Celebrity (1984) User Reviews

Love the novel? Love Ben Masters? This is for you.

[rloccoco · 10/10 · 6 April 2004]

Thomas Thompson was at the height of his own celebrity when he penned the novel. Having just successfully established the "real crime" genre, "Celebrity" was his first foray into the world of fiction. He fashioned a tale of friendship, success, the pitfall of celebrity, and murder all woven around a pop-culture history lesson spanning 1950 through 1975. As a novel, most readers love it or loathe it. I loved it.

** WARNING: Potential Spoilers Ahead **

Turning "Celebrity" into a mini-series was a tough accomplishment, given the multitude of storylines that weave through the novel. NBC did the best they could and, by staying as true to the novel as possible, it turned out not bad overall. Some of the high points include: -- Ben Masters' portrayal of Kleber Cantrell. As Thompson based the character on himself, Masters' work was a subtle tribute to the recently deceased author. -- A young River Phoenix. -- The surprise ending that stays true to the novel. -- Debbie Allen and James Whitmore in one of the more compelling storylines. -- Michael Beck's dead-on accurate portrayal of TJ Luther. You literally squirm at his sleaziness.

There are also some lows, with the most noteable being the mercilessly miscast Joseph Bottoms as McKenzie Crawford.

In a nutshell, if you're a fan of the novel a viewing of the mini-series will be satisfying. And if you're a fan of Ben Masters, this is a definite must-see.

A Story as Big as Texas

[anthonyehler · 9/10 · 8 March 2014]

Growing up in the age of Judith Krantz, Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins, I was in love with the blockbuster novel and the inevitable TV miniseries. Thomas Thompson's Celebrity was one of the most enthralling, as both novel and TV spectacular. It was a story that stayed with me forever.

Of course, one could say it is pure schlock, but this is A-Grade schlock, a big sprawling tale of three Texan boys caught in the trap of fame, told with unapologetic bravado.

TJ Luther (Beck) becomes a charismatic preacher at the bizarre City of Miracles. Mackenzie Crawford (Bottoms) becomes a beefcake movie star after a football injury. Kleber Cantrell (Masters) becomes, like Thomas Thompson himself, an award-winning journalist. The bonds of friendship are tested by fame, betrayal and violence.

Most pulpy and fabulous miniseries of the 80s focused on female protagonists - Sidney Sheldon was famous for his strong heroines, Jackie Collins has her set of Hollywood wives, actresses and mistresses, and Judith Krantz had her impossibly romantic female leads - so it was refreshing to see the multi-character blockbuster format populated with three male characters.

Writers would do well to delve into the elements that made it so successful: a central secret, a fascinating historical backdrop, a sensational murder trial and, of course, lashings of sex and scandal. For me, Thomas Thompson was a blue-collar Truman Capote, who told his stories with vigour and without pretension. It's still a damn good story.

Soap Opera Mini-Series

[hillari · 31 July 2001]

Three guys were involved in a rape when they were young. The crime is covered up, and the guys grow up and go their separate ways. One becomes a reporter who gets involved in a fight against the Ku Klux Klan. The second turns out to be a closeted gay man who hides his secret from his wife. The third hides his dirty deeds behind the facade of being a popular pastor. A court case that could destroy all three men brings them back together again. This mini-series was based on a popular trash novel that was out at the time.

Prescient

[safenoe · 5/10 · 11 February 2024]

I remember seeing Celebrity I think in the late 80s or early 90s, and it was quite dramatic with lots of soap thrown in. I think the mini-series format kind of dragged things out somewhat, but at the same time, the plotline about how celebrity and crime converge for three popular kids by the time they are adults has certain appeal to it, and also prescience in the sense that celebrity is what drives society now to a major extend.

Michael Beck, who four years earlier starred with Olivia Newton-John in Xanadu, plays one of the celebrities in Celebrity. Anyway, the ending was quite melodramatic init.

B-Grade Celebrity

[reel_emotion · 8 April 2003]

***Spoilers***

I guess you could call Celebrity, 1984 mini series, some great and not so great moments in TV/pop culture history.

The story revolves around three Texas teenage friends who grow up to be famous, or infamous, and have some skeletons in the closet, including murder. Ben Masters is the most level-headed of the boys and grows up to be a world famous journalist. Joseph Bottoms plays the troubled jock who doesn't turn out to be a sports star, but instead becomes a closeted, famous actor. Michael Beck plays the sinful villain of the bunch who becomes a televangelist who starts to become cult-like.

The cast puts in some good acting, including Hal Holbrook as the district attorney prosecuting Beck for the murder of Bottoms. It's hard to believe that Beck is the same guy who was in Xanadu! For the time, there also is the risque plot lines about rape and homosexuality.

Like most mini-series, it's way too long. Only enthusiast of the novel would be thrilled about the length. It may have worked for the TV mini-series medium, catching you up on the previous night, but, in one sitting, a lot could have been cut.

Celebrity can be slow and boring--yes--but it picks up the pace with a surprise ending that wasn't as predictable as I thought it would be.

Long and stale.

[BrettErikJohnson · 2/10 · 8 June 2003]

"Celebrity" is about three childhood friends who are bound to each other for life due to a tragic event which occurred when they were teens.

Each one of them gains a certain amount of notoriety as adults and the viewer just sits around waiting for the other shoe to fall. You wait and wait and wait...and wait. Finally, their past comes back to haunt them and leads to another predictably tragic event.

This mini-series actually got quite a few good reviews when it first appeared on TV. Evidently, it was a lot easier to be entertained back then. At around five hours, the length of the film is excruciatingly long and it easily could've been stuffed neatly into a two hour TV movie.

Aside from the horrid pacing, the fatal flaw in this mini-series is the lack of viewer empathy for the three main characters. You keep getting introduced to interesting supporting characters only to have them completely disappear or pop up only every hour or so. The three men in the lead roles all come across as being dishonest and shallow to varying extents.

"Celebrity" is not a mini-series which has stayed in the public consciousness for good reason. It is bloated and tedious. 1/10

haven't seen this in 20+years.

[gentk · 15 November 2007]

as i recall, it was gripping enough to watch the two nights of it's broadcast. i remember the plot and story-line, but not much else. i'd like to get my hands on a copy on VHS, i doubt it's on DVD.if there's anyone out here who knows where it's available, i'd like to hear from you. it was the big thing in the mid-eighties, that being TV mini-series, such as The Sophisticated Gents, Cheifs, Backstairs at the White House, among a few. from the above comments, some didn't like it very much, but i found it compelling, i seem to think it began at the end, and was a backstair. i do want to see it again, so if any can help out, give me a yell.