A Star Is Born

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A Star Is Born

R

Released Dec 17, 1976

2h 20m

Drama

Romance

Music

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

37%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

A rock star on the decline, John Norman Howard has given in to drugs and excessive drinking, and his music has suffered as a result. Wandering into a club one night, John watches singer Esther Hoffman perform and is smitten. The two begin dating, and soon John lets Esther take the spotlight during his concerts. However, even as Esther finds fame and success with her singing, John continues his downward spiral.

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Critics Consensus

A lack of memorable music, chemistry between its leads, and an overlong runtime prompts this modish iteration of A Star is Born to fizzle out quickly.

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Pauline Kael

New Yorker

Streisand has more talent than she knows what to do with, and the heart of a lion. But she's made a movie about the unassuming, unaffected person she wants us to think she is, and the image is so truthless she can't play it.

Jan 22, 2024

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Charles Champlin

Los Angeles Times

A Star is Born rarely stops seeming manufactured; it can't disguise its manipulations or the process of the storytelling. You see the tangled strings, not the puppets.

Mar 6, 2019

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Jay Cocks

TIME Magazine

The trouble with rock 'n' roll in A Star Is Born is that there isn't any. The soundtrack is filled with homogenized harmonics passing for rock, but not a single song is good enough even to be counterfeit.

Mar 6, 2019

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Steve Warren

The Barb (Atlanta)

For all its faults, I enjoyed A Star is Born. It's a chemistry experiment, and the chemistry -- between the stars -- is good.

May 9, 2023

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Nat Freedland

Billboard

... In a way this lavish epic could be titled Funny Girl meets Rock 'N' Roll.

Mar 24, 2023

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Alison Fell

Spare Rib

Get the old message, girls, and in pounding stereo -- you still can't have a career and a man. Not that your man will actively hold you back -- he'll just destroy himself in protest.

Sep 22, 2021

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Sue W

Best movie ever! My all time favorite! The music is fantastic and Kris and Barbra are amaizing. I have watched this movie over 200 times easily.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

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elvr j

Chemistry, music , acting are top-notch. Such a great movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

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brhdn l

One of my favorite love story. Chris and Barbra are the best "a star is born" couple.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

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Jill G

My favorite movie to remind me how great the 70s were!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/07/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I was a small child when the movie came out and I was able to watch it for the first time recently. Great movie! Hats off to Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson for their performances.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/04/24

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Pamela W

I’m usually close to agreeing with audience view but seldom with critics. I fell in love with this movie in 1976 and keep loving it. Kris Kristofferson was at his sexiest and the chemistry with Barbra Streisand was real. The songs are mostly memorable but Kris was what dreams are made of.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/01/24

Full Review

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Frank Pierson

Director

Barbra Streisand

Esther Hoffman

Kris Kristofferson

John Norman Howard

Gary Busey

Bobbie Ritchie

Oliver Clark

Gary Danziger

Paul Mazursky

Brian

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Synopsis

A rock star on the decline, John Norman Howard has given in to drugs and excessive drinking, and his music has suffered as a result. Wandering into a club one night, John watches singer Esther Hoffman perform and is smitten. The two begin dating, and soon John lets Esther take the spotlight during his concerts. However, even as Esther finds fame and success with her singing, John continues his downward spiral.

Director: Frank Pierson
Producer: Jon Peters
Screenwriter: John Gregory Dunne, Joan Didion, Frank Pierson
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers/Seven Arts
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 1976, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 24, 2014
Runtime: 2h 20m
Sound Mix: Surround

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