Thomas? Newman Breaks Down His "Proud," Petrifying Path Composing Famed Film Scores
Over an Hourlong Chat, the Prolific Composer — and 15-Time Oscar Nominee — Shared with the Hollywood Reporter His Favorite Memories of Crafting Each Score...
Over an hourlong chat, the prolific composer — and 15-time Oscar nominee — shared with The Hollywood Reporter his favorite memories of crafting each score, including four with Sam Mendes.
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'The Shawshank Redemption'
I was double nominated that year with Little Women [directed by Gillian Armstrong]. It was so unexpected. Very dreamy. Shawshank was the first time I worked with [DP] Roger Deakins. It was like, "Wow, this looks great." There are moments where you just take for granted what's put in front of you. Shawshank always looked so beautiful. We've gotten to know each other better by virtue of proximity with Jarhead, Skyfall, Wall-E [on which Roger Deakins worked as a visual consultant]. [Director] Frank Darabont showed me a three-hour version of Shawshank early on without a stitch of music in it, and it was riveting. The question was: How could I not make this a worse movie, with no less character and personality? We often start that way.
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'Little Women'
Little Women was the first time I went to London to record at Abbey Road with the London Symphony Orchestra. It was slightly intimidating, having not spent much time on a podium, period, so getting in front of that group was crazy. I did read Little Women, but decades ago. There is something Christmasy about that movie, with the snow and New England. I don't think I specifically thought of Christmas — maybe insofar as trumpets and bells and some baroque brass writing, which can put you in a Christmasy place, with the metals and hand bells and song bells. So I take it back. I was thinking a little bit of Christmas because it imbued me with that feeling.
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James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
