Tag Archives: The Rose

Film Tropes

Abusive Parents: One of whom is played by Doris Roberts (Mrs. Foster/Rose’s mother).
Award-Bait Song: The title tune, sung by Midler, is an aversion; because composer Amanda McBroom hadn’t written the song specifically for the movie, it was ineligible for Academy Award consideration. (It did win Midler a Grammy Award, however, and became a massive hit.)
Bi the Way: Rose is caught making out with a woman named Sarah, which sends Houston into a fit of rage.
Broken Bird: Rose
Broken Tears: Rose’s character frequently has these, whether she’s performing on stage, arguing with her manager or her boyfriend and through other personal struggles.
Downer Ending
Driven to Suicide: Rose, heartbroken after her breakup with Houston, decides to indulge in a fatal combination of heroin, alcohol, and barbiturates before her concert.
Foreshadowing: Remember the tear-stricken out-of-breath sounding opening monologue by Rose in the beginning? Oh God. Once you saw the whole movie (up to the tragic ending), the film’s opening will make a lot of sense and a lot of tears.
Love Triangle: Several examples, but the main one is Rose’s choice between Houston and her desire for fame.
Never Accepted in His Hometown: Rose wants desperately to return to her hometown a success. It doesn’t go well for her.
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Rose is a thinly-veiled version of Janis Joplin.
Oscar Bait: Like Rose, Bette Midler sings, she gets strung out, and she dies. Midler was nominated for Best Actress but lost to Sally Field (Norma Rae).
Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll: Lots of all three. During the first on-screen concert, it’s even a “crowd chant.”
The ’60s: The film was set in 1969…

Present-Day Past: …although it looks more like The ’70s, considering the year the film was released (1979).
Slut-Shaming: Inverted when Rose tells Houston the football story, then played straight in the western bar.
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She gave… And gave… And gave. Until she had nothing left to give. Read More