Hilary and Jackie Page #4

Synopsis: British sisters Hilary du Pré and Jacqueline du Pré are both talented musicians, Hilary a flautist, Jackie a cellist. With regard to their musical prowess, they have always had a friendly competitive nature with each other, fueled in large part by the want of their pianist mother, Iris, for them to achieve musical greatness. But underlying this friendliness is a deep desire to be truly better than the other. Despite or perhaps in part because of her flamboyant performance style, the younger Jackie emerges from the shadows of older Hilary's more triumphant childhood successes to become the renowned musician in the family. Although both continue with their music and both end up marrying (Hilary to Kiffer Finzi, and Jackie to pianist Daniel Barenboim), Hilary focuses on her home life, whereas Jackie focuses on her career. A seemingly odd request by Jackie to Hilary is later understood, but Hilary's agreement to that request demonstrates the true nature of their loving but unusual sisterly
Director(s): Anand Tucker
Production: October Films
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 22 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
78
Rotten Tomatoes:
86%
R
Year:
1998
121 min
329 Views


to make you feel special.

That's a big swizz.

Because the truth is

that you're not special.

If you think that being

an ordinary person

is any easier than being

an extraordinary one,

you're wrong.

If you didn't have

that cello to prop you up,

you'd be nothing.

Who's that?

Hey, Freud.

You like Freud?

Yes. He'd be a lot better

if he hadn't invented

the atom bomb, though,

wouldn't he?

Are you

Jacqueline Du Pr?

Yes, I am.

I've heard about you.

I'm Daniel Barenboim.

I've heard about you, too.

Really?

What have you heard?

I heard that you had

glandular fever.

That's right.

It's very infectious,

isn't it?

So you'd better

keep your distance.

Oh, it's not infectious.

It's contagious.

You have to have

bodily contact

with the other person.

So you can talk to me,

but you can't kiss me.

Jackie.

You left this

in the cab.

Silly girl.

Thank you.

So, you are a musician?

Yes, I am a musician.

You know very well

that I'm a musician.

A very famous musician,

actually.

Well, you don't look

like a musician.

So what are musicians

supposed to look like, then?

They're not

usually so blond.

Danny, we should go.

I have to go.

I'd love to talk to you

sometime

about glandular fever.

Paderewski medal.

Beethoven medal.

You name it.

Well...

I won a talent contest

in Camden.

And I won in Purley.

Where's Purley?

Oh, you wouldn't

know it.

Moscow.

I won in Moscow.

I made miss Mouncey cry.

Who is miss Mouncey?

Who is miss Mouncey?

Who is miss Mouncey?

She's my math teacher.

What about you?

Did you ever

make anyone cry?

Mmm... no. I never

made anyone cry.

Thank you.

I'm sorry I treated

you so badly.

I should've known

you'll never

let me down.

Now that, that's how

to play Beethoven.

It's too slow. You're

coming in too slow.

No, you're too fast.

You're throwing it away.

No, you have

to do it again.

I think I'll decide

the tempo.

Are you all right?

Yeah. I just got

cold hands.

Here.

Listen to that.

It sounds like

you're running for a bus.

I've never run

for a bus in my life.

To keep

your hands warm.

Oh, Danny.

She's very vigorous

with the bow, hmm.

So there has to be

an unusual amount of room

under the arm, here.

And, ha...

sweat, sweat

is the main problem.

So that the seams have to be

a lot stronger than normal.

I understand.

I'm sorry.

It's all right.

They'll love it.

How are we going

to do the thing

without

those 2 girls?

I called for them

3 or 4 times.

Danny, have you seen

my pills anywhere?

I've lost my pills.

I don't know

where your pills are.

Oh, come on.

Sh*t.

Don't worry

about the pills.

I can't play

without the pills.

Of course you can play

without the pills.

The pills have no effect

on you whatsoever.

I found them.

Would you still love me

if I couldn't play?

What?

Would you still love me

if I couldn't play?

You wouldn't be you

if you couldn't play.

