A STAR IS BORN 2 Ken Steele Eng MO1C

How many movies can you say that after they made four versions of it, the story got better but the ending never did? One that I can think of; A Star is born. First released in 1937 and subsequently in 1954, 1976 and most recently in 2018, this story represents what the American dream is all about. Not the one about working hard and you can one day "have it all" whatever that really means today. This American dream is the one most people wish for while they're sitting in a restaurant or posting their video on YouTube, that of being discovered and shooting to fame and fortune. For this excercise I'll use the most recent version as my benchmark as it's indeed the latest one to be created and my personal favorite. The one I refer to is indeed the film staring Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliott, directed by Bradley Cooper.

I love the story and the actors who really pull it off. From the way in which our Hero Jack meets our Heroine Ally in a drag bar to the way Jack instructs his driver Phil, played by Greg grunberg to literally park in front of Ally's house until she agrees to be taken to Jack's concert in Arizona, to the way she's introduced on stage and randomly sings a song she wrote all the way to meeting super agent Rez played by Rafi Gavron is very witty and cleverly written. Heartfelt. I buy into all of the people our stars have in their lives including the relationship between Jack and his brother Bobby played by Sam Elliott and Ally's father Lorenzo played by Andrew Dice Clay. This story of Ally's rise to fame, the give and take as she ascends within her marriage to Jack and her work marriage to Rez suck me right in. Even the fight to regain Jacks sobriety. Realistic stuff, or so it seems to me. Until the end of the fairytale when Jack commits suicide. This has always bothered me. When I say bothered I mean infuriates me. Ally's out of the house and Rez the evil, greedy agent who wears the mask of friendship comes by to say hello only to bump into Jack, home alone and subsequently weave an evil tale that Jack is holding Ally back, their marriage isn't real and it would be better for everyone, especially Ally if Jack just wasn't in the picture. Being in the fragile state he apparently is in, he believes everything Rez is saying and thus later that week when he's supposed to meet Ally at a concert, gets back out of his truck he's started up to make his way to her, and hangs himself in the garage. The rest of the movie is a greif stricken slide to "whatever" land. She sings a song he wrote. Slow curtain, lights up. I have a better ending.

Remember when the agent comes to "visit Ally" only to really be there to find Jack and whisper an evil tale that leads to Jack's eventual demise? My version has Ally coming home through the garage, unbeknownst to the both of them and overhearing the lies that Rez is weaving into Jack's ear. She being a very strong woman immediatly interrupts Rez and asks him to leave. Jack with the prompting of Ally shares what Rez described, nearly believing all of it, that indeed he's a drag on her career. Ally assures him that is not the case and the look in is eyes accepts her pitch.

We next cut to the fateful night of the concert. "Where's Jack?" she asks a stage manager. We jump to Jack getting into his pick up, starting the engine and driving away. After the concert Ally and Jack are in her dressing room with admirers and fellow performers. Rez comes in the room and shoos everyone out in what seems to be a possible round two of his discussion with Jack. Only this time he seems intent on selling the both of them that her career is in danger of slipping. Without allowing him to finish, Ally interrupts Rez and along with Jack in a tag team type of wrestling match begin to educate Rez that however grateful they are for what he's done to bring Ally to this point in time in her career that he has no place commenting on their relationship. That they are indeed on the same page with this and they can weather the storms at the sea of fame, for one day their ship that has come in, will certainly find a slip to remain permantly in the harbor. It's at that time when the papprazi and the viral sharing of her songs pull back like the tide, they will have each other and that duet is the greatest song to be sung. Rez is then fired, the crowd roars back to life for an apparent encore and Ally invites Jack to join her like he did months prior before she was discoverd.

fade to black.