Synopsis
David Helfgott, a gifted pianist, struggles through childhood as his dysfunctional father abuses him and his siblings. Years later, he suffers a mental breakdown but manages to return as a legend.
Scores
Overall Score
80.5
Popularity Percentile (Year)
74.1%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
85.1%
Review Aggregate
86.9
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is largely positive, with 88% of 25 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, emotional, character-driven. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.
historicalemotionalcharacter-drivenromanticsuspensefuluplifting
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armin Mueller-Stahl | 1996 | $289,000 | $578,000 | (est) |
| Noah Taylor | 1996 | $178,000 | $356,000 | (est) |
| Geoffrey Rush | 1996 | $134,000 | $268,000 | (est) |
| Lynn Redgrave | 1996 | $109,000 | $219,000 | (est) |
| Googie Withers | 1996 | $94,000 | $187,000 | (est) |
| Sonia Todd | 1996 | $82,000 | $165,000 | (est) |
| John Gielgud | 1996 | $74,000 | $148,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score91.0
RT critic review count44
Rotten Tomatoes audience score90.0
RT audience rating count25,000
IMDb rating7.6
IMDb votes58,244
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1996 | $35,892,330 | $71,761,784 |
| International | 1996 | $106,751 | $213,434 |
| Worldwide | 1996 | $35,999,081 | $71,975,218 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1996 | $17,988,865 | $35,966,266 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1996 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1996 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1996 | $33,912,000 | $67,802,386 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1996 | $40,176,000 | $80,326,394 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1996 | $8,973,082 | $17,940,446 |
| Total Revenues | 1996 | $101,049,948 | $202,035,492 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1996 | $6,000,000 | $11,996,176 |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1996 | $7,500,000 (est) | $14,995,220 (est) |
| Participations | 1996 | $8,084,000 | $16,162,848 |
| Residuals ? | 1996 | $5,904,000 | $11,804,237 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1996 | $1,200,000 | $2,399,235 |
| Total Expenses | 1996 | $28,688,000 | $57,357,716 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1996 | $72,361,948 | $144,677,776 |
Similar Movies
| Poster | Movie | Year | Match | Overall | Est. Profit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Walk the Line | 2005 | Shared genres: 4 | 93.3 | $87,356,567 |
 | Judy | 2019 | Shared genres: 4 | 83.8 | $16,609,474 |
 | La Vie En Rose | 2007 | Shared genres: 4 | 82.0 | $25,423,497 |
 | Priscilla | 2023 | Shared genres: 4 | 78.9 | $-8,301,748 |
 | I Still Believe | 2020 | Shared genres: 4 | 75.3 | $27,199,189 |