Hilary and Jackie
Starring:Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, James Frain, David Morrissey, Charles Dance, Celia Imrie, Rupert Penry-Jones, Bill Paterson, Auriol Evans, Keeley Flanders, Grace Chatto, Nyree Dawn Porter, Maggie McCarthy, Vernon Dobtcheff, Anthony Smee, Delia Lindsay, Linda Spurrier, Nick Haverson, Kika Mirylees, Robert Rietty
Director: Anand Tucker
Studio: Polygram USA Video
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak
Average customer rating:
- Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!
- This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way
- Fascinating story and great music
- Misunderstandings....
- Two Great Performance in one Great Film
|
Hilary & Jackie
Starring: Emily Watson , Rachel Griffiths , James Frain , David Morrissey , and Charles Dance
Director: Anand Tucker
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Biography
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Artists & Writers
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Doctors & Patients
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dying Young
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Family Life
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Brothers & Sisters
| Family Life
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Love Triangle
| Love & Romance
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Family Interaction
| By Theme
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Morrissey & The Smiths
| Artists
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dance, Charles
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Dobtcheff, Vernon
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Griffiths, Rachel
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Imrie, Celia
| ( I )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Lindsay, Delia
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Paterson, Bill
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Watson, Emily
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Tucker, Anand
| ( T )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
All Universal Studios Titles
| Universal Studios Home Entertainment
| Studio Specials
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| Universal Studios Home Entertainment
| Studio Specials
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
DVDs Under $10
| Universal Studios Home Entertainment
| Studio Specials
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
4-for-3 Art House & International
| 4-for-3 DVD
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
4-for-3 Drama
| 4-for-3 DVD
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts
| 4-for-3 DVD
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
4-for-3 All DVDs
| 4-for-3 DVD
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Biography
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Family Interaction
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
DVDs Under $7.49
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
General
| Drama
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
Biography
| Drama
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
( H )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Jacqueline du Pre In Portrait
- Jacqueline du Pre - Favourite Cello Concertos ~ Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Haydn, Monn, Saint-Saens, Schumann
- Hilary and Jackie
- Hilary And Jackie: Music From The Motion Picture
- The Red Violin
ASIN: B00007ELEW
Release Date: 2002-11-05 |
Amazon.com
It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak
Customer Reviews:
Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!.......2007-06-07
HILARY AND JACKIE is still one of the most disturbing and unsettling pieces of film that I have ever seen! From the very beginning of the film there is a looming foreboding and an uncomfortable uneasiness that follows through every frame in this account of the lives of sisters Hilary and Jackie Du Pre. Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson are each disturbingly terrific and I am always amazed at the incredible performances.No small wonder that each actress has gone on to such acclaim in their respective careers.
It is essential to remember that this screenplay is adapted from Hilary and Piers Du Pre's account A GENIUS IN THE FAMILY.The book as well as the film is extremely intimate and disturbing at best. What is positively fascinating is how this film 's narrative runs. The story commences with a portrait of the two sisters and their childhood as musical prodigies together. Then the film diverges in their teen years and tells the remaining story and timeline through each of the sisters' perspectives with gut wrenching honesty that balances each girl. Though I was well acquainted with the music of Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her husband pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim as a conservatory student in the 1970's, it is not really essential to know anything about music or these people to be totally immersed in a truly good story that is informative and very revealing about the mechanics of genius, motivation and family.
If you offended by the exposing of warts and "speaking ill of the dead" perhaps HILARY AND JACKIE will not be for you. If you are willing to accept that this account of the lives of the Du Pre sisters COULD be true, then by all means come with an open mind and be blown away by what you see! Whether true, not true or somewhere in between, HILARY AND JACKIE presents two great actresses playing their hearts out for all of us to behold.
This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way.......2006-09-18
There is a certain school of thought which holds that biopics have no obligations to historical accuracy -- that this is the exclusive province of documentaries or books. I happen to disagree. There are plenty of documentaries that "dramatize" real-life events in the form of dialogue, and many Hollywood films (e.g. _Pollock_, or _My Left Foot_) which were made with concern for accuracy and respect for the memories of specific historical events or characters. If a movie uses real-life names, locations, etc, then misinformation would be malicious that infect the perceptions of mass audiences who see (and for the most part believe) them. A movie that denies the Holocaust or tramples over the memories of war veterans cannot be said to be ideologically unmotivated, but still more callous is such misinformation that is made for purely monetary reasons.
_Hilary and Jackie_, a film dramatization of the life of English cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré, is one of these. It presents a very heterodox portrayal of Jacqueline's overall character, and has been denounced by her friends and colleagues who knew her throghout her life (Barenboim, Rostropovich, et al) as a complete distortion of the Jacqueline they knew. For e.g., she is remembered by her students and colleagues as being emotionally vibrant with an impassioned love of her craft, while in the film she is portrayed as an insufferable bunch of neuroses who despised her cello -- it having a negative influence on her self-esteem. She is depicted making an indulgent demand to have a sexual relationship with Finzi, her brother-in-law. Her sister Hilary (the apparent heroine of the story), ever selfless, obliges for the benefit of her apparently disturbed sister. The movie ends with Hilary at Jackie's side during her death throes even though (it is made clear) Jackie never did anything for Hilary in her life. If you take the movie's account, it was clearly more than Jackie deserved.
The account here generally follows "A Genius in the Family", the controversial memoir written by Jacqueline's siblings. But her siblings would be less reliable on most points than her colleagues who spent a larger amount of time with her (e.g. at her death when she chose to surround herself with her friends instead, contra the events in this film). That is to say nothing of the fact that the two sisters weren't on speaking terms for much of their life (though Hilary claims there was a reconciliation before Jacqueline's death). Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, wrote and contested the film account of events as a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." She was referring to the actual events between her father and aunt, but the errors of omission are even significant, and at the same time worse. The film depicts Jacqueline as being unsympathetic, ignoring the aspects of her personality that made so many sympathize with her. Nothing here reminds one of the flamboyant cellist that is extensively recorded in Nupen's excellent documentaries _Remembering Jacqueline du Prée_ and _Jacqueline du Pré in Portrait_.
