The Rose (film)
| The Rose | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Mark Rydell |
| Written by | Michael Cimino Bo Goldman Bill Kerby (story) |
| Produced by | Anthony Ray (executive) Aaron Russo Marvin Worth |
| Starring | Bette Midler Alan Bates Frederic Forrest |
| Cinematography | Vilmos Zsigmond |
| Edited by | Carroll Timothy O'Meara Robert L. Wolfe |
| Music by | Paul A. Rothchild Amanda McBroom (theme song) |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates | October 7, 1979 |
Running time | 125 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8,500,000 (estimated) |
The Rose is a 1979 film which tells the story of a 1960s drug-addled rock music star whose life comes unraveled when she travels to her home town in Florida to put on a concert in order to show the people she grew up with that she had "made it." The story is loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin. The movie stars Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, Barry Primus and David Keith.
It was written by Michael Cimino and Bo Goldman from a story by Bill Kerby, and directed by Mark Rydell.
The Rose was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Frederic Forrest), Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bette Midler, in her screen debut), Best Film Editing and Best Sound.
The lyrics of the theme song, "The Rose", sung by Bette Midler, play across the screen at the end of the credits.
Main cast
- Bette Midler - The Rose (Mary Rose Foster)
- Alan Bates - Rudge Campbell
- Frederic Forrest - Houston Dyer
- Harry Dean Stanton - Billy Ray
- Barry Primus - Dennis
- David Keith - Pfc. Mal
- Sandra McCabe - Sarah Willingham
Plot summary
Template:Spoiler In 1969, Mary Rose Foster is a famous rock 'n' roll diva known as The Rose. She is burnt out and lonely but is kept working by her gruff, greedy manager and promoter Rudge Campbell who supplies her with shots of adrenalin to keep her going. Rose is an alcoholic and 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 how she made it. After a country singing star named Billy Ray orders her to never sing one of his songs again and ridicules her morals, Rose is furious. She takes off with a limosine driver named Houston Dyer and starts a romance with him.
Rudge thinks Houston is just another hanger on, but Rose thinks she has finally met her true love. Houston tells her that he is actually an AWOL sergeant from the Army, and she tells him of her past in Florida. They have a rocky relationship and Rose meets and Army PFC named Mal who tags along for the tour. Her lifestyle of Drugs, Sex, and Rock and Roll and constant touring lead her to an inevitable breakdown and the inability to exist in the real world. In the film's ending, Rose collapsed on stage from a fatal overdose during her home town concert.
Tagline: She gave and gave, until she had nothing left to give.
External links
- The Rose at IMDb
- The Rose at Rotten Tomatoes