Watch Hilary and Jackie

Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical drama film based on the true story of the lives of the two sisters, Hilary and Jacqueline du Pré. It is a powerful, moving, and triumphantly eccentric portrait of two exceptional women whose lives were intertwined by music, passion, and sisterhood. The film is directed by Anand Tucker and stars Emily Watson as the older sister, Hilary, and Rachel Griffiths as the younger sister, Jackie.

The film is set in the years between the 1940s and the 1980s and begins with two sisters growing up in a noisy and loving household, where their mother is a frustrated classical pianist and their father, a gifted music teacher. The film follows their music careers, as Hilary becomes a pianist and Jackie a cellist, and their love affairs, marriages, and eventual estrangement.

Emily Watson is outstanding as Hilary, the more serious and studious of the two sisters, who is initially seen playing a piano during a concert. Her performance conveys Hilary's passion for music, her dedication to her art, and the sacrifices she makes in the name of her art. Rachel Griffiths is equally impressive as Jackie, the younger and more impulsive sister, who falls in love with the cello when she is a child and who goes on to become one of the most celebrated cellists of her generation.

The film is structured in a non-linear fashion, with flashbacks and flash-forwards that explore the sisters' relationship and their individual struggles. The narrative is also enriched by interviews with friends and family members, which provide a greater sense of intimacy and insight into the sisters' personalities and motivations.

Hilary and Jackie is a moving and compelling drama that deals with the themes of sibling rivalry, artistic ambition, love, and sacrifice. The film is also a meditation on the power of music to connect people, to express emotions, and to transcend boundaries. The du Pré sisters were not only gifted musicians, but also pioneers who transformed the public perception of classical music in the 1960s and brought it to new audiences around the world.

Overall, Hilary and Jackie is a beautifully crafted film that captures the spirit and legacy of two extraordinary women, who lived their lives to the fullest and who were united by their love of music. The film is a poignant and uplifting tribute to their talents, their passions, and their bond.

Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 drama with a runtime of 2 hours. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 78.