A Star is Born (1937) is a romantic movie taking us through Esther Blodgett’s rise to stardom. Coming from North Dakota, Esther has dreams of being an actress and she decides to move to Hollywood, with the support of her grandmother. On arrival, she is made aware that the chances of “making it” are rare, but she does not let that stop her. Time passes and she gets a job as a waitress at a Hollywood party. At the party, she encounters Norman Maine, a lead role actor, who falls for her. Norman gets Esther a screen test with his friend and producer Oliver Niles. Niles is impressed and signs Esther to a contract and gives her a new name, Vicki Lester. Norman’s film, The Enchanted Hour, becomes in need of a female actress, in which Norman suggests Esther plays. This film puts Esther on the map, and she becomes a success.
Norman, already falling out of the public eye because of his drinking problem, decides to propose to Esther, and she says yes on the condition that he stop drinking. This lasts for some time until he realizes Esther’s continuing success, as she wins the best actress award, and his continuing demise. This leads him on a dark road where he later gets arrested for drunk driving. Esther decides to take him into her care instead of him going to jail, giving up her career for him. After talking with Oliver to discuss he plans to give up her career, Norman overhears the conversation. He does not want to see Esther give up her career because of him and drowns himself in the ocean. Esther decides she is going to quit and return home but is stopped by her grandmother who shows he a letter that Norman sent when they got married stating his love for her. This persuades Esther to continue acting.
This movie takes the viewer on a rollercoaster of all different emotions. It begins with a girl who has dreams to make it big in Hollywood and ends with the most tragic love story as her husband comes to realize that his own inhibitions are not only destroying his life, but the life of his one love. In this film, you feel the anxiety and excitement Esther faces as she moves out to fulfill her dreams, followed by her fairytale love story that cannot be hindered by anything, until the end where Norman’s demise shatters her. However, the show must go on, and it does because of love.
Fly Away 