More importantly, the film is guilty of irresponsible revisionism. Biopics don't have to be historically accurate to the letter, just the general spirit of the characters. But as so little is substantiated about the specific events of Jacqueline du Pré's personal life as presented here, this is probably a movie that wasn't supposed to be made in the first place. W. K. Clifford famously said that if we cannot ascertain the grounds for a belief, we have no business in believing it. I would add that we have even less business in popularizing heterodox theses to a mass audience without compelling evidence -- something this film lacks. The director Anand Tucker admitted to not caring about such accuracy; he claimed that "it [truth] doesn't exist" because of alternate viewpoints. (One wonders what he would have made of Holocaust denial.) The action of popularizing an extremely tendentious and dubious memoir of Jacqueline's life to audiences who are mostly unfamiliar with her is a unprovoked act of slander -- a base and callous smear against her memory.
The above point is something missed by the critics who defend _Hilary and Jackie_ as portraying "another side" to Jacqueline's personality or offering a corrective to "official" documentaries or biographies. To the majority who watch the movie unreflectingly, there is only one "side" shown. That gets me back to the core of what I dislike about this film: its historical irresponsibility. Jacqueline du Pré obviously achieved much and suffered much in her life, and whether you agree with this film or not, it isn't a constructive tribute to her life's work as an artist and teacher. Integrity demands us to treat unsupported claims with caution, not proselytize them to an unwary audience. Jacqueline du Pré was a great cellist who contributed much to the art was well liked by her colleagues and acquaintances. Her pedagogical legacy survives in the generation of cellists who studied under her tutelage. If she is to be remembered, it should be for that and not the dubious details of her sex life as "played out" and vulgarized in sensationalist media.
One would do better to peruse the biographies of Jacqueline du Pré by Carol Easton, Elizabeth Wilson and, yes, the du Pré siblings (if you read between the lines). Or better yet, listen to her music and watch the documentaries of her which contain clips of her life and performances. The latter were directed by Christopher Nupen who, unlike Tucker, actually knew and cared about his subject matter. For if even a fraction of the money the BBC and the Arts Council gave to _Hilary and Jackie_ were diverted to Nupen's program (which they, instead, rejected), great gains would have been made; gains to music, as well as to our conscience.
Fascinating story and great music.......2006-08-07
Terrifically acted (a little over the top by Emily Watson), haunting music by Elgar, got this for a great price and worth every penny.
Misunderstandings...........2006-06-20
Misunderstandings lead to some of the greatest tragedies in life. "Hilary and Jackie" is a movie full of misunderstandings, and as the movie shows you one side of a talented sister's life (Hilary) and then the other side of the other talented sister's life (Jackie's), you begin to realize that what we remember in our lives is often distorted. We base our memories on our innate desire to see ourself as the hero or heroine. We forget the cruel things we've said to others and remember only the cruel things they've said to us. This movie depicts this in a startling, unforgettable way. It is movie-making genius.
Jacqueline du Pre is depicted as suffering mental illness during this movie. Other reviewers here have stated that that is nonsense, because nowhere in the biography written by her brother and sister did it mention she was mentally ill. That's right- in a sense. I don't believe she was mentally ill. But the reviewer either forgot or didn't know that Multiple sclerosis often causes manic depression and can cause suicidal or bipolar like symptoms. It is the slow disintigration of the brain, and depression is caused by the brain.
The written biography on which the movie was based also reveals that as a child, Jackie told Hilary "Don't tell Mum, but I will not be able to move or speak when I grow up." The two girls are depicted in the movie as having a slightly psychic connection. This is hinted at in the movie in one of the most beautiful sequences, at the beginning and end. Those who find that kind of thing "hokey" need to be more tolerant of the eccentricities of genius- which is always, and will probably always be, unstable.
Overall, this is a movie about love, and it is faithful to the book. It is about the trancending power of love to unite sisters even through the difficulties of betrayal and conflict. It is about the torture and burden of genius, and it is most of all, beautiful.
Two Great Performance in one Great Film.......2006-06-06
Hilary and Jackie is the story of the DuPre sisters. From an early age both were rising musical stars, Hilary on the flute and Jackie on the cello. But Jackie's flamboyant playing style brought her attention and then fame. While Hilary has her style eradicated and settles for an ordinary life.
The film is broken into four sections. The first part is the girl's childhood together. It takes the girls from prodigies to Jackie's first success. One night Jackie is playing at a wedding for an Italian princess with Hilary looking on and the next morning she is swept away for a concert tour, leaving her sister alone in a foreign country with no explanation of what happened to her sister.
The second part is Hilary's life apart from her sister. Hilary has her musical life sucked from her by the musical establishment. But one thing she does find is love and she settles for a country life with her husband raising their two daughters. During this part of the film we see some bizarre behavior from Jackie with no explanation behind what is happening.
The third part is Jackie's life apart from her sister. Jackie really never wanted the fame that was thrust upon her. Jackie is isolated from everyone she cares about and most of the time cannot communicate with the people around her. Even to find out how to wash her clothes. But she does find her true love and they become the super couple of classical music. But things are amiss with her health.
The last part is Jackie's fight with MS. In the 1950's they really did not know much about the disease and how to treat it. Jackie was under the impression with time and exercise that she would overcome her disease. What she finds out is that not only does the disease get worse but society isolates her because of it. Just as the two sisters reconcile, Jackie dies.
