Mask (1985)

A teenager with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempt to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writer:

Anna Hamilton Phelan

Stars:

Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cher	...	Rusty Dennis
Sam Elliott	...	Gar
Eric Stoltz	...	Rocky Dennis
Estelle Getty	...	Evelyn
Richard Dysart	...	Abe
Laura Dern	...	Diana
Micole Mercurio	...	Babe
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Red
Dennis Burkley	...	Dozer
Lawrence Monoson	...	Ben
Ben Piazza	...	Mr. Simms
L. Craig King	...	Eric
Alexandra Powers	...	Lisa
Kelly Jo Minter	...	Lorrie (as Kelly Minter)
Joe Unger	...	1st Boyfriend

Storyline

Rusty Dennis is the mother of Rocky, a seriously deformed, but extremely intelligent and emotionally warm teenager. Rusty is a no-nonsense mother whose wild lifestyle is often at odds with her tenderness and protectiveness towards Rocky. She is determined that Rocky be given the same chances and happiness that everyone else takes for granted.

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Plot Keywords:

teenager | biker | deformity | prejudice | biker gang | 

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Taglines:

They told 16-year-old Rocky Dennis he could never be like everyone else. So he was determined to be better.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Peter Bogdanovich's Mask

Filming Locations:

William Howard Taft Charter High School, Woodland Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$48,230,162

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min 127 min (director's cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dennis Burkley (Dozer) appeared on Designing Women (1986) season five, episode fourteen, "High Noon in a Laundry Room", where he played a bad guy named "Billy Boy Swine", who bullied Anthony in their building's laundry room. Dennis wore the same vest with the same "TURKS" motorcycle logo as in this movie.

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Goofs

It says 1964-1980 on his tombstone in realility its 1961-1978.

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Quotes

Rusty Dennis: You're really not gonna give us that life expectancy shit are you? I mean, for years, I have listened to you guys bullshit. First you said that he was retarded. And then you said he was gonna be blind and deaf. And then you said that he'd never be able to do anything that regular kids can do. You know, if I had dug his grave for everytime one of you geniuses told me he was gonna die, I'd be eating fucking chop suey in China by now.

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Alternate Versions

The Director's Cut print runs around 7 minutes longer and includes a scene where Rocky & Rusty sing around a bonfire, and the funeral of cyclist Red (his motorbike is buried beside him). It also replaces the Bob Seger songs with those of Bruce Springsteen.

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Connections

Referenced in Gilmore Girls: The Prodigal Daughter Returns (2005)

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Soundtracks

Girl
Written by Paul McCartney / John Lennon
Performed by The Beatles
Courtesy of EMI Records Limited

User Reviews

A wonderful tear jerker that is also fun.

This movie has moved me since it first came out in the 1980's. The

performances- particularly by Cher and Eric Stoltz as Rusty and Rocky

Dennis- are fantastic, the camera work (by the great Lazlo Kovacs) fluid

and superb, the make up won an academy award, the music perfect, and the

story, well, it's almost too good to be true. It's real life we're

watching here, and knowing that it's also a true story makes it all the

more touching and wonderful. I watched it with my boyfriend, then my

husband, and now with my children. It's a simple tale of triumph of the

spirit, but it goes deep and really stays with you if you let it. If you

haven't seen this movie yet, go out and rent it tonight, you won't be

disappointed.......