A Star Is Born Aims for the Awards

If A Star Is Born is nominated for any awards this year (which, let’s be honest, it probably will), I hope someone in their speech talks about how it also deserves the award for “Most Rebooted Movie”. The story told in 2018, starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, is actually the fourth time that the title A Star Is Born has been used. In 1937, the story starred Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, telling the story of a farm girl from North Dakota who dreams of making it in Hollywood and falls in love with a famous actor. In 1954, Judy Garland and James Mason took the title roles, also telling the story of actors. It wasn’t until 1976, with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson, that the story switched to the music industry, where Cooper and Gaga have picked it up in 2018. Though the same basic story (and ending) is used in all four movies, the idea is that audiences will still see enough differences because of the time period changes that the basic story will still hold true and touch hearts. Much like the musical that dominated the 2016 award season – La La Land – A Star Is Born plays on the public’s love of music and stargazing, admiring the life of the arts that most dream of, even if it’s a secret, impossible dream. And, like La La Land, this vision of the arts and the life surrounding them is fine to watch, but doesn’t make quite the impact that it intends to.