Movies Starring the Cello
I’m always game for a good movie with a compelling story line. While volunteering for this year’s Atlanta Film Festival, I had a conversation with one of the patrons that got me thinking about movies that feature the cello. If the cello is your thing, then below are some movies (or scenes) you might want to check out:
This movie is based on the book The Soloist, by Steve Lopez, which is a true story about a child prodigy cellist named Nathaniel Ayers who developed schizophrenia while attending Julliard and later became homeless. Jamie Foxx plays Nathaniel Ayers and Robert Downey Jr. plays the reporter Steve Lopez. The two men develop a profound relationship after Lopez hears Ayers playing the violin on the street and is able to get him a new cello and a cellist mentor. This is an emotionally intense movie that will make you cry and smile as you follow this tragically brilliant cellist who had the misfortune of manifesting a severe mental illness in the prime of his life.
Take the Money and Run (1969)
The cello only appears in the opening scenes of this comedy satire Woody Allen movie, but those appearances are memorable and hilarious, giving you an essential understanding of the protagonist: an inept criminal named Virgil Starkwell. Starkwell took cello lessons very seriously as a child even though his teacher never had anything good to say about him, except that he loved his cello very much.
The interview with his cello teacher was probably the worst review one could ever give a student, but it was his deadpan delivery that made the scene so funny. He said out loud what a lot of music teachers are probably thinking in their heads but would never have the nerve to say externally to students or parents. One scene shows the cello flying out of a 2nd story window of the Starkwell household. Another shows Virgil trying to keep up with the marching band. For me, that scene alone was worth the price of the download. Fair warning: the scene when the neighborhood bullies destroy Virgil’s cello is not for the faint of heart. The rest of the movie is dryly funny in that Woody Allen sort of a way.
Hillary and Jackie (1998)
And, of course, there is HILLARY AND JACKIE, which is supposed to be the story of sibling rivalry and dedication between Jacqueline du Pré (who was arguably one of the world’s greatest cellists) and her sister Hillary, who was a talented flute player. It must be mentioned that the truthfulness of this film has been vehemently challenged by Jacqueline’s teachers and others - even though it was based on conversations with her brother and sister. My cello teacher introduced me to some of Jacqueline du Pre’s recordings somewhere in the midst of my high school years. It was very inspiring to hear how great she willed herself to play even though MS had taken away most of the feeling in her fingers.
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The main character, Nina, is beside herself with grief after the passing of her boyfriend, Jamie, a cellist. While Nina is in deep despair, Jamie reappears as a cello-playing ghost and the couple is temporarily reconciled. Although Nina is ecstatic, we learn Jamie’s true intentions by the end of the film. He wanted to tarnish Nina’s idealized image of him so that she would feel free to move on. How haunting and beautiful.
Love In The Afternoon (1957)
This is an older romantic movie starring Audrey Hepburn as a young femme fatale cellist who gets caught up in some risky business while trying to prevent her eventual love interest from committing a horrible crime. Supposedly, Audrey did the basic cello playing herself.
These are just some of the movies with cello features that really piqued my interest. There are definitely others out there that I’m still planning to watch – starting with this list of recommendations below:
Gauche The Cellist, a 1934 short story by Japan’s Miyazawa Kenji
Micki and Maude (Directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, 1984)
The Living Daylights (1987)
A Song from the Heart (TV Movie, 1999)
Audrey Williams is an associate member of the Recording Academy and a blogger for Behind the Bridge.