This film is brilliant on many levels but it is the performance by Emily Watson and Rachael Griffiths that give the film its depth.
DVD EXTRAS: Nine minute featurette with cast and creative team
Average customer rating:
- Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!
- This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way
- Fascinating story and great music
- Misunderstandings....
- Two Great Performance in one Great Film
|
Hilary and Jackie
Starring: Emily Watson , Rachel Griffiths , James Frain , David Morrissey , and Charles Dance
Director: Anand Tucker
Manufacturer: Polygram USA Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Biography
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Artists & Writers
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Doctors & Patients
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dying Young
| By Theme
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Family Life
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Brothers & Sisters
| Family Life
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Love Triangle
| Love & Romance
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Family Interaction
| By Theme
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| By Country
| Art House & International
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dance, Charles
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Dobtcheff, Vernon
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Griffiths, Rachel
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Imrie, Celia
| ( I )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Lindsay, Delia
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Paterson, Bill
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Watson, Emily
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Tucker, Anand
| ( T )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Drama
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
General
| British Cinema
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Biography
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Family Interaction
| By Theme
| Foreign & International
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
DVDs Under $7.49
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
( H )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Jacqueline du Pre In Portrait
- Jacqueline du Pre - Favourite Cello Concertos ~ Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Haydn, Monn, Saint-Saens, Schumann
- Hilary and Jackie
- Hilary And Jackie: Music From The Motion Picture
- The Red Violin
ASIN: 6305447233
Release Date: 1999-07-20 |
Amazon.com
It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak
Customer Reviews:
Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!.......2007-06-07
HILARY AND JACKIE is still one of the most disturbing and unsettling pieces of film that I have ever seen! From the very beginning of the film there is a looming foreboding and an uncomfortable uneasiness that follows through every frame in this account of the lives of sisters Hilary and Jackie Du Pre. Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson are each disturbingly terrific and I am always amazed at the incredible performances.No small wonder that each actress has gone on to such acclaim in their respective careers.
It is essential to remember that this screenplay is adapted from Hilary and Piers Du Pre's account A GENIUS IN THE FAMILY.The book as well as the film is extremely intimate and disturbing at best. What is positively fascinating is how this film 's narrative runs. The story commences with a portrait of the two sisters and their childhood as musical prodigies together. Then the film diverges in their teen years and tells the remaining story and timeline through each of the sisters' perspectives with gut wrenching honesty that balances each girl. Though I was well acquainted with the music of Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her husband pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim as a conservatory student in the 1970's, it is not really essential to know anything about music or these people to be totally immersed in a truly good story that is informative and very revealing about the mechanics of genius, motivation and family.
If you offended by the exposing of warts and "speaking ill of the dead" perhaps HILARY AND JACKIE will not be for you. If you are willing to accept that this account of the lives of the Du Pre sisters COULD be true, then by all means come with an open mind and be blown away by what you see! Whether true, not true or somewhere in between, HILARY AND JACKIE presents two great actresses playing their hearts out for all of us to behold.
This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way.......2006-09-18
There is a certain school of thought which holds that biopics have no obligations to historical accuracy -- that this is the exclusive province of documentaries or books. I happen to disagree. There are plenty of documentaries that "dramatize" real-life events in the form of dialogue, and many Hollywood films (e.g. _Pollock_, or _My Left Foot_) which were made with concern for accuracy and respect for the memories of specific historical events or characters. If a movie uses real-life names, locations, etc, then misinformation would be malicious that infect the perceptions of mass audiences who see (and for the most part believe) them. A movie that denies the Holocaust or tramples over the memories of war veterans cannot be said to be ideologically unmotivated, but still more callous is such misinformation that is made for purely monetary reasons.
_Hilary and Jackie_, a film dramatization of the life of English cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré, is one of these. It presents a very heterodox portrayal of Jacqueline's overall character, and has been denounced by her friends and colleagues who knew her throghout her life (Barenboim, Rostropovich, et al) as a complete distortion of the Jacqueline they knew. For e.g., she is remembered by her students and colleagues as being emotionally vibrant with an impassioned love of her craft, while in the film she is portrayed as an insufferable bunch of neuroses who despised her cello -- it having a negative influence on her self-esteem. She is depicted making an indulgent demand to have a sexual relationship with Finzi, her brother-in-law. Her sister Hilary (the apparent heroine of the story), ever selfless, obliges for the benefit of her apparently disturbed sister. The movie ends with Hilary at Jackie's side during her death throes even though (it is made clear) Jackie never did anything for Hilary in her life. If you take the movie's account, it was clearly more than Jackie deserved.
The account here generally follows "A Genius in the Family", the controversial memoir written by Jacqueline's siblings. But her siblings would be less reliable on most points than her colleagues who spent a larger amount of time with her (e.g. at her death when she chose to surround herself with her friends instead, contra the events in this film). That is to say nothing of the fact that the two sisters weren't on speaking terms for much of their life (though Hilary claims there was a reconciliation before Jacqueline's death). Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, wrote and contested the film account of events as a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." She was referring to the actual events between her father and aunt, but the errors of omission are even significant, and at the same time worse. The film depicts Jacqueline as being unsympathetic, ignoring the aspects of her personality that made so many sympathize with her. Nothing here reminds one of the flamboyant cellist that is extensively recorded in Nupen's excellent documentaries _Remembering Jacqueline du Prée_ and _Jacqueline du Pré in Portrait_.
