Review: Hilary and Jackie (1998)

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Hilary and Jackie

Rating

Director

Anand Tucker

Screenplay

Frank Cottrell Boyce (Book: Hilary du Pré, Piers du Pré)

Length

2h 01m

Starring

Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, James Frain, David Morrissey, Charles Dance, Celia Imrie, Rupert Penry-Jones, Bill Patterson, Auriol Evans, Keeley Flanders

MPAA Rating

Basic Plot

The story of famed cellist Jacqueline Du Pré and her rivalry with sister Hilary.

Review

It is seldom that biopics don’t receive controversy over the accuracy of their contents. “Hilary and Jackie” is no exceptions. Some musicians and other who knew Jacqueline Du Pre in life feel that this film lacks factuality despite having been written in book form by her sister and brother, Hilary and Piers.

If you put the arguments aside and watch it as a regular motion picture, you’ll discover a great amount of personal anguish and triumph attached to both sisters. Which is something that helps this film to be one of 1998’s best-acted films.

We first see Hilary (Keeley Flanders) and Jackie (Auriol Evans) playing together on a beach. They build a sandcastle, roam across the rocks near the shore and other things when the figure of a woman appears on the beach. Jackie goes to investigate, remains only for a moment and then returns. We then see where the intense rivalry between the sisters begins.

Hilary is a very gifted flautist. She plays at various recitals and wins prizes. Jackie plays the cello, but not extremely well. When Hilary is invited to perform in a contest, Jackie is told that the only way she’ll be able to continue performing with her sister is to get become a better cellist.

With a goal, she starts practicing constantly. After awhile, she is playing with her sister at recitals and both receive praise and acclaim.

Time passes and Hilary and Jackie are adults. Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) decides to get married and puts her flute away for awhile. Jealous, Jackie (Emily Watson) runs out, finds a man and decides to marry him. Their rivalry continued. Hilary really has no desire to compete with Jackie, but never says anything to her. Their bond is too strong, she feels.

Jackie is asked to tour Europe playing the cello while Hilary struggles to get accepted into a music institution where she can continue playing the flute. Both sisters grew up dancing to music and developed body ticks when they performed. This created problems almost everywhere they went.

Hilary eventually loses faith in herself when she nearly breaks down in front of an institution professor who has been trying to break her of the habit.

Jackie’s life is no less of a roller coaster. She continues envying her sister in everything she does. She eventually gives up touring so she can be with Hilary.

“Hilary and Jackie” is an extremely well acted film. Griffiths is phenomenal and Watson is startlingly chaotic. They take the essence of the film and display it with great vigor and ability. The screenplay is literate, but never really is able to catch up with the acting.

The photography is beautiful and the music caps the film off nicely. Griffiths is deserving of her Oscar nomination and along with Kathy Bates, Joan Allen and Lisa Kudrow, she gives one of the best of the year. Watson never lives up to her bravura performance in “Breaking the Waves” which may continue to be a hindrance to her. In the long run, it will take absolute perfection to top it. Watson does, however, still give a good performance (better than most of what the Academy has honored this year, or in the recent past).

“Hilary and Jackie” is a film that will appeal more largely to women, with a few men finding it intriguing, but overall, the film is not a date movie, nor can it be perceived to be. It is a nice little film that resembles 1996’s “Shine” in many ways and in some ways outdoes it, but overall lacks a little sentiment that is desperately needed at times.