Mask (1985)

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writer:

Anna Hamilton Phelan (written by)

Release Date:

8 March 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

They told 16-year-old Rocky Dennis he could never be like everyone else. So he was determined to be better.

Plot:

A boy with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempts to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.

Plot Keywords:

Biker Gang | Biker | Deformity | Prejudice | Sport Card

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Cher	...	Florence 'Rusty' Dennis
Sam Elliott	...	Gar
Eric Stoltz	...	Roy L.'Rocky' Dennis
Estelle Getty	...	Evelyn
Richard Dysart	...	Abe
Laura Dern	...	Diana Adams
Micole Mercurio	...	Babe
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Red
Dennis Burkley	...	Dozer
Lawrence Monoson	...	Ben
Ben Piazza	...	Mr. Simms
L. Craig King	...	Eric
Alexandra Powers	...	Lisa
Kelly Jo Minter	...	Lorrie (as Kelly Minter)
Joe Unger	...	1st Boyfriend

Also Known As:

Peter Bogdanovich's Mask (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

120 min | USA:127 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Netherlands:AL

Filming Locations:

Azusa, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Eric Stoltz spent so much time under heavy makeup that when he arrived for the post production party he had to present I.D. to security to prove that he was Eric Stoltz. Also, when he got there he had to introduce himself to some of the cast and crew because many of them didn't know what he really looked like.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Cher opens her beer can in the camping scene near the beginning of the movie, the can has a stay tab. These were not used on cans until the 80s. Cans prior to then used pull tabs.

Quotes:

Rocky Dennis: Don't worry, Mr. Simms. I look weird, but otherwise I'm real normal. Everything'll be cool.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Greg the Bunny: Blue Velveteen (#2.3)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Moog And Me

"This is beautiful"

Seriously, I did cry, but this wasn't an overly sappy film. I read in most of the comments that it was too sappy for some viewers. Yeah, you might cry, but rightfully. "Mask" is an excellent story. Rocky is a teenager who is very horribly disfigured. But he keeps his spirits up and just wants to fit in with the rest of the world. Cher plays his mother who is a biker chick. She loves him to death. And Rocky makes wonderful friends on the way through his life. It's a wonderful movie. I thought the story was very good and the actors were great. If you enjoyed movies like "Powder" or "Huntchback of Notre Dame", I think you would like this. I would highly recommend this film. Don't be afraid to cry.

9/10