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