More importantly, the film is guilty of irresponsible revisionism. Biopics don't have to be historically accurate to the letter, just the general spirit of the characters. But as so little is substantiated about the specific events of Jacqueline du Pré's personal life as presented here, this is probably a movie that wasn't supposed to be made in the first place. W. K. Clifford famously said that if we cannot ascertain the grounds for a belief, we have no business in believing it. I would add that we have even less business in popularizing heterodox theses to a mass audience without compelling evidence -- something this film lacks. The director Anand Tucker admitted to not caring about such accuracy; he claimed that "it [truth] doesn't exist" because of alternate viewpoints. (One wonders what he would have made of Holocaust denial.) The action of popularizing an extremely tendentious and dubious memoir of Jacqueline's life to audiences who are mostly unfamiliar with her is a unprovoked act of slander -- a base and callous smear against her memory.
The above point is something missed by the critics who defend _Hilary and Jackie_ as portraying "another side" to Jacqueline's personality or offering a corrective to "official" documentaries or biographies. To the majority who watch the movie unreflectingly, there is only one "side" shown. That gets me back to the core of what I dislike about this film: its historical irresponsibility. Jacqueline du Pré obviously achieved much and suffered much in her life, and whether you agree with this film or not, it isn't a constructive tribute to her life's work as an artist and teacher. Integrity demands us to treat unsupported claims with caution, not proselytize them to an unwary audience. Jacqueline du Pré was a great cellist who contributed much to the art was well liked by her colleagues and acquaintances. Her pedagogical legacy survives in the generation of cellists who studied under her tutelage. If she is to be remembered, it should be for that and not the dubious details of her sex life as "played out" and vulgarized in sensationalist media.
One would do better to peruse the biographies of Jacqueline du Pré by Carol Easton, Elizabeth Wilson and, yes, the du Pré siblings (if you read between the lines). Or better yet, listen to her music and watch the documentaries of her which contain clips of her life and performances. The latter were directed by Christopher Nupen who, unlike Tucker, actually knew and cared about his subject matter. For if even a fraction of the money the BBC and the Arts Council gave to _Hilary and Jackie_ were diverted to Nupen's program (which they, instead, rejected), great gains would have been made; gains to music, as well as to our conscience.
Fascinating story and great music.......2006-08-07
Terrifically acted (a little over the top by Emily Watson), haunting music by Elgar, got this for a great price and worth every penny.
Misunderstandings...........2006-06-20
Misunderstandings lead to some of the greatest tragedies in life. "Hilary and Jackie" is a movie full of misunderstandings, and as the movie shows you one side of a talented sister's life (Hilary) and then the other side of the other talented sister's life (Jackie's), you begin to realize that what we remember in our lives is often distorted. We base our memories on our innate desire to see ourself as the hero or heroine. We forget the cruel things we've said to others and remember only the cruel things they've said to us. This movie depicts this in a startling, unforgettable way. It is movie-making genius.
Jacqueline du Pre is depicted as suffering mental illness during this movie. Other reviewers here have stated that that is nonsense, because nowhere in the biography written by her brother and sister did it mention she was mentally ill. That's right- in a sense. I don't believe she was mentally ill. But the reviewer either forgot or didn't know that Multiple sclerosis often causes manic depression and can cause suicidal or bipolar like symptoms. It is the slow disintigration of the brain, and depression is caused by the brain.
The written biography on which the movie was based also reveals that as a child, Jackie told Hilary "Don't tell Mum, but I will not be able to move or speak when I grow up." The two girls are depicted in the movie as having a slightly psychic connection. This is hinted at in the movie in one of the most beautiful sequences, at the beginning and end. Those who find that kind of thing "hokey" need to be more tolerant of the eccentricities of genius- which is always, and will probably always be, unstable.
Overall, this is a movie about love, and it is faithful to the book. It is about the trancending power of love to unite sisters even through the difficulties of betrayal and conflict. It is about the torture and burden of genius, and it is most of all, beautiful.
Two Great Performance in one Great Film.......2006-06-06
Hilary and Jackie is the story of the DuPre sisters. From an early age both were rising musical stars, Hilary on the flute and Jackie on the cello. But Jackie's flamboyant playing style brought her attention and then fame. While Hilary has her style eradicated and settles for an ordinary life.
The film is broken into four sections. The first part is the girl's childhood together. It takes the girls from prodigies to Jackie's first success. One night Jackie is playing at a wedding for an Italian princess with Hilary looking on and the next morning she is swept away for a concert tour, leaving her sister alone in a foreign country with no explanation of what happened to her sister.
The second part is Hilary's life apart from her sister. Hilary has her musical life sucked from her by the musical establishment. But one thing she does find is love and she settles for a country life with her husband raising their two daughters. During this part of the film we see some bizarre behavior from Jackie with no explanation behind what is happening.
The third part is Jackie's life apart from her sister. Jackie really never wanted the fame that was thrust upon her. Jackie is isolated from everyone she cares about and most of the time cannot communicate with the people around her. Even to find out how to wash her clothes. But she does find her true love and they become the super couple of classical music. But things are amiss with her health.
The last part is Jackie's fight with MS. In the 1950's they really did not know much about the disease and how to treat it. Jackie was under the impression with time and exercise that she would overcome her disease. What she finds out is that not only does the disease get worse but society isolates her because of it. Just as the two sisters reconcile, Jackie dies.
This film is brilliant on many levels but it is the performance by Emily Watson and Rachael Griffiths that give the film its depth.
DVD EXTRAS: Nine minute featurette with cast and creative team
![Hilary and Jackie [Region 2]](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
Average customer rating:
- Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!
- This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way
- Fascinating story and great music
- Misunderstandings....
