Shine (1996)

Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.

Director:

Scott Hicks

Writers:

Jan Sardi (screenplay), Scott Hicks (story)

Stars:

Geoffrey Rush, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd

Won 1 Oscar. Another 43 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geoffrey Rush	...	David Helfgott - Adult
Justin Braine	...	Tony
Sonia Todd	...	Sylvia
Chris Haywood	...	Sam
Alex Rafalowicz	...	David Helfgott - Child
Gordon Poole	...	Eisteddfod Presenter
Armin Mueller-Stahl	...	Peter
Nicholas Bell	...	Ben Rosen
Danielle Cox	...	Suzie - Child
Rebecca Gooden	...	Margaret
Marta Kaczmarek	...	Rachel
John Cousins	...	Jim Minogue
Noah Taylor	...	David Helfgott - Adolescent
Paul Linkson	...	State Champion Announcer
Randall Berger	...	Isaac Stern

Storyline

Based on the true story of Australian pianist David Helfgott, this delightful movie charts the traumatic early years through adulthood. Telling the story in flashback we see David as a child prodigy and as he grows up while his patriarchal father abuses him and his siblings with the memory of his childhood in Europe and the loss of his family in the concentration camps. David finally breaks away from his father and goes away to study overseas, he later suffers a breakdown and returns to Australia and a life in an institution. Many years later he is released and through several twists of fate (in reality even more unlikely than film portrays) he starts playing a piano in a bar before finally returning to the concert hall.

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Plot Keywords:

pianist | piano | abuse | concert | concert hall | 

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Taglines:

A father whose life was his family. A son whose music was his life.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for nudity/sensuality and intense thematic elements

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Claroscuro

Filming Locations:

Adelaide Botanic Gardens & Park, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

$5,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£702,400 (UK) (17 January 1997)

Gross:

$35,811,509 (USA) (30 May 1997)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC), Film Victoria, South Australian Feature Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Breakthrough film role of Australian actor Geoffrey Rush.

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Goofs

The length of David Helfgott's cigarette when playing "Flight of the Bumblebee" at Moby's.

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Quotes

David: It's a tough game, isn't it Roger?
Roger: It's a bloodsport.

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Crazy Credits

Himself: hand double for Geoffrey Rush

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Connections

Referenced in Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: First Kiss (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Sospiro"
Composed by Franz Liszt
Performed by David Helfgott

User Reviews

Quite superb...

SHINE is a compelling and touching story about music, talent, performance, pressure, and redemption. Scott Hicks' masterpiece is difficult to summarise in any traditional review or comment because it touches upon so many facets and ranges of human emotion. It is no surprise that this tale, based 'loosely' on the life of pianist David Helfgott (I say loosely because this is by no means a strict documentary, as many liberties are taken with the script) was nominated for the Best Picture and Best Director Oscars, and were it not for THE English PATIENT, would have walked away with the grand prize.

Geoffrey Rush as the adult Helfgott is amazing and his Best Lead Actor victory for his portrayal of this musical genius was well-deserved as the performance was simply breathtaking. A popular complaint is that Rush was only on screen for less than half the run-time of the film and as such should not have really won. The counterargument is such: it is the quality of the performance that counts, not the screen-time. Armin Muller-Stahl is equally impressive and deserved his nomination. My only gripe is that Noah Taylor was not given at least a nod for his portrayal of the younger Helfgott.

The writing, cinematography, and musical score are top-notch and transform this Motion Picture from good to great. 8/10. 3.5 stars (out of 4). Should enter my Top 250 at 206. Highly recommended.