Shine is a 1996 Australian biographical psychological drama film directed by Scott Hicks from a screenplay by Jan Sardi, based on the life of David Helfgott, a pianist who suffered a mental breakdown and spent years in institutions.

The film stars Armin Mueller-Stahl, Noah Taylor, Geoffrey Rush, Lynn Redgrave, Googie Withers, Sonia Todd and John Gielgud.

Despite his manic mode of speech being difficult to understand, a waitress, Sylvia, learns that his name is David Helfgott and that he is staying at a local hotel.

As a child, David is growing up in suburban Adelaide, South Australia, and competing in the musical competition of a local Eisteddfod.

Crushed, David continues to study and befriends local novelist and co-founder of the Communist Party of Australia, Katharine Susannah Prichard.

In London, David studies under Dr. Cecil Parkes and enters a music competition, choosing to play Sergei Rachmaninoff's demanding 3rd Piano Concerto, a piece he had attempted to learn as a young child to make his father proud.

David wins the competition, but suffers a mental breakdown and is admitted to a psychiatric hospital where he receives electroshock therapy.

As time passes, David has difficulty adjusting to life in broader society again, and often leaves the hotel to stimulate his interests.

With Gillian's help and support, David is able to come to terms with his father's death and to stage a well-received comeback concert, presaging his return to professional music.

[4] However, Hicks faced resistance from investors in his decision to cast Rush, who was then a theatre actor with no major projects to his name.

"The difference there was the person we were dealing with had seen Geoffrey Rush on stage in Sydney and so knew what I was talking about when I said this actor is extraordinary," Hicks said.

The critical consensus states, "featuring a strong performance from Geoffrey Rush, Shine succeeds in telling a compelling, inspirational story without resorting to cheap sentimentality".

She states that Peter Helfgott's decision to prevent David from going overseas at the age of 14 was a reasonable judgment that he was not ready for such independence.