Shine (1996)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Scott Hicks

Writers:

Jan Sardi (screenplay)
Scott Hicks (story)

Release Date:

20 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

A true story of the mystery of music and the miracle of love

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Piano | Pianist | Abuse | Concert Hall | Child Prodigy

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 38 wins & 34 nominations

Cast

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
Ian Welbourne	...	Boy Next Door
Kelly Bottrill	...	Louise - Baby
Beverley Vaughan	...	Rabbi
Phyllis Burford	...	Synagogue Secretary
Daphne Grey	...	Society Hostess
Edwin Hodgeman	...	Soviet Society Secretary
Googie Withers	...	Katharine Susannah Prichard
Maria Dafnero	...	Sonia
Reis Porter	...	Postman
Stephen Sheehan	...	Roger Woodward - Younger
Brenton Whittle	...	Announcer
Marianna Doherty	...	Suzie - Teenager
Camilla James	...	Louise - Child
John Gielgud	...	Cecil Parkes
David King	...	Viney
Danny Davies	...	Registrar
Helen Dowell	...	Sarah
Louise Dorling	...	Muriel
Sean Carlsen	...	Student
Richard Hansell	...	Ashley
Robert Hands	...	Robert
Marc Warren	...	Ray
Neil Thomson	...	RCOM Conductor
Joey Kennedy	...	Suzie - Adult
Ellen Cressey	...	Nurse
Beverley Dunn	...	Beryl Ascott
Andy Seymour	...	Bar Customer
Lynn Redgrave	...	Gillian
Ella Scott Lynch	...	Jessica
Jethro Heysen-Hicks	...	Rowan
John Martin	...	Roger Woodward - Older
Bill Boyley	...	Celebrant
Teresa La Rocca	...	Opera Singer
Lindsey Day	...	Opera Singer
Grant Doyle	...	Opera Singer
Leah Jennings	...	Musician
Kathy Monaghan	...	Musician
Mark Lawrence	...	Musician
Gordon Coombes	...	Musician
Luke Dollman	...	Musician
Margaret Stone	...	Musician
Tom Carrig	...	Musician
Helen Ayres	...	Musician
Suzi Jarratt	...	Vocalist
Samantha McDonald	...	Vocalist
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sandy Gardiner	...	Restaurant Customer (uncredited)
Peter Osborn	...	Priest (uncredited)
Louise Siversen	...	Extra in Ballroom Scene (uncredited)

Directed by
Scott Hicks

Writing credits
Jan Sardi		(screenplay)
Scott Hicks		(story)

Produced by
Jane Scott	....	producer

Original Music by
David Hirschfelder

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Simpson

Film Editing by
Pip Karmel

Production Design by
Vicki Niehus

Art Direction by
Tony Cronin

Costume Design by
Louise Wakefield

Makeup Department
Sue Black	....	makeup assistant: UK
Liz Dingle	....	additional hair stylist
Liz Dingle	....	additional makeup artist
Pamela Haddock	....	makeup artist: UK
Rick Martin	....	additional hair stylist
Rick Martin	....	additional makeup artist
Fiona Rees-Jones	....	additional hair stylist
Fiona Rees-Jones	....	additional makeup artist
Lesley Vanderwalt	....	makeup artist
Paul Williams	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Peter Hoyland	....	music production manager
Andrew Marshall	....	unit manager
Elizabeth Symes	....	production manager
Sylvia Walker-Wilson	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guy Campbell	....	second assistant director
Toby Coke	....	third assistant director: UK
Carolynne Cunningham	....	first assistant director
Henry Osborne	....	second assistant director
Tom Read	....	third assistant director
Stephen Woolfenden	....	second assistant director: UK

Art Department
Michael Bartlett	....	dressing props: UK (as Mike Bartlett)
Perscia Brokensha	....	art department runner
Louise Cameron	....	art department coordinator
Jacqui Canty	....	art department attachment
Judy Farr	....	property buyer: UK
Judy Farr	....	set dresser: UK
Alastair Gow	....	stand-by carpenter: UK (as Alistair Gow)
Jo Graysmark	....	assistant art director: UK (as Johanna Graysmark)
John Haratzis	....	scenic artist
Kevin Jarrett	....	carpenter
Ben Johnson	....	painter
Peter Looby	....	stand-by prop: UK
Adam McCulloch	....	draftsman
David McHenry	....	art director: UK
Leroy Plummer	....	stand-by props
Paul Purdy	....	property master: UK
John Santucci	....	painter
Andrew Short	....	property buyer
Andrew Short	....	set dresser
Brock Sykes	....	greensman
Arthur Vette	....	construction manager
Alicia Walsh	....	property buyer
Alicia Walsh	....	set dresser
Will Ayres	....	dressing props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Martin Bayley	....	assistant sound editor
Steve Burgess	....	foley artist
Helen Field	....	sound liaison
Jim Greenhorn	....	sound recordist: UK
Toivo Lember	....	sound recordist
Gerard Long	....	foley artist
Scott Piper	....	boom operator
Livia Ruzic	....	dialogue editor
Roger Savage	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joanne Stephens-Smith	....	boom operator: UK
Gareth Vanderhope	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Ray Fowler	....	special effects coordinator

