Paramount, 1970
Starring Barbra Streisand, Yves Montand, Jack Nicholson, and Larry Blyden
Directed by Vincent Minnelli
Music by Burton Lane; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Streisand was on a roll after the success of Funny Girl, and while Hello Dolly! ultimately lost money, she wasn't the reason. Vincent Minnelli, admiring the success of huge historical musicals like The Sound of Music, wanted to turn the 1966 Broadway fantasy into a three-hour movie epic. Paramount initially agreed, until they saw the results and cost, and slashed the running time. Was all the tinkering worth it? Let's start on the roof of an apartment building in New York, as Daisy Gamble (Streisand) sings to her plants and makes them grow, and find out...
The Story: Daisy goes to psychiatrist Marc Chabot (Montand) to cure her of a five-pack-a-day smoking habit. Her fussy fiancee Warren (Blyden) is hoping to get an important job with benefits, and his wife has to be perfect. After she goes under, Chabot discovers through questioning that she lived a previous life during the early 1800's as Lady Melinda Winpole Wayne Tentrees, a temptress who dropped one husband and used her ESP to make her second husband very rich before he betrayed her. He also learns that Daisy herself has ESP; she's able to make flowers grow with her singing and knows when the phone rings before it does.
Chabot is fascinated by Melinda and starts bringing her out even when Daisy isn't there. His theories on reincarnation aren't as well-received and get him into trouble with school dean Dr. Mason Hume (Bob Newhart). The school wants him to drop the research and spare them further embarrassment. Daisy has no idea what's going on until she hears one of his recordings of their sessions. She's livid that he loved her former self, not who she currently is, and refuses to come back...until he calls her one last time...
The Song and Dance: Streisand dominates this very strange musical fantasy. She sings the vast majority of the music, including the hit "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" and a reprise of the standard title song. Minnelli always did do wonders with color, and this movie is no exception. It starts off with stunning time-lapse photography of brilliant flowers growing thanks to Daisy's voice, and there's the sumptuous scenes of Regency England (filmed in the real Brighton and East Sussex).
Favorite Number: The time-lapse flower number opens the film, with Daisy encouraging the plants to "Hurry Up! It's Lovely Out Here." Melinda's first song is "Love With All the Trimmings" as she seduces Lord Tweltrees at a royal banquet...and later after she gets him. Daisy tries to "Go To Sleep" after a date with Marc, but all she can think of is him and how different he is from Larry as she tosses and turns in her colorful bedding. "What Did I Have That I Don't Have?" is an angry and heartbroken Daisy wondering how Marc fell for someone who is only in her head after she hears the tapes, and Streisand really powerhouses through it. "Come To Me" shows off New York in its late 60's glory as Marc sings for Daisy to come back to him wherever she is...and somehow, half the city is able to sing along and try to convince her to return!
Trivia: The movie was originally over three hours long, but Paramount ultimately wasn't happy with the results and made Minnelli lose almost an hour of footage. Among the casualties were a duet for Streisand and Nicholson as her ex-stepbrother Tad (Nicholson) "Who Is There Among Us Who Knows," Daisy and Warren's duet "Wait 'Til We're Sixty-Five," and two chorus numbers in the Regency segments.
The original Broadway show debuted in 1965 and ran for almost seven months, not bad for the time. A slightly revised version turned up in an Encores! concert with Kristin Chenowith as Daisy/Melinda in 2000. The show got a far heavier revision in 2011 that turned Daisy into David Gamble, a gay flower shop owner who had been a torch singer named Melinda in a previous life. That wound up being one of the bigger flops of 2011, running less than a month.
What I Don't Like: This fluffy little story should not have been drawn out for two hours, let alone three. No wonder most revivals to date haven't made sense of the plot. Montand and Streisand reportedly didn't get along and have zero chemistry, which may be why this one of the rare musicals where the leads don't end up together and are perfectly happy with that. (Granted, the stage version did toss them together, so they get a little credit for not going for the obvious ending.)
