This was Bette Midler's first starring role in a film and she finally showed the world what a great talent she is. This story is very loosely based on Janis Joplin and it takes place (Supposedly) in 1969. Midler is a famous rock n' roll diva Mary Rose Foster and she's known just as "Rose". She's burnt out and lonely but is kept working by her gruff manager/promoter Rudge Campbell (Alan Bates) who supplies her with shots of adrenalin to keep her going. Rose is an alcoholic and a former drug user and she has a tough past from growing up in Florida. This past haunts her and she keeps talking about showing everyone from there how she has made it. After a country singing star named Billy Ray (Harry Dean Stanton) orders her to never sing one of his songs again and ridicules her morals Rose is furious. She takes off with a limo driver named Huston Dyer (Frederic Forrest) and starts a romance with him. Rudge thinks Huston is just another hanger on but Rose thinks she has finally met her true love. Huston tells her that he's actually AWOL from the army and she tells him of her past in Florida. They have a rocky relationship and Rose meets an Army PFC named Mal (David Keith) who tags along on the tour. This film is directed by Mark Rydell who went on to direct "On Golden Pond" and one thing he has shown in both films is complete trust in his actors. There is very little structure to this film and its mainly just a showcase for Midler. Without her dynamite performance this would have been one of the biggest duds in history. Give Rydell credit for a good eye in giving Midler the opportunity. The film consists of two types of scenes. The concert footage that shows Midler's tremendous voice and stage presence, and the scenes where she's on the verge of a nervous breakdown and the inability to exist in the real world. Its very rare to see an unknown explode on screen like this. Midler is nothing short of riveting and astonishing. Her character is so dark and bleak that an actress of lesser strength would have gave out but Midler has so much energy that she appears tireless. The films cinematographer is the great Vilmos Zsigmond and over 90% of the scenes are either at night or in low lit rooms. This gives the film the dark and bleak look that epitomizes Rose's personality and future. Forrest as Huston is also excellent. Aside from "Apocalypse Now" this was his finest performance and the two of them have real chemistry on screen. Forrest spent most of his career playing hardnoses or heavies but here he plays a real normal guy who is at odds with himself and if he should remain with the always drunken Rose. The film does go way too long and some of the scenes are pointless. It seemed irrelevant when a former lesbian lover pops up out of nowhere and Rose and Huston have a big fight. This part of the film could have been edited out completely as it serves no purpose. Ponderous handling of the material by Rydell but with Midler's gut wrenching performance it becomes a film that is ultimately unforgettable.
66 Reviews
An Emotionally Moving Story With One Electrifying Performance
Lechuguilla14 March 2011
As a pumped-up, neurotic 1960s rock star named Rose, Bette Midler energizes this film with a soulful, emotional performance deserving of Oscar recognition. Midler animates the character so well that, paradoxically, she rather overwhelms the film's plot about a famous singer who nonetheless is insecure and fragile.
I would estimate that roughly a quarter of the film's runtime consists of Midler on-stage singing and performing in front of an audience of hundreds, and in one case thousands, of extras as part of a real-life concert. The technical logistics of putting together such a believable event is quite impressive, with multiple cameras, special effects, complex lighting, and in only one camera take.
The non-concert plot has Rose in various states of emotional highs and lows, mostly lows, as she laughs and cries, whines and moans, and argues and fights with those around her. This is a lady who is controlled by emotion, not reason or logic. She laughs one minute, cries the next, then laughs, then cries some more.
As such, the plot trends emotionally repetitive, though we as viewers sense that all this enormous gushing of raw feeling can't continue indefinitely. And thus with great effect, the film has a dramatic ending, one that combines character resolution with stunning visuals, followed by end credits set against the musical backdrop of Amanda McBroom's moving, hymn-like title song, "The Rose".
By far the best element of the film is Midler's electrifying performance. Yet, the concert footage and film editing are also impressive. The weak link is a plot that, though acceptable, seems anemic in comparison to Midler and the stunning visuals.
Inspired by the unnerving musical career of Janis Joplin, "The Rose" presents viewers with an emotionally moving story, character driven, that is set within an overall film production that is technically both competent and credible.
I would estimate that roughly a quarter of the film's runtime consists of Midler on-stage singing and performing in front of an audience of hundreds, and in one case thousands, of extras as part of a real-life concert. The technical logistics of putting together such a believable event is quite impressive, with multiple cameras, special effects, complex lighting, and in only one camera take.
The non-concert plot has Rose in various states of emotional highs and lows, mostly lows, as she laughs and cries, whines and moans, and argues and fights with those around her. This is a lady who is controlled by emotion, not reason or logic. She laughs one minute, cries the next, then laughs, then cries some more.
As such, the plot trends emotionally repetitive, though we as viewers sense that all this enormous gushing of raw feeling can't continue indefinitely. And thus with great effect, the film has a dramatic ending, one that combines character resolution with stunning visuals, followed by end credits set against the musical backdrop of Amanda McBroom's moving, hymn-like title song, "The Rose".
By far the best element of the film is Midler's electrifying performance. Yet, the concert footage and film editing are also impressive. The weak link is a plot that, though acceptable, seems anemic in comparison to Midler and the stunning visuals.
Inspired by the unnerving musical career of Janis Joplin, "The Rose" presents viewers with an emotionally moving story, character driven, that is set within an overall film production that is technically both competent and credible.
The loneliness of stardom.
TOMASBBloodhound5 April 2007
The Rose is a fairly good loose depiction of the life and tragedy of Janis Joplin. Bette Midler more than pulls it off as the title character. She plays a singer who seems larger than life when she's on stage, but once she steps off it, we see a troubled and lonely woman on the brink of a complete breakdown. In an early scene, Rose pleads with her manager (Alan Bates) to give her a year off to presumably dry out and rest up. Her manager scoffs at this notion more than once throughout the film as there is just too much at stake financially if she stops performing for a while. We see Rose sink deeper and deeper into depression and alcoholism as the film goes on from one performance to another. Along the way, Rose meets up with a limo driver (Frederic Forrest) with whom she has a fling. Houston, as he's called, is drawn to this rich and vulnerable woman, but he cannot deal with some of her personal circumstances. He feels a lot of the attention she receives comes from the wrong people and for the wrong reasons. Rose really likes this guy, and the troubles she has with him really make things a lot worse as the film moves toward its conclusion. That being a concert which will be held in her home town. She also has an ambiguous relationship with David Keith who plays a young soldier she meets up with in an airport scene. Keith is supposedly hired on as a bodyguard, but his true purpose is never really explained. Problems with both people and substance abuse build throughout the film, and the conclusion can be seen from quite a ways off.
The film has several good points. First off, the acting is terrific all around. Midler has the feisty character down perfectly. Alan Bates as her manager is top drawer, too. Their conflict creates perhaps the most memorable scenes. Forrest mostly underplays as a country boy along for the ride who has a hard time coming to grips with this wild woman who has just fallen for him. Nobody comes up short in the acting department.
The down side to this film deals with Ms. Midler's singing. Director Mark Rydell has to toe a pretty thin line in terms of what this film is trying to be. Is it a musical vehicle built around Midler's singing ability, or is it a drama about a tragic musical figure? To his credit, Rydell pretty much has it both ways. Midler's singing ability is what it is. Personally I can take or leave it. Do some of the songs go on too long? For me, yes. I would have preferred more dialog and less music. But hard core fans of Midler will love the songs.
