this be bette midler first star role in a film and she finally show the world what a great talent she be . this story be very loosely base on janis joplin and it take place ( supposedly ) in 1969. midler be a famous rock n roll diva mary rise foster and she know just a rise . she burn out and lonely but be keep work by her gruff manager or promoter rudge campbell ( alan bates ) who supply her with shot of adrenalin to keep her go . rise be an alcoholic and a former drug user and she have a tough past from grow up in florida . this past haunt her and she keep talk about show everyone from there how she have make it . after a country sing star name billy ray ( harry dean stanton ) order her to never sing one of his song again and ridicule her moral rise be furious . she take off with a limo driver name huston dyer ( frederic forrest ) and start a romance with him . rudge think huston be just another hanger on but rise think she have finally meet her true love . huston tell her that he actually awol from the army and she tell him of her past in florida . they have a rocky relationship and rise meet an army pfc name mal ( david keith ) who tag along on the tour . this film be direct by mark rydell who go on to direct on golden pond and one thing he have show in both film be complete trust in his actor . there be very little structure to this film and it mainly just a showcase for midler . without her dynamite performance this would have be one of the big dud in history . give rydell credit for a good eye in give midler the opportunity . the film consist of two type of scene . the concert footage that show midler tremendous voice and stage presence and and the scene where she on the verge of a nervous breakdown and the inability to exist in the real world . it very rare to see an unknown explode on screen like this . midler be nothing short of rivet and astonish . her character be so dark and bleak that an actress of less strength would have give out but midler have so much energy that she appear tireless . the film cinematographer be the great vilmos zsigmond and over 90 % of the scene be either at night or in low lit room . this give the film the dark and bleak look that epitomize rise personality and future . forrest a huston be also excellent . aside from apocalypse now this be his fine performance and the two of them have real chemistry on screen . forrest spent most of his career playing hardnoses or heavy but here he play a real normal guy who be at odds with himself and if he should remain with the always drunken rise . the film do go way too long and some of the scene be pointless . it seem irrelevant when a former lesbian lover pop up out of nowhere and rise and huston have a big fight . this part of the film could have be edit out completely a it serve no purpose . ponderous handling of the material by rydell but with midler gut wrench performance it become a film that be ultimately unforgettable .