Montand can't really sing or provide the necessary "oomph" to his two big numbers "Melinda" and "Come To Me." Nicholson and Newhart are barely in the movie and don't do much when they do appear. Most of the Regency sequences are really more there to show off the fancy costuming than anything, and said costumes are gorgeous but really smack more of the early 70's than the early 1800's, especially the turbans many of the ladies wear.
The Big Finale: Recommended mostly for fans of Streisand and the epic Broadway adaptations of the late 60's and early 70's.
Home Media: Easy to find in all major formats; the DVD is currently available via the Warner Archives.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Reviews of musical films, from 1930s black and white to widescreen 21st century extravaganzas.
Showing posts with label Barbra Streisand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbra Streisand. Show all posts
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Funny Lady
Columbia, 1975
Starring Barbra Streisand, Ben Vereen, James Caan, and Omar Sharif
Directed by Herbert Ross
Music by John Kander and others; Lyrics by Fred Ebb and others
Funny Girl proved to be so popular, it prompted one of the very few musical sequels. Streisand had one more film left to make for Girl producer Ray Stark, and it took some convincing, but she finally liked the more mature screenplay. How does the further story of Fanny Brice and her relationship with songwriter, impresario, and con man Billy Rose (Caan) look now? Let's head to New York as the Follies of 1930 is winding down and find out...
The Story: Fanny Brice (Streisand) is facing financial ruin. Ziegfeld is broke and can't get a backer for his next show. Hopeful songwriter and producer Billy Rose (Caan) manages to get a backer by promising his current mistress a role in the show, then convinces Fanny to join after she asks to record his song "More Than You'll Know." Rose, however, has no experience as a producer, keeps firing people, and spends money like water on expensive sets and costumes. The show opens as a major disaster. Fanny finally takes him aside and helps him cut the acts down to their essentials, creating a better showcase for her and fellow star Bert Robbins (Vereen).
Fanny and Billy eventually realize they have a lot in common...including both of them being phonies who can talk their way into and out of anything. Fanny, however, still has feelings for her ex-husband Nicky Arnstein (Sharif), though he's now remarried. She eventually marries Billy, but they do nothing but fight, and he eventually turns to his new star of the spectacular Aquacade Eleanor Holm (Heidi O'Rourke). Fed up with all of the men in her life, she finally comes to the conclusion that she's doing pretty well being a "funny lady" on her own, thanks to her hit Baby Snooks radio show, and divorces him.
The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had making this film, there's some first-rate songs and performances. Streisand is fine as the tougher, more experienced Brice, especially towards the end, when she realizes that she may like Billy, but she still loves Nicky. Cinematographer James Wong Howe was brought out of retirement to take over filming. He came up with some spectacular work, especially in the "How Lucky Can You Get?" number and "Let's Hear It for Me" finale. It won Oscars for cinematography and the bright, spangled, period-accurate costumes. By far the best part is the first half, where Fanny and Billy are still feeling around each other and we see just how badly Billy's overproduced show goes off the rails.
Favorite Number: Streisand gets to belt the heck out of two great Kander & Ebb numbers, the driving "How Lucky Can You Get?" when she's lost Nicky again, and the big finale on the plane, "Let's Hear It for Me." Ben Vereen gets to show his own stuff in the colorful "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charley" as a whole orchestra of hands push to keep up with his splits and high kicks. Caan sounds surprisingly good on "Me and My Shadow" towards the end.
My favorite number takes a leaf from Fanny and cuts down to the essentials, just showcasing Fanny, Billy, and their increasing feelings about and understanding of each other in another Kander & Ebb song, "I Like Her/I Like Him," sung in counterpoint to the chorus performing Rose's most famous standard, "It's Only a Paper Moon," during the rehearsals.
