Shine Page #3

David attacks the keys with such gusto that the piano inches

forward. HE hooks his foot around the leg of the stool and

drit in. He plays on. The piano moves again. He blurs

some notes. Again he readjusts the stool without missing a

beat; pages of his score flutter to the ground but David

plays on, undaunted, to the end. Rosen watches the

courageous performance with wry amazement. Peter arrives

backstage flustered. To the ANNOUNCER :

Peter

The piano, it is disgraceful.

The piano slews forward. David stands and plays the final

few bars with awesome intensity.

Announcer

This kid's good; he's great.

A moment.

Peter

He's my son!

EXT. HELFGOTT HOUSE - DAY

The expectant faces of two young girls loom large as they

look down the street from their perch in a tree - Margaret,

12, and SUZIE, 5.

Suzie

Did he win or lose?

Along the street, David walks a few paces behind Peter.

Margaret

He lost.

David jumps over the cracks in the pavement.

Margaret

Now we'll all cop it. Damn you David Helfgott.

INT. HELFGOTT HOUSE - DAY

Peter broods, his mind turning over. A scratch recording of

Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto plays on the gramophone.

David moves a chess piece and waits for Peter.

RACHEL HELFGOTT, Peter's wife, lights the woodstove. Her

face, once beautiful, is now blanketed by the gollow look of

years of submission. Margaret is doing homeowrk on the

kitchen table.

David

IT's your turn, Daddy.

Peter flicks a look at the board a moves a piece.

Peter

You know, David, when I was your age, I bought a violin, I

saved for that violin, it was a beautiful violin. All

listen to the story they've heard before. Do you know what

happened to it?

David glances at a photo of a stern rabbi high up on the

wall.

David

He smashed it.

A moment, the Peter slams his fist on the small table,

knocking some chess pieces off.

Peter

You are a lucky boy. MY father never let me have music.

David

I know, Daddy.

Peter

You are very lucky.

David

Yes Daddy.

(lights up.)

Will I play for you?

Peter

No. You pick up these pieces.

David proceeds to on hands and knees while Peter goes to

switch the gramophone off.

Margaret

(to David)

I bet I could've won.

Peter

(in Yiddish)

Quiet.

David pokes a face at Margaret. She does the same to him,

careful for Peter not to see. David gallops the knight

across the board. There's a knock at the frond door.

Margaret makes to go.

Peter

Margaret!

She stops.

Peter

I told you, tell your friends not to come.

She sits. There's another knock which Peter ignores.

EXT. HELFGOTT HOUSE. SIDEWAY - DAY

BEN Rosen walks around the sideway of the dilapidated old

house, uncertain if there's anyone home. He spots someone

in the backyard.

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