The idea this film effectively conveys is that celebrities are often some of the most lonely people on earth. True, they are surrounded by all kinds of staff and get all kinds of attention from fans, but beneath all of that there really isn't much to it for most celebs. The way they live, especially musicians who constantly tour, gives them little time to settle down and experience traditional friendships or romantic relationships. Notice how in an early scene, Rose practically falls down the stairs of an airplane, and nobody helps her! Her band just casually gets on a bus and her manager grudgingly goes over and helps her up after a moment. Regular people who are neither rich or famous often cannot fathom how some celebs seem to self-destruct before they've even had long careers. (Britney Spears would come to mind.) Truth is, we humans are all basically creatures of duality. No matter who we are, we all have our good and bad times. Most people can get through the bad times with the help of friends and family. Celebrities however have a lot farther to fall than most people when things start coming apart. Other than expensive rehab facilities which seldom work, a celeb usually has nobody else to turn to that can deal with them as a real person while they attempt to overcome their demons. That said, is it any wonder so many of them go from top of the world to down in the gutter seemingly overnight? 7 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
The film has several good points. First off, the acting is terrific all around. Midler has the feisty character down perfectly. Alan Bates as her manager is top drawer, too. Their conflict creates perhaps the most memorable scenes. Forrest mostly underplays as a country boy along for the ride who has a hard time coming to grips with this wild woman who has just fallen for him. Nobody comes up short in the acting department.
The down side to this film deals with Ms. Midler's singing. Director Mark Rydell has to toe a pretty thin line in terms of what this film is trying to be. Is it a musical vehicle built around Midler's singing ability, or is it a drama about a tragic musical figure? To his credit, Rydell pretty much has it both ways. Midler's singing ability is what it is. Personally I can take or leave it. Do some of the songs go on too long? For me, yes. I would have preferred more dialog and less music. But hard core fans of Midler will love the songs.
The idea this film effectively conveys is that celebrities are often some of the most lonely people on earth. True, they are surrounded by all kinds of staff and get all kinds of attention from fans, but beneath all of that there really isn't much to it for most celebs. The way they live, especially musicians who constantly tour, gives them little time to settle down and experience traditional friendships or romantic relationships. Notice how in an early scene, Rose practically falls down the stairs of an airplane, and nobody helps her! Her band just casually gets on a bus and her manager grudgingly goes over and helps her up after a moment. Regular people who are neither rich or famous often cannot fathom how some celebs seem to self-destruct before they've even had long careers. (Britney Spears would come to mind.) Truth is, we humans are all basically creatures of duality. No matter who we are, we all have our good and bad times. Most people can get through the bad times with the help of friends and family. Celebrities however have a lot farther to fall than most people when things start coming apart. Other than expensive rehab facilities which seldom work, a celeb usually has nobody else to turn to that can deal with them as a real person while they attempt to overcome their demons. That said, is it any wonder so many of them go from top of the world to down in the gutter seemingly overnight? 7 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose ...
dbdumonteil6 June 2007
"The Rose" -which they say was inspired by Joplin's life- has stood the test of time quite well;the main reason is Bette Middler's sensational performance .She has not still yet found another part as rewarding as Rose .Full of strong scenes and of extraordinary renditions (the title track and "when a man loves a woman" particularly),it grabs you till the last picture (a light which goes out).The scene in the gay nightclub where another Rose,"Diana Ross" and "Barbra Streisand" join the singer for a song is almost scary.So is that scene when a respectable country singer -Rose covered one of his songs - treats the poor girl like dirt ,this man must be a saint or else he is a hypocrite:could you imagine ,say,Kris Kristofferson blaming Janis Joplin for covering "Me and Bobby McGee " ,a tune she took to number one ? With fine support from Alan Bates as the evil manager and Frederick Forrest as the big hearted deserter,"the rose" still remains one of the best film about the cruel thankless world of rock.It avoids the mistakes of movies dealing with true stars (Ray Manzarek did not think much of "the Doors" ).
This movie IS NOT ABOUT JANIS JOPLIN.
mrsastor21 April 2006
May I be so bold as to put one of the most annoying misconceptions in all of filmdom to rest
this movie is NOT about Janis Joplin. It is NOT based on Janis Joplin's life; it is NOT about a Janis Joplin-like character. The only similarity between the character Mary Rose Foster and Janis Joplin is that they were both female rock singers. The occupational hazard of drug and alcohol abuse is so ubiquitous in this genre that it can hardly be said to implicate Ms. Joplin as opposed to virtually any other female rock singer. Why no one says this movie is about Grace Slick, Stevie Nicks, or Joan Baez, I don't know, but it bears no more resemblance to Janis Joplin than it does to any of these other women. Bette Midler's "Rose" is truly an enormously talented woman, but she does not look, sound, dress, speak, act, sing or dance like Janis Joplin. Janis Joplin was not prone to getting into fights with people in public, stealing limousines, trespassing in steam baths, she was not from Florida, she was not asking to take a year off, she was not being manipulated by some evil Svengali manager, and she did not return to her home town to do one total blow out concert and subsequently drop dead on stage. I suppose it does not help that misinformed boobs like George Mair continue to perpetuate this nonsense in biographies of Ms. Midler, but no matter how frequently a fallacy is repeated or by how learned of an individual, it does not make it so. So to sum it up in plain English, THIS MOVIE IS NOT ABOUT JANIS JOPLIN.
I think perhaps people are so eager to jump to this conclusion because without it, it is admittedly difficult to figure out exactly what this movie IS about. I'll leave that question to subsequent reviewers who care to dig beyond the surface cliché that this movie is about Janis Joplin, which I believe we have now clearly established, it is not. Would I recommend it? If you love Bette Midler, yes. If you're a fan of Janis Joplin, see the documentary "Janis" instead.
I think perhaps people are so eager to jump to this conclusion because without it, it is admittedly difficult to figure out exactly what this movie IS about. I'll leave that question to subsequent reviewers who care to dig beyond the surface cliché that this movie is about Janis Joplin, which I believe we have now clearly established, it is not. Would I recommend it? If you love Bette Midler, yes. If you're a fan of Janis Joplin, see the documentary "Janis" instead.
Frustrating vehicle for Midler is part heartbreak and part balderdash
moonspinner5528 May 2004
A predictable triumph for Bette Midler in Janis Joplin-like role of hard-working, hard-partying rock star trying to stand up for herself while also pleasing the masses, placating her managers, and finding room in her schedule for the men who are partly drawn to her and partly repulsed. There's lots of repulsive stuff going on in this overheated saga, starting with Bette's male co-stars (Alan Bates and Frederic Forrest are a nightmarish twosome) and concluding with a slightly ridiculous, melodramatic hometown concert wherein the Rose takes her sweet time getting to the stage (for which we are asked to sympathize with her and yet find her gutsy spirit "brave"). She's a frustrating mass of disconnected cells in a wobbly body, and one tires of her lashing out. Alan Bates, as the promotions manager, is barely intelligible barking out his lines with a thick British accent; he's out of place in this role, and we're never quite sure where we stand with his character (does he have any interest in Rose beyond money? Does he know how far gone she is? If so, does he care?). Midler is uncensored and uncontrolled, yet she has amazing scenes (her quieter moments such as the sequence outside Monte's Bar, where she begs Forrest, "Oh, please", are the most stunning). "The Rose" looks great, yet it has a distinctly schizophrenic side: part bleeding-heart apologia, part metallic wail. **1/2 from ****
Bette's masterpiece
pachl20 August 2006
In THE ROSE, Bette Midler plays a character based on the life of Janis Joplin. This one of those rare movies where everything works perfectly. Although she is amazingly talented, I sometimes wonder if Bette herself ever looks back on this movie and wonders how she managed such an amazing portrayal, in the same way that an Olympic skater reviews the footage of a 10.0 performance and is stunned that every blade stroke really is picture perfect.