Trivia: In real life, Fanny didn't have fond memories of either of her husbands after she broke up with them and fully admitted that she had the habit of falling for shifty men. Billy did have the habit of financing overstuffed shows, but they more often than not weren't hits. Crazy Quilt was fictional, but two of his most popular songs, "Great Day" and "More Than You Know," did come from a huge stage flop.
Funny Lady had its own problems. Producer Stark had to threaten to sue Streisand to get her back, and then he ended up doing some major editing to whittle the movie down to a little over two hours. Among the sequences left on the cutting room floor were more numbers with Vereen, Streisand appearing on the radio as Baby Snooks, and and dramatic scenes showing Fanny with her daughter.
What I Don't Like: Funny Lady is as ridiculously overproduced as the first version of Crazy Quilt. The story lurches from sequence to sequence with no rhyme or reason. Vereen is wasted beyond his two numbers; Caan is charming, but otherwise out of place. Like many musicals of this era, it's also way too long...and that hasty editing job shows in the disjointed plot. They probably could have done more trimming with no one the wiser.
The Big Finale: Worth seeing for the numbers alone if you're a fan of Streisand, Brice, or Vereen or really loved Funny Girl.
Home Media: Streaming is your best bet - it's expensive on disc. (I once again watched it for free on the streaming service Crackle.)
DVD
Blu-Ray
Crackle
Starring Barbra Streisand, Ben Vereen, James Caan, and Omar Sharif
Directed by Herbert Ross
Music by John Kander and others; Lyrics by Fred Ebb and others
Funny Girl proved to be so popular, it prompted one of the very few musical sequels. Streisand had one more film left to make for Girl producer Ray Stark, and it took some convincing, but she finally liked the more mature screenplay. How does the further story of Fanny Brice and her relationship with songwriter, impresario, and con man Billy Rose (Caan) look now? Let's head to New York as the Follies of 1930 is winding down and find out...
The Story: Fanny Brice (Streisand) is facing financial ruin. Ziegfeld is broke and can't get a backer for his next show. Hopeful songwriter and producer Billy Rose (Caan) manages to get a backer by promising his current mistress a role in the show, then convinces Fanny to join after she asks to record his song "More Than You'll Know." Rose, however, has no experience as a producer, keeps firing people, and spends money like water on expensive sets and costumes. The show opens as a major disaster. Fanny finally takes him aside and helps him cut the acts down to their essentials, creating a better showcase for her and fellow star Bert Robbins (Vereen).
Fanny and Billy eventually realize they have a lot in common...including both of them being phonies who can talk their way into and out of anything. Fanny, however, still has feelings for her ex-husband Nicky Arnstein (Sharif), though he's now remarried. She eventually marries Billy, but they do nothing but fight, and he eventually turns to his new star of the spectacular Aquacade Eleanor Holm (Heidi O'Rourke). Fed up with all of the men in her life, she finally comes to the conclusion that she's doing pretty well being a "funny lady" on her own, thanks to her hit Baby Snooks radio show, and divorces him.
The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they had making this film, there's some first-rate songs and performances. Streisand is fine as the tougher, more experienced Brice, especially towards the end, when she realizes that she may like Billy, but she still loves Nicky. Cinematographer James Wong Howe was brought out of retirement to take over filming. He came up with some spectacular work, especially in the "How Lucky Can You Get?" number and "Let's Hear It for Me" finale. It won Oscars for cinematography and the bright, spangled, period-accurate costumes. By far the best part is the first half, where Fanny and Billy are still feeling around each other and we see just how badly Billy's overproduced show goes off the rails.
Favorite Number: Streisand gets to belt the heck out of two great Kander & Ebb numbers, the driving "How Lucky Can You Get?" when she's lost Nicky again, and the big finale on the plane, "Let's Hear It for Me." Ben Vereen gets to show his own stuff in the colorful "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charley" as a whole orchestra of hands push to keep up with his splits and high kicks. Caan sounds surprisingly good on "Me and My Shadow" towards the end.
