Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 2014 film Big Eyes. The album featured 14 tracks two original songs written and performed by Lana Del Rey, musical performances from the cast and instrumental pieces from jazz musicians, while the remainder of the album has been accompanied by the original score composed by Danny Elfman. It was distributed by Interscope Records which released the album on December 23, 2014, two days before the film's release.
| Big Eyes: Music from the Original Motion Picture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.png) | ||||
| Soundtrack album by Danny Elfman and various artists | ||||
| Released | December 23, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2014 | |||
| Studio | Abbey Road, London | |||
| Genre | Film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 53:25 | |||
| Label | Interscope | |||
| Danny Elfman chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editBurton's frequent collaborator Danny Elfman produced music for Big Eyes.[1] At The Hollywood Reporter roundtable conversation of film composers, Elfman recalled that Burton did not want his score to be grand like that of his previous films, as he did not want to explore the fantasy side through the film; hence, he assembled a smaller orchestra for the film score. At times, Elfman analyzed Burton's state of mind where he felt being pensive as an approval enough.[2][3]
The film featured two original songs written and performed by Lana Del Rey—the title track and "I Can Fly".[4][5][6] Larry Karaszewski, one of the film's writers and producers said that Rey liked the film after watching a preview showcased by Burton, opining that "The whole thing is about a woman who can't find her voice [...] Lana's song expresses what Margaret is feeling so perfectly, it's like a soliloquy of her inner thoughts."[7] Initially the title track was intended to be featured in the closing credits, but as the editing team found two scenes without dialogue and Karaszewski, who thought it to be a "centerpiece number" eventually edited the orchestrated piece from Elfman and placed the song there. The song plays as an instrumental in a sequence where Margaret spots her paintings being sold in a supermarket and then turns into a vocal piece with grand instrument showcasing the character's determination to develop a new style of painting.[7] "I Can Fly" is eventually played in the end credits.[5]
The lyrical video of "Big Eyes" and "I Can Fly" were eventually released on December 2, 2014.[8][9][10] Both songs were released in audio formats along with the soundtrack on December 23, 2014 through Interscope Records.[11] The album also featured performances from the cast, as well as instrumental pieces from Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Cal Tjader, Red Garland and the Lively Ones, while Elfman's score accompanied the remainder of it.[11]
Reception
editA review from Filmtracks.com summarized: "Big Eyes is a decent little score, its suite arrangements on the commercial product recommended for all but Elfman completists."[12] Writing for Knoxville News Sentinel, Chuck Campbell summarised "The classic songs could make great music for a cocktail party, the Del Rey tracks reveal a new side to the provocative performer, and the Elfman material is ambient."[13] Justin Chang of Variety admitted that Elfman's "churning" score propelled the film's tonal shifts between comedy and drama.[14] A. O. Scott of The New York Times described it as "hysterical".[15] Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire was much critical of Elfman's music, calling it as "one of his laziest ever, and it never, ever stops".[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Big Eyes" | Lana Del Rey | 4:41 |
| 2. | "Bludan" | Cast of Big Eyes | 3:15 |
| 3. | "Doxy" | Miles Davis & Sonny Rollins | 4:55 |
| 4. | "Hey Now" | The Red Garland Trio | 3:41 |
| 5. | "Tropicville" | Cast of Big Eyes | 3:10 |
| 6. | "Rik-a-Tik" | The Lively Ones | 3:02 |
| 7. | "A Minor Goof" | Cal Tjader | 3:54 |
| 8. | "I Can Fly" | Lana Del Rey | 5:48 |
| 9. | "Opening" | Danny Elfman | 3:59 |
| 10. | "Who's the Artist?" | Elfman | 2:56 |
| 11. | "Margaret" | Elfman | 3:03 |
| 12. | "Walter" | Elfman | 4:49 |
| 13. | "Victory" | Elfman | 4:59 |
| 14. | "End Credits" | Elfman | 1:12 |
| Total length: | 53:25 | ||
Original score
editThe film's original score consisting of 24 tracks was unveiled by The Weinstein Company as a part of their For Your Consideration (FYC) campaign for the 2014–15 film awards season.[17]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Opening" | 4:01 |
| 2. | "Job Opening" | 0:43 |
| 3. | "Humpty Dumpty" | 0:45 |
| 4. | "Walter's Confession" | 1:15 |
| 5. | "Margaret's Apartment" | 2:13 |
| 6. | "The Brochure" | 0:35 |
| 7. | "Money" | 1:22 |
| 8. | "Who's the Artist?" | 0:50 |
| 9. | "On the Town" | 1:05 |
