The Competition (1980)

Director:

Joel Oliansky

Writers:

Joel Oliansky (story) and
William Sackheim (story) ...

Release Date:

3 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Music

Tagline:

They broke the cardinal rule of the competition...they fell in love.

Plot:

The movie centers on a piano competition whose winner is assured of success. It is Paul's last chance to compete...

Plot Keywords:

Piano | Male Female Relationship | Orchestra | San Francisco California | Love Affair

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Paul Dietrich
Amy Irving	...	Heidi Joan Schoonover
Lee Remick	...	Greta Vandemann
Sam Wanamaker	...	Andrew Erskine
Joseph Cali	...	Jerry DiSalvo
Ty Henderson	...	Michael Humphries
Vicki Kriegler	...	Tatjana Baronova
Adam Stern	...	Mark Landau
Philip Sterling	...	Mr. Dietrich
Gloria Stroock	...	Mrs. Dietrich
Bea Silvern	...	Madame Gorshev
James Sikking	...	Brudenell (as James B. Sikking)
Delia Salvi	...	Mrs. DiSalvo
Jimmy Sturtevant	...	Vinnie DiSalvo
Kathy Talbot	...	Denise DiSalvo

Runtime:

123 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

When the film was released, the press releases promoted the fact that this was one of the rare times when the audience actually got to see the actors playing the keys of the piano. Most films that dealt with scenes or plots where characters play the piano would be shot from behind or in front of the piano so their hands were not visible. The actors for The Competition rehearsed so that they could actually mimic the hand movements of a pianist.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The piano fingering is often out of sync with the music, especially during Heidi's performance of Prokofiev's 3rd.

Quotes:

Paul: Nobody looks that good in direct sunlight, so it's not like you're such a knockout.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch: The Competition (#6.17)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major

Ambition, disappointment, sacrifice, love, betrayal...

Ostensibly about the competitiveness between gifted young pianists, this picture is actually about ambition, disappointment, sacrifice, love, betrayal and a lot more. By the time this film was made, Dreyfuss had already fallen into his period of self-adulation during which he exalted himself, but sometimes, sadly, not his work. Amy Irving had not yet married (and divorced) Steven Spielberg, a move that for many reasons probably ended her career in Hollywood. As leads, they both came to their roles in perfect form, and their intelligent and layered performances are the centerpiece of this astounding ensemble cast.

The movie does a great job of convincing us that we are looking through the keyhole into the rarefied world of young pianists who look upon the likes Vladimir Ashkenazy as a peer while still finding themselves as adults. They angst over their futures, which always seem just out of reach, and then render performances of the classical repertoire that amaze and delight. All the while, they trip through the comically serious pas de deux of youthful obsession.

Lee Remick is stunning as the demanding teacher to Heidi Joan Schoonover (Irving). I get the feeling that the original character was supposed to be a lesbian, but Remick's instrument won't play that note. Instead, she is a hard-nosed, totally serious, single-minded taskmaster who demands, and brings forth, the best from her pupil. Dreyfuss is the driven and desperate young man who, while gifted, has never been able to break through as a serious musician, and who, hounded by financial responsibilities and tempted by a job that cannot possibly provide more than a paycheck, runs the risk of being washed up at 25.

They become romantically involved, much to Remick's dismay, only to find themselves competing head to head for the most coveted prize in their field. Can they work it out knowing that only one of them can win? Hey, it's the 80's!

There are basically two kinds of movies. Those in which things happen, and those in which we get to know the characters. This is a shining example of the latter. I've loved this film since its original release, but I still yearn for a DVD edition.