Star 80

Eric Roberts was clearly the `STAR' of Star 80. His performance as the self proclaimed Gods gift to Women character Paul Snider is really what makes this film. He makes the viewer take an instant dislike to him from his opening scene and carries it all the way through. Mariel Heminways portrayal of the ill fated Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten is maybe lukewarm marginal. Cliff Robertson is cast as Hugh Hefner but somehow doesn't seem right for the role.

Sadly this was in fact a true tragic story. See it for no other reason than Eric Roberts superb portrayal of the seven letter word usually considered vulgar meaning a stupid, incompetent or detestable person boyfriend/husband/manager of Dorothy Stratten. Vastly superior to the alternate version 1981's Death of A Centerfold.

When a performer can make you love and hate their character, feel pity, shame, worry, and all of the above simultaneously, that is great acting. Eric Roberts achieves all this and more ! Only Shirley Booth in "Come Back Little Sheba" and Eric Roberts in "Star 80" have had this kind of impact on me. Incredible film. Sort of off-topic now, but if you look closely, you will see "Victoria Porter" from "All That Jazz" as an auto show "hostess" and the dance mistress/choreographer's assistant, also from "ATJ" as a script supervisor during a movie filming scene. The entire film was very believable! Had a right here, right now feeling to it.

In 1978 Vancouver, Dorothy Stratten (Mariel Hemingway) is a teenager working at a Dairy Queen. She falls under the influence of narcissist scheming con-man Paul Snider (Eric Roberts). He takes Polaroids of her nude and sends them to Playboy. Hugh Hefner (Cliff Robertson) is taken with her and she rises to be the centerfold in the August '79 issue. As she gains more success, his possessiveness drives him mad with jealousy.

While Hemingway is the title character, this is Eric Roberts' movie. She is very capable as an innocent. He is doing the heavy lifting. He makes this a difficult watch. It's uncomfortable and disturbing not in a fun way. He is super creepy without any rooting interest. Legendary choreographer Bob Fosse steps out to direct this. He has a very intriguing list of directing work and shows that he is drawn to edgy material. This is not for everyone and I suggest a long shower to wash away the Eric Roberts of it all.

I have to hand it to Bob Fosse for immortalizing not only Dorothy Stratten, but Lenny Bruce as well. (In Bob's other great movie 'Lenny' with Dustin Hoffman) What is it about these two people that attracted the intense attention of a choreographer like Fosse? In a word, I'd say it was 'rhythm'. Both these people went 'out of sync' with their otherwise preordained lives. Lenny decided to 'go blue' with his comedic material, and become the whipping boy for 'free speech'. While Dorothy was humble about her beauty, but saw the empowering opportunities it could give her. And interesting that Lenny was praised by the public for his comedic boldness, but hated by 'the system' of righteous puritanical authorities and outlets. Whereas Dorothy was scrutinized for her Playboy posing, but in her defense of it, 'the system' of entertainment pros and directors saw great potential in her. And as soon as the public realized 'Hey, these people are dancing to a different beat - but they're good at it' - they're sadly removed from the chorus line. And interesting that Lenny began to take himself and his charges way too seriously, while Dorothy and her rising success wasn't taken seriously enough by herself. Had Lenny been a little more 'laissez-faire' with the charges and controversy he caused, he may have lived a long and successful life? Had Dorothy taken heed to Hef's and others advice that she'd be better off without Paul, she too may have had a long and successful life? Either way, I don't think either died in vane. And again, kudos to Bob for putting these otherwise less than favorable and forgettable people as the unwitting pioneers that they were. Not that Lenny Bruce single handed made comedy 'sleazy'. Or that Dorothy Stratten innocently made pornography 'respectable'. But there are those today that would ignorantly say 'they got what they deserved'. And it's the grace of these two movies of Bob's to show how ultimately wrong they really are.

It's hard to do a review of a movie where the real life events are so tragic AND this movie is sad from the start because you know how it's gonna play out. I will say though that I have seen this many times and that it is a very well done, terrifically acted movie. Obviously, no matter how good this movie was I'd prefer it not to have ever been made because I'd prefer the real life events this is based on, never to have happened at all. Since it WAS made, however I can say without a doubt that the main cast members do their job-Roberts makes you hate,dispise him with a passion and Hemmingway is fragile, lovely and achingly sweet. I have no doubt how easy it was to get swept up in the glamourous lifestyle Stratton lived, I think most people would have myself included. Seeing the story enfold as it did, and knowing the final outcome, it's hard not to yell at the screen at the end,even knowing that you can't go back in time and change the events that happened. Dorothy Stratten was young and lovely and kindhearted and had her whole life in front of her-it's hard to say one "enjoyed" a movie where the ending was so tragic and in this case true so I won't say that. But it IS a movie I have seen more then once and would recomend wholeheartedly. VERY very welldone.