David, a young Australian boy, discovers he's got...

Rating: Null/10 (9 August 1999)

David, a young Australian boy, discovers he's got a gift - he can play a piano like a master. When he gets an offer from a music school in London his father gets furious and says he will split the family if he leaves. But the boy leaves and his father is devastated.
Shine isn't a typical "Hollywood" movie about a boy where everything is bittersweet and everyone smiles and says happy things. No, this is a movie about true life and the tough way in growing up and become an adult. It's a story about a boy trying to be accepted in the world.
The movie is based on a true story. I don't really know what the plot wants to say, but I have some ideas:
1. The family itself is important, therefore you shouldn't move away to another country or so. 2. Not everyone can be famous. 3. Maybe as David's father says in the film: "Life is a struggle you have to fight".
This is a movie filled with sorrow, happiness and some really good performances, among them Geoffrey Rush as David when he's an adult. The performance also gave him a well deserved Academy Award.
Shine is one of those movies that you can watch again, trying to understand it even more.