This past weekend, I traveled home to spend a much needed 3 day weekend enjoying the crisp, fall weather and scenic beauty of NEPA and spending time with family. My mom and I love a good movie date, so we promised each other we'd indulge in some extra-buttery popcorn and lounge it out in a comfy chair at our local IMAX theater on Sunday. After convincing my mom to watch Lady Gaga's documentary on Netflix a few weeks prior, we both rekindled our 2011 obsession with Lady Gaga and knew we had to see her new movie "A Star Is Born."
The opening scene of the movie pictures Bradley Cooper (hot as ever I might add), who plays Jackson Maine, a musician battling alcoholism, furiously playing his guitar in front of a fanatic audience, his long curly hair dripping with sweat. The raw and melodic music, which panned out through the entire movie, enraptured my mom and I, along with the three older women sitting a few rows behind us (who clapped after every song).
The love story between Jack and Ally, who was played by Lady Gaga, was truly real and fresh, but like any love story, was rough around the edges. Not only did they truly convince you of their love through their immensely powerful voices, Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's dedication to their characters left us feeling utterly lovestruck. This movie portrayed the hardships that plague romance and life in general. Raising awareness to the poisons of alcoholism and drug abuse was a key aspect, and Bradley Cooper so profoundly convinced us that this is truly a crippling disease. But what made this movie so powerful was how it demonstrated the immense effect this disease has on a person's loved ones, close friends, and even coworkers.
At a time where it seems like every beloved movie star, singer, or entertainer has been damaged or even worse by drugs and/or alcohol, this movie pulled this reality out from under a rock. As average people, we are privileged with knowing the ins and outs of a star's life ... or so we think. As much as the media publishes stories and articles regarding a star's struggles with addiction, we rarely get to experience the true torture a star encounters with such a disease. We all most likely know someone suffering from addiction, and we feel for them greatly, but we seem to forget about the stars who have to battle this disease in the eyes of the public, without their whole story actually being told.
I won't spoil the ending for those of you who haven't blessed yourselves with this heart-aching movie, but it left me in tears nonetheless. We left the movie theater speechless, desperately attempting to wrap our brains around the 2 hours and 17 minutes of brilliance. We analyzed the movie from start to finish and still weren't satisfied, so we played the soundtrack the entire ride home, imagining our own love story as we serenaded the highway with our well-below average voices.
Bradley Cooper, as the lead role and as director, brought this movie to new heights. Lady Gaga, making her debut as an actress, left me honestly obsessed with her, her voice, and her passion. I encourage you to see this movie and experience the rebirth of these fan favorites as even more brilliant stars for yourself.