While the storyline is memorable, and the acting superb, music outshines everything else. This is a movie from 1979, a time when rock and roll was still considered a lifestyle, and big rock bands were treated with absolute god-like adoration. Music mattered. It was a vital part of peoples' lives, and in THE ROSE it reaches the heights of excellence that normally exist only in memories that have improved with age. In this case, the music sounds as vibrant, exciting, and fresh today as when the movie debuted.
Bette belts out these songs with soul and fiery passion. The only other contemporary singer I can imagine doing a similarly credible job is Melissa Etheridge.
Sissy Spacek won the Best Actress Oscar for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), but in retrospect I'm sure a lot of people regret not having awarded it to Bette Midler. This was not only an amazing, high caliber performance, but one that the passage of time has not diminished. This is a stunning movie. My dream is to rent a movie theatre for an evening, invite 30 friends, and relive this great experience.
Movie theatres used to be bigger, and were aptly called "movie palaces". THE ROSE deserves to be seen in such a grand venue. In the rich pantheon of movie history, THE ROSE is true royalty.
Note added October 9, 2007: It has been over a year, and I have no indication if anyone has ever read this review. If you read it, even if you give it a thumbs down, please answer whether the review was useful to you or not. I just am so curious if anyone will EVER read it. Right now, I'm listening to the soundtrack. This movie is timeless.
While the storyline is memorable, and the acting superb, music outshines everything else. This is a movie from 1979, a time when rock and roll was still considered a lifestyle, and big rock bands were treated with absolute god-like adoration. Music mattered. It was a vital part of peoples' lives, and in THE ROSE it reaches the heights of excellence that normally exist only in memories that have improved with age. In this case, the music sounds as vibrant, exciting, and fresh today as when the movie debuted.
Bette belts out these songs with soul and fiery passion. The only other contemporary singer I can imagine doing a similarly credible job is Melissa Etheridge.
Sissy Spacek won the Best Actress Oscar for Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), but in retrospect I'm sure a lot of people regret not having awarded it to Bette Midler. This was not only an amazing, high caliber performance, but one that the passage of time has not diminished. This is a stunning movie. My dream is to rent a movie theatre for an evening, invite 30 friends, and relive this great experience.
Movie theatres used to be bigger, and were aptly called "movie palaces". THE ROSE deserves to be seen in such a grand venue. In the rich pantheon of movie history, THE ROSE is true royalty.
Note added October 9, 2007: It has been over a year, and I have no indication if anyone has ever read this review. If you read it, even if you give it a thumbs down, please answer whether the review was useful to you or not. I just am so curious if anyone will EVER read it. Right now, I'm listening to the soundtrack. This movie is timeless.
One of the greatest performances ever, Midler raised the bar!
noazrk28 August 2005
Bette Midler was fascinating in this movie which you can pick up at Target for ONLY $5.50! I agree with the earlier reviewer that there is 20+ minutes of footage that could've been axed like her singing in the gay club and the side story with the old lesbian lover which never truly developed. Another stale, uncomfortable scene was her in the phone both trying to get through to the stadium. Great idea but way too long.
I watched (listened) to some of the director's comments and he OR the film NEVER explain the beginning/ending of the movie with people looking horrified at a big montage of photos including her and other males. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? Was that her parent's house? Was it a stalker/obsessed fan? Why are they disturbed? That really irks me as I'm confused about this, if ANYONE can explain this please do! Am I going to have to contact the director? I saw this for the first time since I was 7-8 years old, I had a fuzzy memory that she took the downward spiral, went into seclusion and then came back with a roar singing THE ROSE in concert ending the movie. Obviously I was wrong in what I remembered but the touching song was played in the end causing me to cry as it did when I was a child :-( I'm also curious why she didn't sing it as "her" song in the movie? This might've seemed cheesy to some but it would've bee more powerful to me.
Sincerely, Noah Tempe, AZ
I watched (listened) to some of the director's comments and he OR the film NEVER explain the beginning/ending of the movie with people looking horrified at a big montage of photos including her and other males. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? Was that her parent's house? Was it a stalker/obsessed fan? Why are they disturbed? That really irks me as I'm confused about this, if ANYONE can explain this please do! Am I going to have to contact the director? I saw this for the first time since I was 7-8 years old, I had a fuzzy memory that she took the downward spiral, went into seclusion and then came back with a roar singing THE ROSE in concert ending the movie. Obviously I was wrong in what I remembered but the touching song was played in the end causing me to cry as it did when I was a child :-( I'm also curious why she didn't sing it as "her" song in the movie? This might've seemed cheesy to some but it would've bee more powerful to me.
Sincerely, Noah Tempe, AZ
"Stay With Me, Baby"
niara6 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this film in college for $1 in 1980 and never really appreciated it until now.
It is amazing to note that this is the same Bette Midler who did all those Disney/Touchtone movies (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, etc.)! This is not a happy film. It has no happy ending. Most of the film is dark, adding to the dreariness of the story.
But you just watch Bette watching Houston Dyer leave her because he couldn't put up with her life. Watch him as he pauses before he gets into the tractor trailer that he's just hitched a ride with, watch him as he looks back at her, almost reflecting, thinking, for just a moment, reconsidering his choice, and then makes the decision to live with the choice and get on the truck, going God only knows where, leaving her.
Camera goes back to Bette, on the ground, wailing in agony, despair, and sadness.
You just watch Bette singing "Stay With Me, Baby" at the end of the film at the concert when she goes back to her hometown. How many takes before they got it right? Once? 37? She's on her knees, she's cradling the microphone, her eyes are blackened with the makeup that has mingled with the tears. Watch David Keith applaud from offstage as he's watching her give the performance of her life and KNOW that that applause was ad-libbed, that he was completely knocked out by her performance.
And then come back and tell me that this film was crap. I've seen Norma Rae and always believed that Sally Field deserved her Oscar but I no longer think that. Bette was robbed, plain and simple.
It is amazing to note that this is the same Bette Midler who did all those Disney/Touchtone movies (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, etc.)! This is not a happy film. It has no happy ending. Most of the film is dark, adding to the dreariness of the story.
But you just watch Bette watching Houston Dyer leave her because he couldn't put up with her life. Watch him as he pauses before he gets into the tractor trailer that he's just hitched a ride with, watch him as he looks back at her, almost reflecting, thinking, for just a moment, reconsidering his choice, and then makes the decision to live with the choice and get on the truck, going God only knows where, leaving her.
Camera goes back to Bette, on the ground, wailing in agony, despair, and sadness.
You just watch Bette singing "Stay With Me, Baby" at the end of the film at the concert when she goes back to her hometown. How many takes before they got it right? Once? 37? She's on her knees, she's cradling the microphone, her eyes are blackened with the makeup that has mingled with the tears. Watch David Keith applaud from offstage as he's watching her give the performance of her life and KNOW that that applause was ad-libbed, that he was completely knocked out by her performance.
