Rating: R
Genre:
Drama
Theatrical Release: 12/30/1998(USA),
Release Date: 11/05/2002
SubTitles: French
Dubbed: English
Sound: DD5.1/DD2
Run Time: 121 Minutes
Flags: Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations
Distributor/Studio: Universal Studios
Perhaps inspired by the success of
biopics like
Shine and
Amadeus, this film based on a true story -- and a book (entitled
A Genius in the Family) -- also focuses on the destructive forces of being a musical genius.
Hilary and
Jacqueline du Pré are gifted sisters who grow up in England in the 1950s and compete for musical accolades and love.
Hilary (
Rachel Griffiths) is a talented flutist, but it's her younger sister,
Jackie (
Breaking the Waves'
Emily Watson), who is the musical "genius" cellist. The film follows their sibling rivalry in musical competition and romance. Though extremely close as children, it is younger sister
Jackie who eventually becomes the international star, marrying top pianist and conductor
Daniel Barenboim.
Hilary marries her true love,
Kiffer Finzi (
David Morrissey), and settles in a beautiful country home with her two children. But who is jealous of whom?
Hilary receives an unexpected visit from
Jackie, asking her sister for a chance to live a normal life and to sleep with
Kiffer. Later,
Jackie suffers from multiple sclerosis, and the sisters strive to repair the emotional damage of their long-standing rivalry.
~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
;)
