Directed by John Schlesinger • 1988 • United Kingdom
Starring Shirley MacLaine, Navin Chowdhry, Shabana Azmi

Manek (Navin Chowdhry) is the son of a poor divorcee from India living in London whose extraordinary talent for the piano leads his school to arrange lessons for him with Madame Sousatzka (Shirley MacLaine, wonderfully larger-than-life in one of her most colorful performances), a formidably competent, dedicated, and eccentric spinster. She takes the boy completely under her wing, teaching him how to live as well as how to play in this touching, richly human drama about music, passion, and life from acclaimed director John Schlesinger.