The Piano 1993

     The setting of this film is the mid-nineteenth century and it begins in Scotland.  Ada cannot talk and she has a young daughter Flora.  She is in an arranged marriage with Stewart.  They are moving to the rugged forests of New Zealand’s North Island.  Ada manages to convince Steward to bring along her beloved piano.  It’s her only voice!!  Everything seems to change with Ada and also with her marriage after the move.  Stewart leaves her precious piano on the beach and then he sells it to neighbor George.  Ada learns that she could earn back her piano by giving George lessons.  In the beginning, Ada despises George but that begins to change over time.

     This is one of my all time favorite movies!!  I also think that Jane Campion is a very good director and I like her other projects.  There is so much feeling in this film!!  People can live together but still be shut off from each other.  They can be lonely and afraid but help can come from an unexpected place or person.  Holly Hunter does the narration but she has very few lines in the film.  Anna Paquin is the youngest actor and she probably has more lines than anyone else.  5* (I really loved this movie)

121 min, Drama directed by Jane Campion with Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin, Kerry Walker, Genevieve Lemon, Tungia Baker, Ian Mune, Peter Dennett, Te Whatanui Skipwith, Pete Smith, Bruce Allpress, Cliff Curtis, Carla Rupuha, Mahina Tunui.

 

Note:  Imdb 7.6 out of 10, Roger Ebert 4*, The Guardian 5* Peter Bradshaw, Metacritic 89 out of 100 with 20 critics 8.1 out of 10 with 98 reviews, The Irish Times 5* Tara Brady, ReelViews.net 3*, Amazon 4.3* out of 5* with 676 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Henderson, Auckland; Piha Waitakere, Auckland Region; Karekare Beach, Karekare, Waitakere, Auckland Region, New Zealand.  Hunter learned how to play the piano to prepare for this film.  She won fourteen awards of the fifteen nominations she received for her role in this movie.  Flora’s name is never mentioned throughout the entire film?  Five thousand other girls sent in audition videotapes for the role of Flora.  This the film debut of Paquin and she won at Oscar at the age of nine years old.  She was not allowed to watch the film until she was eleven years old.  Jane Campion was the first woman to win the prestigious Palme d/Or at Cannes for this film.  She was pregnant and unable to receive the award herself.  She was also the first woman to be Oscar nominated for Best Director for directing a Best Picture nominee.