| The Piano | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jane Campion |
| Written by | Jane Campion |
| Produced by | Jan Chapman |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Stuart Dryburgh |
| Edited by | Veronika Jenet |
| Music by | Michael Nyman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | BAC Films (France) Miramax[1] (Australia and New Zealand; through Buena Vista International[2] and Roadshow Film Distributors[3]) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 117 minutes |
| Countries | New Zealand Australia France |
| Languages | English Māori British Sign Language |
| Budget | US$7 million[4] |
| Box office | US$140 million[5] |
The Piano is a 1993 historical drama film written and directed by New Zealand filmmaker Jane Campion. It stars Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role. The film focuses on a mute Scottish woman who travels to a remote part of New Zealand with her young daughter after her arranged marriage to a settler. The plot has similarities to Jane Mander's 1920 novel, The Story of a New Zealand River, but also substantial differences. Campion has cited the novels Wuthering Heights and The African Queen as inspirations.[6]
An international co-production between New Zealand, Australia, and France, The Piano was a critical and commercial success, grossing US$140.2 million worldwide (equivalent to $295.7 million in 2023) against its US$7 million budget (equivalent to $14.8 million in 2023). It was noted for its crossover appeal beyond the arthouse circuit to attracting mainstream popularity, largely due to rave reviews and word of mouth.[7]
Hunter and Paquin both received high praise for their performances. In 1993, the film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, making Campion the first female director to receive the award. It won three Academy Awards out of eight total nominations in March 1994: Best Actress for Hunter, Best Supporting Actress for Paquin, and Best Original Screenplay for Campion. Paquin was 11 years old at the time and remains the second-youngest actor to win an Oscar in a competitive category.
- ^ "The Piano (1993)". Oz Movies. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "Top 100 Australian Feature Films of All Time". Screen Australia. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "The Piano (35mm)". Australian Classification Board. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
- ^ "Box Office Information for The Piano". TheWrap. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
- ^ Margolis 2000, p. 135.
- ^ Frey, Hillary (September 2000). "Field Notes: The Purloined Piano?". Lingua Franca.
- ^ Elaine Margolis, Harriett (2000). Jane Campion's The Piano. Cambridge University Press. p. 32. ISBN 978-0521592581.