And then come back and tell me that this film was crap. I've seen Norma Rae and always believed that Sally Field deserved her Oscar but I no longer think that. Bette was robbed, plain and simple.
"Rose, you're one of the best singer-ladies in the history of the world, pure and simple. Don't f... it up!"
classicsoncall7 January 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The first thing I had to do when I hit the IMDb board for this picture was to check the Award nominations for Bette Midler. Sally Field was pretty good in "Norma Rae" that year, but man, Midler's performance here was out and out classic. The comparisons to the life and times of Janis Joplin are pretty obvious if you lived through the era, and my preference would have been for an outright telling of the Joplin story as she remains to this day my favorite female vocalist. Even so, Midler evokes the spirit of Joplin in her tortured portrayal, a woman desperately looking for love but never quite finding it or coming to terms with the limitations of a life on the road that legislates against it. Instead she turns to alcohol, drugs and the next fling hoping that somewhere in all the turmoil a miracle blossoms from the maelstrom. Interestingly, no Joplin songs are part of the film, though a number of them parallel the kinds of songs that Bette Midler performed with heart wrenching emotion. The closest was 'Stay With Me, Baby', reminiscent of Joplin ballads like 'Maybe', 'Little Girl Blue', 'Cry Baby' and 'A Woman Left Lonely'. Oddly, this is the only movie in which I've seem Midler perform, as her real life persona has a tendency to rub me the wrong way whenever I've seen her on a late night talk show or in a similar venue. But here she WAS 'The Rose', and she was absolutely stunning.
Very sad, in more ways than one
MadMax-478 August 2011
I'm at a loss to explain the success of this movie. It's not that it was awful, but I didn't see anything that special about it. Maybe there was something groundbreaking in 1979 that I'm missing, having not seen it then.
Short form, I feel like all I saw was Bette Midler alternately crying and screaming. This may well be what such people go through, and to her credit, Midler cries and screams with the best of them, but I'm exhausted, and not in a cathartic way. I'm exhausted from trying to find some reason to care about this character, who never seems to be empathetic, and never seems to make any good decisions. To make matters worse, I've watched the film on This TV, which pads movies with extra commercials, so I've had three hours of crying and screaming.
If this truly was Janis Joplin's life, if there was never a happy moment for her to just relax and enjoy, then I feel for the poor child.
Short form, I feel like all I saw was Bette Midler alternately crying and screaming. This may well be what such people go through, and to her credit, Midler cries and screams with the best of them, but I'm exhausted, and not in a cathartic way. I'm exhausted from trying to find some reason to care about this character, who never seems to be empathetic, and never seems to make any good decisions. To make matters worse, I've watched the film on This TV, which pads movies with extra commercials, so I've had three hours of crying and screaming.
If this truly was Janis Joplin's life, if there was never a happy moment for her to just relax and enjoy, then I feel for the poor child.
...had you been on the set...
fimimix5 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I am the only surviving female-impersonator who played in "The Rose". I was the only one who had a talking-scene with Midler and Forest. I was approached to be Bette's impersonator in a drag-club, because I was/am a live performer. Midler's manager, Aaron Russo - who had come to check me out - called-out that I was doing Bette's "jokes" during a live performance in the world-famous "The Queen Mary", a night club in Studio City, CA - now sadly closed after 42 years. However, I do not do impersonations of other performers. What the manager didn't know is that most of her material came from drag-queens. I also had appeared in The 82 Club in New York City - a mafia-run establishment, and wonderful to work for, also closed - and was hired originally by Rydell as a consultant for the physical attributes in a long-closed speakeasy in downtown Los Angeles......it was larger, but perfect. After a conversation with Mark Rydell and a singing audition for an unseen Ms. Midler, I was told "bring an outfit - we've written a role for you". I was hesitant to accept - there was no contract for a speaking-role, I was paid only scale. I attended the first day of shooting on location, but did not go for the second day - they came to get me, I suppose because they liked what they saw in the "dailies" - There was a third day of shooting, all of which were totally miserable for me - I had no aspirations to be a "movie-star" - I was an established drag-act with a large following and loved my work. My drag-appearance was outrageous, as you'll know if you saw the film "The Rose" - I planned it that way, because that's the act I was doing at the time the film was shot. The role I did in the film actually was an impersonation of someone's identity I cannot divulge - I'm sure many New Yorkers picked-up on it immediately. All of the hair-dressers on location were shocked with my hairpiece - they could not have combed it. On the final day of shooting, it became very quiet after the "wrap". Ms. Midler very quietly called me over to speak with her before the entire company, thanking me for being so quiet during the shooting, not constantly calling "make-up", "hair" as the other impersonators did. I was highly complimented.
I've seen the film only once in a theater, and became so engrossed with the story, I completely forgot I was in it. Like 90% of the audience, when I saw myself I gasped. I heard people call-out my name, as I sunk deeper into my seat. It was only then I became extremely gratified to have been in the film. Ms. Midler and I never stuck to the script, because it did not bring-out that her character had once been down-and-out when she lived above "The 777 Club", and I supplied her with drugs. There is enough unused film from that shoot to make another film. What a waste of money ! It was and is my opinion the entire scene could have been left-out, it was so poorly, ruthlessly edited.
I worked for many years in "The Queen Mary" after the film was released. I never made a big deal that I was in the film. People asked if I were in "The Rose" during my performances - and do still today wherever I happen to be - and I tell them I was, but it was only another job - as it was just that. I'm much better known for performances at "The Queen Mary" than having appeared in "The Rose". I've turned-down opportunities to appear in other films, because I have no real interest, unless the money is good. Scale.....peanuts. Making movies is not fun !! All that standing-around, shooting the same scene 50 times-a-day.
If you are familiar with "The Queen Mary", you'll know my name. Otherwise, you'll have to look at this sensational film to discover my identity. I call myself "The Oldest Drag-Queen in Captivity", because I'm 82-going-on 30.
As other posters have stated, "The Rose" IS NOT A BIOP OF JANIS JOPLIN. If it's true the story was just a film for Ms. Midler to perform in to show her talent, it is a fabulous testament to that fact. Is she an actress? Indeed! She could not have done the body of work she accomplished without being one. Viva Midler ! The appearance of the film is exactly as it was intended to be - criticize all you want, this is a major film - and will become a classic.
I've seen the film only once in a theater, and became so engrossed with the story, I completely forgot I was in it. Like 90% of the audience, when I saw myself I gasped. I heard people call-out my name, as I sunk deeper into my seat. It was only then I became extremely gratified to have been in the film. Ms. Midler and I never stuck to the script, because it did not bring-out that her character had once been down-and-out when she lived above "The 777 Club", and I supplied her with drugs. There is enough unused film from that shoot to make another film. What a waste of money ! It was and is my opinion the entire scene could have been left-out, it was so poorly, ruthlessly edited.
I worked for many years in "The Queen Mary" after the film was released. I never made a big deal that I was in the film. People asked if I were in "The Rose" during my performances - and do still today wherever I happen to be - and I tell them I was, but it was only another job - as it was just that. I'm much better known for performances at "The Queen Mary" than having appeared in "The Rose". I've turned-down opportunities to appear in other films, because I have no real interest, unless the money is good. Scale.....peanuts. Making movies is not fun !! All that standing-around, shooting the same scene 50 times-a-day.
