Character Case Analysis: A Star Is Born
The recent past has seen great strides in raising cultural awareness in most aspects of our daily lives. Whether in music, literature, or films, social problems in modern society are now sensitively highlighted. Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born” is one film that, arguably, has depicted psychoactive substance use disorder in the contemporary world. The movie carefully highlights the life of an addict and the connections between underlying psychological problems, enablers, and rehabilitation in contributing to addiction. This paper will discuss the life of an addict and the various facets of addiction, as portrayed in the 2018 film, “A Star Is Born.”
According to (), all iterations of the movie has maintained the theme of addiction. An initial introduction to the film may lure someone to think of it as solely a movie of music and romance. The film is centrally a romance story based on a magnetic young woman whose talent catapults her to fame. The co-protagonist is a male celebrity, in his twilight years, whose light is dimming slowly. In the jaws of addiction, drugs are quickly draining him to a shell of his past. This version of “A Star Is Born” is played by Bradley Cooper as Jackson Maine, an aging blues-rocker star. Lady Gaga performs the young and undeniable talented musician, Ally.
Jackson, besides that, his star is falling as an aging celebrity; he is characterized as a troubled individual with personal demons from his past haunting him. There are numerous warning signs of Jackson’s life from the onset of the movie as we are introduced to his relationship with alcohol. His envious trait when he lashes out to Ally as she begins to flourish as a pop-star is an indication of underlying psychological problems. A point to note, Bradley Cooper does well not to reinforce the male jealousy trope as the problem that leads to the infamous end of Jackson Maine. Jackson’s addictions and childhood traumas are accounted for as what ultimately affects his life.
On the other hand, Ally is characterized as a dedicated and supportive partner throughout the film. A scene is shown where Maine, in an intoxicated moment, disrupts Ally’s Grammys acceptance speech. However, she remains sympathetic and continuously affirms to him that addiction is a disease, not his choice. Her constant support continues even during Maine’s rehabilitation, where she does visits and encourages him. The relationship between Ally and Maine is a good depiction of how addiction affects relationships.
Jackson Maine is more than an addict in this story. Maine’s inner drive and ability to summon the best out of Ally are what lead to our star’s birth. Ally is Jackson’s protégé. This fact puts it clear that Jackson had the power to orchestrate the creation of someone and something the world came to love. Indeed, he is not a person without control. His influence on Ally to realize her outlandish dreams is not a small feat. In the entire film, we see each actor’s heroics deal with societal pressures and personal issues in their daily lives. The film allows society to see how addiction is also detrimental to even successful and famous. Drugs and alcohol are depicted to affect relationships, hamper creativity, and consequently, as much as we do not like, can lead to death.
As much as the movie is about the birth of a star, there is another comet falling. The cause of this grand fall is addiction. Bradley Cooper makes sure we get emotionally attached to the Jackson Maine. Scenes of Maine popping pills, gaggling down alcohol, blacking out in hotels, and getting in fights are engraved his persona in our minds. Jackson’s actions sabotage his talents and summons his dark side. These characterizations are typical of the life of an addict. The cycle of disputes, the onset of despair, and terminations of relationships are some of the real-life problems among addicts. Also, the character’s raw pain, as portrayed, is genuinely a presentation of what real patients and families undergo in the face of addiction.
Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born does raise a meaningful conversation about the treatment of addiction. In the film, Jackson Maine is taken to what looks like a luxury drug and alcohol treatment facility for three months. For one, the length of stay is outrageously inadequate. The treatment facility is also not scientifically-based, and it is regrettable that not long after he is discharged commits suicide. This portrayal is, unfortunately, an unfortunate reality in the lives of addicts. According to (Cite), addiction treatment needs to be evidence-based and comprehensive to be effective. Since the plot was not about saving Maine, the film cannot be faulted on its fatal end. Besides, this is the sad truth that falls people who do not find the right intervention.
Maine’s childhood trauma and depression are also factors contributing to his substance abuse disorder. People struggling with psychological problems and depressive episodes at times turn to substance use to subside emotional pain. According to the film, Jackson Maine was introduced to alcohol as early as 12 years. His family, similarly, had a history of alcoholism. The complexities of Maine’s addiction background needed to be analyzed in a treatment strategy that he lacked in the spa-like facility.
According to (Cite), children with childhood traumas have an increased risk of alcohol dependence. Early life stressors affect the brain’s stress circuitry and, reinforced by the fact that addiction has been established as a chronic brain disorder, people with childhood traumas are more vulnerable to drug dependence. Additionally, people with a background in traumatic experience are more prone to relapse. Maine ought to have been checked by an evidence-based psychiatrist and a correlation between his addiction and depression established. The spectrum of Maine’s habit, as covered in the film, by how he self-medicates to numb his pain, aptly depicts the demanding nature of drug dependence. Without proper diagnoses, such as DSM-V criteria for diagnosing depression, an intensive treatment could have been developed for Maine.
Ally’s contribution to the theme of addiction is in the illustration of family support in the life of an addict. Person’s suffering from addiction need a robust support system from their loved ones. Maine’s and Ally’s relationship is not a typical healthy relationship. In addition to the celebrity lifestyle, there’s an added pressure of Maine’s addiction. Her sympathetic nature, as it should be, could have played a significant role in Maine’s recovery if the plot had been to save him. However, there’s an element of an enabler that arises from Ally’s over-compassionate nature. This case is often overlooked in society as families are not aware of their limits and boundaries to support their loved ones. It is, nevertheless, a fine line between being an enabler and being supportive.
The film does well to address the stigmatization of partners. Ally is expected to have intervened earlier before things got out of hand. Despite that keeping, a relationship with an addicted person is complicated, more is expected from Ally. The adverse effects that Maine’s addiction has on her life and career can be easily overlooked. According to (), both the addicted and the people in their lives must get mental health treatment. A distraught Ally in the last scene of Maine’s suicide shows the responsibility she felt over her partner’s death. It is commendable that the film portrays catharsis of suicide from partners as Ally is consoled; it was not her fault.
From a clinical perspective, the ending of A Star Is Born is a copout. Suicide should not have been the last resort for Maine. The movie, on a neutral, does address the unexpected in life, especially among people with a mental health problem. People must understand the depths of people with mental health problems and addictions to numb their pain. On this account, society should emphasize better-coping strategies that people with emotional and psychological issues need to utilize. In recent years, suicide cases have been prevalent among celebrities and are mostly attributed to drug abuse.
Bradley Cooper does well to address the facets of addiction in their lives and loved ones. A Star Is Born does relay important information on substance abuse in today’s society. Dependencies can ravage people’s lives and relationships to an untimely demise. It is also expounded that substance abuse disorder affects people from any socioeconomic category. A medical cry has been made that professionals should do comprehensive analysis and diagnosis to formulate the best treatment for a patient. The shortcomings of unscientific therapeutic interventions have been exposed that families should only seek proven remedies. Lastly, there is a disclaimer that people need to let go of outdated misconceptions and stigmatization of partners of addicted persons.
References