The Piano
Seen it?1993 | 120 min | Drama, Romance
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won 3 Oscars, it made about 20 times its budget and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics. If you loved The Big Country, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Warm and romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect violence and sex.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When an arranged marriage brings Ada and her spirited pre-teen daughter Flora to the wilderness of 19th-century New Zealand, she finds herself locked in a battle of wills with both her controlling husband and a rugged frontiersman to whom she develops a forbidden attraction.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 89 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.4 out of 10
- AwardsVery strong
Won 3 Oscars: Academy Awards: Best Actress, Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress, Academy Awards: Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen. Won 1 Golden Globe: Golden Globe Awards: Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. Won 3 BAFTAs: British Academy Film Awards: Best Actress in a Leading Role, British Academy Film Awards: Best Costume Design, British Academy Film Awards: Best Production Design. Won 1 WGA Award: Writers Guild of America Awards: Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen. Won 1 PGA Award: Producers Guild of America Awards: Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures. Won 1 Independent Spirit Award: Independent Spirit Awards: Best International Film. Also nominated for 5 more Oscars, 5 more Golden Globes and 7 more BAFTAs. Plus 11 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$140 million worldwide on a $7 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 494K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jane Campion
- Holly HunterAda McGrath
- Harvey KeitelGeorge Baines
- Sam NeillAlisdair Stewart
- Anna PaquinFlora McGrath
- Cliff CurtisMana
- Kerry WalkerAunt Morag
- Ian MuneReverend
- Geneviève LemonNessie
- Pete SmithHone
- Bruce AllpressBlind Piano Tuner