I saw Under the Piano recently and I was blown away. The story is so stirring and touching and the acting is unbelievable. Any Megan Follows fan has to see this, she is so incredible- I have a new respect for her after seeing her performance- amazing. All the acting was amazing. Definitly a worth-while film!!
6 Reviews
Musically gifted
Prismark1016 May 2015
Under the Piano is an underwhelming film based on true events. Franny Basilio (Amanda Plummer) has a paralysed arm but is determined to help her musically gifted autistic sister Rosetta (Megan Follows) to maker a life on her own in post war America.
Their mother Regina (Teresa Stratas) a promising opera singer ignores Rosetta's musical talent as she believes it lacks passion and something learnt by rote.
Franny fights with her mother over the upbringing of Rosetta. Of course in the 1930s when the children were little and during the course of the 1950s, autism was regarded very differently and the doctors wish to lobotomise her when she ends up in hospital over an attempted suicide.
The film has a good period setting, some nice acting and production design. The script is a let down. Its almost its by default designed to manipulate your emotions but has no substance. The film suffers that since Rain Man in 1989 there had been a glut of films dealing with autism and when this arrived seven years later there was little of note in the issues raised or in the acting stakes.
Their mother Regina (Teresa Stratas) a promising opera singer ignores Rosetta's musical talent as she believes it lacks passion and something learnt by rote.
Franny fights with her mother over the upbringing of Rosetta. Of course in the 1930s when the children were little and during the course of the 1950s, autism was regarded very differently and the doctors wish to lobotomise her when she ends up in hospital over an attempted suicide.
The film has a good period setting, some nice acting and production design. The script is a let down. Its almost its by default designed to manipulate your emotions but has no substance. The film suffers that since Rain Man in 1989 there had been a glut of films dealing with autism and when this arrived seven years later there was little of note in the issues raised or in the acting stakes.
What a gem!
C-BUG10 May 1999
I was channel surfing when I stumbled onto this little gem. I stopped because I recognized Megan Follows & I stayed. What a wonderful testimony of a sister's love!! It broke my heart at times. If you find this movie...watch it. And people thought Dustin Hoffman was good in RAINMAN! Megan is just as good!
Excellent Film!
Meganfan14 February 2002
This movie is probably one of the best performances Megan Follows has ever given! I really enjoyed the beauty of the film, the music and the characters made up such a large part of what made this film work so well. Megan's performance as Rosetta couldn't have been better and I give this film two thumbs up!
Great Job!
Great Job!
"Bitter mother of an autistic child"
Ilovehandbagsandshoes10 February 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This film was described as "the story of a bitter mother with an autistic child". But actually, what you get is a lot, lot more. It's a very good film indeed and that's why I gave it a 10 score. Of course its shocking and you'll cry like a baby, (I used two Kleenex with no possibility of recycling them in my pocket for tomorrow). I am really glad I watched it alone, too. Sometimes you just want to weep for all the world in private, and this film will make you weep for all autistic children and the people that love them and the people that don't. I am not saying that Rosetta's mother doesn't love her, its just in my view, she loved herself a whole lot more.
I was blown away by the relationship between the sisters. Its terribly sad that this poor girl was lumbered with a mother who was poorly equipped to cope but thank goodness, she had a sister like Amanda Plummer.
I think the closing scenes of this film will stay with me forever. Brilliant performances....I'm gonna try and source the book.
I was blown away by the relationship between the sisters. Its terribly sad that this poor girl was lumbered with a mother who was poorly equipped to cope but thank goodness, she had a sister like Amanda Plummer.
I think the closing scenes of this film will stay with me forever. Brilliant performances....I'm gonna try and source the book.
A powerful message for the "autism mums"
dskywalker06 March 2021
It's a very good depiction of how parents can misunderstand what autism really is; even though the story happened a long time ago, to this day there are parents who see their autistic child as less of a person, without any personality and/or feelings and suffocate them throughout their lives instead of providing support for them to be autonomous beings. I wish every autistic child had a sister like Franny.
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