If you are familiar with "The Queen Mary", you'll know my name. Otherwise, you'll have to look at this sensational film to discover my identity. I call myself "The Oldest Drag-Queen in Captivity", because I'm 82-going-on 30.
As other posters have stated, "The Rose" IS NOT A BIOP OF JANIS JOPLIN. If it's true the story was just a film for Ms. Midler to perform in to show her talent, it is a fabulous testament to that fact. Is she an actress? Indeed! She could not have done the body of work she accomplished without being one. Viva Midler ! The appearance of the film is exactly as it was intended to be - criticize all you want, this is a major film - and will become a classic.
Bette Midler becomes a star in this bittersweet rock drama
Quinoa19841 March 2022
I can't believe I never saw this side of Bette Midler before. I've seen her in movies and even seen/heard her sing here and there, but it's a strange thing to grow up from my generation/age group and mostly know her from the theme to Beaches (one of those Wedding songs that just makes me kind of neutral to eh) and see her on stage as this quasi Janis Joplin with a quasi Joe Cocker edge among other amalgamations (especially during "When a Man Loves a Woman" which in many other films would be the showstopping finale, here it's in the first half hour) is a kind of Revelation. In a way I'm getting the opposite experience of many audiences from the time who saw this in theaters - this was Midler's screen debut, holy God - and coming to it instead of seeing her fresh seeing an entirely new side to what I thought previously as frankly kind of a milquetoast performer and singer. Not here.
What's more remarkable about Midler than simply with her singing and stage presence, which is aptly as big as a few dozen towers, are those little moments she brings vulnerability into her volatile Rose; when she looks to be pleasantly in that space between being asleep and awake on a plane about midway through, look how she suddenly starts crying (not too much but enough) and it feels totally natural of the moment, that her Rose is simply unpredictable for when a piece of music or another person can touch her heart.
I know that's not what stands out the most about her performance persay, since she is most apt to go for AAAHHHH levels of yelling and energy levels (punctuated by cpiling back and going "I'm sorry" and then getting pissed again). But there are moments of sorrow, tenderness, quiet, that in their way punctuate those volcanic bouts of rage and desperation and need. This is a chronicle of a performer who is always on the edge of blowing up everything good around her, and where it ends up especially in those last thirty minutes takes this into a full tragedy, final concert included (paging Pink of the Wall).
This isn't exactly unique in the annals of Rock and Roll movies or movies about singers or whoever, but what absolute stands out are the performances from of course Midler (by the way one more note, her calls near the end in that phone booth to her manager and her mother, look what she isn't doing and holding back, just extraordinary), as well as Frédéric Forrest as the on-off-on-off lover, and he is remarkable for his reactions more than anything to her (ie the scene in the bars, a contrast early on and then latter when it became dark), Harry Dean Stanton in just one scene showing why he was a total treasure of an actor, and while he is saddled largely with a cliche even Alan Bates finds moments where he becomes interesting as that raging-screaming British rock manager.
How much you'll get out of it will depend how forgiving you may be to a movie that is like 80-85% Downfall Saga, where we are seeing someone at this point in a life where things are coming apart at the seams, but on the other hand that may be a refreshing thing about it. If you're going to just give the audience a story of a performer who is I'm a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT BUT LOOK AT ME ON STAGE! Then at least go for this energy and committed melodrama.
And on top of everything else is a theme that can't be ignored which is a woman being taken beyond her limits by men who are more concerned about contracts and money than mental health (in another level, think last year about the athletes in the Olympics who walked away because... can't do it). And I can't stress enough that if you are a Mlllennial coming to this fresh, you will walk away if nothing else looking at Bette Midler like "wow... rock God!"
One more flaw: needed more time with Rose with her band. 7.5/10.
What's more remarkable about Midler than simply with her singing and stage presence, which is aptly as big as a few dozen towers, are those little moments she brings vulnerability into her volatile Rose; when she looks to be pleasantly in that space between being asleep and awake on a plane about midway through, look how she suddenly starts crying (not too much but enough) and it feels totally natural of the moment, that her Rose is simply unpredictable for when a piece of music or another person can touch her heart.
I know that's not what stands out the most about her performance persay, since she is most apt to go for AAAHHHH levels of yelling and energy levels (punctuated by cpiling back and going "I'm sorry" and then getting pissed again). But there are moments of sorrow, tenderness, quiet, that in their way punctuate those volcanic bouts of rage and desperation and need. This is a chronicle of a performer who is always on the edge of blowing up everything good around her, and where it ends up especially in those last thirty minutes takes this into a full tragedy, final concert included (paging Pink of the Wall).
This isn't exactly unique in the annals of Rock and Roll movies or movies about singers or whoever, but what absolute stands out are the performances from of course Midler (by the way one more note, her calls near the end in that phone booth to her manager and her mother, look what she isn't doing and holding back, just extraordinary), as well as Frédéric Forrest as the on-off-on-off lover, and he is remarkable for his reactions more than anything to her (ie the scene in the bars, a contrast early on and then latter when it became dark), Harry Dean Stanton in just one scene showing why he was a total treasure of an actor, and while he is saddled largely with a cliche even Alan Bates finds moments where he becomes interesting as that raging-screaming British rock manager.
How much you'll get out of it will depend how forgiving you may be to a movie that is like 80-85% Downfall Saga, where we are seeing someone at this point in a life where things are coming apart at the seams, but on the other hand that may be a refreshing thing about it. If you're going to just give the audience a story of a performer who is I'm a WHOLE HELL OF A LOT BUT LOOK AT ME ON STAGE! Then at least go for this energy and committed melodrama.
And on top of everything else is a theme that can't be ignored which is a woman being taken beyond her limits by men who are more concerned about contracts and money than mental health (in another level, think last year about the athletes in the Olympics who walked away because... can't do it). And I can't stress enough that if you are a Mlllennial coming to this fresh, you will walk away if nothing else looking at Bette Midler like "wow... rock God!"
One more flaw: needed more time with Rose with her band. 7.5/10.
Shrill and Dated
mr_deadly24 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Apologies to fans of this film, but I found it shrill and vastly over-rated.
The characters and performances are, on the whole, poorly written and acted. Ms. Midler emotes her heart out, which is occasionally effective but is more often histrionic. She is ridiculously over-the-top, veering from vicious drag-queen to out-of-control drunk to weepy little girl. Her manager is a tedious cardboard villain while her boyfriend displays moments of charm but can't avoid the overwrought pitfalls of the film.
The sequence with the former lesbian lover of the Midler character highlights what is wrong with the film. It was contrived and unbelievable, the lovely former lover a wooden prop to set up another scene of people freaking out. It all rang hollow and false and loud and melodramatic. What unlikeable people! The era it documents is tragic from an aesthetic point-of-view. Whether it is the hair, clothing, or sets, everything in the film matches the characters: ugly. The sequence in the red-neck diner comes to mind for the same reason: ugly dialogue, ugly behavior, ugly attitudes. This is a film for masochists and connoisseurs of ugliness.
The only blessing is that the ending precluded the possibility of a sequel. I was grateful when this film was finally over. If I want a trashy melodrama, I want it to include some fun and some comedy, both of which are utterly absent from The Rose.
The characters and performances are, on the whole, poorly written and acted. Ms. Midler emotes her heart out, which is occasionally effective but is more often histrionic. She is ridiculously over-the-top, veering from vicious drag-queen to out-of-control drunk to weepy little girl. Her manager is a tedious cardboard villain while her boyfriend displays moments of charm but can't avoid the overwrought pitfalls of the film.
