Director: Peter Bogdanovich
Writer: Anna Hamilton Phelan
Producer: Martin Starger
Starring: Eric Stoltz, Cher, Sam Elliot, Laura Dern, Lawrence Monoson, Dennis Burkley
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Running time: 127 min. (director’s cut)

There are five films in existence (that I know of) that make me tear up every time I watch, no matter how many times I’ve seen them. I’m not going to tell you what the are as a couple of them are a little embarrassing. But one for which I will not apologize for is Peter Bogdanovich’s (of whom I just realized I’ve never seen any of his other films) Mask starring Eric Stoltz, Cher and Sam Elliot. While on the surface it may look like a made for TV movie, it just has too much heart and great performances to be that “clean.”

The story tells the true story of Rocky Dennis. A very smart and ambitious young man who was born with a very rare condition which causes calcium to build up in his skull making him look hideously deformed. His mother, Rusty, is a struggling drug user who hangs around with a Harley gang fronted by a guy named Gar (Sam Elliot). Gar seems to be the only man in Rusty’s life who keeps her somewhat on the straight and narrow. The rest of the biker gang act as a surrogate family for Rocky and his mother. This is a group of characters one would normally not want to have anything to do with, but for Rocky and his mother, they are invaluable as loving and protecting caretakers. If any of them are around at a time when Rocky is getting teased or grief from anyone, along with the anger, we get sort of a feeling a “HELL YEAH” when these guys instill the fear of God into anyone giving Rocky a hard time.

I picked up the recent release of the director’s cut of Mask last week and while hunting for a sound bite for our movie quote contest, I got sucked into the film almost immediately and gave up on the blog post in order to just watch the film in its entirety. What I realized for the first time while I watched, is that what makes my eyes drip water every time is not the sadness, but the joy. Sure, Rocky’s life is full of hardships and it’s easy to feel sorry for the kid, but not sadness. Rocky is an extremely bright and resourceful young man who we can be sure will have a bright and wealthy future, despite his obvious physical debilitation. Rocky’s friendly persona and eagerness to meet and teach other people is truly inspiring. Spending a week at a summer camp for the blind and finding the love of his life is a touching sequence and one that really “opens the eyes” of others.

What seems to play on my emotions so skillfully is the love and support Rocky has from his friends (the biker gang); the most unlikely of heroes for a young man. Ironically, Rocky is their hero (whether they know it or not). The graduation scene in particular is emotionally pounding for me. From Rocky’s surprise gift from the crew to the cheering within the ceremony to the congregating of friends outside afterwards; it’s an inspiring and emotional 10 minutes of film making.

But really, enough can’t be said about the performances here. The standout is obviously Cher. I was surprised to find that she was not nominated for an Academy Award for her performance her, but she was nominated for a Golden Globe and also awarded at Cannes with best actress (which may actually mean more to certain circles). At times restrained and at times a locomotive of a performance, Cher’s performance in Mask is what encouraged me to check out her other Oscar nominated roles in Silkwood and Moonstruck. And pretty much get me to see just about anything if she is starring.

This was also my introduction to Sam Elliot (remember I first saw this when I was about 11 years old). Instantly wanted more. The guy is just too damn cool for words and this role is the epitome of cool. In fact, though not given much to do other than drink beer and smile whenever Rocky is around, the whole damn biker gang is pretty good for their supporting roles as well. If you look closely, there are some familiar faces in there.

Despite it’s dreary and downer of a premise, this is actually the ultimate of feel-good movies. It feels so good in fact, that I can’t help but get choked up by the happiness. Even the ending, though obviously a downer, ultimately ends up with an element to make the viewer smile… and cry. Every. Damn. Time.