Shine
- Director: Scott Hicks
- Writer: Jan Sardi; Scott Hicks
- Producer: Jane Scott
CGiii Comment
There's a poofy piano teacher, a poofy restaurateur, another poofy piano teacher and a drag queen...
And then, there's Rush's Oscar-winning performance...quite exceptional.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
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.
Cast & Characters
Geoffrey Rush as David Helfgott - Adult;
Justin Braine as Tony;
Sonia Todd as Sylvia;
Chris Haywood as Sam;
Alex Rafalowicz as David Helfgott - Child;
Gordon Poole as Eisteddfod Presenter;
Armin Mueller-Stahl as Peter;
Nicholas Bell as Ben Rosen;
Danielle Cox as Suzie - Child;
Rebecca Gooden as Margaret