Mask (1985)

To me, this movie is perfection.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I think this movie is a very heart warming one. It tell of the story of Rocky Dennis who suffered from a condition called that makes calcium build on his skull. At first I will admit, it was hard to look at Rocky but as you watch the movie, you see the real person. You see that he had a heart of gold. I also think this movie is one of Cher's best by far. I seen an interview she had done, where she said she went to visit the real Rusty Dennis. The director wanted to make Rusty "family friendly" but Cher said no. She wanted to portray her as close as possible to the real woman. The director was about to not give her the part because of it. I admire the fact that she wanted to portray someone as close as she possibly could. This movie also brings tears to my eyes, every time I watch it and I have seen it several times.

Right up front: I had to give the ending away, okay.Some roles are born for actors. The role of Rocky Dennis was most certainly "born" for Eric Stoltz.I once read that actor Eric Stoltz had been cast to play the role of Marty McFly in (yeah, you guessed it) "Back to the Future." But, for whatever reason, Michael J Fox was given the honor instead. Fortunately, all of us now have the honor of seeing Stoltz in this film, which was released the same year. MASK is based on the true story of a young man with a rare facial deformity in which calcium deposits formed on his skull and grew, causing his scalp and face to stretch and become elongated, while putting pressure on his spinal chord, and giving him massive headaches. It's the story of Rocky's struggle to be "normal" and fit in... when he was born to stand out.This is a movie that I will always watch again and again...strictly because of the incredible, endearing performances by Stoltz, as well as Cher,Sam Elliot, and a young Laura Dern.While Rocky is trying to find out who he is, he actually has a bigger problem: his mother. As his school principal points out: (Rocky's mom) "never gives the impression that she cant take care of herself." But it's only an impression. One scene in the film depicts an argument between mother and son. Dishes are shattered and Rocky tells his mother that he hates her going out all the time and coming home wasted. His mother fires back, saying that her son tries too hard to control her life, by strategically placing pamphlets about a "chemical dependency" center around the house. The two go from explosive arguing, to his mother stroking his hair the next morning and telling him to "pick something." Rusty comes home in the wee hours, this time to discover that her son has one of his headaches. No medication is used to help them go away...it's more like visualization. Rocky "picks out" something peaceful and calming in his mind. He describes to his mother what he's seeing (he and his best friend on a boat).The next morning, Rusty makes a promise to her son that she will "cut it down;" a promise that is soon broken when Rocky's grandparents come to visit. The three return from a Dodgers game to find her so wasted that her parents have no choice but to drive back home, leaving Rocky to once again take care of his mother. Rocky decides he needs a break, and takes his school principal up on an offer to go to a summer camp for the blind. This will be a much needed break.This movie's about bikers: their vests, their jackets, their protective loyalty, their fights, their drugs, their motorcycles. The film also depicts a rider being buried with his Harley. The soundtrack brings this to light perfectly, with artists like Steely Dan and Little Richard.Now, this movie also has some alarming inconsistencies... and I am unable to point them out without giving away the film's ending. In fact, I'll start there. Young Rocky succumbs to his illness one night in his sleep, and at the very end, his mother and her now love interest Gar (Sam Elliot) go out to the cemetery to place flowers (and a few cherished baseball cards) at Rocky's grave. On the gravestone, the year of death reads 1980. However, a record of Rocky's death I discovered over the internet had the year of his death listed as 1978, and there was no location of a graveside listed (findagrave.com). Instead, the record reads that Rocky's body was donated to UCLA medical research. Is there a grave somewhere that reads "1980"? I don't know; but the impression given is that we are looking at Rocky's real graveside, which (in the film) reads "Roy L. Dennis". The film also depicts Rocky as being an only a child, but biographies of the famous teenager do reveal that he had a brother. This is mentioned nowhere in the movie. Understandable, since Rocky himself is the main focus, but as to it's biographical accuracy (??)There are also two different versions of this film. One of them depicts the death of one of the characters, Red, (Harry Carey) while the other...does not show us that he died. The original 1985 release lets Red live through the whole story, and there is no burial of the bike with the biker.Then there's the odd issue of different soundtracks (??). The original release, has a rockin' Bob seiger soundtrack (which I personally prefer). The DVD release of the movie (somewhere around 2004) has a Bruce Springsteen Soundtrack instead. The extra's on the DVD reveal that director Peter Bogdanovich had originally wanted a Springsteen soundtrack, and permission had come from Springsteen himself to use his music in the movie. But others who worked on the film decided that Sieger was more appropriate for the story (apparently), and the film was released with a Bob Sieger soundtrack(without Bogdanovich's knowledge).DVD extras also reveal that Bogdanovich and Cher got into continual disputes during filming as to the character of Rusty Dennis. Bogdanovich was said to have not been thrilled with such an edgy, mouthy, portrayal of the boy's mother. But Cher said that having met the real Rusty Dennis, she knew that her portrayal of the character was accurate