The sequence with the former lesbian lover of the Midler character highlights what is wrong with the film. It was contrived and unbelievable, the lovely former lover a wooden prop to set up another scene of people freaking out. It all rang hollow and false and loud and melodramatic. What unlikeable people! The era it documents is tragic from an aesthetic point-of-view. Whether it is the hair, clothing, or sets, everything in the film matches the characters: ugly. The sequence in the red-neck diner comes to mind for the same reason: ugly dialogue, ugly behavior, ugly attitudes. This is a film for masochists and connoisseurs of ugliness.
The only blessing is that the ending precluded the possibility of a sequel. I was grateful when this film was finally over. If I want a trashy melodrama, I want it to include some fun and some comedy, both of which are utterly absent from The Rose.
Awesome!
BlackJack_B4 October 2001
I'm no fan of Bette Midler, but I was mighty impressed by her first starring role in "The Rose". The Divine Miss M plays Rose, a Janis Joplin-type, living her last days in a sea of sex, booze, and drugs. The movie shows painfully and slowly how her life goes completely out of control, while her friends and management are helpless.
Midler, unlike the unbearably long line of singers/rappers/divas/bubblegum pop stars who have done acting, can do both and dominate. Midler's Oscar-nominated performance is awesome, and her singing voice is superb as she belts out the songs with panache. If you want to see her do something else besides the endless comedies she does, check this one out.
Midler, unlike the unbearably long line of singers/rappers/divas/bubblegum pop stars who have done acting, can do both and dominate. Midler's Oscar-nominated performance is awesome, and her singing voice is superb as she belts out the songs with panache. If you want to see her do something else besides the endless comedies she does, check this one out.
Not As Rocking As It Could Be
gavin694220 April 2015
The tragic life of a self-destructive female rock star (Bette Midler) who struggles to deal with the constant pressures of her career and the demands of her ruthless business manager.
So, this is sort of, kind of inspired by the life and death of Janis Joplin, though with enough things changed to make it not quite a biopic. And then, to guarantee no one will ever see it, Bette Midler is cast in the lead... in what is her defining role (which says a lot about Midler and how she has made few good films).
How this was picked up by the Criterion Collection is beyond me. The film suffers from an excess of music at the expense of the story. This would be alright if the music was good, but for the most part it is not. Heck, if you want a good music film, perhaps check out "Eddie and the Cruisers".
So, this is sort of, kind of inspired by the life and death of Janis Joplin, though with enough things changed to make it not quite a biopic. And then, to guarantee no one will ever see it, Bette Midler is cast in the lead... in what is her defining role (which says a lot about Midler and how she has made few good films).
How this was picked up by the Criterion Collection is beyond me. The film suffers from an excess of music at the expense of the story. This would be alright if the music was good, but for the most part it is not. Heck, if you want a good music film, perhaps check out "Eddie and the Cruisers".
One of best movies of the prolific Bette Midler!!
elo-equipamentos24 October 2017
The success in the life has a heavy price to pay, it's has been happening so many times, yesterday, today and forever, The Rose shows exactly how it works, Bette Midler has a very convincing acting as dying singer, who needs a break to put your head on ordinary life, but a never ending of agreements for money put everything to loose, including the own soul and life, this movie is a bitter criticism of an entire generation of fame end up in a dead end!!! However the movie has minor mistakes in the beginning when Rose already famous sings in small venues, one of best Bette Midler movies proving that she is a prolific actress!!
Resume:
First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5
Resume:
First watch: 1985 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5
An OSCAR worthy film and performance.
dm31718 November 1999
The Rose is about a woman whose sole purpose in life was to give of herself completely. Protected from adult responsibilities by her manager, "Rose" dug further and further inside herself, alienating all those who loved her. With an adolescent attitude toward life, she indulged in every excess. The poignant scene in the phone booth, where she overdoses on a lethal combination of pain killers, heroin, and booze is certainly worthy of an Academy Award. We feel her pain, and we really believe we are seeing a woman in the last hour of her life. Killing herself before our eyes, yet we are helpless to stop her. We can't stop watching. The final scene, and the final song Rose sings, Stay With Me, is filmmaking at its best. It sums up her life, and the life of so many talented musicians (Kurt Cobane, Jim Morrison, etc). Rose was desperate to have someone, anyone, who was there just for her. Yet she pushed everyone away who truly cared about her. Bette Midler's passionate and inspired performances in concert footage is unforgettable. The Rose is one of the best movies ever made.
Midler's Most Dramatic Role, Relentlessly Depressing
LeonardKniffel1 May 2020
The story of the tragic life of a self-destructive female rock star, modeled after Janis Joplin and starring Bette Midler in her most serious dramatic role. Through the course of this relentlessly depressing tale, Midler sings some great songs, "Midnight in Memphis," "When a Man Loves a Woman," and the gut-wrenching title song. But why is misery so appealing on film instead of the joy a talent like Janis Joplin brought to her fans. ---from Musicals on the Silver Screen, American Library Association, 22013
Bette Midler Grips You and Never lets go! Electrifying! Sensational!
lawrence_elliott9 May 2007
This is a most exciting, gripping and fabulous film. Bette Midler's electrifying performance was worthy of best actress. The Janis Joplin type performance is stunning - her heart and soul is in her voice which pulsates and vibrates into your very being and sends shock waves of electricity tingling coolly down the back of your spine touching your very soul. This is a gut-wrenching experience that teaches nothing but makes you experience everything.
I love this film, the music and the voice and performance of Bette Midler. What a thrill it is to see an artist like Bette Midler perform to such an extreme and lofty level. What a dazzling radiant star that burned so brightly for so short a time and then was so suddenly and prematurely snuffed out. But when an artist gives so much of herself in every song she sings, it is no wonder that her life was slowly drained and eventually terminated by the fans who loved her.
I was working with The Canadian Film Institute in 1980, one year after the release of this film, and we put on a festival in Ottawa at the National Film Archives Theatre in July. We started out with "The Rose" at 8pm and then concluded with Crawley Films Academy Award winning Documentary film "Janis" at 11pm. It was just like a live Rock Concert. The crowd was in a frenzy. The only thing missing was Jimi Hendrix! Love this one. Real entertainment and excitement!
I should note that the director, Mark Rydell, does an overview commentary on the DVD version of this film and it is like taking a university level cinematic studies course. He makes interesting and relevant comments on every scene in the film and it is well worth listening to. Highly informative and fascinating!
I love this film, the music and the voice and performance of Bette Midler. What a thrill it is to see an artist like Bette Midler perform to such an extreme and lofty level. What a dazzling radiant star that burned so brightly for so short a time and then was so suddenly and prematurely snuffed out. But when an artist gives so much of herself in every song she sings, it is no wonder that her life was slowly drained and eventually terminated by the fans who loved her.
I was working with The Canadian Film Institute in 1980, one year after the release of this film, and we put on a festival in Ottawa at the National Film Archives Theatre in July. We started out with "The Rose" at 8pm and then concluded with Crawley Films Academy Award winning Documentary film "Janis" at 11pm. It was just like a live Rock Concert. The crowd was in a frenzy. The only thing missing was Jimi Hendrix! Love this one. Real entertainment and excitement!
