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On Friday, Bradley Cooper bares its soul to worldwide movie audiences via At Star Is Born, the remake he co-wrote, directed, and stars in opposite Lady Gaga. Coaches have been committed to Coachella and Glastonbury without being booed offstage. He analyzed his dreams, re-purposing certain images and ideas for art. He used his own bread and addiction-which he has been reluctant to discuss in interviews-to anchor his heart-aching role in an addict who, in spite of his artistic talent, is broken inside. He spent hours interviewing Lady Gaga with his co-writer Eric Roth to ensure that her character, Ally, was authentic to Gaga's own struggles. He filled his cast with people who knew something special to him-including his own ear doctor! He is a subtle, sweet homage to previous versions of Hollywood's favorite love story. ace Taffy Brodesser-Akner wrote for The New York Times, "Every detail of [the film] he's learned, something he knows, something he knows for sure. "
As a public service to better understand, we have a lot of fun with Easter eggs, homages, and Bradley-isms that the star-slash-director lovingly planted in his version of At Star Is Born. To paraphrase the "Shallow" lyrics by Cooper's Jackson and Gaga's Ally at a stadium mic: we're off the deep end; watch as we dive in.
A Judy Garland Homage
Garland's starring role in 1954's A Star Is Born earned her an Oscar nomination. And in the early moments of Cooper's remake, Lady Country Gaga subtle tribute to her predecessor by humming "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It's during this riff that the movie's title appears in the light-an aesthetic nod to the remakes before it.
The Drag-Bar Significance
Each A Star Is Born features a different meet-cute for its lead characters. After Gaga told Cooper about her early days performing in drag bars in Manhattan's Lower East Side, the President decided to set up a couple of meetings at a drag bar-a kind of tribute to her leading lady. As Gaga said at the Toronto Film Festival, "I make a joke sometimes: behind every female icon is a gay man. I really would like to learn more about the gay community, what they have taught me about.
Cooper also took Gaga up on her casting suggestions for drag-bar performers, including Willam Belli and D.J. "Shangela" Pierce. Belli told Bustle that Cooper gets them to improv their scenes, saying, "You guys know what's going on in a better room than me, do your thing." He just let me go off and do a bunch of jokes. "
According to the Playlist, Cooper was so happy with Belli and Pierce's work-their scenes are hilarious and heartwarming-that he was convinced of their originality. One such bonus scene-features Jackson-while waiting for Gaga to change clothes-performing for Shangela as she counts her money after the bar has closed.
Eyebrows: A Brief History
Eyebrows have had a bit At Star Is Born. In the original 1937, Janet Gaynor's character makes an elaborate studio makeover-in which they paint on obnoxious eyebrows before a screen test.
Judy Garland's character receives such an awful studio makeover in the 1954 version that James Mason's character, gentleman that he is, personally helps to remove the fake eyebrows included. (In the below GIF, he does exactly what Cooper did to Gaga during that oft-told makeup wipe encounter.)
The fabulously campy 1976 flipped version of the roles for its big brow moment: Barbra Streisand bedazzling Kris Kristofferson's eyebrow while in the bathtub. (She also applies red to her cheeks and tells him, "Oooh, you're so pretty.") It was a head-scratching moment-an homage jammed into the film without any context. But there was an even more W.T.F. element to the scene that pulls focus: the fact that their romantic, face-bedazzling bath is read by candles stuffed into Schlitz beer cans.
When Jackson first sees Ally performing, she is singing Edith Piaf's "The Life in Pink" in full Piaf makeup at the drag bar. (The first time Cooper saw Gaga perform, she was also singing "Life in Pink." Cooper was so emotionally wrecked from her beautiful rendition that he put the film in the film-letting audiences initially lay eyes on Gaga the same way he did .) Later, backstage, Jackson peels off Ally's fake eyebrows and peppers with questions about her makeup app-queries that Gaga said sprang from Cooper's genuine curiosity.
"I remember having a conversation with him about the brow, how do you get the eyebrow to stay down," Gaga told Vulture in Toronto. You can not see it. All of these little details. "
In a nod to the Streisand-Kristofferson makeup moment, Ally and Jackson later share a bath-in which Ally applies mascara and the same taped-on eyebrow to Jackson. Thankfully, there is a single Schlitz-can candle in sight.
A Note About Gaga's Nose
Face-touching, for whatever reason, has been a thing in A Star Is Born movies. See:
In Cooper's remake, most of the face-touching relates to Gaga's nose-a feature Gola and her character Ally feel insecure.
