Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- romantic
- wistful
- passionate
- music movie night
- 1970s cinema retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, lumbering musical melodrama elevated by Barbra Streisand's singing and performance, with Kris Kristofferson also earning praise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Esther Hoffman's growing success makes John Norman Howard's fading career increasingly visible within their relationship.
The couple's private bond is repeatedly pressured by their contrasting public careers and star personas.
Extended staged performances and Esther's climactic singing turn musical spectacle into the film's emotional language.
John's concerts, road life, management structure, and substance-fueled celebrity culture define the film's social world.
Films like A Star Is Born, and why
The Rose
music-centered romance about fame, artistic ambition, and a declining performer mentoring a rising star
A Star Is Born
tragic show-business romance pairing a fading entertainer with an emerging talent
New York, New York
melodramatic musical romance focused on celebrity, ambition, and the costs of public success
Nashville
rock music drama exploring addiction, performance, and emotional collapse
Movie Details
- Director
- Frank Pierson
- Release Date
- 1976-12-17
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (250)
Cast
- Barbra Streisand
- Kris Kristofferson
- Gary Busey
- Oliver Clark
- Venetta Fields
- Clydie King
- Marta Heflin
- M.G. Kelly
- Sally Kirkland
- Joanne Linville
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Star Is Born about?
- A fading rock idol launches a gifted singer into stardom while their love becomes inseparable from his own self-destruction.
- What is A Star Is Born like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Star Is Born as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Star Is Born violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Star Is Born as mild.
- What did critics think of A Star Is Born?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, lumbering musical melodrama elevated by Barbra Streisand's singing and performance, with Kris Kristofferson also earning praise.
- Which films are like A Star Is Born?
- Films with a similar feel include The Rose, A Star Is Born, New York, New York, and Nashville.
- How long is A Star Is Born?
- A Star Is Born runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Star Is Born?
- In United States, A Star Is Born is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