I should note that the director, Mark Rydell, does an overview commentary on the DVD version of this film and it is like taking a university level cinematic studies course. He makes interesting and relevant comments on every scene in the film and it is well worth listening to. Highly informative and fascinating!
big time debut
SnoopyStyle29 December 2017
It's 1969. Mary Rose Foster (Bette Midler) is a tired superstar. She is lonely, drunk, a recovering drug addict, and desperate to get off the stage. His greedy manager Rudge Campbell talks her out of it. She gets dismissed by country legend Billy Ray (Harry Dean Stanton) and she runs off with limo driver Huston Dyer (Frederic Forrest). He's AWOL from the Army.
This is a tour de force performance from Bette Midler. She uses all of her singing and stage presence to be a rock star on film. It helps that she does really perform on stage. There are some solid hits. It's her film acting debut and she shines. It's a great launching pad for her. The plot does ramble on and on. It would help to place a destination or a ticking clock on the story. I never really love Dyer although I thought they were building good chemistry until that incident. I assumed that relationship would be central all the way to the end. The flow is a little ragged. The overriding takeaway is Bette Midler's terrific performance.
This is a tour de force performance from Bette Midler. She uses all of her singing and stage presence to be a rock star on film. It helps that she does really perform on stage. There are some solid hits. It's her film acting debut and she shines. It's a great launching pad for her. The plot does ramble on and on. It would help to place a destination or a ticking clock on the story. I never really love Dyer although I thought they were building good chemistry until that incident. I assumed that relationship would be central all the way to the end. The flow is a little ragged. The overriding takeaway is Bette Midler's terrific performance.
The Dying Rose
IrisNo1120 July 1999
The Rose: A talented, Janis Joplin-like diva with world wide fame and popularity who is terribly worn out by work and a strong addiction to booze and drugs. It sounds like an interesting plot doesn't it? Especially for most music lovers!
I liked "The Rose". I liked Bette Midler's performance a lot. She was strong, she was powerful, mind-gripping, and she is a really great actress and I love her voice. I think she has a beautiful voice when she sings ballads like "From A Distance", "Wind Beneath My Wings", and "My One True Friend", and in somewhat ways, I can kind of relate to "Wind" and "Friend". Plus, her theatrical performances on stage are full of non stop fun. I thought that the idea of what the Rose was about was spectacular, but I didn't think the movie, itself, was as interesting. Seeing the Rose slowly kill herself with booze isn't ANYTHING compared to hard core drugs like heroin, which killed Janis Joplin.
Yet I liked the Rose, because it's a powerful story of a very talented woman, and it is sad to see her worn out like that. And from a Bette Midler interview I watched, she claimed that she connected with this character and felt that it was her story. So, I think that's cool.
Good job, Bette!!! :o)
I liked "The Rose". I liked Bette Midler's performance a lot. She was strong, she was powerful, mind-gripping, and she is a really great actress and I love her voice. I think she has a beautiful voice when she sings ballads like "From A Distance", "Wind Beneath My Wings", and "My One True Friend", and in somewhat ways, I can kind of relate to "Wind" and "Friend". Plus, her theatrical performances on stage are full of non stop fun. I thought that the idea of what the Rose was about was spectacular, but I didn't think the movie, itself, was as interesting. Seeing the Rose slowly kill herself with booze isn't ANYTHING compared to hard core drugs like heroin, which killed Janis Joplin.
Yet I liked the Rose, because it's a powerful story of a very talented woman, and it is sad to see her worn out like that. And from a Bette Midler interview I watched, she claimed that she connected with this character and felt that it was her story. So, I think that's cool.
Good job, Bette!!! :o)
A poignant & powerful rock drama with a remarkable Bette Midler performance
Woodyanders21 April 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Better Midler gives a smashing, touching, tear-the-house-down dynamic and exhilarating Oscar-nominated performance as the Rose, a fabulously wealthy and successful popular rock superstar sensation who's been burnt-out and worn down by too much long hard time on the road, too much booze and drugs (Rose likes to swig Southern Comfort straight from the bottle while performing live on stage), too many cameras in her face and too much time spent recording songs in the studio at the expense of having a meaningful and fulfilling personal life, all of which leaves Rose feeling terribly lonely, unhappy and unloved. Rose wants to take a much-needed vacation, but her pushy, ruthless, overbearing greedhead manager Rudge Campbell (flawlessly played to intensely contemptible perfection by Alan Bates) urges her to do a special hometown concert. Rose finds temporary solace in her relationship with good-looking nice guy drifter Houston Dyer (a characteristically top-drawer turn by the criminally undervalued Frederic Forrest, who deservedly snagged a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his superlative work here), but Dyer's inability to easily handle Rose's wild lifestyle of debauched excess only exacerbates the severity of Rose's depression, which goes off the deep end into total despair with tragic consequences.
Loosely based on the real-life flash-in-the-pan live fast, live hard, live like today's almost over and tomorrow ain't never gonna happen and if you live like this too much you will most certainly die young sex'n'drugs'n'rock'n'roll exploits of Janis Joplin, "The Rose" poignantly exposes the horrible price of fame and fortune, showing to often devastating effect the way fame destroys one's ability to have a personal life, pushes people to a near breaking point, and grinds people down to nothing after they lose the strength needed to withstand the strain being a famous person grimly entails. Mark Rydell's perceptive direction and the trenchant script by Bill Kirby and Bo Goldman neither glorifies nor vilifies the rock'n'roll lifestyle, opting instead to merely show its potentially dangerous pratfalls with a properly glum, depressing tone and an arresting, unflinching frankness.
Vilmos Zsigmund's glittering, burnished, faded cinematography gives the film an appropriately blinding brightly saturated color flashy look, shooting the lively, uninhibited concert sequences through a dense smoky haze of piercing reddish hues (such fellow noted cameramen as Laszlo Kovacs, Owen Roizman and Haskell Wexler also lent a hand to the dazzling concert sequences). Toni Basil, who had a fluke top 10 hit tune with the waggish novelty song "Hey Mickey," did the raunchy'n'raucous dance choreography. Midler belts out all her songs in a hoarse, bluesy, whiskey-ravaged alto with incredible incendiary gusto; the highlights include the hauntingly beautiful and melancholy title ballad, a torchy, slow-burning rendition of "When a Man Loves a Woman," and a hilariously campy shredding of Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below" done in a drag queen bar with a bunch of outrageous transvestite celebrity lady impersonators (70's mock disco diva Sylvestor plays the Diana Ross lookalike). Midler's show-dominating tour-de-force portrayal gets sterling support from an exceptional cast peppered with stand-out character actors: David Keith as a bashful soldier, Jack Starrett as a country music road manager, John Dennis Johnson as a rowdy hick jerk in a hillbilly bar, Jonathan Banks as an oily TV promoter, Don Calfa as a smarmy music biz leech, Victor Argo as a bath house locker room attendant, Will Hare as an amiable grocer, and, in a particularly chilling and startling cameo, the great Harry Dean Stanton as a cold-hearted a**hole country singer/songwriter who flatly tells Rose right to her face that he thinks her singing stinks. A sad, insightful and eye-opening film, "The Rose" makes for a truly heart-breaking, but undeniably powerful portrait of an all-too-human and fragile person who gets led down the road to ruin by the very business that ironically made her.