- Two Great Performance in one Great Film
|
Hilary and Jackie [Region 2]
Starring: Emily Watson , Rachel Griffiths , James Frain , David Morrissey , and Charles Dance
Director: Anand Tucker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dance, Charles
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Dobtcheff, Vernon
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Griffiths, Rachel
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Imrie, Celia
| ( I )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Lindsay, Delia
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Paterson, Bill
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Watson, Emily
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Tucker, Anand
| ( T )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( H )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Jacqueline du Pre In Portrait
- Jacqueline du Pre - Favourite Cello Concertos ~ Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Haydn, Monn, Saint-Saens, Schumann
- Hilary and Jackie
- Hilary And Jackie: Music From The Motion Picture
- The Red Violin
ASIN: B00004CZZP |
Amazon.com
It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak
Customer Reviews:
Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!.......2007-06-07
HILARY AND JACKIE is still one of the most disturbing and unsettling pieces of film that I have ever seen! From the very beginning of the film there is a looming foreboding and an uncomfortable uneasiness that follows through every frame in this account of the lives of sisters Hilary and Jackie Du Pre. Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson are each disturbingly terrific and I am always amazed at the incredible performances.No small wonder that each actress has gone on to such acclaim in their respective careers.
It is essential to remember that this screenplay is adapted from Hilary and Piers Du Pre's account A GENIUS IN THE FAMILY.The book as well as the film is extremely intimate and disturbing at best. What is positively fascinating is how this film 's narrative runs. The story commences with a portrait of the two sisters and their childhood as musical prodigies together. Then the film diverges in their teen years and tells the remaining story and timeline through each of the sisters' perspectives with gut wrenching honesty that balances each girl. Though I was well acquainted with the music of Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her husband pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim as a conservatory student in the 1970's, it is not really essential to know anything about music or these people to be totally immersed in a truly good story that is informative and very revealing about the mechanics of genius, motivation and family.
If you offended by the exposing of warts and "speaking ill of the dead" perhaps HILARY AND JACKIE will not be for you. If you are willing to accept that this account of the lives of the Du Pre sisters COULD be true, then by all means come with an open mind and be blown away by what you see! Whether true, not true or somewhere in between, HILARY AND JACKIE presents two great actresses playing their hearts out for all of us to behold.
This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way.......2006-09-18
There is a certain school of thought which holds that biopics have no obligations to historical accuracy -- that this is the exclusive province of documentaries or books. I happen to disagree. There are plenty of documentaries that "dramatize" real-life events in the form of dialogue, and many Hollywood films (e.g. _Pollock_, or _My Left Foot_) which were made with concern for accuracy and respect for the memories of specific historical events or characters. If a movie uses real-life names, locations, etc, then misinformation would be malicious that infect the perceptions of mass audiences who see (and for the most part believe) them. A movie that denies the Holocaust or tramples over the memories of war veterans cannot be said to be ideologically unmotivated, but still more callous is such misinformation that is made for purely monetary reasons.
_Hilary and Jackie_, a film dramatization of the life of English cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré, is one of these. It presents a very heterodox portrayal of Jacqueline's overall character, and has been denounced by her friends and colleagues who knew her throghout her life (Barenboim, Rostropovich, et al) as a complete distortion of the Jacqueline they knew. For e.g., she is remembered by her students and colleagues as being emotionally vibrant with an impassioned love of her craft, while in the film she is portrayed as an insufferable bunch of neuroses who despised her cello -- it having a negative influence on her self-esteem. She is depicted making an indulgent demand to have a sexual relationship with Finzi, her brother-in-law. Her sister Hilary (the apparent heroine of the story), ever selfless, obliges for the benefit of her apparently disturbed sister. The movie ends with Hilary at Jackie's side during her death throes even though (it is made clear) Jackie never did anything for Hilary in her life. If you take the movie's account, it was clearly more than Jackie deserved.
The account here generally follows "A Genius in the Family", the controversial memoir written by Jacqueline's siblings. But her siblings would be less reliable on most points than her colleagues who spent a larger amount of time with her (e.g. at her death when she chose to surround herself with her friends instead, contra the events in this film). That is to say nothing of the fact that the two sisters weren't on speaking terms for much of their life (though Hilary claims there was a reconciliation before Jacqueline's death). Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, wrote and contested the film account of events as a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." She was referring to the actual events between her father and aunt, but the errors of omission are even significant, and at the same time worse. The film depicts Jacqueline as being unsympathetic, ignoring the aspects of her personality that made so many sympathize with her. Nothing here reminds one of the flamboyant cellist that is extensively recorded in Nupen's excellent documentaries _Remembering Jacqueline du Prée_ and _Jacqueline du Pré in Portrait_.
More importantly, the film is guilty of irresponsible revisionism. Biopics don't have to be historically accurate to the letter, just the general spirit of the characters. But as so little is substantiated about the specific events of Jacqueline du Pré's personal life as presented here, this is probably a movie that wasn't supposed to be made in the first place. W. K. Clifford famously said that if we cannot ascertain the grounds for a belief, we have no business in believing it. I would add that we have even less business in popularizing heterodox theses to a mass audience without compelling evidence -- something this film lacks. The director Anand Tucker admitted to not caring about such accuracy; he claimed that "it [truth] doesn't exist" because of alternate viewpoints. (One wonders what he would have made of Holocaust denial.) The action of popularizing an extremely tendentious and dubious memoir of Jacqueline's life to audiences who are mostly unfamiliar with her is a unprovoked act of slander -- a base and callous smear against her memory.
The above point is something missed by the critics who defend _Hilary and Jackie_ as portraying "another side" to Jacqueline's personality or offering a corrective to "official" documentaries or biographies. To the majority who watch the movie unreflectingly, there is only one "side" shown. That gets me back to the core of what I dislike about this film: its historical irresponsibility. Jacqueline du Pré obviously achieved much and suffered much in her life, and whether you agree with this film or not, it isn't a constructive tribute to her life's work as an artist and teacher. Integrity demands us to treat unsupported claims with caution, not proselytize them to an unwary audience. Jacqueline du Pré was a great cellist who contributed much to the art was well liked by her colleagues and acquaintances. Her pedagogical legacy survives in the generation of cellists who studied under her tutelage. If she is to be remembered, it should be for that and not the dubious details of her sex life as "played out" and vulgarized in sensationalist media.
