RE:GG Shine veracity

[Bruce Petherick <bruceep@ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU>]

At 21:19 27/12/96 -0500, KImmoor@aol.com wrote:
>   I was able to finally see Shine yesterday, and I have to say that it was
>indeed an excellent movie. I do have one question for the true Helfgott fans
>out there (Bruce, as the emergency musicologist, perhaps you would know?); at
>the end of the film I could swear that a very quick disclaimer flashes on
>that says (I paraphrase, but the intent is the same) "Although the characters
>of David and Gillian Helfgott are real, the events portrayed in this film are
>fiction." It got me wondering, other than the basic points of a) his uncanny
>childhood musical accomplishment, b) his late adolescent nervous breakdown,
>and c) his adulthood restaurant performances and marriage to Gillian, how
>much of the storyline of Shine is based on actual history? Were his sisters
>consulted for the scenes of childhood, were Royal College staff contacted for
>input on the college scenes? Has David recovered to the point where he could
>provide cogent autobiographical information? I know that Gillian's biography
>of David is set to be released as a tie-in to the film, but other than that,
>where did the story of Shine come from?

Hi,
 As far as I know, the biography came first (ie the book concept. I am never
too sure if it was published before the film was released or not).  A lot of
the "bad" publicity regarding the film was from family members who said that
the file treated <insert relevant member here, usually his father> badly and
she/he wasn't that bad.  I have had some personal correspondence with
someone who knows his first wife, and she is quite upset about the film,
although she publicly states that the film is "fiction".  David has
recovered, if it is at all possible, and is doing a lot of recording and
performing, _but_ I have not see anything directly from him in the media.
One must wonder what he thinks about it all.
        As to who was consulted etc, I am not sure - probably out of my
musicologist league :->
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Bruce Petherick                          |
24 Hour emergency Musicologist           |
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