The sound of 2 songs doesn't fit the movie - get different performers!

Rating: 4/10 (20 October 2009)

The words of the songs are perfect, but the sound is all wrong. The strident "music" of "This Land Is Your Land" over the opening photo montage and credits is totally against the mood and gave me a headache. If I hadn't been at a screening with a friend, that music might well have driven me out of the theater. The voice of the person singing "Be Yourself" (first song over the end titles) is harsh and annoying and jangles the nerves.
I thought the movie was excellent - stridency of tone in some scenes there was appropriate. I found the 3 main characters very believable, and the overlapping layers of the film very satisfactory.
The sound of the music over the opening and end titles jars the audience – and I see no reason that it should. The closing song, "Up in the Air," calmed my nerves somewhat, but I'm still irritated by the sound of those songs – it ruined the movie experience for me.
I would have given the movie a 9 if it weren't for the way those 2 songs sounded.