Alcoholism, depression and suicide are all very heavy subjects to deal with for obvious reasons. Nearly everyone knows someone or is someone who has gone through it and not all of them come out the other side. This is not a new epidemic, either. As long as alcohol has existed there have been people who have abused it, ruining their, and their loved one’s, life. It became the subject of a film, A Star is Born, back in 1937 and nearly every generation since has gotten an adaption since. The subject is universal and transcends age, nationality, gender politics, and social status. All are susceptible to alcoholism and depression. It doesn’t matter how successful you are or how much money you make. 2018 saw yet another version of this story released and, like the others, it tells much the same story and has the same tragic ending. Before I get into examining the details of this I just wanted to add that if anyone reading this is feeling depressed or suicidal please call or text 988 and get in contact with someone who can help you navigate through these feelings and get back to a place where you can feel happy again. Suicide should never be the answer.
If you’ve seen any version of A Star is Born then you already know the beats of 2018’s version. Forty-three-year-old Jackson “Jack” Maine (Bradley Cooper), a famous country rock singer is battling an addiction to alcohol and drugs. After one of his shows he goes out into town looking for a bar and finds one hosting a drag show. One of the performers is Ally (Lady Gaga) who performs a tribute to Edith Piaf. Jack is amazed by her performance and stage presence and introduces himself to her. They end up spending the whole night talking to each other. He learns that she is a singer/songwriter but has had little success because she’s told she has a weird look. She shares some of her lyrics with him and he encourages her to keep trying to break through.
Jack invites Ally to his next show and, while she is watching from the side, he invites her onto the stage to sing one of her songs, “Shallow,” which he has written music for. She overcomes her initial fears and joins him on stage to the cheers of the audience. Their performance goes viral and she agrees to go on tour with him, joining the group. While on tour, Ally is offered a contract to record her own music, shifting her away from the country rock and towards pop music instead. Jack’s alcoholism causes him to miss one of her performances when he passes out in public. The two get married. As Ally’s star begins to soar Jack begins to see his own career begin to fall in and the two fight over it. At the Grammy’s, while accepting an award for her music, Jack, falling over drunk, embarrasses her live on stage, wetting himself. He enters rehab, confessing that he attempted suicide as a young boy. When her manager refuses to allow Jack to accompany her on her European tour, Ally promptly cancels the rest of the shows so she can stay home and take care of him. The manager confronts Jack and tells him that he is holding her back and is ruining her career. Ally lies, telling him that the record label themselves have cancelled the rest of the tour. Jack blames himself for this and, while she is on stage performing, hangs himself in the garage.
A Star is Born is one of those films I like to point to whenever people badmouth remakes. The original film from 1937 is a fine film in its own right but is very dated. Judy Garland and James Mason made a version in the 50’s that is better in almost every way. Then in 1976 came the version most people hold up as the ultimate version of this story, the one with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. This version is closer to the current version than the others with the story shifting from actors to musicians. Kristofferson’s demise via a car wreck, though, just didn’t have the same impact as suicide. Sure, his self destructive behavior prematurely ended his life but it just wasn’t the same. Watching Jack losing it slowly as he drinks himself into a stupor over and over again really builds up the tragic inevitability of his self inflicted demise. Ally blaming herself for his actions is so relatable it’s scary. Jack’s older half brother Bobby (Sam Elliott) visits her afterwards and the two share some tears while Bobby tries to comfort her, telling her not to blame herself. Jack’s actions were all his own and she is not to blame.
There is some fantastic music throughout the course of the picture. With Lady Gaga in the lead this is no surprise as, like her persona or not, there is no denying she has talent and screen presence. What is surprising is that Bradley Cooper matches her note for note, singing harmonies like a professional musician. He is completely believable as a performer who has burned himself out through years of heavy drinking. He has extreme ups and downs consistent with an addict. For instance while preparing to perform for the Grammys he is excellent and looking sharp. By the time he is actually on stage for the show he is hammered and nearly falls over reaching down to retrieve a dropped guitar pick. His performance is a little off, too, although he does a good job hiding it.
Bradley Cooper was so convincing in this role that there was speculation at the time that he was romantically involved with Lady Gaga. These speculations ramped up even more when they performed a sizzling hot duet at the Oscars in the spring of 2019. If you watch that performance you can see the two effortlessly fall back into character and the chemistry permeates every single note as they sang “Shallows.” That song took home the Oscar in large part because of Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s chemistry.
Sad movies usually don’t affect me much. I’m much more moved by acts of selflessness and heroism than I am for a tearjerker. Something about this rendition of A Star is Born gets me, though and when Ally takes the stage in the final scene and sings the song Jack was writing about their relationship it brings tears to my eyes. I have known people who took their own lives and I have known others who were left behind trying to make sense of it, hurt and feeling left alone by such a selfish and senseless act. It’s an emotional gut punch that affects me deeply and makes the final twenty minutes of this film hard to watch. The suicide is not depicted on screen but we see the build up to it. Mercifully the film elects not to show Jack’s body afterwards, either, leaving it to our imagination how it happened. The important thing is seeing how Ally reacts to it afterwards.
The film juxtaposes Jack’s preparations with Ally performing on stage, intermixing him at his lowest with her doing what makes her the happiest. This is not based on a true story but the emotions it illicits are true enough just the same. The warning signs of substance abuse and depression can often be detected and utilized to help someone get help when they need it the most. That’s something that sticks in my mind long after the film is over. If that helps me see someone that may need assistance, then this film has transcended for me beyond mere entertainment into something much more powerful.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Bradley Cooper, Bill Gerber and Lynette Howell Taylor
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper
Best Actress: Lady Gaga
Best Supporting Actor: Sam Elliott
Best Adapted Screenplay: Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper and Williams Fetters
Best Cinematography: Matthew Libatique
Best Original Song: “Shallow” -Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando and Andrew Wyatt (won)
Best Sound Mixing: Tom Ozanich, Dean A. Zupancic, Jason Ruder and Steven A. Morrow
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Release Date: October 3, 2018
Running Time: 136 Minutes
Rated R
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Andrew Dice Clay, Dave Chappelle, and Sam Elliott
Directed By: Bradley Cooper
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