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Get ready for a big weekend at the box office. One might expect a new comic book adaptation to dominate entirely, but ever since A Star Is Born wowed crowds at its festival debuts, it's been cruising along on high praise and buzz to the point that the movie is bound to be a smash hit in every sense of the term.
Odds are you've heard about Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga's promising Oscar nomination chances, but when you see A Star Is Born, you're going to want to keep an eye on Sam Elliott as well. (Not that you'll have to make the extra effort. His work in this movie is an excellent example of someone maximizing minimal screen time.) Elliott plays Jackson Maine's (Cooper) brother Bobby, someone who's been more of a father figure to Jackson, supporting him in the best of times and also the worst.
While at the Toronto International Film Festival, I got the chance to sit down with Elliott to talk about his first impression of the project, meeting Cooper for the first time, what makes him a brilliant director and more. You can watch the full conversation in the video at the top of this article. For more of my thoughts on a Star Is Born, check out the video review right here. Also be sure to catch Matt Goldberg’s written review here. The movie hits theaters on October 5th.
Here’s the official synopsis for A Star Is Born:
In this new take on the tragic love story, he plays seasoned musician Jackson Maine, who discovers—and falls in love with—struggling artist Ally (Gaga). She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer… until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
The cast of “A Star is Born” also includes Andrew Dice Clay, with Dave Chappelle and Sam Elliott.
In addition to playing Ally, Gaga, who earned her Oscar nod for the song “Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground,” performs original songs in the film, which she wrote with Cooper and a handful of artists, including Lukas Nelson, Jason Isbell and Mark Ronson. All the music is original and was recorded live.
