Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

kijii This movie combines two of my favorite subjects: classical piano concertos and competitions. Here, Paul Dietrich (Richard Dreyfuss) must decide whether to get a real job or continue his attempt—at his parents' expense—to become a great concert pianist. Though things don't look too promising at his age, he decides to take one LAST attempt at his long-planned career as a concert pianist before "throwing in the towel." This chance arises with an announced competition in San Francisco. When he arrives, another pianist, Hiedie Joan Schoonover (Amy Irvin), recognizes him from a previous competition at Tanglewood even though he pretends not to recognize her at first. Paul vows NOT to become romantically involved with her since he knows that personal involvement and competition do not mix!!! However, an unforeseen delay in the finals, coupled with devastating news from home, draws Paul to Heidi in spite of his vow. Another element to the story is that Heidi's teacher, Greta Vandermann (Lee Remick), wants to continue a teacher-pupil linage which stems clear back to Beethoven. So, this competition is also Greta's chance to continue this linage. The movie is also enhanced by Sam Wanamaker, who makes a great temperamental conductor. For the record, in the portrayed competition: Paul performs Beethoven's Emperor Concerto and Heidi performs Prokofiev's 3rd Piano Concerto.

moonspinner55 Richard Dreyfuss plays an egocentric jerk to perfection. His agitated mannerisms and witty retorts were becoming something of a pain around the time of this film's release (critics said he was phoning it in); however, looked at these many years later, one can see Dreyfuss' apparent dedication to bringing out the humanity in a puffed-up non-celebrity like his Paul Dietrich, and (despite a make-over on Dreyfuss that gives him a disconcertingly wizened appearance) he's the best thing in the movie. Plot about a piano competition has too many muddled sub-plots among its participants, though virginal Amy Irving's first affair with Dreyfuss is played out quite honestly. The piano mimicry is fabulous, giving the finale a real kick, but most of the supporting characters just get in the way. The overall feel of the picture is maudlin and stuffy, and the film's gray, chilly look is a visual downer. ** from ****

J J Brannon This film about a piano competition made plain that the real competition was to find out how to see what was really important in one's life.As good a pianist as Dreyfus was, it was obvious from the film in how he seized direction of the orchestra, that he had the seeds of greatness as a conductor.And, in the end, he gave Lee Remick the lie when she said that great line to Amy Irving: "No man is that good."The disparate goals entwined in the side stories of the other contestants underscored Irving's purity of purpose. Only she sought the piano for the love of the piano.In many ways, Dreyfus' character evoked Jack Nicholson's Oedipean quest for paternal acceptance of worth in the classic _Five Easy Pieces_.Dreyfus was also able to play "young", since he was 33 when the film was released, whereas Irving was actually 25 when the film was made.

smoke0 In 1980 this was a heartwarming love story. In 2005 this is a stale piece of soap. Stand by Your Man should have been the piece Amy Irving played in the competition, because throughout the entire film her character's growth consists of becoming a doormat for the Richard Dreyfus character. I could hardly sit through this two decades later, amazed at Irving's masochistic need to take anything Dreyfus dished out.In this movie, love means having to say you are sorry, over and over again, especially when you have nothing to be sorry for.Ugh.