A Star Is Born

December. 19,1976      R
Rating:
6.1
Subscription
Rent / Buy
Subscription
Trailer Synopsis Cast

Drunken, has-been rock star John Norman Howard falls in love with unknown singer Esther Hoffman after seeing her perform at a club. He lets her sing a few songs at one of his shows and she becomes the talk of the music industry. Esther's star begins to rise, while John's continues to fall. She tries desperately to get John to sober up and focus on his music, but it may be too late to save him.

Barbra Streisand as  Esther Hoffman
Kris Kristofferson as  John Norman Howard
Gary Busey as  Bobbie Ritchie
Oliver Clark as  Gary Danziger
Venetta Fields as  The Oreos
Clydie King as  The Oreos
Marta Heflin as  Quentin
Sally Kirkland as  Photographer
Joanne Linville as  Freddie
Paul Mazursky as  Brian

Similar titles

A Hard Day's Night
Max
A Hard Day's Night
Capturing John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in their electrifying element, 'A Hard Day's Night' is a wildly irreverent journey through this pastiche of a day in the life of The Beatles during 1964. The band have to use all their guile and wit to avoid the pursuing fans and press to reach their scheduled television performance, in spite of Paul's troublemaking grandfather and Ringo's arrest.
A Hard Day's Night 1964
Gone with the Wind
Max
Gone with the Wind
The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
Gone with the Wind 1939
Just My Type
Hallmark
Just My Type
Pop culture writer and aspiring novelist Vanessa Sills lands the interview of a lifetime with the illustrious, elusive and reclusive mystery author Martin Clayborne in his quaint rural town only to realize her own aspirations, dreams and romantic life have taken a back seat along the way. When Vanessa returns home to Portland and a mysterious gift arrives from Martin, she then makes a surprise decision, and finally takes her own advice to “go boldly in the direction of your dreams and live the life you imagine.”
Just My Type 2020
Law of the Jungle
Prime Video
Law of the Jungle
Nona Brooks, former member of a stranded theatrical troupe, earns a temporary living singing in a café in Duakwa, British Rhodesia, Africa. The café owner is secretly in league with two foreign agents with a goal of making the natives restless. American explorer Larry Mason leaves for the jungle with his servant, Jeff and a safari. Nona escapes the café into the jungle but is followed by the agents as, unknowing to her, she is carrying a report of the agent's activities. She joins the safari just as all hands are captured by a tribe of natives
Law of the Jungle 1942
Out of Africa
Netflix
Out of Africa
Tells the life story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who at the beginning of the 20th century moved to Africa to build a new life for herself. The film is based on her 1937 autobiographical novel.
Out of Africa 1985
Blame It on the Night
Blame It on the Night
When his unmarried mother dies, custody of 13-year-old Job is assumed by his alleged father, Chris, whom he has never seen. Job is an enthusiastic cadet at a military academy, and Chris turns out to be a top-grossing rock star who removes Job from his beloved school to keep him company on tour. Getting acquainted is fraught with culture shock for both father and son. Written by Paul Emmons
Blame It on the Night 1984
Admissions of Desire
Admissions of Desire
A man and a woman talk on the phone and express their feelings and desires for each other for the first time. We watch as they listen to the other's admissions.
Admissions of Desire 2023
Leave Yesterday Behind
Leave Yesterday Behind
A happy-go-lucky veterinary student, paralyzed for life in a college polo meet, finds love with a young woman who leaves her fiancée to help him overcome his handicap.
Leave Yesterday Behind 1978
Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart
After serving prison time for a self-defense killing, Sailor Ripley reunites with girlfriend Lula Fortune. Lula's mother, Marietta, desperate to keep them apart, hires a hitman to kill Sailor. But he finds a whole new set of troubles when he and Bobby Peru, an old buddy who's also out to get Sailor, try to rob a store. When Sailor lands in jail yet again, the young lovers appear further than ever from the shared life they covet.
Wild at Heart 1990
Love Actually
Prime Video
Love Actually
Eight London couples try to deal with their relationships in different ways. Their tryst with love makes them discover how complicated relationships can be.
Love Actually 2003