One would do better to peruse the biographies of Jacqueline du Pré by Carol Easton, Elizabeth Wilson and, yes, the du Pré siblings (if you read between the lines). Or better yet, listen to her music and watch the documentaries of her which contain clips of her life and performances. The latter were directed by Christopher Nupen who, unlike Tucker, actually knew and cared about his subject matter. For if even a fraction of the money the BBC and the Arts Council gave to _Hilary and Jackie_ were diverted to Nupen's program (which they, instead, rejected), great gains would have been made; gains to music, as well as to our conscience.
Fascinating story and great music.......2006-08-07
Terrifically acted (a little over the top by Emily Watson), haunting music by Elgar, got this for a great price and worth every penny.
Misunderstandings...........2006-06-20
Misunderstandings lead to some of the greatest tragedies in life. "Hilary and Jackie" is a movie full of misunderstandings, and as the movie shows you one side of a talented sister's life (Hilary) and then the other side of the other talented sister's life (Jackie's), you begin to realize that what we remember in our lives is often distorted. We base our memories on our innate desire to see ourself as the hero or heroine. We forget the cruel things we've said to others and remember only the cruel things they've said to us. This movie depicts this in a startling, unforgettable way. It is movie-making genius.
Jacqueline du Pre is depicted as suffering mental illness during this movie. Other reviewers here have stated that that is nonsense, because nowhere in the biography written by her brother and sister did it mention she was mentally ill. That's right- in a sense. I don't believe she was mentally ill. But the reviewer either forgot or didn't know that Multiple sclerosis often causes manic depression and can cause suicidal or bipolar like symptoms. It is the slow disintigration of the brain, and depression is caused by the brain.
The written biography on which the movie was based also reveals that as a child, Jackie told Hilary "Don't tell Mum, but I will not be able to move or speak when I grow up." The two girls are depicted in the movie as having a slightly psychic connection. This is hinted at in the movie in one of the most beautiful sequences, at the beginning and end. Those who find that kind of thing "hokey" need to be more tolerant of the eccentricities of genius- which is always, and will probably always be, unstable.
Overall, this is a movie about love, and it is faithful to the book. It is about the trancending power of love to unite sisters even through the difficulties of betrayal and conflict. It is about the torture and burden of genius, and it is most of all, beautiful.
Two Great Performance in one Great Film.......2006-06-06
Hilary and Jackie is the story of the DuPre sisters. From an early age both were rising musical stars, Hilary on the flute and Jackie on the cello. But Jackie's flamboyant playing style brought her attention and then fame. While Hilary has her style eradicated and settles for an ordinary life.
The film is broken into four sections. The first part is the girl's childhood together. It takes the girls from prodigies to Jackie's first success. One night Jackie is playing at a wedding for an Italian princess with Hilary looking on and the next morning she is swept away for a concert tour, leaving her sister alone in a foreign country with no explanation of what happened to her sister.
The second part is Hilary's life apart from her sister. Hilary has her musical life sucked from her by the musical establishment. But one thing she does find is love and she settles for a country life with her husband raising their two daughters. During this part of the film we see some bizarre behavior from Jackie with no explanation behind what is happening.
The third part is Jackie's life apart from her sister. Jackie really never wanted the fame that was thrust upon her. Jackie is isolated from everyone she cares about and most of the time cannot communicate with the people around her. Even to find out how to wash her clothes. But she does find her true love and they become the super couple of classical music. But things are amiss with her health.
The last part is Jackie's fight with MS. In the 1950's they really did not know much about the disease and how to treat it. Jackie was under the impression with time and exercise that she would overcome her disease. What she finds out is that not only does the disease get worse but society isolates her because of it. Just as the two sisters reconcile, Jackie dies.
This film is brilliant on many levels but it is the performance by Emily Watson and Rachael Griffiths that give the film its depth.
DVD EXTRAS: Nine minute featurette with cast and creative team
Average customer rating:
|
Charlie Rose with Bob Greene, Frank DeFord & Mark Vancil; Dave Checketts; Emily Watson (January 12, 1999)
Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
All Titles
| Charlie Rose Store
| Television
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B000IU337O
Release Date: 2006-09-18 |
Description
Writers Bob Greene, Frank DeFord and Mark Vancil talk about Michael Jordan's anticipated retirement announcement, the unique gifts that have allowed him to change basketball and America, and what the future holds for the NBA and Jordan's teammates. Then, Dave Checketts discusses Phil Jackson's coaching strategy and whether Jordan was the greatest to ever play the game. Finally, Emily Watson talks about her new film, Hillary and Jackie, and the challenges of playing a classical cello prodigy.
Average customer rating:
|
Charlie Rose (March 10, 1999)
Manufacturer: Charlie Rose Inc.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Bowie, David
| Artists
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Genesis
| Artists
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Collins, Phil
| Artists
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Classic Rock
| Music Video & Concerts
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
All Titles
| Charlie Rose Store
| Television
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
( C )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
Similar Items:
- Charlie Rose with David Bowie; David Bowie, Matthew Collings, Karen Wright & Bernard Jacobson (March 31, 1998)
- Charlie Rose with Julian Schnabel; David Bowie (August 9, 1996)
ASIN: B000J3EYDW
Release Date: 2006-12-21 |
Description
First, a rebroadcast of a performance and conversation with legendary musician David Bowie in which he talks about the launch of "21", his independent art publishing house (from March 3, 1998).||Then, a rebroadcast of a discussion with singer/songwriter Phil Collins about his CD "Hits" and the collaberation of the musical process (from November 9, 1998).||Finally, a conversation with actor Emily Watson about her stunning performance as cellist Jacqueline Du Pre in "Hilary and Jackie" (from January 12, 1999).
