The Woman Who Made The Competition (1980) Feel Real: Jean Evensen Shaw

When Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving sat down at grand pianos for the 1980 drama The Competition, the film’s credibility was on the line. A story about classical musicians battling through a high-stakes piano contest would collapse if the performances looked fake. Surprisingly, they didn’t. The secret was Jean Evensen Shaw, the classically trained pianist who coached the actors to look like they belonged on a concert stage.

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Hollywood’s Problem with Faking Music Scenes

Most films about musicians rely on camera tricks to sell the illusion—tight shots of a professional’s hands, clever editing, or blurred angles to hide the fact that the actor isn’t really playing. It works for casual viewers, but to anyone with musical experience, it looks off.

That’s why critics were startled by The Competition. Roger Ebert praised how natural Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving looked, their fingers matching the soundtrack with precision. The Washington Post called the effect “audio-visual make-believe,” marveling that the actors truly looked like they were assaulting the keyboard. For a Hollywood movie, this level of realism was rare.

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Jean Evensen Shaw’s Behind-the-Scenes Training

The credit belongs to Jean Evensen Shaw. Brought in as the film’s music consultant, Shaw spent months training the actors before filming began.

• Amy Irving had some background—she’d studied piano as a child, which gave Shaw a foundation to work with.

• Richard Dreyfuss, on the other hand, had never played. Worse, his small hands made the intricate fingering of classical piano nearly impossible.

Shaw adapted the pieces for him, teaching simplified movements that still looked convincing on camera. She even coached him between takes, drilling posture, timing, and rhythm until his motions synced perfectly with the soundtrack.

By the time production started, neither Dreyfuss nor Irving were pianists—but they could act like pianists with startling believability.

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Why Authenticity Mattered

A drama about competition at the highest levels of classical music needs authenticity. If the actors looked fake, the emotional core would collapse. Instead, Shaw’s coaching made the performances convincing enough for audiences to immerse themselves in the story.

This attention to detail still stands out today. Even modern music dramas often cut corners, but The Competition showed what happens when filmmakers insist on realism. Jean Evensen Shaw gave the movie its credibility—something invisible to most viewers but essential to its impact.

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Bonus Notes: Oscar Gold and a Conductor’s Slip

While Shaw shaped the piano scenes, the film also earned attention for its music in another way. Composer Lalo Schifrin wrote the song “People Alone,” which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Though critics like Ebert felt it clashed with the piano-heavy score, the nod gave the film its only brush with Oscar glory.

Another fun story comes from Sam Wanamaker, who played a conductor. He studied the role so thoroughly that he once tricked a real orchestra into following his cues, briefly throwing them off. It’s a lighthearted reminder of how committed the cast and crew were to realism.

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The Forgotten Hero of The Competition

Today, The Competition is a forgotten gem of 1980 cinema. But its realism—especially in the piano performances—still shines. Jean Evensen Shaw didn’t appear on screen, but her expertise shaped the film. Without her, the illusion of mastery would have fallen apart. With her, the actors gave performances that still fool audiences more than 40 years later.

Shaw may not be a household name, but her work is a testament to the hidden artistry that makes movies believable. Sometimes the most essential star isn’t the one in front of the camera, but the coach behind it.

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Quick details about The Competition

• Film: The Competition (1980)

• Director: Joel Oliansky

• Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, Amy Irving, Sam Wanamaker

• Music Consultant: Jean Evensen Shaw

• Oscar Nomination: Best Original Song, “People Alone” by Lalo Schifrin

Tags

• The Competition 1980

• Richard Dreyfuss

• Amy Irving

• Jean Evensen Shaw

• 1980s Movies

• Movies of the 80s

• Music in Movies

• Oscar Nominated Songs

• Lalo Schifrin