My favorite number takes a leaf from Fanny and cuts down to the essentials, just showcasing Fanny, Billy, and their increasing feelings about and understanding of each other in another Kander & Ebb song, "I Like Her/I Like Him," sung in counterpoint to the chorus performing Rose's most famous standard, "It's Only a Paper Moon," during the rehearsals.
Trivia: In real life, Fanny didn't have fond memories of either of her husbands after she broke up with them and fully admitted that she had the habit of falling for shifty men. Billy did have the habit of financing overstuffed shows, but they more often than not weren't hits. Crazy Quilt was fictional, but two of his most popular songs, "Great Day" and "More Than You Know," did come from a huge stage flop.
Funny Lady had its own problems. Producer Stark had to threaten to sue Streisand to get her back, and then he ended up doing some major editing to whittle the movie down to a little over two hours. Among the sequences left on the cutting room floor were more numbers with Vereen, Streisand appearing on the radio as Baby Snooks, and and dramatic scenes showing Fanny with her daughter.
What I Don't Like: Funny Lady is as ridiculously overproduced as the first version of Crazy Quilt. The story lurches from sequence to sequence with no rhyme or reason. Vereen is wasted beyond his two numbers; Caan is charming, but otherwise out of place. Like many musicals of this era, it's also way too long...and that hasty editing job shows in the disjointed plot. They probably could have done more trimming with no one the wiser.
The Big Finale: Worth seeing for the numbers alone if you're a fan of Streisand, Brice, or Vereen or really loved Funny Girl.
Home Media: Streaming is your best bet - it's expensive on disc. (I once again watched it for free on the streaming service Crackle.)
DVD
Blu-Ray
Crackle
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Funny Girl
Columbia, 1968
Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, and Walter Pidgeon
Directed by William Wyler
Music by Jules Styne and others; Lyrics by Bob Merrill and others
Thirty years later, Fanny Brice's story did make it as a hit stage musical, this time in a fully-authorized version. Barbra Streisand was such a sensation as Brice, they wouldn't do the film version without her. For most people, she and her ways with both ballads and comic numbers really made the show. She even won an Oscar for this, her first film performance. How does the movie surrounding her look today? Let's head to the Ziegfeld Theater in New York with Fanny herself and find out...
The Story: We join Fanny as she recalls how she began in the early 1910's, when she was just a determined teenager looking for jobs in vaudeville. She manages to get a singing job after the manager realizes she stands out too much to be in the chorus. Gambler Nicky Armstein (Sharif) is in the audience and is smitten, asking her to dinner. She can't believe a handsome guy like him would be interested in a girl like her and turns him down.
Nicky's not the only one who catches Fanny at the show. None other than Florenz Ziegfeld (Pidgeon) hires her to sing in his famous Ziegfeld Follies. She becomes a star, which brings Nicky back into her life. He does everything he can to seduce her. Despite her awkwardness, she eventually falls for him, even following him to the ocean liner where he's gambling. They eventually marry and have a daughter and a beautiful huge house.
While Fannie is able to return to the Follies and continue as a success, Nicky doesn't do nearly as well with his business ventures and resents his wife trying to help. Fanny eventually admits that looks aren't everything when he gets in trouble for an embezzlement scam, and she realizes that, she may be the funniest woman around, but losing the love of her life is a lot less amusing.
The Song and Dance: Yes, Streisand is as good as every critic has always says she is in this. She throws herself into the role of the gawky young woman who becomes...well, if not a swan, at least someone more assured and poised. Sharif matches her as the caddish gambler who finds her fascinating, if only she wasn't so determined to keep performing and trying to bail him out. The widescreen cinematography is some of the most famous in any musical, including that much-discussed tracking shot at the end of the "Don't Rain on My Parade" number.
