“A Star Is Born” isn’t a new film -- it was first done in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. It was then remade in 1954 (starring Judy Garland and James Mason) and in 1976 (with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson). This latest version stars Lady Gaga in her first major movie role -- and a big one at that -- alongside Oscar-nominated Bradley Cooper, also making his directorial debut.
While the movie is going to be competing with Marvel’s “Venom” at the box office during its opening weekend, it’s already projected to do well thanks to smart marketing and an all but guaranteed audience plucked from Gaga and Cooper’s respective fan bases (Cooper fans have finally been dubbed “Mini Coopers,” in case that’s relevant.)
The story is basic: An aspiring performer finds success just as her mentor and love interest is losing his. Cooper’s “A Star Is Born,” complete with big musical numbers (which were shot live, BTW) and an authenticity that will choke you up, is already collecting massive amounts of Oscar predictions.
For a film about the entertainment industry, it’s about so much more -- hard choices, inevitable choices, sacrifice, pride and how all of that comes together to determine the course of your life.
Variety said the crew “nailed this project” and that it “has the muscle” to achieve a win in all five major Oscar categories; Collider said it’s a “tear-jerking crowd-pleaser that’s sure to be a blockbuster hit and ticks all the right Academy boxes.”
The movie's assumed success is possible in part because of Lady Gaga’s standout role. Cooper, in a director’s chair that seemed to be waiting for him all these years, knew just what to do with her, and he did it well. The Oscar opportunities seem endless -- between Best Actor/Actress, Best Director and any one of the musical awards, the critics are talking and the Academy is listening.
But will Gaga steal the nominations?
Growing up in Manhattan, Stefani Joanne Germanotta lived as a performer. Between open mic nights and school plays, she made her talent obvious pretty early on -- she started piano at 4 and songwriting at 11. And while we all know her as the quirky but mesmerizing singer-songwriter, Gaga started out as an aspiring actress.
She took method acting classes at Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. But failing to land auditions and losing faith in the industry, she dropped out and started recording on her own.
“I loved [acting] so much, but I was terrible at auditioning -- I would get too nervous and just couldn’t be myself,” she told Vogue.
She worked through canceled contracts, failed bands and dropped labels to eventually be signed with an imprint of Interscope Records and started writing songs for Britney Spears, Fergie and The Pussycat Dolls. She caught the eyes of Akon and Jimmy Iovine, and “Just Dance” was born. The rest, as we all know, is pretty much history.
"I was frustrated with the system, so I decided to go off on my own and pay my own rent, work three jobs, make my own music and record in my apartment,” she told the LA Times. “What made things easier for me is that I wrote my music, so I didn’t have to beg for songs or for anyone to help me. I did it myself.”
So let’s not pretend that Lady Gaga’s tenacity and versatility isn’t a huge contributing factor to “A Star Is Born.” She and her Little Monsters have been trailblazing for years since “Just Dance” took off a decade ago. She’s made a name for herself with over 27 million albums sold and six Grammy wins; she’s got a Las Vegas residency, even. Gaga could be on track for an EGOT.
How, exactly, did she get her name on an Oscar-assumed feature film, though? I know I was pleasantly surprised when I found out she was starring in a movie -- but the emphasis was on “surprised.” She has small-time acting experience from “American Horror Story” and a few Robert Rodriguez film cameos, but this role goes way beyond.
Cooper’s performance was unanticipated in itself -- he learned how to play guitar and piano and worked with a vocal coach for a year and a half specifically to play Jackson Maine -- and Lady Gaga’s inclusion ended up being nothing short of indisputable. Their chemistry, after all, was undeniable.
“It was an instant connection, instant understanding of one another,” Gaga said. “I knew I had it in me, in my heart, to give an authentic performance.”
What’s nice about “A Star Is Born,” though, is that it’s not a Lady Gaga story -- she completely sheds her flamboyant skin and personifies the character she knew she was meant to play.
“I wanted the audience to be immersed in something completely different, and it’s almost hard to speak about, because I just sort of became Ally,” she said.
“A Star Is Born” is a timeless story, but Gaga and Cooper have done something that’s hard to do in the movie industry -- they’ve made their audience believe them.
Oh, and Cooper’s Southern rasp is a thing of dreams -- just listen to “Shallow.”