Making her film debut, Bette Midler plays a singer loosely based on Janis Joplin. Midler does a very good job in the role, showing the woman making something of herself, but living a self-destructive life to the point where she ruins herself. A particularly eye-popping scene is when she struts through the men's room and the men get all freaked out and start jumping into the pool. You gotta wonder what's with those guys.<br /><br />Equally as good as Midler is Alan Bates as her manager and sometimes lover. "The Rose" is certainly a movie that I recommend, and I believe the director later directed Bette Midler in the equally interesting "For the Boys". Also starring Don Calfa and Doris Roberts.