"Ally tells Jackson, a statement inspired by the real-life scrutiny Gaga faced" I'm not going to make it, " as an up-and-coming artist.
"I was told when I was first starting out that I should get a nose job," Gaga has said. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gaga further elaborated: "When my character talks about how ugly she feels-that was real. I'm so insecure. I like to preach, but I do not always practice what I preach. "
In the movie, Jackson reassures Gaga, "I think your nose is beautiful." In fact, Jackson spends so much time multiple think pieces on Jackson's feelings for Ally's nose in the movie
Charlie 101
The dog that Ally and Jackson adopt is not just Any dog. He is Bradley Cooper's real-life dog. And his casting was personally important to Cooper.
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Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Cooper has joked that the role has gone to Charlie's head, deadpanning, "He has an agent. I do not talk to him much anymore. He does not return my calls. "
The Ear Doctor
In Cooper's At Star Is Born, Jackson suffers from tinnitus, a condition that contributes to hearing loss and makes it difficult for him to sing. Cooper was so determined to have a real hearingWilliam Slattery III, M.D., President of the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles-and even gave him a cameo in the film. In an interview with the Cut's Kelly Conaboy, Slattery seemed to be about this casting. Cooper was so pleased with Slattery's that he even called the doctor while introducing the movie at the Los Angeles premiere.
More Friends & Family Casting
Cooper's supporting the heart of the world, including Dave Chappelle, whom Cooper puts several years ago in London, when Cooper was performing onstage in The Elephant Man. After Chappelle saw Cooper's show, the duo stayed up until 4:30 AM talking and eventually exchanged numbers. Their dynamic was so "special," so "authentic," that Cooper wanted to give his character a true-blue friend that was not only like Chappelle, goal was played by him. So Cooper flew to Ohio twice to make a comedy to make a comeback in his movie. (The filmmaker even ended up casting Chappelle's real-life daughter Sanaa As chappelle finally saw A Star Is Born at the Toronto Film Festival, his friend was made to be a good friend of the movie: "Tonight is the first time marveled after the premiere.
Cooper also cast train Alias co-stars Ron Rifkin Jackson checks into and out Greg Grunberg (as Jackson's limo driver). He picked Andrew Dice Clay-Whose Cooper album memorized in 8th grade-to-play Gaga's on-screen father. Cooper's grad-school buddy Gabe Fazio Tommy plays. He also cast Drena De Niro, daughter of his Silver Linings Playbook costar Robert De Niro, as Chappelle's screen wife.
70s Nostalgia Costume
Streisand famously wore her own clothing for the 1976 remake-with the on-screen credit fabulously reading, "Ms. Streisand's clothes from. . . her closet. "
Erin Benach, who designed the costumes for Cooper's At Star Is Born, used the 70s as an influence for Jackson's bespoke shirts and belt. Benach, meanwhile, telegraphed Ally's transformation through costume, beginning with high-fashion designer Ally finds fame. According to the film 's production notes, Benach also fought out vintage blinds for Ally' s closet. The character's wedding dress seems to be a nod to Streisand's own bohemian bridal look.
Deconstructing Jackson
Cooper has explained his country-rock singer is an amalgamation of influences. His character's backstory is partially inspired by a line in Bruce Springsteen's autobiography about how the rocker "took his father's voice." In an interview with Vanity Fair at the Toronto Film Festival, Cooper said that, growing up, he wanted to be his father. So he took the second feelings and created a heartbreaking story line between Jackson and his much-older brother / father figure, played by Sam Elliott. Cooper was so set on Elliott co-starring in the film that the actor trained with a vocal coach to approximate Elliott's cowboy twang before even approaching the actor. (Elliott was so touched by Cooper's work that he agreed to the role.)
As for the shaggy-haired rock-star swagger look, Cooper spent several days shadowing Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder in Seattle. Certain manners were inspired by dreams-like the way Cooper crushes his pills with the heels of his boots.
While country singers typically put hats we to perform, Cooper Wanted Jackson to do the opposite, wearing his hat most of the time-except when he is onstage and at his most vulnerable.
"Just Wanted to Take Another Look at You"
After dropping Ally off at home, Cooper's Jackson rolls down his S.U.V. window and shouts, "Hey." Ally turns her face back to Jackson. And Jackson delivers the iconic line, a variation of which has been used in every A Star Is Born to book the central love story.
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