Visual Effects by
Paul Cross	....	optical effects

Stunts
Richard Boué	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Arnold	....	electrician: UK
Scott Brokate	....	assistant grip
Tony Burns	....	generator operator: UK (as Tony Burnes)
Jasmine Yuen Carrucan	....	clapper loader (as Jasmine Carrucan)
John Donoghue	....	gaffer: UK
Sally Eccleston	....	focus puller
Warren Ewen	....	best boy: UK (as Warren Ewan)
David Foreman	....	camera operator: second unit
Sam Garwood	....	Steadicam focus puller: UK
Werner Gerlach	....	best boy
John Goldney	....	key grip (as Jon Goldney)
Renee Hanna	....	video split operator
Richard Anthony Hyde	....	fourth electrician (as Richard Hyde)
Robertto Karas	....	third electrician
Lorraine Luke	....	clapper loader: UK
Alix Mumford	....	camera trainee: UK
Jan Pester	....	Steadicam operator: UK
Craig Philpott	....	assistant camera: second unit
Barry Read	....	grip: UK
Peter Santucci	....	assistant grip
Graeme Shelton	....	gaffer: second unit
Geoffrey Simpson	....	camera operator
Andy Smith	....	second electrician
Mark Tillie	....	still photographer: UK
Lisa Tomasetti	....	still photographer
Trevor Toune	....	gaffer
Philip Le Masurier	....	special photographer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Sharon Howard-Field	....	casting: USA (as Sharon Howard Field)
Jan Killen	....	extras casting
Karen Lindsay-Stewart	....	casting: UK
Liz Mullinar	....	casting: Australia

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Iona Kenrick	....	wardrobe assistant: UK
Marriott Kerr	....	costume assistant
Marriott Kerr	....	cutter
Jeanette Luke	....	costume assistant
Jenny Miles	....	costume supervisor
Nina Parsons	....	stand-by wardrobe
Jenny Ramos	....	costume assistant
Ros Ward	....	wardrobe supervisor: UK
Monica Willis	....	costume assistant
Angela Winters	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Arthur Cambridge	....	color grader: Atlab
Mark Ellis	....	assistant film editor
Sue Nicola	....	cutter
Rohan Wilson	....	negative matcher

Music Department
Michael Costa	....	assistant music editor
Ricky Edwards	....	assistant musical director
Ricky Edwards	....	musician: piano
Sandy Edwards	....	music production assistant
Robin Gray	....	additional music engineer
Kim Green	....	source music clearances
David Helfgott	....	musician: piano
Robert John	....	orchestra leader
Michael Letho	....	music mixing engineer
Stella O'Malley	....	music production assistant
Adam Rhodes	....	additional music engineer
Sam Schwarz	....	music notation editor
David Williams	....	additional music engineer
Christine Woodruff	....	source music clearances
Ricky Edwards	....	conductor (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Jim Atkins	....	driver: UK
Jon Blaikie	....	action vehicle coordinator
Clive Randall	....	driver: UK
Harry Smith	....	unit driver: UK
John Smith	....	unit driver: UK
Paul Thompson	....	driver: UK
Paul Venezia	....	driver: UK

Other crew
Lee Abberley	....	stand-in: Mr. Taylor: UK
Sal Alba	....	Yiddish advisor
Ian Anderson	....	laboratory liaison
Hilary Benson	....	production coordinator: UK
Jenny Bichard	....	unit nurse
Maurice Burns	....	location manager
Julie Byrne	....	second assistant attachment
Lesley Campion	....	cashier: UK
Vladimir Chishkovsky	....	harpsichord technician
Ross Clunes	....	studio technician
Martin Cousin	....	hand double: Noah Taylor
Steve Crook	....	psychiatric advisor
Rikke Dakin	....	assistant location manager: UK
Christina Díaz Norman	....	assistant to producer (as Christina Norman)
Cherry Fiddaman	....	production accountant: UK
Rabbi Figdor	....	advisor: bar mitzvah
Frederic N. Gaines	....	lawyer: USA
Serena Gattuso	....	production coordinator
Debbie Hanson	....	unit assistant (as Deb Hanson)
Yiani Harpas	....	stand-in: Master Rafalowicz
Tina Hennel	....	unit assistant
Kerry Heysen	....	creative consultant
Scott Heysen	....	production runner
Charles Hubbard	....	location manager: UK
Colleen Kennedy	....	accounting assistant
Susanna Lenton	....	continuity: UK
Paul Lightfoot	....	unit assistant
Paul Linkson	....	stand-in: Mr. Mueller-Stahl
John Macgregor	....	story research and development
Tracey Mair	....	publicist: Australia
Steve Marcus	....	caterer
Ronald Markham	....	stand-in: Sir John Gielgud, UK
Chris McGuire	....	production accountant
Susie Menzies	....	production secretary: UK
Josh Moore	....	location assistant
Sara Morris	....	production runner: UK
Heather Muirhead	....	production secretary
Brent Ottley	....	disklavier technician
Melinda Parker	....	catering assistant
Carolyne Pool	....	stand-in: Ms. Redgrave: UK
Paul Sarony	....	production advisor: UK
Leilah Schubert	....	third assistant attachment
Fiona Searson	....	publicist: international
Greg Sitch	....	lawyer: Australia
Sara Abel Smith	....	stand-in: Ms. Redgrave
Peter Spaeth	....	stand-in: Mr. Taylor
Simon Tedeschi	....	hand double: Alex Rafalowicz
Bernadette Van Gyen	....	safety reporter
Jo Weeks	....	continuity

