A Star Is Born (1954) Movie Review

As it turns out, stars are made, not born. The classic George Cukor film gives us Judy Garland, unforgettable as Vicki Lester, a plucky singer whom Big Star James Mason targets for her raw talent, and soon makes her into an Oscar winner. The movie seems a little too easy, though. As if all you need to do is have Brad Pitt be your friend and, presto, you're famous. The teeth are pretty dull on Star, too -- for example, when Mason's character hits rock bottom (all while Garland's star is rising), the worst that we hear about before his tragic end is an arrest for being drunk and disorderly. Puh-lease. But it was the 1950s, so what can you expect? Overall, it's too long, but altogether this star is fairly bright.