Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Geoffrey Rush | ... | David Helfgott - Adult | |
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Justin Braine | ... | Tony |
Sonia Todd | ... | Sylvia | |
Chris Haywood | ... | Sam | |
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Alex Rafalowicz | ... | David Helfgott - Child |
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Gordon Poole | ... | Eisteddfod Presenter |
Armin Mueller-Stahl | ... | Peter | |
Nicholas Bell | ... | Ben Rosen | |
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Danielle Cox | ... | Suzie - Child |
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Rebecca Gooden | ... | Margaret |
Marta Kaczmarek | ... | Rachel | |
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John Cousins | ... | Jim Minogue |
Noah Taylor | ... | David Helfgott - Adolescent | |
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Paul Linkson | ... | State Champion Announcer |
Randall Berger | ... | Isaac Stern |
As a child piano prodigy, David Helfgott's musical ambitions generate friction with his overbearing father, Peter. When Helfgott travels to London on a musical scholarship, his career as a pianist blossoms. However, the pressures of his newfound fame, coupled with the echoes of his tumultuous childhood, conspire to bring Helfgott's latent schizophrenia boiling to the surface, and he spends years in and out of various mental institutions. Written by Jwelch5742
When I originally saw this film in the mid-90's, I was absolutely devastated throughout the first forty-five minutes. So much so, I was pretty much uncontrollably weeping, much to the chagrin of the friend I went with. Time has softened the film a lot for me, but it still remains a powerful, tender and somewhat inspirational film about a piano prodigy who has led a pretty tragic life. Geoffrey Rush is unbelievable as the piano prodigy David Helfgott, and although the film is kind of sewn up a little quickly with the Vanessa Redgrave subplot (what about Helfgott made her so in love with him in a short period of time as to want to marry him?) it is a very well done film that I highly recommend to just about anyone, but especially musicians and music lovers.
--Shelly