Mask

UPC: 025192278822

Studio: Universal Studios

MPAA Rating: NR   Contains:[Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language]

Summary: This is the true story of Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a personable young man suffering from "lionitis," a fatal disease which causes hideous facial disfigurement. The son of freewheeling biker Rusty Dennis (Cher), Rocky is accepted without question by his mom's boyfriends and cycle buddies, but treated with pity, condescension, and disgust by much of the outside world. The local high school principal tries to get Rocky classified as brain-damaged so he won't have to enroll the boy in his school, but Rusty fights for her son's rights with the ferocity of a mother lioness. Rocky makes friends easily both at school and at summer camp. He also falls in love with Diana (Laura Dern), a blind girl who cannot see his deformed countenance and is entranced by the boy's kindness and compassion. Now that he's got his own life in order, Rocky sets about to wean his chronically depressed mother from her drug habit. Mask is the sort of story that might have ending up wallowing in its own pathos had the acting, direction and scriptwriting (by Anna Hamilton Phelan) been anything less than very good. The film proved a much-needed financial success for director Peter Bogdanovich, though unfortunately it didn't come soon enough to stave off his declaring personal bankruptcy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Makeup – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actress – Cannes Film Festival

Features: ccMask Revealed: A Conversation With Peter Bogdanovich
Feature commentary with director Peter Bogdanovich

Mask

Format: DVD

Release Date: 09/07/2004

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DDM2.0 Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, DTS Digital Theater Systems

Runtime: 127 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Titles/At Home [5:34]
2. Registration [2:18]
3. Doctors [3:48]
4. Biker Blood Run [9:47]
5. New School [5:22]
6. Trip to Europe [5:29]
7. Drugs and Pain [7:12]
8. A Deal [2:08]
9. Carnival [4:52]
10. Little Egypt [3:52]
11. Girl for Rocky [10:35]
12. Gar Remembers Rusty [4:17]
13. Graduation [4:26]
14. Grandparents Visit [9:18]
15. Summer Camp [11:27]
16. Colors of Love [7:52]
17. Frustrations [5:03]
18. Red's Funeral [3:41]
19. Always Be Together [4:47]
20. Goodnight [3:59]
21. Sunshine [6:01]
22. End Titles [4:37]

Brendon Hanley

Far removed from his early-1970s critical heyday, director Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon) briefly returned to favor with 1985's Mask. Based on the tragic true story of Rocky Dennis, the material rescues its inherently formulaic nature with heartfelt performances from leads Eric Stoltz and Cher -- who won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival -- and a surprisingly compelling script from Anna Hamilton Phelan (Gorillas in the Mist). Bogdanovich sued Universal Pictures after they made alterations to his final cut: most notably, the songs of Bruce Springsteen were replaced by those of Bob Seger to cut costs. Bogdanovich failed to revitalize his career with the film's critical and popular success; his next film was the shockingly bad screwball comedy Illegally Yours. Cher, however, continued to prove herself a worthy actress, culminating in her Best Actress Academy Award in 1987 for Moonstruck. ~ Brendon Hanley, Rovi

Cast and Crew: L. Craig King  Actor 
Andrew Robinson  Actor 
Jill Whitlow  Actor 
Creed Bratton  Actor 
Gale Ricketts  Actor 
Steve James  Actor 
Wayne Grace  Actor 
Alexandra Powers  Actor 
Cathy Arden  Actor 
Eddie Paul  Actor 
Louis Waldon  Actor 
Kelly Minter  Actor 
Jo-El Sonnier  Actor 
Joe Unger  Actor 
David Scott Milton  Actor 
Marilyn Hamilton  Actor 
Allison Roth  Actor 
Todd Allen  Actor 
Lou Felder  Actor 
Rummel Mor  Actor 
L. Charles Taylor  Actor 
Jack Wright  Actor 
Paige Matthews  Actor 
Rebecca Sharkey  Actor 
Ben Piazza  Actor 
Barry Tubb  Actor 
Mike Adams  Actor 
Beth McKinley  Actor 
Anna Thea  Actor 
Nick Cassavetes  Actor 
Dr. Norman Kaplan  Actor 
Ivan Jorge Rado  Actor 
Marsha Warfield  Actor 
Jeannie Dimter Barton  Actor 
Patricia Pelham  Actor 
Scott Willardsen  Actor 
Chris Rydell  Actor 
Jeff Jensen  Actor 
Les Dudek  Actor 
Stan Ross  Actor 
Anna Hamilton Phelan  Actor 
Howard Hirdler  Actor 
Toni Sawyer  Actor 
Peter Bogdanovich  Director 
Peter Bogdanovich  Screenwriter 
Anna Hamilton Phelan  Screenwriter 
Martin Starger  Producer 
Cher  Actor 
Sam Elliott  Actor 
Eric Stoltz  Actor 
Estelle Getty  Actor 
Richard Dysart  Actor 
Laura Dern  Actor 
Micole Mercurio  Actor 
Harry Carey, Jr.  Actor 
Dennis Burkley  Actor 
Lawrence Monoson  Actor 

Country: USA