Butterfly1961
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I've always loved Bette Midler; her singing voice is outstanding and her acting is great - remember her in "The First Wive's Club?" - she was just as good as Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton. "The Rose" however was a completely different type of movie; a dark and rather raunchy film that put an impact on me totally by surprise.
+5
Midler plays Rose Foster, a rock and roller similar to Janis Joplin - actually this film indeed is modeled after Joplin. It came out in 1979; I was not old enough at the time to appreciate all it had to offer, but I watched it recently and was actually stunned at Bette's performance. "The Rose" is simply a movie about the last tour of a rock star who only wants to be loved, yet can not find a balance within herself; she is self-destructive and relies on drugs, sex and booze to try and cope with the lifestyle she endures in order to be loved as not only a rocker, but as a person.
The film has lots of dark moments; Rose is a wonderfully sweet and generous woman but is defiant, nasty, loud and raunchy when she is not sober. She wants to take a break from touring, but her manager (played by Alan Bates) forces her to do another year long tour. She has arguments and physical fights with her manager and anyone else that seems to be in her way. Her behavior is quite startling to the viewer as she goes from a sweet country girl to a perfectly raunchy female and then to an astounding performer. One minute you love her, the next you hate her; she can be comical, aggressive and fragile all at the same time, which to me made her character feel so real and gritty.
Not only is her acting absolutely superb in this film, her singing, which is always onstage during the tour in the movie, is so heart-felt by the viewer it is totally indescribable. I felt goose bumps during every performance scene - Midler literally pours out her heart and total soul with each and every performance, with complete and total passion that you can both see and feel; to the point that I had tears in my eyes.
There are not many movies that actually leave an impact on me, but "The Rose" did just that. I still felt the pain, sorrow, dismay, and hurt that Rose felt right along with the impact of her dynamic performances for weeks after I viewed the film - Midler was indeed that good. I do not want to spoil the ending if you have not seen it; but I will say that even though the ending was expected, it still left me reeling with emotion. This movie actually hooked me from the beginning to the tragic end.
All in all - the movie would not have had the same impact on me if not for Bette Midler's brilliant performance and superb stage performance - just be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride.
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devora
November 06, 2011
Great review, Brenda! The photos look lined up on my end :)
Butterfly1961
November 06, 2011
Thank you Devora for the read and comment!
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Butterfly1961
November 01, 2011
I sure wish I could for once get photos lined up correctly on my reviews!!
woopak_the_thrill
November 01, 2011
no issues. whoa. I am so proud of you!!
Butterfly1961
November 01, 2011
Thanks Will - your opinion matters more than you know
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About the reviewer
Brenda (Butterfly1961)
Ranked #57
Ranked #57
I love to read mysteries and thrillers; I am addicted to scary psychological thrillers and horror movies; "The Exorcist" and "Silence of the Lambs" being 2 of my favorites. I love … more
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About this topic
The Rose is a 1979 American musical drama film which tells the story of a self-destructive 1960s rock star who struggles to cope with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager. The film stars Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, Barry Primus, and David Keith.
The story is loosely based on the life of singer Janis Joplin. Originally titled Pearl, after Joplin's nickname, and the title ofher last album, it was fictionalized after her family declined to allow the producers the rights to her story. It was written by Bill Kerby, and Bo Goldman from a story by Bill Kerby, and directed by Mark Rydell.
The Rose was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Frederic Forrest), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bette Midler, in her screen debut), Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
Midler performed the soundtrack album for the film, and the title track became one of her biggest hit singles in 1980.
Awards and nominations
- Wins
- Golden Globes: Best Actress - Musical/Comedy (Bette Midler), Best Original Song - The Rose (Amanda McBroom),New Star of the Year in a Motion Picture - Female (Bette Midler)
- National Society of Film Critics Awards: Best Supporting ...
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