Loosely based on the real-life flash-in-the-pan live fast, live hard, live like today's almost over and tomorrow ain't never gonna happen and if you live like this too much you will most certainly die young sex'n'drugs'n'rock'n'roll exploits of Janis Joplin, "The Rose" poignantly exposes the horrible price of fame and fortune, showing to often devastating effect the way fame destroys one's ability to have a personal life, pushes people to a near breaking point, and grinds people down to nothing after they lose the strength needed to withstand the strain being a famous person grimly entails. Mark Rydell's perceptive direction and the trenchant script by Bill Kirby and Bo Goldman neither glorifies nor vilifies the rock'n'roll lifestyle, opting instead to merely show its potentially dangerous pratfalls with a properly glum, depressing tone and an arresting, unflinching frankness.
Vilmos Zsigmund's glittering, burnished, faded cinematography gives the film an appropriately blinding brightly saturated color flashy look, shooting the lively, uninhibited concert sequences through a dense smoky haze of piercing reddish hues (such fellow noted cameramen as Laszlo Kovacs, Owen Roizman and Haskell Wexler also lent a hand to the dazzling concert sequences). Toni Basil, who had a fluke top 10 hit tune with the waggish novelty song "Hey Mickey," did the raunchy'n'raucous dance choreography. Midler belts out all her songs in a hoarse, bluesy, whiskey-ravaged alto with incredible incendiary gusto; the highlights include the hauntingly beautiful and melancholy title ballad, a torchy, slow-burning rendition of "When a Man Loves a Woman," and a hilariously campy shredding of Bob Seger's "Fire Down Below" done in a drag queen bar with a bunch of outrageous transvestite celebrity lady impersonators (70's mock disco diva Sylvestor plays the Diana Ross lookalike). Midler's show-dominating tour-de-force portrayal gets sterling support from an exceptional cast peppered with stand-out character actors: David Keith as a bashful soldier, Jack Starrett as a country music road manager, John Dennis Johnson as a rowdy hick jerk in a hillbilly bar, Jonathan Banks as an oily TV promoter, Don Calfa as a smarmy music biz leech, Victor Argo as a bath house locker room attendant, Will Hare as an amiable grocer, and, in a particularly chilling and startling cameo, the great Harry Dean Stanton as a cold-hearted a**hole country singer/songwriter who flatly tells Rose right to her face that he thinks her singing stinks. A sad, insightful and eye-opening film, "The Rose" makes for a truly heart-breaking, but undeniably powerful portrait of an all-too-human and fragile person who gets led down the road to ruin by the very business that ironically made her.
Tour de Force for Bette Midler
evanston_dad1 December 2022
Bette Midler is a force of nature in this tragedy about a famous rock star who dies too young, loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin.
The movie is about what you would expect. It feels a lot like every other movie about self-destructive artists, complete with heaps of drugs and booze and the obligatory breakdown on stage in front of a live audience. It goes on much longer than it needs to, and starts to feel repetitive after a while. I could have used a few scenes less of Alan Bates convincing me that his character is the biggest jackass ever and having shouting matches with Midler. And the on-again-off-again relationship between Midler and a hunkadoodle played by Frederic Forrest also wears out its welcome.
But....and this is a big "but".....this movie is worth watching for Midler's sensational performance. Whenever she's singing in front of an audience, the movie comes alive in a way that many similar movies don't. I've seen lots of films featuring famous actors playing musicians who I didn't buy at all, but for obvious reasons, mainly that she actually was and is a famous musician in real life, Midler is totally believable as the goddess she plays in the film. And when she meets her tragic fate, which you can see coming from a mile away, it actually feels tragic.
Midler was justly nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, and Forrest was nominated as Best Supporting Actor. The film also copped nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
Grade: B+
The movie is about what you would expect. It feels a lot like every other movie about self-destructive artists, complete with heaps of drugs and booze and the obligatory breakdown on stage in front of a live audience. It goes on much longer than it needs to, and starts to feel repetitive after a while. I could have used a few scenes less of Alan Bates convincing me that his character is the biggest jackass ever and having shouting matches with Midler. And the on-again-off-again relationship between Midler and a hunkadoodle played by Frederic Forrest also wears out its welcome.
But....and this is a big "but".....this movie is worth watching for Midler's sensational performance. Whenever she's singing in front of an audience, the movie comes alive in a way that many similar movies don't. I've seen lots of films featuring famous actors playing musicians who I didn't buy at all, but for obvious reasons, mainly that she actually was and is a famous musician in real life, Midler is totally believable as the goddess she plays in the film. And when she meets her tragic fate, which you can see coming from a mile away, it actually feels tragic.
Midler was justly nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance, and Forrest was nominated as Best Supporting Actor. The film also copped nominations for Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
Grade: B+
One long note in a sad minor key
jescci8 March 2004
I like Bette Midler as a musical performer. I can tolerate her when used in the right way as an actress. Some say this was an Oscar worthy performance (believe she was nominated), but I disagree. Not because I didn't like her acting, but because I never knew for sure what she was playing - other than pain. That's not her fault of course, but she can't get credit for it either.
Thought the film was a mess in general. Most shots were too light or too dark or out of focus or otherwise visually unintelligible. There were sloppy edits and there was no story to speak of. The main characters were one dimensional. All Alan Bates did was scream. It was well acted I supposed - tho the camera didn't catch it nearly as well as it could have - I believed he was selfish and greedy, but because I was told, not shown.
Wasn't even that crazy about the concert footage. Midler added a raucousness or squelch to her voice which I suppose was some sort of homage to Janis Joplin but it just made her voice sound less pretty. The band was mediocre - this may or may not have been another homage - to Big Brother And The Holding Company - Joplin's backup band which was often criticized for it's mediocrity - but in any case it was ill-advised.
Midler's accent was inconsistent - wasn't sure it ever sounded Floridian, which is where her character was from. We were given little background about her life other than one brief story about her promiscuity - so we never got a handle on where her intense pain came from. Okay, it was suggested that she was rejected as a youth, lonely as an adult and searching desperately and unwisely to fill holes and find love. Or do we assume all that because of what we know about Janis Joplin? In any case that's a thin plot reed to hang a two hour running time upon. And it nearly snapped for me several times. I gave it the lowest rating I ever give - 4 - if a film is leaning towards a rating any lower than that I turn the set off.
Thought the film was a mess in general. Most shots were too light or too dark or out of focus or otherwise visually unintelligible. There were sloppy edits and there was no story to speak of. The main characters were one dimensional. All Alan Bates did was scream. It was well acted I supposed - tho the camera didn't catch it nearly as well as it could have - I believed he was selfish and greedy, but because I was told, not shown.
Wasn't even that crazy about the concert footage. Midler added a raucousness or squelch to her voice which I suppose was some sort of homage to Janis Joplin but it just made her voice sound less pretty. The band was mediocre - this may or may not have been another homage - to Big Brother And The Holding Company - Joplin's backup band which was often criticized for it's mediocrity - but in any case it was ill-advised.
Midler's accent was inconsistent - wasn't sure it ever sounded Floridian, which is where her character was from. We were given little background about her life other than one brief story about her promiscuity - so we never got a handle on where her intense pain came from. Okay, it was suggested that she was rejected as a youth, lonely as an adult and searching desperately and unwisely to fill holes and find love. Or do we assume all that because of what we know about Janis Joplin? In any case that's a thin plot reed to hang a two hour running time upon. And it nearly snapped for me several times. I gave it the lowest rating I ever give - 4 - if a film is leaning towards a rating any lower than that I turn the set off.
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