Favorite Number: I mentioned that famous tracking shot at the end of "Don't Rain on My Parade." The rest of that song is classic too, from the driving montage of Streisand on the train to her powerhouse performance. She also gives a lovely rendition of "People" early on, after her first date with Arnstein at her mother's post-Follies party. "The Roller Skate Rag" is supposed to be a typically cute vaudeville chorus girl number...if only Fanny could actually skate! She does better by the classic ballad "I'd Rather Be Blue." "His Love Makes You Beautiful" starts out as a typical Follies number with mirrors and chorus girls as seasonal brides...before Fanny steps in and shows just what love that makes you "beautiful" does. She ends with a truly searing version of Brice's signature dark ballad, "My Man."
Trivia: Funny Girl opened on Broadway in 1964. It was nominated for eight Tonys...but it debuted the same year as Hello Dolly and lost in every one. It still managed to run for over four years, even after Streisand left the show. A Broadway revival in 2012 failed to materialize, but a 2016 West End revival did well in a limited run.
The film version dropped 8 numbers, including a song for Fanny's mother and her friend at the vaudeville house, a chorus song for her neighbors at the big post-Follies party, several more Ziegfeld Follies routines, and a lovely ballad for Streisand, "The Music That Makes Me Dance."
This was the biggest hit film of 1968.
What I Don't Like: If you're not a fan of Streisand or Sharif, this is not the place for you. Most of the remaining cast, including Medford and Anne Francis as a Ziegfeld showgirl, barely register.
Likewise, I have mixed feelings on all those numbers being dropped. On one hand, they gave more characters stuff to do. On the other hand, the extra Follies songs and neighbors song weren't really necessary to the plot and took the focus away from Fanny.
There's also the problem that, like many musical films of this era, the movie is simply too long. They could have trimmed the more than two and a half hour running time.
The Big Finale: f you love Streisand or the extra-long epic movies of the late 60's, you'll find much to enjoy in this classy film.
Home Media: As a major hit and one of Streisand's most popular vehicles, this is easily found on all major formats, usually for under $10.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, and Walter Pidgeon
Directed by William Wyler
Music by Jules Styne and others; Lyrics by Bob Merrill and others
Thirty years later, Fanny Brice's story did make it as a hit stage musical, this time in a fully-authorized version. Barbra Streisand was such a sensation as Brice, they wouldn't do the film version without her. For most people, she and her ways with both ballads and comic numbers really made the show. She even won an Oscar for this, her first film performance. How does the movie surrounding her look today? Let's head to the Ziegfeld Theater in New York with Fanny herself and find out...
The Story: We join Fanny as she recalls how she began in the early 1910's, when she was just a determined teenager looking for jobs in vaudeville. She manages to get a singing job after the manager realizes she stands out too much to be in the chorus. Gambler Nicky Armstein (Sharif) is in the audience and is smitten, asking her to dinner. She can't believe a handsome guy like him would be interested in a girl like her and turns him down.
Nicky's not the only one who catches Fanny at the show. None other than Florenz Ziegfeld (Pidgeon) hires her to sing in his famous Ziegfeld Follies. She becomes a star, which brings Nicky back into her life. He does everything he can to seduce her. Despite her awkwardness, she eventually falls for him, even following him to the ocean liner where he's gambling. They eventually marry and have a daughter and a beautiful huge house.
While Fannie is able to return to the Follies and continue as a success, Nicky doesn't do nearly as well with his business ventures and resents his wife trying to help. Fanny eventually admits that looks aren't everything when he gets in trouble for an embezzlement scam, and she realizes that, she may be the funniest woman around, but losing the love of her life is a lot less amusing.
The Song and Dance: Yes, Streisand is as good as every critic has always says she is in this. She throws herself into the role of the gawky young woman who becomes...well, if not a swan, at least someone more assured and poised. Sharif matches her as the caddish gambler who finds her fascinating, if only she wasn't so determined to keep performing and trying to bail him out. The widescreen cinematography is some of the most famous in any musical, including that much-discussed tracking shot at the end of the "Don't Rain on My Parade" number.