You May Also Like

Louder Than Words
Louder Than Words
After the unexpected death of their daughter, a couple work to build a state of the art children's hospital where families are welcomed into the healing process.
Louder Than Words 2013
The Last Tycoon
Prime Video
The Last Tycoon
Monroe Stahr, a successful movie producer, pursues a beautiful and elusive young woman — all the while working himself to death.
The Last Tycoon 1976
Carousel
Carousel
Billy Bigelow has been dead for 15 years. Now outside the pearly gates, he long ago waived his right to go back to Earth for a day. He has heard that there is a problem with his family: namely with his wife Julie Bigelow, née Jordan, and his child he hasn't met. He would now like to head back to Earth to assist in rectifying the problem; but before he may go, he has to get permission from the gatekeeper by telling him his story. Adapted from the Rodgers and Hammerstein hit Broadway musical.
Carousel 1956
A Star Is Born
Max
A Star Is Born
A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
A Star Is Born 1954
Dicks: The Musical
Max
Dicks: The Musical
Two self-obsessed businessmen discover they're long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric divorced parents.
Dicks: The Musical 2023
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorises the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves. The 25th anniversary of the first public performance of Phantom of the Opera was celebrated with a grand performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall 2011
A Star Is Born
Prime Video
A Star Is Born
Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at a Hollywood party, she catches the eye of her idol Norman Maine, is sent for a screen test, and before long attains stardom as newly minted Vicki Lester. She and Norman marry, though his career soon dwindles to nothing due to his chronic alcoholism.
A Star Is Born 1937
The King and I
The King and I
Widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. Anna and the King have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the King.
The King and I 1961
Gigli
Prime Video
Gigli
Gigli is ordered to kidnap the psychologically challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor. When plans go awry, Gigli's boss sends in Ricki, a gorgeous free-spirited female gangster who has her own set of orders to assist with the kidnapping. But Gigli begins falling for the decidedly unavailable Ricki, which could be a hazard to his occupation.
Gigli 2003
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Prime Video
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Adventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension 1984

Reviews

Protraph
1976/12/19

Lack of good storyline.

... more
Matialth
1976/12/20

Good concept, poorly executed.

... more
Darin
1976/12/21

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

... more
Scarlet
1976/12/22

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

... more
sarahallen1005
1976/12/23

Terrible. Really awful. I'm wondering why and how Barbra Streisand and a hairdresser/wanna be producer even had a relationship to create such crap, but it's out there. Just another reason Hollywood hates Jon Peters.

... more
HotToastyRag
1976/12/24

I was fully expecting to dislike this version of A Star Is Born, since I'd already seen the 1954 version and loved it. I'd also already seen the 1937 original, and while it wasn't as good as the remake, I still appreciated it. My mom said she couldn't stand the 1976 version, and we usually have pretty similar taste, especially when it comes to musicals. Surprise, surprise, I loved it.The reason I was able to enjoy A Star Is Born so much is because I pretended it was a completely different movie. If you've seen either of the two earlier versions and expect a traditional remake, you'll probably hate it. John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion, and Frank Pierson may have based their concept on a previous story, but they've written a completely different script. So, for the purpose of telling you my thoughts on the film, I won't compare it at all to the Judy Garland version.Kris Kristofferson might be the only person in the world who can pull off a bearded, '70s look while still coming across as hygienic. It doesn't make sense that I think he's wildly attractive, since I usually hate that look, but I was in heaven with the amount of eye candy in this movie. Perfectly cast as a popular rock star, he starts the movie past his peak. He drinks, snorts cocaine, forgets his lyrics onstage, and performs outrageous, life-threatening stunts. He chances upon Barbra Streisand singing in a nightclub and is so impressed with her talent, he propels her to stardom. And of course, they fall in love.I really am surprised by how much I liked this movie, since so much of it isn't usually my cup of tea. The 1970s isn't my favorite decade, and I usually find the clothes and hairstyles irritating. With exception to two of the plentiful songs in the movie, I didn't really like the music. Barbra Streisand's character has plenty of bite to her, which I don't usually find sympathetic. Somehow, putting all the elements together worked beautifully. Somehow, it made total sense that Barbra gave Kris attitude when they were first getting to know each other. I won't be buying the soundtrack, but Barbra's vocal talent was extremely impressive; it was very understandable that audiences in the film were wowed by her. Both leads put their whole hearts into their performances, and even though this was the third time I'd seen the story, I still cried during each of their "big scenes". If you know the story, you know which ones they are. I'd always thought of Kris as just a good-looking singer, but I was surprised by how much dramatics he poured into his scenes. Barbra is always a good performer, and in her romantic one-on-one scenes, she's tender and vulnerable. She's been paired up with a very long list of good-looking leading men-Robert Redford, Ryan O'Neal, Jeff Bridges, Omar Sharif, Nick Nolte, and young Mandy Patinkin-and I've never seen her with greater, sweeter, lovelier chemistry than with Kris Kristofferson. The way they look at each other is so beautiful, like how Jack Carson looked at Doris Day in Romance on the High Seas. If you like the Oscar-winning song "Evergreen", you'll love the scene in the movie when they sing it together.My advice is to either watch this version first or forget you've seen any other version when you rent it. He's gorgeous, she's in her perm-prime, and if you like '70s rock, you'll really love it.

