David Grusin is a composer, producer, pianist, and arranger who is famous for writing the music scores for film and television. He was born on June 26, 1934, in Littleton, Colorado. He is best-known for writing music in the contemporary, jazz, and jazz fusion genres. He studied music at the University of Colorado. In 1962, he produced his first single, ‘Subways Are for Sleeping’. His first film score was for the movie ‘Divorce American Style’ in 1967. He has established a successful career as a composer and has written the music for many major films. Here are five of the best Dave Grusin film music scores of his career.
1. The Fabulous Baker Boys
The music score for ‘The Fabulous Baker Boys’ won a Grammy Award for the Best Album Original Score Written for Motion Picture or Television. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score. ‘The Fabulous Baker Brothers’ was a romantic comedy-drama musical that was released in 1989. It was written and directed by Steve Kloves. The movie is about two brothers who are trying to make a living as jazz pianists in Seattle and then take on a female lead singer. The film stars real-life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges and Michelle Pfeiffer.
2. On Golden Pond
For this film, David Grusin was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Original Score. ‘On Golden Pond’ is a 1981 drama film that was written by Ernest Thompson and directed by Mark Rydell. It starred Katherine Hepburn Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman, and William Lantneau. It was a critical and commercial success as it received excellent reviews and grossed $119.3 million on a budget of $15 million.
3. The Milagro Beanfield War
Grusin won an Academy Award for Best Original Score and a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement on an Instrumental for this movie. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award. This 1981 comedy-drama film was directed by Robert Redford and written by David S. Ward and John Nichols. It features an ensemble cast that included Richard Bradford, Ruben Blazes, Julie Carmen, Sonia Braga, Melanie Griffith, and James Gammon, amongst others.
4. Havana
The musical score for this movie was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. ‘Havana’ is a 1990 drama film that was directed by Sydney Pollock and written by Judith Rascoe and David Rayfiel. It is about a professional gambler who goes to Havan to gamble on the eve of the Cuban Revolution. It starred Robert Redford, Lena Olin, and Alan Arkin.
5. The Firm
The music score for the 1993 legal thriller film ‘The Firm’ was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Original Score. The movie was directed by Sydney Pollock and written by David Rabe, David Rayfiel, and Robert Towne. It is based on a novel of the same name by John Grisham. It starred Tom Cruise, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Gene Hackman, and Ed Harris.
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