A Star Is Born (1976)

Director:

Frank Pierson

Writers:

William A. Wellman (1937 story) and
Robert Carson (1937 story) ...

Release Date:

17 December 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Musical | Romance

Plot:

A has-been rock star falls in love with a young, up-and-coming songstress.

Plot Keywords:

Rock Star | Star | Singer | Rise And Fall | Live Recording

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Barbra Streisand	...	Esther Hoffman
Kris Kristofferson	...	John Norman Howard
Gary Busey	...	Bobbie Ritchie
Oliver Clark	...	Gary Danziger
Venetta Fields	...	One of the Oreos
Clydie King	...	One of the Oreos
Marta Heflin	...	Quentin
M.G. Kelly	...	Bebe Jesus
Sally Kirkland	...	Photographer
Joanne Linville	...	Freddie
Uncle Rudy	...	Mo
Paul Mazursky	...	Brian
Stephen Bruton	...	Speedway
Sammy Lee Creason	...	Speedway (as Sam Creason)
Cleve Dupin	...	Speedway

Also Known As:

Rainbow Road (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Downtown, Tucson, Arizona, USA

Company:

Barwood Films

Trivia:

The version of "Evergreen" during the recording studio scene is a live recording, filmed in a single take. This was done at the insistence of Barbra Streisand: she hates doing lip sync work; she wanted to be able to have closeups during the scene (which would expose any flaws in lip sync); and she wanted a more "natural" feel to that version (as evidenced by the kissing and laughing). Kris Kristofferson, however, was very reluctant about singing live on screen, and had to be talked into it. A more formal studio recording was used for the final credits and soundtrack album.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the swimming pool scene after the motorcycle accident at the stadium concert, John N Howard has Ace bandages on his foot and right hand. Yet, he is shown using the right hand to use a pair of crutches (would be too painful with a wrist sprain). He is also shown swimming, which is also painful to sprained joints. He is not shown wincing at all while swimming. He also puts weight on his right hand as he is getting out of the pool, pushing up on his fingertips on a straightened wrist. This would not be possible without severe pain, if the wrist is in fact damaged enough to require an Ace bandage.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: Val's Boyfriend (#3.18)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

EVERYTHING

Don't watch too closely now...

I enjoyed this 70's remake of the marvellous Judy Garland / James Mason classic from the 50's (itself a remake, film snobs) more than I expected without accepting that one isolated minute in it was better than its counterpart in the predecessor. A rocky update of the story is a decent idea and in fact lends itself well to the story-line and if the execution is a bit clunky and now dated, that's both pardonable and understandable.

Things I liked - well let's start with Kris Kristofferson who, with the more difficult part, certainly convinces as a hell-raising rock star, fuelled by drugs and alcohol, aware of tastes and fashions passing him by but with enough perception to see Streisand's Esther as the future. It's fun trying to pick out rock prototypes for his John Norman Howard character - I'm between Jim Morrison and Leon Russell myself, the latter married at the time ironically to sultry singer Rita Coolidge who herself gets a brief cameo appearance, while Howard's behaviour at Streisand's little night club where he "discovers" her recalls an infamous out of control episode in the "lost weekend" period in John Lennon's life, if memory serves. A pity they couldn't have trusted the writer of classics like "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "Me And Bobby McGee" to contribute some of his own songs to the soundtrack and certainly his signature song here "Watch Closely Now" gets done to death.

I also quite enjoyed the soundtrack. I'm no fan of La Diva Streisand's singing or indeed acting but at least in her vocals she exercises some restraint and delivers a surprising variety of material demonstrating at least some versatility on her part, from the title-theme ballad "Evergreen", (the gorgeous music to which was, surprisingly enough written by her), light Labelle-type funk of "I Believe in Love" and the big torch ballad "The Woman in the Moon" which while beneath Judy's "The Man That Got Away", covers the same territory in a still acceptable way.

Things not to like - Streisand herself does a reasonable job and initially tones down her trademark "kooky" and "sensitive" personae a bit but you never really believe in her as a real person. Unfortunately as the film progresses so does her profile and we get embarrassingly lame scenes with the couple coo-ing at each other in various locations including a candle-surrounded bath scene, Streisand overacting furiously as she argues with a cassette-tape of Howard's voice after he's done his James Dean-type exit from the planet and worst of all that single long shot of her singing the finale medley, which is when you appreciate that yes, it's just another Barbie vanity exercise after all (especially when you see her name down as executive producer).

The dialogue is pretty rock-star cliché throughout and some of the situations come across very second-hand too (Howard snorting up before every show, his assaults on a critical dee-jay, Streisand's MOR music somehow wowing a crowd of rock 'n' rollers at a benefit gig) and of course the familiarity with the story reduces the surprise element of some of the plot developments.

All told though, long as it was, there were far worse films than this made in the 70's. By the way, what a pity they never released the version of "Evergreen" with Kristofferson harmonising on the middle section - it works a treat and adds to an already very pretty melody.