Composing Greatness: #9. The Musical or Comedy Scores - "James and the Giant Peach" (1996)

Scene from James and the Giant Peach

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Series Composer: Randy Newman

Entry: James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score (Musical or Comedy)

Did She Win: No

Other Nominees:
-Emma (Rachel Portman)*winner

-The First Wives Club (Marc Shaiman)
-The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz)
-The Preacher's Wife (Hans Zimmer)

Additional Information

This is to help provide perspective of where each composer is in their Oscar-nominated life as it related to the current entry.

Oscar Nomination: 9

Oscar Wins: 0

Track List

1. "Main Title"

2. "Clouds"

3. "Spiker, Sponge, and a Rhino"

4. "My Name is James"

5. "Magic Man"

6. "Giant Peach"

7. "Into the Peach"

8. "James Makes Some Friends"

9. "That's the Life"

10. "The Peach Rolls"

11. "All At Sea/That's the Life (Reprise)"

12. "100 Seagulls and One Shark"

13. "Eating the Peach"

14. "Lullaby"

15. "James' Dream"

16. "Way Off Course"

17. "Family"

18. "The Rhino Attacks"

19. "Empire State Building"

20. "New York City"

21. "Spiker and Sponge Come to America"

22. "A Place Where Dreams Come True"

23. "Good News"

Note: Listen to here

Exploring the Music

The area of the column where I will explore the music in as much detail as I see fit for each entry.

Theme Exploration:

"Main Titles"

In one of the smartest moves that Disney made in the 1990s, they kept Randy Newman around to do some of the most delightful and vivid film scores imaginable. Nobody sounded like him, where the strings and the whirling macabre paved way into whimsy and made something that was immediately enjoyable. It's hard not to love what he does here, what with his quiet eccentric moments alluding to the wild journey that's about to unfold, throwing in various motifs and making something substantial. As far as introductions go, this is one of the more significant kick-offs from this particular series so far. It may not have the same punch as Toy Story, but it comes pretty close.

Interesting Standout:

"James Dream"

Amid one of the more bombastic scores is this quiet moment, playing like a wind-up box. It's comforting in its quiet melody, protective of James from any outside danger. It's antithetical to the energy around him, and it only helps it to stand out more clearly. It's a small moment of relaxation before everything picks up and heads into madness by the end. It's here that we're reminded of James' simple ways, his need to have something grounding him to reality even as he travels to a new land inside of a peach.

Best Moment:

"Giant Peach"

Randy Newman really went out of his way with the opening of this score. Following the revelation that the peach will grow, he slowly starts incorporating dozens of clever ideas into the score. Allusions to later motifs start to crop up as the music grows manic, constantly finding joy in the absurd. This is big, filling the listener with awe as it finds ways to feel innocent and gleeful even as the world is barely being held together. This whole stretch of score is actually impressive and captures what makes Newman an essential composer. It's his sentimentality and goofiness all in one, able to captivate any type of audience.

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
Yes

If I'm being honest, this is the exact type of score that this category was made for. I cannot honestly see it competing in a traditional score category because it sounds too goofy at times. It's a comedic score that has this joy and life in it that is more warranting of a nomination than the typical Disney fare. It's so creative that you can't help but admire it. While it's maybe not Newman's best nomination so far, it's definitely one that stands out for all of the right reasons. Whereas everything else just feels like a category shift, this is one of the few that feels like it wouldn't even be here without a comedy or musical category. While James and the Giant Peach may not always be the best movie, this is an example of the score elevating it into something much more exciting and substantial. 

Up Next: Original Musical or Comedy Score - Hans Zimmer, The Preacher's Wife (1996) 

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by The Best Original Musical or Comedy Score nominees.

1. Randy Newman: "Andy's Birthday" - Toy Story (1995)

2. Marc Shaiman: "Main Titles" - The American President (1995)
3. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz: "Pocahontas" - Pocahontas (1995)

4. Randy Newman: "Main Titles" - James and the Giant Peach (1996)

5. Rachel Portman: "Main Titles" - Emma (1996)

6. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz": "Humiliation" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

7. Marc Shaiman: "Cynthia" - The First Wives Club (1996)

8. John Williams: "Sabrina" - "Track 01" (1995)

9. Thomas Newman: "End Titles"- Unstrung Heroes (1995

Best Winner

A ranking of all themes composed by The Best Original Musical or Comedy Score winners.

1. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz: "Pocahontas" - Pocahontas (1995)

2. Rachel Portman: "Main Titles" - Emma (1996)