Favorite Number: I mentioned that famous tracking shot at the end of "Don't Rain on My Parade." The rest of that song is classic too, from the driving montage of Streisand on the train to her powerhouse performance. She also gives a lovely rendition of "People" early on, after her first date with Arnstein at her mother's post-Follies party. "The Roller Skate Rag" is supposed to be a typically cute vaudeville chorus girl number...if only Fanny could actually skate! She does better by the classic ballad "I'd Rather Be Blue." "His Love Makes You Beautiful" starts out as a typical Follies number with mirrors and chorus girls as seasonal brides...before Fanny steps in and shows just what love that makes you "beautiful" does. She ends with a truly searing version of Brice's signature dark ballad, "My Man."
Trivia: Funny Girl opened on Broadway in 1964. It was nominated for eight Tonys...but it debuted the same year as Hello Dolly and lost in every one. It still managed to run for over four years, even after Streisand left the show. A Broadway revival in 2012 failed to materialize, but a 2016 West End revival did well in a limited run.
The film version dropped 8 numbers, including a song for Fanny's mother and her friend at the vaudeville house, a chorus song for her neighbors at the big post-Follies party, several more Ziegfeld Follies routines, and a lovely ballad for Streisand, "The Music That Makes Me Dance."
This was the biggest hit film of 1968.
What I Don't Like: If you're not a fan of Streisand or Sharif, this is not the place for you. Most of the remaining cast, including Medford and Anne Francis as a Ziegfeld showgirl, barely register.
Likewise, I have mixed feelings on all those numbers being dropped. On one hand, they gave more characters stuff to do. On the other hand, the extra Follies songs and neighbors song weren't really necessary to the plot and took the focus away from Fanny.
There's also the problem that, like many musical films of this era, the movie is simply too long. They could have trimmed the more than two and a half hour running time.
The Big Finale: f you love Streisand or the extra-long epic movies of the late 60's, you'll find much to enjoy in this classy film.
Home Media: As a major hit and one of Streisand's most popular vehicles, this is easily found on all major formats, usually for under $10.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
A Star Is Born (1976)
Warner Bros, 1976
Starring Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, and Paul Mazurky
Directed by Frank Pierson
Music and Lyrics by various
Disney is far from the first studio to remake its musical hits. Warner Bros has done A Star Is Born four times, three times as a musical. We already covered the most recent version back in April, but how does this vehicle for country star Kristofferson and beloved pop singer Streisand compare to the ones that came before and after? Let's head to a rock concert in California that's off to a rough start to find out...
The Story: John Norman Howard (Kristofferson) is a popular rock star, but his self-destructive lifestyle is making it harder to produce hits. His manager Brian (Mazurky) takes him to a bar after her walks out of a concert. This is where he first meets Esther Hoffman (Streisand), a struggling singer. He's taken with her spunk and lovely voice, especially after she helps him escape some of his more overzealous fans. She's not amused when he courts her with pepperoni pizza for breakfast and forgets her at one of his concerts, but she does let him take her to his mansion after he runs into her at a radio station. After they make love, he hears her playing a tune on the piano and, to her surprise, is able to match lyrics to her music.
He takes her to one of his concerts and gets her onstage. The audience doesn't take to her at first, but her passionate singing wins them over. She marries John and he builds them a little house in the desert. Shortly after, she becomes a huge star, even winning a Grammy for Best Female Performance, but John's career isn't going as well, and he shows up drunk and screaming at the paparazzi. They return to their desert home in the hope of rekindling their marriage. An accident ends John's attempt at a comeback in his career and with his wife...but neither his fans nor Esther will ever forget him.
The Song and Dance: The music and some lovely desert visas are the thing here. Kristofferson wasn't bad as the fading country-rock star, and Mazurky was also good as his devoted manager. The cinematography is gorgeous and definitely deserved its Oscar nomination, especially at the concerts and when Esther and Johnny are frolicking at their home in the desert.
