Million Dollar Baby (soundtrack)

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Million Dollar Baby (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Million Dollar Baby (soundtrack).jpg
Film score by
ReleasedMarch 1, 2005
Recorded2004
Studio Eastwood Scoring Stage, Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, California
Genre Film score
Length62:22
Label Varèse Sarabande
Producer Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood chronology
Mystic River
(2003)
Million Dollar Baby
(2004)
Flags of Our Fathers
(2006)

Million Dollar Baby (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the film score to the 2004 film Million Dollar Baby directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the lead role alongside Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman. Besides acting, directing and producing, Eastwood also composed the film score. It was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony and conducted by Lennie Niehaus. Varèse Sarabande released the score album on March 1, 2005.

Contents

Background

Clint Eastwood composed the film score, in his sophomore film composition stint after Mystic River (2003). [1] The score was conducted by Lennie Niehaus, who had composed for most of Eastwood's films and is performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. [2] The album was not issued during the film's release, until Varèse Sarabande distributed the soundtrack CDs on March 1, 2005, two days after the 77th Academy Awards, where the film received four awards including Best Picture. [3] According to Cate Doty, the album "could not benefit from an immediate sales increase driven by the film's nomination for best picture." [3]

Critical reception

Calling the score "quietly affecting as the film", AllMusic noted it to be "gentle and unobtrusive, but deeply cut with melancholy and despair" and noted on how Eastwood's work resembled John Carpenter, on not letting the visuals overwhelmed by the music. [4] Rafael Ruiz of Soundtrack.net , responded negatively as it noted the gradual decline of quality in Eastwood's music, noting the lack of development in the themes he composed. [5] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote "Eastwood himself has provided a score notable for spare simplicity." [6] Paul Clinton of CNN wrote "The score—simple and unadorned—mirrors both the script and the direction." [7] Christopher Orr of The Atlantic called it a "haunting, minimalist piano score". [8]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Blue Morgan" (Opening Titles)0:40
2."It's Nice Viewing"0:57
3."Boxing Baby"2:25
4."Boxing Montage"2:44
5."Pick Up Money"0:57
6."Nice Working with You"1:37
7."The Letters"1:20
8."Blue Diner"3:35
9."Deep in Thought"1:53
10."Driving"1:38
11."Blue Bear"0:43
12."Frankie Horrified"1:07
13."They're Amateurs"1:16
14."May Have to Lose It"1:08
15."Maggie's Plea"2:56
16."Frankie's Dillema"1:09
17."Frankie's Decision"1:09
18."Lethal Dose"1:57
19."Frankie's Office"1:05
20."Blue Morgan" (End Credits)4:29
Total length:34:45

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes: [9]

Accolades

AwardsDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Golden Globe Awards January 16, 2005 Best Original Score Clint Eastwood Nominated [10]
[11]
[12]
Grammy Awards February 8, 2006 Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media Nominated [13]
[14]
San Diego Film Critics Society December 21, 2004 Best ScoreWon [15]

References

  1. Couric, Katie (January 14, 2005). "Clint Eastwood on 'Million Dollar Baby': 'It's a love story'". Today . Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  2. Burlingame, Jon (June 1, 2020). "Lennie Niehaus, Jazz Player and Composer for Clint Eastwood Films, Dies at 90". Variety . Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Doty, Cote (March 7, 2005). "MOST WANTED: DRILLING DOWN/MOVIE SOUNDTRACKS; We Love Him So (Published 2005)". The New York Times . Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  4. Christopher Monger, James. "Review: Million Dollar Baby [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic . Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  5. Ruiz, Rafael (May 6, 2005). "Review: Million Dollar Baby". Soundtrack.net . Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  6. McCarthy, Todd (December 5, 2004). "Million Dollar Baby". Variety . Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  7. Clinton, Paul (December 15, 2004). "Review: 'Million Dollar Baby' a rich experience". CNN . Archived from the original on April 20, 2005. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  8. Orr, Christopher (July 12, 2005). "The Movie Review: 'Million Dollar Baby'". The Atlantic . Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
  9. Clint Eastwood. Million Dollar Baby (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Varèse Sarabande.
  10. Snyder, Gabriel (December 13, 2004). "Globes noms all about booze and Hughes". Variety . Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  11. "Aviator soars in Golden Globe nominations". The Guardian . December 13, 2004. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  12. "2004 Golden Globe Awards nominees". USA Today . December 13, 2004. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2018.
  13. "The Complete List of Grammy Nominations". The New York Times . December 8, 2005. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  14. "2005 Grammy Award Winners". Grammy.com . Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved May 1, 2011.
  15. "In brief: Verily, Leigh's triumphs continue". The Guardian . December 22, 2004. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2015.