A Star is Born V (1976 Version)

Now we get to the least heralded version of A Star is Born. Does the 1976 version deserve its bad rep though?

Start off with a positive: instead of simply duplicating the 1937 film and stretching the runtime monumentally like the 1954 remake did, this film went is a completely different direction.  It actually transferred the setting to the music world from the film world and there were no scenes or dialogue directly lifted from the previous installment(s).

Another positive: Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson definitely have the onscreen chemistry lacking from the previous couples. That helps make their romance much more compelling.

Positive: Kris Kristofferson gives a riveting performance and conveys more magnetism than Fredric March and James Mason did combined in their movies.

Positive: Since I’m a big fan of early 70s films (I agree with those who considered it the last golden era prior to the early 90s golden era) I’m glad that this mid-70s film did the common thing from the early 70s of freezing the last shot and playing the credits over that. I realize I’m reaching for praise at this point though.

Now a negative: Barbra Streisand was a bit too old to be playing the ingénue and it’s not helped by Kris Kristofferson’s being only a little older than her.

Another negative: A plot twist late in the film feels out of left field and weakens the film’s underlying theme of the couple’s unbreakable love. The climax then feels forced and lacks the punch it provided in previous versions.

Negative: The grandmother/coach mentor figure from the previous films is missed. There is no one adding such heart here.

Big negatives: Although the film deserves praise for not copying scenes/dialogue from the 1937 version, what it did create lacks power or memorability. The direction isn’t any better than the writing-the film as a whole kind of meanders.

Final verdict: Skip it.  Transferring A Star is Born to the world of music with new scenes, new dialogue, and a couple that is captivating together was a wonderful idea. Too bad the execution was botched. That doesn’t mean it’s never been pulled off! Read my next blog entry 🙂