Richard Brooks
THE sister of pianist David Helfgott has mounted an extraordinary attack on= Sh
ine, the critically acclaimed film which tells his life story. Margaret Hel= fgo
tt, who lives in Israel, has sent a British newspaper a detailed account to= de
monstrate that the portrayal of the relationship between her late father Pe= ter
, and David, her younger brother who suffered a major breakdown which sever= ely
disrupted
his career, is “a complete travesty”.
Margaret Helfgott says: “There are totally fictitious scenes created to sho= w m y father as an unfeeling and brutal man, who drove David insane”. Her broth= er=20
Leslie and her mother Rachel have strongly objected to the film portrayal.
The Rev Bob Fairman, director of a residential care centre where the pianis= t l ived for seven years after Peter’s death and his subsequent breakdown, says= th
at David never made a derogatory remark about his father.
Not all of David’s family believe the film is a travesty. Two of his other = sis
ters, Suzie and Louise, are keeping silent, while Gillian, his wife, played= by
Lynn Redgrave in Shine, says: “We should feel sorry for Margaret. Scott Hi=
cks
made the film with dignity and integrity.”
David Helfgott himself is keeping quiet, although Margaret Helfgott maintai= ns=20
this is because he is controlled by his wife.=20