Oscar Actors: Forrest, Frederic

February 23, 2013 by

Frederic Forrest gave two impressive performances in 1979, in Coppola’s “Äpocalypse, Now,” and in Mark Rydell’s
“The Rose,”for which he was nominated for the Supporting Actor Oscar.

It’s Forrest’s only nomination.

The Supporting Actor winner was Melvyn Douglas for “Being There.”

Bette Midler turns in a truly volcanic performance in the title role of Mark Rydell’s best film, “The Rose,” a very loose depiction of the tragic life of the iconic singer Janis Joplin. But the movie is enjoyable on its own terms, even without those allusions.

When the story begins, Rose, tired from touring and exhausted in other ways, asks her manager (Alan Bates) for some time to rest. He refuses, and she throws a tantrum (the first of many).  She then accidentally meets Dyer (Frederick Forrest), a handsome chauffeur and falls hard for him, resulting in an all-consumming passionate romance. But Dyer can’t deal with her lifestyle and temperament and eventually drops her. 
 
Rather predictably, a later, fatal combination of drugs and booze ends her life, just after giving an amazing performance at her own hometown.
 
Though the text is familiar from the numerous versions of “A Star Is Born” and other showbiz biopics, “The Rose” refrains from using cliches, and goes further in providing an ultra-realistic, non-glamorous portrait of the life of a famous, troubled performer, a woman who needs to be on stage; in fact, she comes to full life only when performing to live audiences.
With the exception of Alan Bates, who’s miscast, the secondary cast is excellent, especially Forrest, who won a Supporting Actor nomination In the same year, he excelled in Coppola’s “Apocalyose Now”), Harry Dean Stanton, who appears in a cameo as a country singer, and Barry Primus as the tough but understanding road manager.
 
Oscar Nominations:
 
Best Actress (Bette Midler)
Supporting Actor (Frederic Forrest)
Editing: Robert L. Wolfe, C. Timothy O’Meara
Sound: Theodore Soderberg, Douglas Williams, Paul Wells, Jim Webb
 
Oscar Awards: None
 
Oscar Context
 
The winner of the Best Actress was Sally Field for “Norma Rae,” and of the Supporting Actor, Melvyn Douglas for “Being There.”
 
Cast
Rose (Bette Midler)
Rudge (Alan Bates)
Dyer (Frederic Forrest)
Bill Ray (Harry Dean Stanton)
Dennis (Barry Primus)
Mal (David Keith)
Sarah (Sandra McCabe)
Mr. Leonard (Will Hare)
Monty (Rudy Bond)
Don Frank (Don Calfa)
 
Credits
Director Mark Rydell.
Producer Marvin Worth.
Screenplay Bill Kerby, Bo Goldman.
Camera Vilmos Zsigmond.
Editor Robert L. Wolfe.
Music Paul A. Rothchild.
Art Director Richard MacDonald
 
Running timme: 134 Minutes.
 

 

 

Filed Under: OSCAR