The Piano

A romantic drama film released in 1993, The Piano details a young, mute woman's struggle into adulthood with her beloved piano in tow. Written and directed by Jane Campion and starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel and Anna Paquin, the movie was the recipient of three Oscars and numerous other awards, including the Writers Guild of America award for best screenplay.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107822/awards

Set in 1851, Ada, mute and with a young daughter underfoot, arrives in New Zealand for a prearranged marriage. Stewart, her newlywed, practical husband, first refuses to transport Ada's prized piano, and ultimately ends up selling it to a neighbor. When the neighbor asks Ada to be his piano teacher, she is reluctant to pay the high price necessary to regain access to her cherished instrument.http://www.reelviews.net/movies/p/piano.html

"It is one of those rare movies that is not just about a story, or some characters, but about a whole universe of feeling - of how people can be shut off from each other, lonely and afraid, about how help can come from unexpected sources, and about how you'll never know if you never ask."—Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Timeshttp://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19931119/REVIEWS/311190302/1023

"The Piano is a solid motion picture with a universal message and occasional splashes of genius, but it is remarkable only as Holly Hunter's performance is concerned. While it's true that individuals will attribute a different importance to the various flaws, there exists the possibility that anyone going to see The Piano with the expectation of watching the best movie of the year, will leave the theater disappointed."—James Berardinelli, ReelViewshttp://www.reelviews.net/movies/p/piano.html

• Holly Hunter as Ada McGrath

• Harvey Keitel as George Baines

• Sam Neill as Stewart

• Anna Paquin as Flora McGrath

• Kerry Walker as Aunt Morag