[NABS-L] A Star Is Born

[Steve Cook]

Everyone is invited and feel free to share!

 

The National Federation of the Blind of SC is inviting everyone to movie
night for the audio described movie A Star Is Born from 2018. Be sure to
join us on Friday, August 5, 2022 at 8:00 PM eastern using the below Zoom
information. More about the movie is below the Zoom information and we hope
to see you on Friday! 

 

If you have any suggestions about upcoming movies to show, please send them
to Steve Cook at cookcafe at sc.rr.com <mailto:cookcafe at sc.rr.com> . Coming on
Friday, September 2, 2022 at 8:00 PM Eastern is the movie American Underdog,
the Kurt Werner Story in honor of football season starting!

 

 

Rated: R

Run Time 2 hours and 16 minutes

 

Jackson "Jack" Maine (43 years old), a famous country rock singer privately
battling an alcohol and drug addiction, plays a concert. His main support is
Bobby, his manager and older half-brother. After a show, Jack goes out for
drinks and visits a drag bar where he witnesses a tribute performance to
Édith Piaf by Ally (31 years old), who works as a waitress and
singer-songwriter. Jack is amazed by her performance, and they spend the
night talking to each other, where Ally discusses her unsuccessful efforts
in pursuing a professional music career. Ally shares with Jack some lyrics
she has been working on, and he tells her she is a talented songwriter and
should perform her own material.

 

Jack invites Ally to his next show. Despite her initial refusal, she attends
and, with Jack's encouragement, sings "Shallow" on stage with him. Jack
invites Ally to go on tour with him, and they form a romantic relationship.
In Arizona, Ally and Jack visit the ranch where Jack grew up and where his
father is buried, only to find that Bobby had sold the land, and it was
converted to a wind farm. Angered at his betrayal, Jack punches Bobby, who
subsequently quits as his manager. Before doing so, Bobby reveals that he
did inform Jack about the sale, but Jack was too inebriated to notice.

 

While on tour, Ally meets Rez, a record producer who offers her a contract.
Although visibly bothered, Jack still supports her decision. Rez refocuses
Ally away from country music and towards pop. Jack misses one of Ally's
performances after he passes out drunk in public; he recovers at the home of
his best friend George "Noodles" Stone, and later makes up with Ally. There
he proposes to Ally with an impromptu ring made from a loop of a guitar
string, and they are married that same day at a church ministered by a
relative of Noodles.

 

During Ally's performance on Saturday Night Live, Bobby reconciles with
Jack. Later, Ally and an inebriated Jack have a fight about Ally's growing
artistic success. Jack drunkenly criticizes Ally's new image and music. Her
success appears to be outpacing his own recent decline in popularity. By
comparison, Ally is nominated for three Grammy Awards. At the Grammys, a
visibly intoxicated Jack performs in a tribute to Roy Orbison and, later in
the evening, Ally wins the Best New Artist award. When she goes up on stage
to receive her award, a still inebriated Jack staggers up to her, where he
publicly wets himself and passes out. Ally's father, Lorenzo, berates a
semi-conscious Jack, while Ally attempts to help Jack sober up. Jack joins a
rehabilitation program shortly thereafter. While recovering in rehab for
about two months, Jack discloses to his counselor that he tried to commit
suicide by hanging at 12 years old. He also mentions that he has hearing
problems due to tinnitus, which has been getting worse.

 

Jack tearfully apologizes to Ally for his behavior. While returning home,
Jack admits to Bobby that it was him he idolised and not their father. Ally
asks Rez to bring Jack to perform with her European tour, and Rez refuses,
prompting Ally to cancel the remainder of the tour so she can care for Jack.
Later, Rez arrives at their home to await Ally; while waiting, Rez confronts
Jack and accuses him of nearly ruining Ally's career and stating that Jack
will certainly relapse again. That evening, Ally lies to Jack and tells him
that her record label has canceled her tour so she can focus on her second
album. Jack promises that he will come to her concert that night, but after
Ally leaves, he hangs himself in their garage. Ally, grief-stricken and
inconsolable after Jack's suicide, is visited by Bobby, who tells her that
the suicide was Jack's own fault and not hers. The closing scenes reveal a
flashback of Jack working on a song about his love for Ally, which he never
finished writing. Ally sings this song as a tribute to Jack, introducing
herself for the first time as Ally Maine. The film ends with a close-up of
teary-eyed Ally looking up to the heavens.

 

Cast

Bradley Cooper as Jackson "Jack" Maine, an established singer-songwriter and
alcoholic. He is Ally's mentor and husband.

Lady Gaga as Ally Maine, a singer-songwriter who is discovered by Jack and
later becomes his wife.

Sam Elliott as Bobby Maine, Jack's older half-brother and manager.

Rafi Gavron as Rez Gavron, a music producer and Ally's manager.

Andrew Dice Clay as Lorenzo, Ally's father.

Anthony Ramos as Ramon, Ally's friend.

Dave Chappelle as George "Noodles" Stone, a retired musician and Jack's best
friend.

Drena De Niro as Paulette Stone, Noodles's wife.

Greg Grunberg as Phil, Jack's driver.

Additionally, Shangela appears as the drag bar MC, Willam Belli as drag
queen Emerald, and Ron Rifkin as Jackson's rehab therapist Carl. Rebecca
Field portrays Gail, while Michael Harney portrays Wolfie, a friend of
Lorenzo. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real appear as Jackson's band, Eddie
Griffin appears as a local preacher and Luenell appears as a cashier. Marlon
Williams, Brandi Carlile, Alec Baldwin, Halsey and Don Roy King cameo as
themselves.