... more
eric262003
1976/12/25

Co-Written and directed by Frank Pierson, this 1976 remake of "A Star is Born" starred Barbra Streisand back when she was at the pinnacle of her singing and acting career, it was however it was complex in pulling off the magic of the old 1937 version that starred Janet Gaynor and Frederic March or the the old 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason. In many ways like Gaynor and Garland, Streisand was also very labouring to work with on the set due to her heavy demands and her perfectionist ways. For some not so surprising evidence, Babs had her legions of loyal fans while by way of contrast, she also has her equal share of critics who are more than happy to verbally inject their disdain towards her. Some of the quips bestowed upon her are quite witty in their analogy as claiming this movie to be renamed "A Bore is Born".But in spite of who stars in this movie, it was quite a refreshing spin of an old classic to relocate the scenario as the focus is not on Hollywood actors but on rock-and-roll performers. Just like the other two films it's based on, the storytelling is equally poignant. Sure it may not be for everyone, but it still exceeds Streisand's 1973 film "The Way We Were". It had some appeal to the fans as it grossed over $80 million which was the third highest grossing picture of that year.Falling in the routine of its predecessors in terms of the plot, we see Streisand starring as Esther Hoffman breaking into a career in show business. She meets and befriends and falls in love with a veteran rock musician who as her career is flourishing, his career is plummeting. Streisand was the right choice for this role and her pairing with Kris Kristofferson gives it the right kind of chemistry as he's quite effective as the self-loathing, inebriated loser named John Norman Howard. And though it is a thankless performance playing a musician who's given up on hope, Kristofferson plays is very gracefully.The songs that feature Streisand on lead vocals are both riveting, vibrant and will surely lift your spirits. She handled the song she sung "Evergreen" which she co-wrote with Paul Williams with such power, that she won an Oscar for Best Song and her wonderful voice will surely appease nicely to her legions of fans. Ecstatically, this song was recorded in one take and Streisand nailed it with absolute perfection. Like the character Esther Hoffman who won a Grammy, Streisand went on to win both a Grammy and and Oscar for the song "Evergreen". In addition to that, Robert Surtees was nominated for an Oscar winner for Best Cinematography. Robert Knudson, Dan Wallin, Robert Glass and Tom Overton were nominated for Best Sound and Roger Kellaway was nominated for Best Original Score.For all the cynics out there, the inspiration of this remarkable film should be informed that there is going to be a new remake of "A Star is Born" which will be launched next year and starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, indicating that if it wasn't for this version starring Streisand and Kristofferson. Will it exceeds the viewer's expectations? Only time will tell. This remake is still inferior to the Judy Garland and James Mason version, but it's still a good watch.A great shout to the supporting performers including Gary Busey as Bobby Ritchie, Paul Mazursky as Brian Wexler, Sally Kirkland as a photographer, Robert Englund as Marty, Venetta Fields and Clydie King are Hoffman's backup vocalists, The Oreos, plus brief appearances by Kristofferson's then wife Rita Coolidge and Tony Orlando as themselves.When it came to film "A Star is Born", it was a very rocky road indeed. There was claims that the egocentric Streisand directed some scenes for herself much to the chagrin of director Pierson with rumours floating about that Babs and Pierson conflicted with each other many times on set, even with Pierson stating his experience was horrendous. Kristofferson almost came close to quitting movies after making this film claiming co-starring with Streisand was a labouring experience.The soundtrack was a big success as it sold over 4 million copies in the U.S. and was a chart topper for six weeks in a row and 15 million copies worldwide.Streisand originally didn't have Kristofferson in mind to play the male lead, but Elvis Presley instead or a close second Marlon Brando. The King had a keen interest in the role of John Norman Howard, but his manager Col. Tom Parker rebuffed at the idea due to her not asking him at first and wanted overwhelming demands.Still in spite of its ups and downs and trials and tribulations, it's a great watch that's filled with drama, romance, music and fun old entertainment. I recommend you all to see it.

... more
barbra_streisand_bestfan
1976/12/26

Personnaly I really loved this movie, and it particularly moved me. The two main actors are giving us such great performances, that at the end, it is really heart breaking to know what finally happened to their characters.The alchemy between Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson is marvelous, and the song are just great the way they are. That's why I didn't feel surprised when I learned it had won 5 golden globe awards (the most rewarded movie at the Golden Globes), an Oscar and even a Grammy. This movie is a classic that deserves to be seen by anyone. A great movie, that has often been criticized (maybe because Streisand dared to get involved in it, surely as a "co-director"). Her artistry is the biggest, and that will surely please you!

... more