The Rose

The Divine Miss M earned an Academy Award nomination for her electrifying film debut in this powerful musical drama. Bette Midler stars as Rose, a wildly successful rock singer who’s become burnt out by all the sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Rose is desperate for a break and hopes to return to her Florida hometown as a bona fide star, but her greedy manager (Alan Bates) refuses. Rose hopes to find solace from an unlikely romance with her limo driver (Frederic Forrest). Though not an official biography, the film was inspired in part by the life and tragic death of Janis Joplin, capturing the excesses and pressures of rock stardom in the 1960s and ‘70s. Midler’s performance is so effective, you can hear the wear and tear in her voice. The film contains the classic title song, which remains one of Midler’s biggest hits. — Jack Fields