I saw this movie when i was 15. it just absolutely blew me away. from the amazing acting,to the beautiful score by bob seger,even down to the make up effects.Having seen pictures of the real rocky dennis,the make up job was absolutely dead on.The movie concerns rocky dennis. A boy who despite being born with a disease that has left his face horribly disfigured,is an extremely intelligent,kind,and outgoing young man. Rocky lives with his mother who is a hard living biker. Yet through her troubles she genuinely loves her son. There is also gar,a biker who treats rocky as if he were his own son.At the beginning the odds are stacked against rocky but through love and perseverance,he emerges as an inspiration to all around him.This film is an absolute triumph. However it is a major tear jerker. i think sometimes we need those kinds of films ,and a reminder that nothing is impossible. That no matter how high the odds are stacked one can emerge on top. I really related to his relationship with gar. i have always considered myself an outsider,but when i was 14 my step dad came into my life and took me as his son despite my flaws,much like gar did with rocky. Rocky also falls in love with a blind girl who even though she is blind,she loves rocky for who he is. the film is flawless,and the song by bob seger at the end credits is just perfect. I love this film and think everyone should see it. Also for the fact that it makes us look at ourselves,much like the elephant man did 5 years earlier. Instead of us looking at how we treat those who are different,it makes us look at ourselves in a much different way.That everyman has his burden to carry in life, regardless of if its mental,physical,or spiritual we all do. That appearance means nothing, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder and if rocky dennis isn't a shining example of that then nothing is. Fair warning however. As wonderful as this film is the rocky dennis face could be frightening to small children. Great story with a great message. 10 out of 10

If the lead actress was going to win an Oscar, it could have been for this, not Moomnstruck, because I preferred Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction much more. Anyway, this is the true story of Roy L.'Rocky' Dennis (a very convincing Golden Globe nominated Eric Stoltz), who suffered the extremely rare disorder Craniodiaphyseal Dysplasia, commonly known as Lionitis due to the disfiguring Cranial Enlargements that it causes. Obviously the story sees his journey through all the things a normal boy of his age would do, except it being with a not completely normal boy. Throughout the film, he collects cards, goes to school and achieves three graduation diplomas for his great skills (another thing that made him different), volunteers to help people in a camp, where he meets his true love Diana Adams (Laura Dern), and much more. His mother Florence 'Rusty' Dennis (Cannes Film Festival winner, and Golden Globe nominated Cher) is one of the problems in his life, she is a no nonsense mother with a drug habit and prostitution that sometimes stops him getting anywhere and can cause arguments, but he is happy when she is tender, protective and hanging out with her true love and good friend, Gar (Sam Elliott). Oh, in the film Rocky suffers many horrible head aches of some kind, and this is probably what killed him in the very sad ending. I didn't see the very ending, but I got the idea of how tragic his death was to his mother. Also starring Estelle Getty as Evelyn, Richard Dysart as Abe, Micole Mercurio as Babe, Harry Carey Jr. as Red, Dennis Burkley as Dozer, Lawrence Monoson as Ben, Ben Piazza as Mr. Simms, L. Craig King as Eric, Alexandra Powers as Lisa and Kelly Jo Minter as Lorrie. I can kind of associate with the story, I have a social problem called Asperger's Syndrome, it may cause problems in my social life and skills, but I do like the fact that in one of my schools, I became a student known by almost everyone in my final year (11), and the film story seems rather similar to mine in places, and it is a very good film. It won the Oscar for Best Makeup, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Make Up Artist, and it was nominated the Cannes Film Festival Golden Palm award for director Peter Bogdanovich. Very good!