![Hilary and Jackie [Region 2]](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21QMX3NVKRL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!
- This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way
- Fascinating story and great music
- Misunderstandings....
- Two Great Performance in one Great Film
|
Hilary and Jackie [Region 2]
Starring: Emily Watson , Rachel Griffiths , James Frain , David Morrissey , and Charles Dance
Director: Anand Tucker
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
General
| Drama
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Dance, Charles
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Dobtcheff, Vernon
| ( D )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Griffiths, Rachel
| ( G )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Imrie, Celia
| ( I )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Lindsay, Delia
| ( L )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Paterson, Bill
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Watson, Emily
| ( W )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Tucker, Anand
| ( T )
| Directors
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Used DVDs
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
| Action & Adventure
| African American Cinema
| Animation
| Anime & Manga
| Art House & International
| Classics
| Comedy
| Cult Movies
| Documentary
| Drama
| Educational
| Fitness & Yoga
| Gay & Lesbian
| Horror
| Kids & Family
| Military & War
| Music Video & Concerts
| Musicals & Performing Arts
| Mystery & Suspense
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Special Interests
| Sports
| Television
| Westerns
( H )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
Similar Items:
- Jacqueline du Pre In Portrait
- Jacqueline du Pre - Favourite Cello Concertos ~ Boccherini, Dvorak, Elgar, Haydn, Monn, Saint-Saens, Schumann
- Hilary and Jackie
- Hilary And Jackie: Music From The Motion Picture
- The Red Violin
ASIN: B00005NW42 |
Amazon.com
It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak
Customer Reviews:
Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!.......2007-06-07
HILARY AND JACKIE is still one of the most disturbing and unsettling pieces of film that I have ever seen! From the very beginning of the film there is a looming foreboding and an uncomfortable uneasiness that follows through every frame in this account of the lives of sisters Hilary and Jackie Du Pre. Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson are each disturbingly terrific and I am always amazed at the incredible performances.No small wonder that each actress has gone on to such acclaim in their respective careers.
It is essential to remember that this screenplay is adapted from Hilary and Piers Du Pre's account A GENIUS IN THE FAMILY.The book as well as the film is extremely intimate and disturbing at best. What is positively fascinating is how this film 's narrative runs. The story commences with a portrait of the two sisters and their childhood as musical prodigies together. Then the film diverges in their teen years and tells the remaining story and timeline through each of the sisters' perspectives with gut wrenching honesty that balances each girl. Though I was well acquainted with the music of Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her husband pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim as a conservatory student in the 1970's, it is not really essential to know anything about music or these people to be totally immersed in a truly good story that is informative and very revealing about the mechanics of genius, motivation and family.
If you offended by the exposing of warts and "speaking ill of the dead" perhaps HILARY AND JACKIE will not be for you. If you are willing to accept that this account of the lives of the Du Pre sisters COULD be true, then by all means come with an open mind and be blown away by what you see! Whether true, not true or somewhere in between, HILARY AND JACKIE presents two great actresses playing their hearts out for all of us to behold.
This film is a historical farce and should not be associated with Jacqueline du Pré in any way.......2006-09-18
There is a certain school of thought which holds that biopics have no obligations to historical accuracy -- that this is the exclusive province of documentaries or books. I happen to disagree. There are plenty of documentaries that "dramatize" real-life events in the form of dialogue, and many Hollywood films (e.g. _Pollock_, or _My Left Foot_) which were made with concern for accuracy and respect for the memories of specific historical events or characters. If a movie uses real-life names, locations, etc, then misinformation would be malicious that infect the perceptions of mass audiences who see (and for the most part believe) them. A movie that denies the Holocaust or tramples over the memories of war veterans cannot be said to be ideologically unmotivated, but still more callous is such misinformation that is made for purely monetary reasons.
_Hilary and Jackie_, a film dramatization of the life of English cello prodigy Jacqueline du Pré, is one of these. It presents a very heterodox portrayal of Jacqueline's overall character, and has been denounced by her friends and colleagues who knew her throghout her life (Barenboim, Rostropovich, et al) as a complete distortion of the Jacqueline they knew. For e.g., she is remembered by her students and colleagues as being emotionally vibrant with an impassioned love of her craft, while in the film she is portrayed as an insufferable bunch of neuroses who despised her cello -- it having a negative influence on her self-esteem. She is depicted making an indulgent demand to have a sexual relationship with Finzi, her brother-in-law. Her sister Hilary (the apparent heroine of the story), ever selfless, obliges for the benefit of her apparently disturbed sister. The movie ends with Hilary at Jackie's side during her death throes even though (it is made clear) Jackie never did anything for Hilary in her life. If you take the movie's account, it was clearly more than Jackie deserved.
The account here generally follows "A Genius in the Family", the controversial memoir written by Jacqueline's siblings. But her siblings would be less reliable on most points than her colleagues who spent a larger amount of time with her (e.g. at her death when she chose to surround herself with her friends instead, contra the events in this film). That is to say nothing of the fact that the two sisters weren't on speaking terms for much of their life (though Hilary claims there was a reconciliation before Jacqueline's death). Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, wrote and contested the film account of events as a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." She was referring to the actual events between her father and aunt, but the errors of omission are even significant, and at the same time worse. The film depicts Jacqueline as being unsympathetic, ignoring the aspects of her personality that made so many sympathize with her. Nothing here reminds one of the flamboyant cellist that is extensively recorded in Nupen's excellent documentaries _Remembering Jacqueline du Prée_ and _Jacqueline du Pré in Portrait_.