| 10. | "Pre-Confession" | 0:24 |
| 11. | "Almost Caught" | 0:31 |
| 12. | "Keane Fever" | 0:51 |
| 13. | "A Moment" | 0:29 |
| 14. | "DeeAnn's Visit" | 1:21 |
| 15. | "Revelation" | 1:21 |
| 16. | "S. Cenic" | 2:31 |
| 17. | "Jane's Discovery" | 1:41 |
| 18. | "Going Wrong" | 4:50 |
| 19. | "The Witness" | 0:49 |
| 20. | "Margaret Reveals" | 1:52 |
| 21. | "Off to Court" | 0:42 |
| 22. | "Walter Testifies" | 1:05 |
| 23. | "A Challange" | 3:00 |
| 24. | "Victory" | 2:20 |
| Total length: | 36:36 | |
Accolades
edit| Awards | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | January 15, 2015 | Best Song | Lana Del Rey for "Big Eyes" | Nominated | [18] |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 11, 2015 | Best Original Song | Nominated | [19] [20] [21] | |
| Gold Derby Awards | February 19, 2015 | Original Song | Nominated | [22] [23] |
References
edit- ^ Nakhnikian, Elise (December 20, 2014). "Interview: Tim Burton Talks Big Eyes, Margaret Keane, and More". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 28, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Cassidy, Kevin (December 23, 2014). "Trent Reznor, Danny Elfman and Top Composers Reveal Insecurities, Power of Procrastination and the Real Story Behind 'Interstellar's' Controversial Sound Mix". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Hollwedel, Zach (December 24, 2014). "Watch: 49-Minute Composers Talk With Hans Zimmer, Marco Beltrami, Trent Reznor, Danny Elfman & John Powell". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Ryan, Patrick (November 19, 2014). "Lana Del Rey pens two new songs for 'Big Eyes'". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 21, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "Lana Del Rey Reportedly Has Two New Tracks in Tim Burton's 'Big Eyes'". Spin. November 18, 2014. Archived from the original on May 4, 2016. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ Nelson, Jeff (December 3, 2014). "Amy Adams Stars in the Lyric Video for Lana Del Rey's New Song 'Big Eyes'". People. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ a b Willman, Chris (November 18, 2014). "'Big Eyes': The Story Behind Lana Del Rey's Stunning Secret Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Britton, Luke Morgan (December 2, 2014). "Lana Del Rey previews 'Big Eyes' from soundtrack to Tim Burton film of same name". NME. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Payne, Chris (December 3, 2014). "Lana Del Rey Shares 'Big Eyes' & 'I Can Fly' From New Tim Burton Film". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ Zuckerman, Esther (December 1, 2014). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's title song for 'Big Eyes'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- ^ a b "Big Eyes: Music From the Original Motion Picture". iTunes. December 23, 2014. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2015.
- ^ "Big Eyes (Danny Elfman)". Filmtracks.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Campbell, Chuck (January 9, 2015). ""Tuned In" review: New Lana Del Rey songs highlight Big Eyes soundtrack". Knox News. Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Chang, Justin (November 14, 2014). "Film Review: 'Big Eyes'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (December 24, 2014). "An Artist Overlooked in Plain Sight". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (November 14, 2014). "'Big Eyes' Review: Tim Burton's Soulless Oscar Would-Be Stars Amy Adams". IndieWire. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "Big Eyes (Original Score)". twcguilds.com. The Weinstein Company. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
- ^ Hammond, Pete (December 15, 2014). "'Birdman', 'Budapest' And 'Boyhood' Get Key Oscar Boost To Lead Critics' Choice Movie Award Nominations; Jolie Rebounds From Globe Snub". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
- ^ "2015 Golden Globe Nominations". Rotten Tomatoes. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
- ^ "Golden Globes 2015: List of nominations in full as Birdman leads with seven nods". The Independent. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ^ "Golden Globe Awards: Boyhood, The Imitation Game and Birdman lead nominations". The Guardian. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on January 13, 2015. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (February 2, 2015). "Gold Derby Film Awards nominations: 'Birdman,' 'Gone Girl,' 'Guardians of the Galaxy' ..." Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 4, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2015.
- ^ Montgomery, Daniel (February 19, 2015). "Gold Derby Film Awards winners: 'Boyhood' takes top prize, wealth spread to 'Birdman,' 'Gone Girl' and ..." Gold Derby. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 9, 2018. Retrieved February 19, 2015.