This acclaimed film paints a wrenching portrait of the life of Australian piano virtuoso David Helfgott and his struggles with his war-traumatized, demanding father; mental illness and asylum incarceration; and his obsession with the virtually unplayable Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 ("Rach 3"). Academy Award Nominations: 7, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor--Armin Mueller-Stahl. Academy Awards: Best Actor--Geoffrey Rush.

Released theatrically in New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto, November 22, 1996.

DVD features:

Region 1 encoding
Filmographies/notes/scene access/trailer
Q&A with director Scott Hicks
Geoffrey Rush's Golden Globe acceptance speech

Geoffrey Rush: Australian Actor, QUILLS (2000)
Armin Mueller-Stahl: German actor, working in USA
Lynn Redgrave: British Actress, GEORGY GIRL (1966)
John Gielgud: British Actor/Author, ARTHUR (1981)
Noah Taylor: Australian Actor/"Flirting"
Alex Rafalowicz: 

Scott Hicks: Writer/Director

Jane Scott: 

Scott Hicks: Writer/Director
Jan Sardi: 

David Hirschfelder: Music Director

Pip Karmel: 

"...Scrappy, sexy, touching and fun....SHINE is also utterly extraordinary....Rank it with the best movies of the year..."
"...A strong, emotional narrative....Rush is quite remarkable....SHINE is mature, intelligent filmmaking..."
"...[Rush] handles the challenge superbly....SHINE is transformed into popular filmmaking at its smartest and most persuasive..."
"...The fact that David Helfgott lived the outlines of these events -- that he triumphed, that he fell, that he came slowly back -- adds an enormous weight of meaning to the film..."
"...Strong performances....A powerful piece of work..." -- Rating: B+