i really wish i could give this movie a full ten star while unfortunately there be just too much wrong with it . for one thing and it be much too long and and the scene of rise deterioration be rub in the audience face until the movie become pretty much unbearable to watch . i find myself want to tell the director and okay and i get it and she fall apart and now can we please move on . also the film have suffer from the beginning from the fact that it be a thinly disguised biopic of janis joplin while no doubt the filmmaker have reason for fictionalize what be certainly a dynamic and if tragic and true story and but know that it be fictionalize reality be sort of a bummer . however and this film have one save grace represent bette midler . mark rydell have prove over the year that he have a gift for direct actor ( culminate in what i consider to be his masterpiece and on golden pond ) . midler have some little acting experience before while she be in fiddler on the roof on broadway and have have small role in about half a dozen picture before make her screen debut ( a a lead lady ) here . and what a debut it be . like bette davis and judy garland and barbra streisand and and ethel merman and midler be a large than life persona and especially on screen and and this movie milk her ebullient and sassy personality for all it be worth . rydell sense of overkill would have sink the picture except that rise and a midler play her and have a waif like charm and a vulnerability that just make you want to protect her even a she blow you away with her vocal cord of steel and move huge audience to loud cheer . i should really have say two save grace represent frederic forrest earn his oscar nomination here . in what might have be a thankless role in the hand of a less actor and forrest make you feel what his character feel for rise and even his sense that his love be not go to be enough to save her . the rest of the cast be simply competent . rydell be an actor director and and unless an actor be either miscast or truly lack in talent it be impossible for him or her to give a bad performance in a rydell film . so it must be admit that alan bat be very good here and though his character be such a thoroughgoing villain it be hard to care anything for him represent a rise manager and therefore the person spend the most time with her and you would think he could tell exhaustion from temperament while here he be merely a sadistic monster and definitely play a role in rise final destruction . but of course and perhaps it be a tribute to bates that he make you hate him so completely . this be an actor driven movie . it length be a problem represent i have no objection to long movie which need their length to tell their story ( schindlers list come to mind ) and but at least a half an hour could have be chop out of this picture and it would probably have make well viewing because there be moment when the whole proceeding grind to a screeching halt . also and the script be only so so while a straightforward biopic would have take few liberty and probably would have make a good film and and midler could certainly have play a convincing joplin . the performance be what make this film worth watch while midler be a powerhouse and forrest not only hold his own but emerge a a strong presence in his own right .