Favorite Number: "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)" was the big hit here, and Streisand milks it for all it's worth throughout the film. My favorite run-through is her first recording of it after the successful concert. She also throws herself into Rupert Holmes' "Queen Bee" at the bar and the lovely "Lost Inside of You." Kristofferson gets a nice "Watch Closely Now."
What I Don't Like: This was notoriously a bit of a vanity project for Streisand, but her performance isn't her best. She mostly wavers between shrill and hammy, especially in the end, when she rushes to her husband's side after the accident. She and Kristofferson have minimal chemistry; their lovemaking scenes are more dull than romantic, and they're not at all believable as a couple who are passionately in love with each other.
The Big Finale: Unless you're a huge fan of Streisand or Kristofferson, you can easily skip this one. There's far better retellings of this story out there.
Home Media: Despite poor reviews, this was one of Streisand's biggest hits and remains one of her most popular, not to mention it's the third version of an oft-told story. It can easily be found in all major formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
Starring Barbra Streisand, Kris Kristofferson, Gary Busey, and Paul Mazurky
Directed by Frank Pierson
Music and Lyrics by various
Disney is far from the first studio to remake its musical hits. Warner Bros has done A Star Is Born four times, three times as a musical. We already covered the most recent version back in April, but how does this vehicle for country star Kristofferson and beloved pop singer Streisand compare to the ones that came before and after? Let's head to a rock concert in California that's off to a rough start to find out...
The Story: John Norman Howard (Kristofferson) is a popular rock star, but his self-destructive lifestyle is making it harder to produce hits. His manager Brian (Mazurky) takes him to a bar after her walks out of a concert. This is where he first meets Esther Hoffman (Streisand), a struggling singer. He's taken with her spunk and lovely voice, especially after she helps him escape some of his more overzealous fans. She's not amused when he courts her with pepperoni pizza for breakfast and forgets her at one of his concerts, but she does let him take her to his mansion after he runs into her at a radio station. After they make love, he hears her playing a tune on the piano and, to her surprise, is able to match lyrics to her music.
He takes her to one of his concerts and gets her onstage. The audience doesn't take to her at first, but her passionate singing wins them over. She marries John and he builds them a little house in the desert. Shortly after, she becomes a huge star, even winning a Grammy for Best Female Performance, but John's career isn't going as well, and he shows up drunk and screaming at the paparazzi. They return to their desert home in the hope of rekindling their marriage. An accident ends John's attempt at a comeback in his career and with his wife...but neither his fans nor Esther will ever forget him.
The Song and Dance: The music and some lovely desert visas are the thing here. Kristofferson wasn't bad as the fading country-rock star, and Mazurky was also good as his devoted manager. The cinematography is gorgeous and definitely deserved its Oscar nomination, especially at the concerts and when Esther and Johnny are frolicking at their home in the desert.
Favorite Number: "Evergreen (Love Theme From A Star Is Born)" was the big hit here, and Streisand milks it for all it's worth throughout the film. My favorite run-through is her first recording of it after the successful concert. She also throws herself into Rupert Holmes' "Queen Bee" at the bar and the lovely "Lost Inside of You." Kristofferson gets a nice "Watch Closely Now."
What I Don't Like: This was notoriously a bit of a vanity project for Streisand, but her performance isn't her best. She mostly wavers between shrill and hammy, especially in the end, when she rushes to her husband's side after the accident. She and Kristofferson have minimal chemistry; their lovemaking scenes are more dull than romantic, and they're not at all believable as a couple who are passionately in love with each other.
The Big Finale: Unless you're a huge fan of Streisand or Kristofferson, you can easily skip this one. There's far better retellings of this story out there.
Home Media: Despite poor reviews, this was one of Streisand's biggest hits and remains one of her most popular, not to mention it's the third version of an oft-told story. It can easily be found in all major formats, including many streaming companies.
DVD
Blu-Ray
Amazon Prime
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