No, I want to know.

Our bodies

sway to music.

Oh, brightening

glance...

how can we know...

the dancer

from the dance?

But don't you wish sometimes

that you couldn't play,

that you could

just be ordinary?

Like what?

Live in the country?

Making bread?

Feeding chickens?

Playing once a year with

a bunch of amateurs?

How dare you insult

my sister like that.

I wasn't insulting her.

Well, at least

she chose her life.

Not like you and me.

We're just trained freaks.

Look, let's just

get in the cab

and then talk about it.

I wasn't being rude.

Why didn't you tell us

you were coming?

Ha ha.

I can't get up.

What?

I can't get up.

Give it to me.

Danny.

I've got

a fatal illness.

But you mustn't worry,

'cause I've got it

very mildly.

Hmm.

Look, uh...

what if she

won't see you?

Of course she'll see me.

I'm her sister.

I'm so relieved

that it's only M.S.

I know it's serious,

but I thought I was

going mad.

Hello, Jacks.

It's good to see you.

Hilary.

Ha ha.

Oh.

My sister here

will tell you.

This country bumpkin here

is my sister.

This is dame Margot Fonteyn.

She's a friend of mine.

It's an honour to meet you,

dame Margot.

Oh, please.

My sister will tell you

I was behaving

in the strangest way.

But, you know,

all that's happening

is that my nerve-endings

are damaged or something.

And I might have to go

into a wheelchair.

Oh, no.

But not for ages.

It takes years.

And it happens

in fits and starts.

And they're on the brink

of a cure anyway.

Well, who'll look

after you, then?

It's just Danny's so busy,

isn't he?

And, well,

the flat's all wrong.

Kif and I have

talked about it...

dame Margot has very kindly

offered to lend me her flat.

You see,

it's in Kensington.

I can't really be hidden

away in the country, can I?

Hilary keeps chickens.

She used to be a musician,

but now it's all chickens

and children, isn't it?

I would so like

to have had children.

Hilary's got heaps of them.

In fact, if you want to

get yourself impregnated,

you should ask her hubby.

He's extremely fertile,

and if you ask her nicely,

she'll lend him to you.

She's never been

quite right

since she went to

Russia. I think...

do be quiet, Derek.

You don't think this means

she'll have to stop playing?

No. Of course not.

Bye, daddy.

Bye-bye.

This is all frightful,

but it's better

than going bonkers.

I was sure

she was going bonkers.

Ok. Want to do

this one again?

Yeah.

Careful, careful.

Oh, my god.

And... very good.

Shut up.

That's good. It's good.

It is good.

I'm going

to fall off.

I got offered

a job today.

I thought you

already had a job.

Move over.

I can't move over.

All right.

I'll move you over.

Ok.

Artistic director

of the orchestre de Paris.

Oh.

Oh.

In many ways,

it would be better than now.

You know I'd always

be in one place.

Not in Manchester one night

and Chicago the next, you know?

You're always

in the same place.

Yes.

Paris.

I know.

If it were London...

no, of course you should

do it. Of course.

Paris isn't that far.

You could come home

a lot.

We'll think about it.

It'll give me a chance

to practice my French.

I've been working

very hard

on my languages,

actually.

That's good.

Joder. Do you know

what that is?

I think so.

It's Spanish for f***.

And putain,

that's French for f***.

And fican, that's

German for f***.

And quievare

is Italian for f***.

And kamamayu...

do you know

what that is?

Swahili.

I just wondered how you

were getting on without him.

I'm not without him.

He comes home every weekend.

Anyway, it'll be easier once

I start playing properly again.

Besides,

I get heaps of visitors.

Look at all the flowers.

What's that?

Oh, that's

my new push chair.

But you don't need

a wheelchair yet.

Oh, I see. I suppose

if I ate differently

or I exercised more,

none of this would be happening.

It's all my fault,

is that it?

No. I was just surprised,

that's all.

Oh, it's all my fault.

It's all psychological.

If it's psychological,

it's your fault, mother.

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