Composing Greatness: #6. Thomas Newman - "Finding Nemo" (2003)

Scene from Finding Nemo

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: Thomas Newman

Entry: Finding Nemo (2003)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score 

Did He Win: No

Other Nominees:
-The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Howard Shore)*winner
-Big Fish (Danny Elfman)
-Cold Mountain (Gabriel Yared)
-House of Sand and Fog (James Horner)

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: 6

Oscar Wins: 0

Track List

1. "Wow"
2. "Barracuda"
3. "Nemo Egg"
4. "First Day"
5. "Field Trip"
6. "Mr. Ray, The Scientist"
7. "The Divers"
8. "Lost"
9. "Short Term Dory"
10. "Why Trust a Shark"
11. "Friends Not Food"
12. "Fish-O-Rama"
13. "Gill"
14. "Mt. Wannahockaloogie"
15. "Foolproof"
16. "Squishy"
17. "Jellyfish Forest"
18. "Stay Awake"
19. "School of Fish"
20. "Filter Attempt"
21. "The Turtle Lopoe"
22. "Curl Away My Son"
23. "News Travels"
24. "Little Clownfish from the Reef"
25. "Darla Offramp"
26. "Lost in Fog"
27. "Scum Angel"
28. "Haiku"
29. "Time to Let Go"
30. "Pelicans"
31. "Drill"
32. "Fish In My Hair"
33. "All Drains Lead to the Ocean"
34. "P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way"
35. "Fishing Grounds"
36. "Swim Down"
37. "Finding Nemo"
38. "Fronds Like These"

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:

"Wow"

This may be the most apt way of describing what Thomas Newman has achieved with this score, which is not only another career best for him, but one of the best Pixar scores that I have heard. What could've been a novelty score full of oceanic compositions turns into one of his most creative ventures yet, managing to sound like a wet forest where a lot of mystery hides behind every note. The way that horns echo throughout gives this score a power to it. In a lot of ways, this is an ambitious mix of instruments that capture all forms of emotion, calling every style of composing possible, including the likes of Bernard Herrmann and John Williams as well as more subdued styles that don't get credit. What's amazing is how nuanced and secretive about the instrumental expansion to come this particular track is. It's still a great opening and deserving of every letter of its title.

Interesting Standout:

"Filter Attempt"

There's two functions of the soundtrack: slow and fast. The faster tracks are arguably less exciting than the quiet, melodic gems that surround this soundtrack. That isn't to say that these tracks are lacking. In fact, their recollection of the dreaded horror of Herrmann's work with Alfred Hitchcock blends with Lalo Schifrin's tense percussion and thuds of sound that drip along, waiting for the fear to finally set in. Everything about this track reflects the manic shifts between calm and fear necessary, and it also does so while maintaining a powerful intensity that never loses its power. It's tracks like these that prove why Thomas Newman remains one of the most essential composers so far of the 21st century. He can do it all, and often within a few minutes, better than a lot of composers can. 

Best Moment:

"Short Term Dory"

It makes sense that the introduction to one of Pixar's most iconic characters (she got a sequel, after all) would be this fun. It's a moment in the soundtrack that streams with personality and Thomas Newman's ability to ebb and flow between melodies. As fun as the music is, its pauses are just as key to the track's success. It captures something unnerving about the scene, managing to convey a personality that the listener easily attaches to. It may be a bit more sporadic than other tracks, but the instrumentation works to capture something powerful in such a memorable moment.

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
Yes

It's difficult to make the argument that it should've won, but this is once again evidence that Thomas Newman is one of the greatest 21st century film composers out there. Here, he manages to make every (and I mean every) instrument under the sun fit into the scheme of a new ocean soundtrack. It's the type of soundtrack that rewards a full listen, making for a meditative experience full of jolts of scares as well as tearful moments. This is what music should sound like in a film, and I'm sure more hardcore music fans will get a kick out of the different compositions that play throughout this score. There's so many standout moments that this piece could've been four times as long. This is such an incredible achievement of score, especially for a mainstream family film that could've relied on hokey rhythms. This elevates the family film in more ways than one. 

Up Next: A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004) for Best Original Score

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by Thomas Newman.
1. "Dead Already" - American Beauty (1999)
2. "Wow" - Finding Nemo (2003)
3. "Orchard House" - Little Women (1994)
4. "Rock Island, 1931" - Road to Perdition (2002)
5. "Shawshank Prison (Stoic Theme)" - The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
6. "End Titles" - Unstrung Heroes (1995)