The Competition (1980)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Joel Oliansky

Writers:

Joel Oliansky (story) and
William Sackheim (story) ...

Release Date:

3 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Music

Tagline:

They broke the cardinal rule of the competition...they fell in love.

Plot:

The movie centers on a piano competition whose winner is assured of success. It is Paul's last chance to compete...

Plot Keywords:

Piano | Competitive Edge | Cold War | Beethoven | Anger

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Paul Dietrich
Amy Irving	...	Heidi Joan Schoonover
Lee Remick	...	Greta Vandemann
Sam Wanamaker	...	Andrew Erskine
Joseph Cali	...	Jerry DiSalvo
Ty Henderson	...	Michael Humphries
Vicki Kriegler	...	Tatjana Baronova
Adam Stern	...	Mark Landau
Philip Sterling	...	Mr. Dietrich
Gloria Stroock	...	Mrs. Dietrich
Bea Silvern	...	Madame Gorshev
James Sikking	...	Brudenell (as James B. Sikking)
Delia Salvi	...	Mrs. DiSalvo
Jimmy Sturtevant	...	Vinnie DiSalvo
Kathy Talbot	...	Denise DiSalvo

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When the film was released, the press releases promoted the fact that this was one of the rare times when the audience actually got to see the actors playing the keys of the piano. Most films that dealt with scenes or plots where characters play the piano would be shot from behind or in front of the piano so their hands were not visible. The actors for The Competition rehearsed so that they could actually mimic the hand movements of a pianist.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The piano fingering is often out of sync with the music, especially during Heidi's performance of Prokofiev's 3rd.

Quotes:

Greta Vandemann: [to Andrew Erskine] Andrew! It costs extra to carve "schmuck" on a tombstone, but you would definitely be worth the expense!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Competition (#6.17)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Sonata for Piano

For Great Music Lovers

I must admit this was a great musical thrill as well as a pretty good love story between the competition, a very skinny Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving, who were trained competently for difficult hand movements while classical pianists did a good job. In the story she was trained for perfection by her teacher, Lee Remick. Such a wonderful actress she was!! What a pleasure it was to see her again, as well as listen to such fine classical music. Amy wins the prize for playing a very difficult piece of Prokiev; and, alas, a warm love story between the competitors. I highly recommend this to all classical music lovers; even though I don't know that much about them. I loved it, give it 8/10