A Star is Born (1954)

Starring: Judy Garland, James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford, Tommy Noonan, Lucy Marlow, Amanda Blake, Irving Bacon
Directed by: George Cukor
Rating: Passed
Genre: Drama, Musical, Romance
1954

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An alcoholic movie star (James Mason) discovers a young talent (Judy Garland) and helps put her on the path to stardom.

Review:

Tim: It's fascinating to watch 1954's A Star is Born, especially in relation to the 1937 original. The original film was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, and won 1- Best Original Story. I thought that was a good movie, but I wasn't completely blown away by it. So, 17 years later we get this remake. While it didn't bring home any Academy Awards, it was nominated for 6. That's pretty astounding for a film and its remake to be nominated for 13 Academy Awards! I was a little disappointed this film went 0 for 6, because I actually believe this remake is better than the original.

This movie follows the story from the original quite closely, but it changes it in some interesting ways. I really enjoyed how this film played up the musical side significantly more than the first film did. This was a wise decision, as it allowed Judy Garland to showcase her singing and dancing skills. This film felt like it had more personality, that it was more memorable than the first film. I felt a closer connection to the characters and I was even more invested in their story.

I enjoyed the performances of Judy Garland and James Mason. Interestingly enough, both were nominated for Academy Awards- Best Actress and Best Actor (the leads in the original 1937 version were also nominated in those categories). Both give good performances, but Garland's star shines brighter. She puts so much into this role- her singing is exquisite, but she gives a surprisingly physical performance as well. I think most often about the scene where she's singing and dancing in her house towards the end- it really is a marvel to see. Garland's character undergoes an impressive transformation throughout the film and she did a great job playing this character at those different points. I thought Mason was good, but I can't say I loved his performance. It felt too reserved, too British and formal. I would have liked to see more emotion, more softness from him. It felt like Garland connected deeply with the audience and Mason less so. Now, I'm not saying he gives a bad performance- he's good and likely deserved his nomination. But, this is a movie about two people and it doesn't help that one is significantly more accessible than the other. The supporting cast was fine, but there weren't really any standouts. When I think about this film, it's Garland and Mason and everyone else is a bit of a blur.

I do need to highlight one of the biggest weaknesses of this film- the run time is absolutely ridiculous. There's no reason for this movie to be approaching three hours long. I understand the film went through several revisions, scenes were cut and added back in. It was kind of fascinating to see the version I watched- some of the footage had been lost, but the audio still existed. So, several scenes in the movie switch to stock photography while we hear the audio played over it. It was a little jarring with no warning, so I had to do some research online to understand what was happening. I don't fault the movie for doing this- it's unfortunate that footage was lost. However, none of those scenes felt all that essential to the film. That's the biggest knock on this movie- a substantial amount of it needed to be cut. It might feel big and epic, but it's far too long. A number of the musical numbers should have been edited down. As is, the film feels a bit bloated, which blunts the overall impact.

While this movie has its flaws, I do believe it marks an improvement over the original. This is another interesting look at the rise of one star coinciding with the fall of another. It takes a look at Hollywood and stardom and relationships and it's all worth seeing. I left this movie feeling impressed- anytime the remake is better than the original, that's cause for celebration.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: A Star is Born (1937), What Price Hollywood?