Hans Zimmer's elegant score for James L. Brooks ' dramedy Spanglish is an understated gem. Zimmer, the man who matched Ridley Scott 's visual bombast with its audio equivalent on Gladiator, has crafted a quiet, contemplative work that relies on familial tension rather than blood, honor, and warfare. The composer has managed this feat successfully before -- Green Card , As Good As It Gets -- but never this effortlessly. For Spanglish, he's pared down the keyboard-driven crescendos and worldbeat rhythms of the past into a tight marriage of tense strings and flamenco guitar that never rises above conversation level, allowing the characters room to breathe and the listener the chance to hear them.