Shine (film) Shine (film) Shine is a 1996 Australian biographical drama film based on the life of pianist David Helfgott, who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions. It stars Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, John Gielgud, Googie Withers, Justin Braine, Sonia Todd, Nicholas Bell, Chris Haywood and Alex Rafalowicz. The screenplay was written by Jan Sardi, and directed by Scott Hicks. The film made its US premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. In 1997, Geoffrey Rush was awarded the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 69th Academy Awards for his performance in the lead role.
Quills director Philip Kaufman's approach as "brutally horrific, vulgarly unamusing," creating a film that succeeds only as "soft-gore porn." Kenneth Turan of the "Los Angeles Times" dismissed the film as an "overripe contrivance masquerading as high art", while de Sade biographer Neil Schaeffer in "The Guardian" criticized the film for historical inaccuracies and for simplifying de Sade's complex life (see below). Although not winning any major awards, "Quills" was prominently nominated several times. "Quills" received three Oscar nominations at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards for Actor in a Leading Role (Geoffrey Rush, previous winner for 1996's "Shine"), Art Direction (Art: Martin