More importantly, the film is guilty of irresponsible revisionism. Biopics don't have to be historically accurate to the letter, just the general spirit of the characters. But as so little is substantiated about the specific events of Jacqueline du Pré's personal life as presented here, this is probably a movie that wasn't supposed to be made in the first place. W. K. Clifford famously said that if we cannot ascertain the grounds for a belief, we have no business in believing it. I would add that we have even less business in popularizing heterodox theses to a mass audience without compelling evidence -- something this film lacks. The director Anand Tucker admitted to not caring about such accuracy; he claimed that "it [truth] doesn't exist" because of alternate viewpoints. (One wonders what he would have made of Holocaust denial.) The action of popularizing an extremely tendentious and dubious memoir of Jacqueline's life to audiences who are mostly unfamiliar with her is a unprovoked act of slander -- a base and callous smear against her memory.
The above point is something missed by the critics who defend _Hilary and Jackie_ as portraying "another side" to Jacqueline's personality or offering a corrective to "official" documentaries or biographies. To the majority who watch the movie unreflectingly, there is only one "side" shown. That gets me back to the core of what I dislike about this film: its historical irresponsibility. Jacqueline du Pré obviously achieved much and suffered much in her life, and whether you agree with this film or not, it isn't a constructive tribute to her life's work as an artist and teacher. Integrity demands us to treat unsupported claims with caution, not proselytize them to an unwary audience. Jacqueline du Pré was a great cellist who contributed much to the art was well liked by her colleagues and acquaintances. Her pedagogical legacy survives in the generation of cellists who studied under her tutelage. If she is to be remembered, it should be for that and not the dubious details of her sex life as "played out" and vulgarized in sensationalist media.
One would do better to peruse the biographies of Jacqueline du Pré by Carol Easton, Elizabeth Wilson and, yes, the du Pré siblings (if you read between the lines). Or better yet, listen to her music and watch the documentaries of her which contain clips of her life and performances. The latter were directed by Christopher Nupen who, unlike Tucker, actually knew and cared about his subject matter. For if even a fraction of the money the BBC and the Arts Council gave to _Hilary and Jackie_ were diverted to Nupen's program (which they, instead, rejected), great gains would have been made; gains to music, as well as to our conscience.
Fascinating story and great music.......2006-08-07
Terrifically acted (a little over the top by Emily Watson), haunting music by Elgar, got this for a great price and worth every penny.
Misunderstandings...........2006-06-20
Misunderstandings lead to some of the greatest tragedies in life. "Hilary and Jackie" is a movie full of misunderstandings, and as the movie shows you one side of a talented sister's life (Hilary) and then the other side of the other talented sister's life (Jackie's), you begin to realize that what we remember in our lives is often distorted. We base our memories on our innate desire to see ourself as the hero or heroine. We forget the cruel things we've said to others and remember only the cruel things they've said to us. This movie depicts this in a startling, unforgettable way. It is movie-making genius.
Jacqueline du Pre is depicted as suffering mental illness during this movie. Other reviewers here have stated that that is nonsense, because nowhere in the biography written by her brother and sister did it mention she was mentally ill. That's right- in a sense. I don't believe she was mentally ill. But the reviewer either forgot or didn't know that Multiple sclerosis often causes manic depression and can cause suicidal or bipolar like symptoms. It is the slow disintigration of the brain, and depression is caused by the brain.
The written biography on which the movie was based also reveals that as a child, Jackie told Hilary "Don't tell Mum, but I will not be able to move or speak when I grow up." The two girls are depicted in the movie as having a slightly psychic connection. This is hinted at in the movie in one of the most beautiful sequences, at the beginning and end. Those who find that kind of thing "hokey" need to be more tolerant of the eccentricities of genius- which is always, and will probably always be, unstable.
Overall, this is a movie about love, and it is faithful to the book. It is about the trancending power of love to unite sisters even through the difficulties of betrayal and conflict. It is about the torture and burden of genius, and it is most of all, beautiful.
Two Great Performance in one Great Film.......2006-06-06
Hilary and Jackie is the story of the DuPre sisters. From an early age both were rising musical stars, Hilary on the flute and Jackie on the cello. But Jackie's flamboyant playing style brought her attention and then fame. While Hilary has her style eradicated and settles for an ordinary life.
The film is broken into four sections. The first part is the girl's childhood together. It takes the girls from prodigies to Jackie's first success. One night Jackie is playing at a wedding for an Italian princess with Hilary looking on and the next morning she is swept away for a concert tour, leaving her sister alone in a foreign country with no explanation of what happened to her sister.
The second part is Hilary's life apart from her sister. Hilary has her musical life sucked from her by the musical establishment. But one thing she does find is love and she settles for a country life with her husband raising their two daughters. During this part of the film we see some bizarre behavior from Jackie with no explanation behind what is happening.
The third part is Jackie's life apart from her sister. Jackie really never wanted the fame that was thrust upon her. Jackie is isolated from everyone she cares about and most of the time cannot communicate with the people around her. Even to find out how to wash her clothes. But she does find her true love and they become the super couple of classical music. But things are amiss with her health.
The last part is Jackie's fight with MS. In the 1950's they really did not know much about the disease and how to treat it. Jackie was under the impression with time and exercise that she would overcome her disease. What she finds out is that not only does the disease get worse but society isolates her because of it. Just as the two sisters reconcile, Jackie dies.
This film is brilliant on many levels but it is the performance by Emily Watson and Rachael Griffiths that give the film its depth.
DVD EXTRAS: Nine minute featurette with cast and creative team
DVD:
- GunShy
- A Cruel Romance
- Morons From Outer Space/Alien From LA
- Desert Bloom
- Beat
- Pursuit
- Inch'Allah Dimanche
- Final Cut
- Everyday People
- The Tell-Tale Heart
DVD
DVD
DVD
Where America Began
Red Dwarf: Just The Shows
Beautiful Girls [1996]
DVD: Def Comedy Jam, Vol. 9
David Oistrach - Artist of the People