80
The movie felt fresh and resonant in spite of its overall familiarity.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
80
Told from both women's points of view, this fascinating, if sometimes overwrought, tale packs a wallop.
50
As drama, Hilary and Jackie is merely sketchy and superficial. As a portrait of the artist, it's puritanical crap.
80
Eye-grabbing performances from Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths, who portray celebrated British cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her older sister, Hilary, distinguish this ambitious but flawed biography.
100
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Emily Watson is ravishingly good -- and brings an amazing focus and intensity to what could have been a disease-of-the-week picture.
90
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
It takes two to be sisters, two to have a rivalry, and two exceptional actresses to turn Hilary and Jackie into a compelling look at the most intimate and troubling of family dynamics.
80
TV Guide Magazine by Maitland McDonagh
First-time feature director Tucker displays an astonishingly assured touch, allowing his phenomenal cast to creep into their characters' skins and surrounding them with images of shimmering and slightly threatening beauty.
80
Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan
Hilary and Jackie plumbs the cistern of family dysfunction and musical genius to profound and haunting effect.
67
Austin Chronicle by Russell Smith
For all its knock-'em-dead acting and aggressively stylish direction, Hilary and Jackie is still best described as arthouse comfort food.
80
Washington Post by Stephen Hunter
The movie is exquisitely directed by Anand Tucker in an anti-documentary style that sometimes fractures the time sequence, sometimes re-creates moments impressionistically instead of objectively and is vivid in style.