A Star is Born has received its fourth reboot with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper as Jackson and Ally, two musicians who grow in their craft and fall in love. While many may view the story as a romance, as a woman in 2018, I view it as a cautionary tale about relationships.
Jackson and Ally seem to have it all: brilliant musical artistry that they bring out in one another, fame, money and each other. Yet, they also have a third partner in the relationship – Jackson’s alcohol and substance addiction. One in eight American adults is an alcoholic, making Jackson’s experience one that may not be too foreign to moviegoers, but it also makes Ally’s experience as the doting partner who is trying to pick up the pieces a familiar story as well.
It is evident that the two do passionately love one another, yet it is Jackson’s inability to face his issues that brings the relationship to a tragic ending.
Ally and Jackson work closely together at the start, nursing each-others’ artistry. Yet at the end of each night, Jackson is cleaned up and nursed by Ally after partying hard.
As Ally’s star begins to rise she is approached by a famous music producer who also sees potential in her and wants to help her become a star. This is Ally’s first opportunity to break out on her own and establish a musical identity away from Jackson. At first, Jackson is supportive of her career move, yet as her musical identity changes, he becomes distant.
Jackson misses her performances and delves further into his alcohol addiction to cope. In a drunken confrontation, Jackson verbally abuses Ally and criticizes her new look and her new musical sound. While Jackson’s comments about career are truthful, his argument is fueled by his inability to control Ally, his demons or his own career.
Ally is eventually nominated for a Grammy, which further strains her relationship with Jackson as his career on the decline.
At the start of the Grammy evening, Jackson becomes intoxicated. As Ally ascends the stage after winning a Grammy, Jackson stumbles next to her slurring his speech and urinating all over himself. Thus, taking away her moment and rather and drawing attention to himself.
As per usual emotionally distraught Ally leaves the awards ceremony to help her husband. This publicly displays Jackson’s resentment of Ally’s success and his unwillingness to be an equal partner by facing his issues.
Eventually, Jackson goes to rehab after the incident, but only after ruining Ally’s reputation and career. Ally begins to re-evaluate her life and comes to the conclusion that she must sacrifice her success and love of music for the love of her husband.
A candid and harsh conversation with Ally’s manager makes Jackson aware of her decision and displays how bad of a partner he has been to her due to his selfishness. Ultimately, Jackson chooses to kill himself to free Ally from her “chains,” leaving the relationship in tatters. Looking at some of the red flags in relationships, the film depicts isolation from others, emotional exhaustion, resentment and a loss of identity (or in this case artistic identity).
Ally’s choice to remain by her man’s side is noble yet her suffering and sacrifice in this troubled relationship are heartbreaking. I believe the main message of the film is that sometimes loving someone means letting them go because you cannot fix them or when you begin to lose your identity in the relationship.
Ally would not have been a star without Jackson, yet the film begs the question of how big of a star could she have been in her own right – without the destructive partnership.