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The Rose

The Rose

Drama · Music · Romance · 1979

Rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster's romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperilled by the demands of life on the road.

Movie details

The Rose

“She gave and gave, until she had nothing left to give”

1979 Drama · Music · Romance 2h 5m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

Rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster's romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperilled by the demands of life on the road.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Rose?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Harriet finds art imitating life when she discovers certain songs can transport her back in time – literally. While she relives the past through romantic memories of her former boyfriend, her time travelling collides with a burgeoning new love interest in the present. As she takes her journey through the hypnotic connection between music and memory, she wonders – even if she could change the past, should she?

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Mark Rydell

Written by

Bo Goldman · Bill Kerby

Bette Midler

Bette Midler

Mary Rose Foster

Alan Bates

Alan Bates

Rudge Campbell

Frederic Forrest

Frederic Forrest

Huston Dyer

Harry Dean Stanton

Harry Dean Stanton

Billy Ray

Barry Primus

Barry Primus

Dennis

David Keith

David Keith

Mal

S

Sandra McCabe

Sarah

Court is in session

Put The Rose on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.