The Rose (1979)

The story of the tragic life of a self destructive female rock star, modeled after Janis Joplin.

Director:

Mark Rydell

Writers:

Bo Goldman (screenplay), Bill Kerby (screenplay),

Stars:

Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Midler	...	Mary Rose Foster
Alan Bates	...	Rudge Campbell
Frederic Forrest	...	Huston Dyer
Harry Dean Stanton	...	Billy Ray
Barry Primus	...	Dennis
David Keith	...	Pfc. Mal
Sandra McCabe	...	Sarah Willingham
Will Hare	...	Mr. Leonard
Rudy Bond	...	Monty
Don Calfa	...	Don Frank
James Keane	...	Sam
Doris Roberts	...	Mrs. Foster
Sandy Ward	...	Mr. Foster, Rose's Father
Michael Greer	...	Emcee
Kenny Sacha	...	Female Impersonator (as Claude Sacha)

Storyline

Bette Midler plays "Rose", an artist strikingly similar to Janis Joplin. The film follows Rose's career during her last tour. Her rock and roll lifestyle of Drugs, Sex, and Rock and Roll and constant touring lead her to an inevitable breakdown.

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Plot Keywords:

roses | drugs | artist | female impersonator | adultery | 

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Taglines:

She gave and gave, until she had nothing left to give

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pearl

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,500,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$29,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bette Midler performed the film's soundtrack album, the title song track "The Rose" was one of the biggest selling vinyl singles of 1980.

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Goofs

When Kris is invited to Barbara's place and while they are talking at a kitchen table, the wine cork constantly jumps from atop the bottle back down to the table as the scene unfolds.

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Quotes

Rose: Where you going...? Where's everybody going...?
[she collapses onstage]

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Crazy Credits

Lyrics of "The Rose" are displayed at the end of the credit crawl, scrolling to the ending of the song.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywood Rocks the Movies: The 1970s (2002)

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Soundtracks

"When a Man Loves a Woman"
Written by Calvin Lewis and Andrew Wright
Performed by Bette Midler

User Reviews

A surprisingly good mix of fact & fiction!

Originally intended as a flat-out biography of Janis Joplin's last days titled "Pearl" ( Janis' nickname and alter-ego ) the filmakers allegedly ran into privacy issues with the Joplin family which caused them to take a more "loosely based" approach of a "composite" character! Even Bette Midler herself had some ideas of her own that promised to provide a fictious portrayal! Since I had always found Janis Joplin's life both fascinating and tragic I had to write off seeing this movie in the theatres when it first came out in 1979.It wasn't until sitting through it on HBO that I could truly appreciate how utterly great Bette Midler's performance was!It certainly stayed close enough to the "truth" while adding some dynamic elements that a Janis biography portrayed by anyone else would have sorely lacked! Bette Midler is truely at her best! She pours out her heart and soul into this role and leaves nothing behind!Her rock concert scenes alone show her broad talent as a stage performer! Her scenes drunk & stoned give a rare glimpse into a lonely and crazy world of rock stars(like Janis Joplin was!) Her scene with her childhood country-music idol reminded me of a similar situation between Janis and Johnny Cash! Her former lesbian lover is reminiscent of Janis' one-time "biographer/lover" Peggy Caserta! The "homecoming" concert at the film's end reminded me of Janis' 10-year-highschool reunion which she attended only shortly before her death! All in All I regret not having seen (in the theatre) this "loosely based" and yet "thinly disguised" story of Janis!With Bette Midler at center stage it stands as both a glowing tribute to Janis AND Bette!