Crue, and Hole. The original version promoting the movie features lead singer Rzeznik sitting in a tower above the L.A. skyline, observing humanity living below. As he peers into a telescope, images of the film appear, mainly focusing on the romance between Cage and Ryan.
The second version removed the film’s images and replaced them with stock shots of Rezeznik and the band playing in various L.A. locales. While the revised video was meant to highlight the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 album release, I still prefer the movie incarnation. The original, beautifully lensed with a rustic gloss, highlights the bittersweet lyrics written specifically for Cage’s spiritual observer. Without the movie scenes giving context, the video becomes a mess of edited images with the handsome Rzeznik and his bandmates lip-synching to the song.
Check out the (film version) of the video below and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Great song. Had forgotten its movie backstory. I also didn’t know there were two versions of the video, but I have to agree from seeing the film I prefer the movie one as well, Chad. The Goo Goo Dolls are one of my faves from that period of time.
I remember enjoying the “City of Angels” movie in 1998, although it’s a sad love story. I think this was a case of the film’s soundtrack outshining the movie. I became a big fan of the Goo Goo Dolls after this song.