The Competition (1980 film)
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| The Competition | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Joel Oliansky |
| Screenplay by | Joel Oliansky |
| Story by | Joel Oliansky William Sackheim |
| Produced by | William Sackheim |
| Starring | Richard Dreyfuss Amy Irving Lee Remick Sam Wanamaker |
| Cinematography | Richard H. Kline |
| Edited by | David Blewitt |
| Music by | Lalo Schifrin |
| Color process | Metrocolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 126 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10.1 million[1] |
| Box office | $14.3 million[2][3] |
The Competition is a 1980 American drama musical film starring Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving and Lee Remick, written and directed by Joel Oliansky.[4]
Plot
[edit]Paul Dietrich, a gifted but disillusioned classical pianist, is nearly 30 years old. He has never won a major piano competition and will soon be past the age limit to compete. Paul has accepted a job as a music teacher at a prep school in his hometown of Chicago, needing to help his mother and ailing father. However, he decides to compete one final time at an international piano competition in San Francisco, even though it could cost him the job.
The competition for a financial grant and two years of concert engagements pits the intense and arrogant Paul against a select group of talented artists. He advances to the final round of six, which includes brash New Yorker Jerry DiSalvo, who can only play one concerto; Michael Humphries; Canadian pianist Mark Landau; and a meek Kazakh girl, Tatiana Baronova.
Another contestant, Heidi Joan Schoonover, is a confident 23-year-old from Massachusetts who was romantically attracted to Paul after meeting him at an earlier music festival. Heidi's esteemed music teacher, Greta Vandemann, advises her to avoid letting personal matters hinder her concentration. Heidi is rebuffed by Paul, who also wants to avoid any distraction.
Before the finals, Tatiana's music teacher defects, causing the emotionally fragile Tatiana to have a nervous breakdown and the competition to be postponed for a week. Meanwhile, Paul's mother wants him to withdraw from the competition and focus on the teaching job, as his father is very ill and should no longer be working to support Paul's musical ambitions. Paul stays in the competition but feels guilty. He lashes out at Heidi during a meeting with the other contestants and the arrogant conductor.
Paul later apologizes to Heidi and they have a coffee date. Afterwards, at his hotel room, he pours his heart out to her about his family situation. Greta worries that Heidi and Paul's relationship may cost Heidi her competitive edge.
The competition is rescheduled. A reception for the contestants unexpectedly turns into a press conference for Tatiana, who is returning to the competition after meeting with her teacher. Paul is infuriated, believing sympathy for Tatiana is making her the favorite to win the competition. He criticizes Heidi for defending Tatiana and accuses her of not taking the competition seriously. Heidi realizes how much winning means to Paul and wants to drop out. Greta angrily chastises Paul, blaming him for exploiting Heidi's guilt over competing against him.
Paul tells Heidi that he loves her and persuades her to stay in the competition. Partway through her performance, Heidi's piano develops a technical problem, forcing her to stop. Rather than folding under pressure, Heidi demands to play a different concerto, requiring an orchestral rearrangement. She performs magnificently and wins the competition; Paul finishes in second place.
Heidi is ecstatic because she and Paul had agreed to form a partnership, combining their talents and resources to help one another, no matter who won. To her dismay, Paul is upset to realize that she is a more proficient player. He tells her he is unable to honor their partnership and leaves. However, Paul finally arrives at the celebration party following the competition, ready to take part in Heidi's victory and to be in her life.
Cast
[edit]- Richard Dreyfuss as Paul Dietrich
- Amy Irving as Heidi Joan Schoonover
- Lee Remick as Greta Vandemann
- Sam Wanamaker as Andrew Erskine
- Joseph Cali as Jerry DiSalvo
- Ty Henderson as Michael Humphries
- Vicki Kriegler as Tatiana Baronova
- Adam Stern as Mark Landau
- Bea Silvern as Madame Gorshev
- Gloria Stroock as Mrs. Dietrich
- Philip Sterling as Mr. Dietrich
- Priscilla Pointer as Mrs. Donellan
- James B. Sikking as Brudenell
- Delia Salvi as Mrs. DiSalvo
Music
[edit]- The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
Conducted by Lalo Schifrin - Ginastera, Piano Sonata No. 1
Eduardo Delgado, Pianist - Brahms, Piano Concerto No. 1
Ralph Grierson, Pianist - Chopin, Piano Concerto in E minor
Lincoln Mayorga, Pianist - Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major
Daniel Pollack, Pianist - Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 5
Chester B. Swiatkowski, Pianist - LOVE THEME - THE COMPETITION
(People Alone)
Music by Lalo Schifrin
Lyrics by Wilbur Jennings
Sung by Randy Crawford
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[5] | Best Film Editing | David Blewitt | Nominated |
| Best Original Song | "People Alone" Music by Lalo Schifrin; Lyrics by Will Jennings |
Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards[6] | Best Original Score | Lalo Schifrin | Nominated |
| Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actor | Richard Dreyfuss | Nominated |
| Stinkers Bad Movie Awards | Worst On-Screen Couple | Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ "AFI|Catalog".
- ^ "TMe: Box Office Tops from 1950-1959". Teako170.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
- ^ The Competition at Box Office Mojo
- ^ Variety film review; December 3, 1980, page 24.
- ^ "The 53rd Academy Awards (1981) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 2014-11-10. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
- ^ "The Competition – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
External links
[edit]- 1980 films
- 1980 romantic drama films
- American musical drama films
- American romantic drama films
- American romantic musical films
- Columbia Pictures films
- Films about competitions
- Films about pianos and pianists
- Films set in San Francisco
- Films shot in San Francisco
- Films scored by Lalo Schifrin
- 1980s English-language films
- 1980s American films
- English-language romantic drama films