The music in Mona Lisa Smile is thematically in harmony with the movie, according to soundtrack producer Trevor Horn. Like the early 50s period in which the film is set, the music maintains the traditions of 30s and 40s pop tunes, but also demonstrates the first stirrings of "the modern era," according to Horn, in the days just before popular music was about to be taken over by rock ‘n roll.

For instance, the song "Secret Love," a ballad made popular by Doris Day (and sung on the soundtrack by Mandy Moore), starts out as a demure admission of a hidden crush that leads to the singer shouting about her romance from "the highest hill" and ends up with her secret love being "no secret anymore."

Similarly, "Bewitched," (sung by Celine Dion) "works on so many levels," says Horn. "It's about a woman who is confused because she's physically turned on. She'd never considered a sexual relationship before, but now she's definitely ready for action."

The same goes for "I'm Beginning to See the Light" (sung by Kelly Rowland), another tune about sexual awakening, says Horn. Other period tunes such as "Besame Mucho" (sung by Chris Isaak) and the coy "Santa Baby" (sung by Macy Gray) are even more provocative.

Rather than use recordings from the era, the filmmakers decided to use contemporary artists, which is again in keeping with the tone of Mona Lisa Smile, says Horn. "The film takes place in the 50s, so if it was done just as it would have been then, it would be in black and white. But this is a look at the period from the distance of 50 years later, and using today's singers fits perfectly within that perspective."

There was also a freshness to the new renditions, like Barbra Streisand's interpretation of "Smile"(produced by Streisand), Lisa Stansfield's "I've Got the World on a String," and Alison Kraus' plaintive version of "What'll I Do," that re-imagined the material giving the singers a chance to bring their own interpretation to the period tunes. Whereas Eartha Kitt's original recording of "Santa Baby," is sly and kittenish, Horn points out, which was right for the 50s, Gray's updating is more forthright and direct.

"By using singers from this generation, it brings the songs to life in a way that using the originals would not," Horn continues. "I know it sounds like an odd thing to say, but these songs liked being sung again. And it was a challenge to the people who sang them, so outside of the norm of what they normally do, that they really enjoyed singing them. At times it was hard to get them to stop, they were having such a good time."