A Genius in the Family, the book written by my brother Piers and myself, is the story of our family and our life with Jackie. It is simply our view from within.
About three years ago Oxford Films approached us, wanting to make a film based on the book. They asked many probing and detailed questions and became deeply involved in the lives of our family. Contrary to popular advice we trusted that their interpretation would not distort the honest picture we had tried to present.
One evening, the director, Anand Tucker, visited us to describe the film. He began with the first scene and quickly became engrossed. Clearly, he had envisaged the entire film in minute detail. My husband Kiffer, Piers and I were extremely moved by his total and passionate involvement. Two and a quarter years later Piers and I sat in a darkened theatre consumed with a heady mixture of excitement and anxiety. I had given my book much of my life in trust to Oxford Films. They have honoured that trust and captured the essence and spirit of the story. Piers and I were overwhelmed and unable to move for half an hour afterwards.
The script by Frank Cottrell Boyce has been written with tenderness, imagination and extraordinary perception. The actors were completely absorbed in their characters, and they all ring true. They are, without exception, a stunning cast.
Barrington Pheloung's score is masterly. It is a marvellous weaving of his original composition around the Elgar, other cello works and our Holiday Song. Barrington contacted me to ask if, as children, we had any favourite music. I told him about our song, sung only on holiday, with varying harmonies and embellishments. It is the main theme, and he makes haunting use of its simplicity. His music slips skillfully amongst the intense emotions portrayed in the film. Whether it is humour, anger, pain, joy, despair or hope, the music always enhances the emotional and visual impact. Apart from the Elgar, the cello voice on the soundtrack is of Caroline Dale. She has achieved an extraordinary degree of "cello acting" in catching the spirit and sound of Jackie.
The Cello Concerto was Elgar's last major work. Initially it was regarded as poorly crafted and was little known until Jackie played it. Certainly no cellist before Jackie had managed to probe its depths. It had remained misunderstood, unloved and infrequently performed. It is profoundly English, deeply nostalgic and painfully retrospective ideal territories for Jackie.
When Jackie played there was complete fusion between herself, her cello and the music. There were no barriers, no seams. She was the music; as Jackie often said, it "belonged" to her, and she transported her listeners to hitherto unexplored and unexpected realms. Her sound and her capacities were unique. Her playing still tears me to shreds.
In her performances of the Elgar Jackie infused the Concerto with her instinctive understanding, colour and passion. She created a wonderful mixture of youth and age that cut immediately into everyone's hearts. She made the Elgar not only a central piece in the cello repertoire, but universally loved. It needed her, she loved it, and together they made each other.
-- Hilary du Pré October 1998
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Hilary and Jacky Links :
The official movie-page.
Varsity's Interview with Emily Watson.
The trailer in Real Video.
The trailer in QuickTime.
