Mask

This is one of those movies that makes you feel good. Despite the knowledge of Rocky's inevitable fate, you will like this film. Watching him deal with other kids' initial fear and hatred towards him because of his appearance, he eventually gets them to like and respect him. The best part is that this is based on a true story. You will love it, guaranteed.

*** 1/2 out of ****

It's 1978 Azusa, California. Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz) has massive facial deformities. His biker single mom Rusty (Cher) registers him into the 9th grade. He's a happy well adjusted teen who dreams of riding motorcycles with his friend around the world. She's a force of nature. He excels in school academically. The surprised principal notices his tutoring jobs and gets him a counseling job at Camp Bloomfield for the blind. He falls for blind girl Diana Adams (Laura Dern). Gar (Sam Elliott) is a fellow biker who is in love with Rusty.

This is a wonderful feel-good movie. Eric Stoltz is utterly charming. Cher is a great momma bear and Laura Dern is angelic. The puppy love is heart warming and heart breaking. The story is an inspirational tale and the actors make the movie even better.

This is an excellent film with an excellent story played by an excellent cast! Rocky, a teenager with a horribly disfigured skull tries to fit in. His mother, ably played by Cher, portrays a biker babe who loves her son but little else. Sam Eliot plays her biker boyfriend but also has a soft spot for Rocky. Rocky loves a blind girl, played wonderfully by Laura Dern. All in all, this is a touching, but not overly sappy film! This one is worth a watch.

Definitely one of the best films made in 1985; Peter Bogdanovich's "Mask" is an engrossing character study on the life of Rocky Dennis, and the somewhat tumultuous but always loving relationship he shared with his mom Rusty. Tragic, touching, inspirational – the movie succeeds in proving the importance of maintaining a positive attitude despite life's adversities. Bogdanovich masterfully draws stunning performances from all of the principle players. With several noteworthy scenes throughout the film where Cher shines, it's no surprise she won the best actress trophy at Cannes for her role as Rusty; effectively depicting a loving mother who is incredibly strong willed, yet also lost and vulnerable. No other actress would have made the portrayal so gut wrenchingly real – it's a shame she wasn't awarded the Oscar as well. Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott, and Laura Dern are also magnificent. The incredible acting by everyone involved really makes this film such a rewarding and worthwhile experience, with the viewer being taken on an intimate journey through the lives of every day people facing extraordinary circumstances. If possible, see the original version with the Bob Seger soundtrack – the re-release DVD contains only the Springsteen soundtrack; which one would have expected a Director's Cut edition to have both choices. Having seen the original so many times, I opted to hunt down the now out-of-print original theatrical release by Image Entertainment for my collection. Not to be missed by anyone with an interest in true life stories. Highly recommended – a 9/10.

Seriously, I did cry, but this wasn't an overly sappy film. I read in most of the comments that it was too sappy for some viewers. Yeah, you might cry, but rightfully. "Mask" is an excellent story. Rocky is a teenager who is very horribly disfigured. But he keeps his spirits up and just wants to fit in with the rest of the world. Cher plays his mother who is a biker chick. She loves him to death. And Rocky makes wonderful friends on the way through his life. It's a wonderful movie. I thought the story was very good and the actors were great. If you enjoyed movies like "Powder" or "Huntchback of Notre Dame", I think you would like this. I would highly recommend this film. Don't be afraid to cry.

9/10