Tom Petty regarded the 1996 soundtrack album *She’s the One* as a low point because he was pressured to write and assemble it to a deadline, rather than allowing songs to develop naturally. Coming soon after the acclaimed *Wildflowers*, and during the breakdown of his marriage, the project left him feeling creatively strained and disappointed in his own performance.

The studio expected Petty to create a cohesive soundtrack in the tradition of *The Graduate*, but writing for a film required him to account for its characters, scenes and release schedule. He later said he was “completely off my game”, as the album combined new recordings, covers and unused *Wildflowers* material; nevertheless, songs including ‘Walls’, ‘California’ and ‘Hung Up and Overdue’ demonstrated that the Heartbreakers’ musical strength remained intact.