The Competition (1980)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

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 | Competitive Edge | Cold War | Beethoven | Anger

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

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

One of my favorite all-time blends of music and romance

The blend of romance, music, and comedy and relevance of music to the modern world have never been so relevant. And the San Francisco locations are used for all they're worth by sumptuous photography. A feel-good movie that rings true throughout. The chemistry between Dreyfus and Irving alone is worth watching, but some of the lines such as "It costs extra to have the word "schmuck" added to a tombstone, but in your case it would be worth the expense." add to the movie's timelessness.