Overrated

A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Young woman working for her low-rent showman father struggles to break out from his shadow and follow her heart as a singer-songwriter. Joseph Brooks, who composed, wrote, produced and directed the film, might have used some assistance. His picture has a drab, TV-movie look and feel, with an elongated emotional breakdown for our heroine which turns her from plucky imp to vulnerable girl victimized by too much love. Brooks stages a funny wedding rehearsal, and his placement of the Oscar-winning title tune (which he wrote, natch) in the recording studio gives it an emotional lift, but the final tag doesn't tell the whole story. Hasn't Brooks ever heard of the one-hit wonder? *1/2 from ****

This is a slight, lukewarm tale of breaking out in the big bad world of show business. Didi Conn, more famous for her role in Grease is sweet and vulnerable as Laurie, a daughter of a Vaudeville comedian (Joe Silver) and they have been performing on stage since she was a kid. Laurie never enjoyed comedy and she is really not that good at it and somehow her father has never noticed that she lacks funny bones. Laurie does have a talent for singing and songwriting and decides to breakout on her own.She also realises that she may not love her boyfriend and then has a one night stand with a man who turns out to be a movie director who promises her a part in a film after she dubs the singing voice of the star. It turns out that the director was just using her and made empty promises.Its a corny, independent film of 1970s cinema. Conn is sweet and she has a good rapport with Joe Silver who plays her father. She drives around in a beat up car. The title track is familiar because it was a big hit but the film has been largely forgotten.It has to be noted that director Joseph Brooks in later life was charged for casting couch rapes. I wonder if the shallow yet sleazy director was based on himself!

The critical reception to this movie is a classic example of bandwagoning. Everyone (including the previous reviewer) mistakenly believes it was thrown together after the crappy hit of the same name, which is absolutely not true.Conn is excellent, Joe Silver is top-notch as her father, and much of the dialogue is genuine and funny. This movie is thoughtfully understated (90% of it at least) in a way that more than makes up for a little bit of bad acting in the supporting cast and too much sentimentality in its waning moments. Really, there is just one thing that taints it horribly. I don't think this is a spoiler, but watch out for that last scene. She actually says "you know, I learned something today..." I'm not sure how Brooks wrote all the good stuff before that and somehow couldn't help but ladle on the molasses in the closing seconds, but to me it's not sufficiently cloying to taint the whole product.Mostly, the story is just one of a sweet, honest and talented woman trying to find her show-biz sea legs on a ship full of (male, LA) phonies.It's kinda like how Heaven's Gate is the worst movie ever made, unless you actually watch it (the version before the studio butchered it, that is). One well-publicized critical panning of a film can sometimes spark a rabble. People go into it already convinced, and just can't wait to start laughing at it. And thus the prophecy is fulfilled; "WORST MOVIE EVER!"This movie is GOOD, which apparently makes everyone else stupid except for me. I'm okay with that, I think.

I give this movie 7 of 10 stars, but that is by standards today...in 2005. I saw this movie when I was a kid and it really impressed upon me that I could follow dreams and succeed...and I have. I am a straight heterosexual male, married and two children, but I still get choked up over the song.Didi Conn is totally believable lip synching with the orchestra and she feels the song. I cannot even impress upon you the movement that this had in the movie...the turning point if you will...the ugly duckling bursting into a swan.Here is what is baffling...why Debbie Boone? The original singer of the song was Casey Cisyk who also had a part in the movie (bridesmaid). Her voice seemed to PUNCH through more...she was Laurie's voice. To this day I cannot find the original voice recording by Casey and now that she has died of breast cancer...her best work lives on...on screen.Peace!