Thanks
Alice Carrard	....	thanks
David Helfgott	....	thanks
Gillian Helfgott	....	thanks
Brian Rosen	....	thanks
Win Warren	....	thanks

Production Companies

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

Distributors

• Ronin Films (1996) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Fine Line Features (1996) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pinema (1996) (Turkey) (all media)
• Buena Vista International (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1997) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• New Line Home Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Roadshow Home Video (1997) (Australia) (VHS)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (1998) (Australia) (video)
• Sky Box Office (1998) (UK) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1999) (UK) (TV) (BBC 1)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2001) (UK) (TV) (BBC 1)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2001) (UK) (TV) (BBC 2)
• Roadshow Entertainment Video (2001) (Australia) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Film Four Distributors (2003) (UK) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2004) (UK) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2006) (UK) (TV) (BBC 4)
• Buena Vista International Spain (Spain)
• Buena Vista International (Argentina)
• Buena Vista International (UK)
• Gativideo (Argentina) (video)
• Vitória Filmes (Portugal)

Other Companies

• AAV Australia  videotape house
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting
• ARRI Media  camera rentals: uk
• Adelphia Studio  music recording
• Allan Eaton Studios  music recording
• Australian Film Commission, The  script developed with assistance from
• Brashs, Adelaide  musical instruments
• Cameraquip Australia  camera equipment
• Colour & Movement Films  developed with assistance from
• Ebony & Ivory  musical instruments
• Esoteric Technologies P/L  astrological software
• Film Finance  completion guarantor
• Film Victoria  developed with assistance from
• Great Scott Productions Pty. Ltd.  developed with assistance from
• HW Wood Australia  insurance
• Manny's Music  musical instruments
• Marshalls & Dent  lawyer: australia
• Mayer, Glassman & Gaines  lawyer: usa
• Morris Angel & Son Ltd.  costume rentals: uk
• NSW Film & TV Office  developed with assistance from
• Optical & Graphics  titles
• Philips Classics  soundtrack published by
• Ray Knight Casting  additional casting: uk
• Roadshow, Coote & Carroll  developed with assistance from
• Robert Smith Agency  extras casting: uk
• Ronin Films  developed with assistance from
• Soundfirm  post-production sound
• South Australian Film Corporation, The  developed and produced with assistance from
• The Royal College of Music Orchestra  group performers
• Traveltoo  travel services
• Wood Hall Catering  caterer: UK
• Yamaha Music  musical instruments

Also Known As:

Flight of the Bumblebee (Australia) (working title)
Helfgott (Australia) (working title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:18 (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 (certificate #34422) | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Belgium:KT | Chile:14 | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 (bw) | Netherlands:AL | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Australian Film Finance Corporation (AFFC)

Trivia:

Based on the life of pianist David Helfgott.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the film, the character shows all signs of schizophrenia; not bipolar disorder (formerly known as "manic-depressive disorder"), as is claimed in the film. Furthermore, David Helfgott, in person, displays many symptoms of schizophrenia and none of bipolar disorder.

Quotes:

[Gillian has come to visit Sylvia. When they arrive home, the house is in a mess and loud music is playing]
Gillian: Is that the water running?
[Sylvia runs to the bathroom to find the shower running and the basin overflowing]
Sylvia: David? Where in God's heaven is he?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: The Wrap Party (#1.6)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Daisy Bell

A Beautiful Mind

SHINE (1996) **** Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor, Alex Rafalowicz, Armin Mueller Stahl, Lynn Redgrave, Sir John Gielgud, Googie Withers. Excellent Oscar nominated bio pic about acclaimed Australian pianist virtuoso David Helfgott (played equally brilliant by Rush {deservingly winning the Oscar as Best Actor} as an adult, Taylor as a young man and Rafalowicz as the child prodigy) who suffered mental anguish thru his art largely due to his overbearing father (Mueller Stahl, Best Supporting Actor nominee, in a demanding yet effective role) that led to his nervous breakdown that nearly destroyed him. Poignant and beautifully directed by newcomer Scott Hicks (Best Director nominee), the film never panders, preaches or offers any simple answers yet does depict mental illness earnestly with devestating clarity. Rush gives a bravura performance that deserves a standing ovation. Best sequence: the lead-in to Helfgott's crash as he attempts the monumental musical challenge, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #3, or notoriously known as "The Rach 3".