Hilary and Jackie

11/20/2025

The tragic story of acclaimed cellist Jacqueline du Pré (Emily Watson) is one I was already familiar with, but I had no idea that her sister Hilary (Rachel Griffiths) was also an accomplished flautist nor that there was allegedly a bit of fluidity amidst their marital relationships. Initially, both are encouraged when they are very young by parents (Celia Imrie and Charles Dance) to practice hard and to play to their best, and before long they are both regulars on the concert circuit. Despite being younger, it’s the more outgoing Jackie who emerges the more popular whilst Hilary marries the effusive Kiffer (David Morrisey), starts a family and moves to a remote country home. It’s on a visit to that home that the boundaries between the sisters are significantly redrawn, and even though Dani