may i be so bold a to put one of the most annoying misconception in all of filmdom to rest this movie be not about janis joplin . it be not base on janis joplin life while it be not about a janis joplin like character . the only similarity between the character mary rise foster and janis joplin be that they be both female rock singer . the occupational hazard of drug and alcohol abuse be so ubiquitous in this genre that it can hardly be say to implicate ms. joplin a oppose to virtually any other female rock singer . why no one say this movie be about grace slick and stevie nick and or joan baez and i do not know and but it bear no more resemblance to janis joplin than it do to any of these other woman . bette midler rise be truly an enormously talented woman and but she do not look and sound and dress and speak and act and sing or dance like janis joplin . janis joplin be not prone to get into fight with people in public and steal limousine and trespass in steam bath and she be not from florida and she be not ask to take a year off and she be not be manipulate by some evil svengali manager and and she do not return to her home town to do one total blow out concert and subsequently drop dead on stage . i suppose it do not help that misinformed boob like george mair continue to perpetuate this nonsense in biography of ms. midler and but no matter how frequently a fallacy be repeat or by how learned of an individual and it do not make it so . so to sum it up in plain english and this movie be not about janis joplin . i think perhaps people be so eager to jump to this conclusion because without it and it be admittedly difficult to figure out exactly what this movie be about . i will leave that question to subsequent reviewer who care to dig beyond the surface cliché that this movie be about janis joplin and which i believe we have now clearly establish and it be not . would i recommend it . if you love bette midler and yes . if youre a fan of janis joplin and see the documentary janis instead .