Mask
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Short description
Mask is a drama about Rocky Dennis, a sixteen-year-old boy with a rare bone condition that has left his face severely deformed and enlarged, giving it a lion-like appearance. The condition cannot be cured, but Rocky is bright, academically successful and well liked at school, refusing to let his looks define him. He lives with his mother, Rusty, a biker who loves and fiercely protects him while struggling with her own drug use. Their circle includes the motorcyclists of her gang, among them Gar, a charming man who may be Rocky's father.
The film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich and written by Anna Hamilton Phelan, with Martin Starger producing for Universal Pictures. It followed Bogdanovich's Saint Jack and came between that film and Texasville in his filmography. Cher plays Rusty, Eric Stoltz plays Rocky, Sam Elliott plays Gar, and Laura Dern appears as Diana, with Estelle Getty and Richard Dysart also in the cast. The production cost about 8 million dollars and took roughly 48 million worldwide.
On IMDb the film holds a rating of 7.2 from around 35,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.3 from about 500 votes. A critics' rating of 7.6 from 28 reviews places it slightly above those audience scores. The comparatively large vote count alongside a steady rating suggests the film has remained widely seen and favourably regarded since its 1985 release.
What's left behind the scenes
- The director's cut of the film has a runtime of 127 minutes.
- The film was shot in 3 days.
- In the film, Rocky, played by Eric Stoltz, helps a blind girl, Diane, played by Laura Dern, to learn about the world around her, and in particular its color palette. In reality, it was Rocky Dennis (1961-1978) who was blind.
- Eric Stoltz spent so much time in makeup that when he arrived at the wrap party, he had to show his ID to the security guard at the entrance to prove he was indeed Eric Stoltz, and then even introduce himself to some of the crew and cast members who hadn't seen him without makeup before.
- Director Peter Bogdanovich and Cher constantly argued, as Bogdanovich believed Cher couldn't act at all. On top of that, she found it difficult to stay in character throughout the filming of an entire take. Bogdanovich had to abandon his preference for long shots and film Cher in close-up to showcase her innate charm and, in particular, her sad eyes.
- When Cher was approved for the role, she wanted the part of Gar to be given to her then-close friend Val Kilmer, but he wasn't suitable for the role because he was considered too young for her.
- Director Peter Bogdanovich made this film in memory of Dorothy Stratten (1960-1980), a model and actress with whom he once lived.
- In the scene where Rusty learns that Rocky died in his sleep, Cher, as the mother, smashed a number of household items and accidentally cut herself on a shard of glass. The cut on her forehead is initially shown as small, and then larger.
- According to Cher, the film was shot in the same area where Rocky and Rusty Dennis once lived. One day, while Cher was walking down the street with Eric Stoltz (both in makeup), an old man shouted "Hello!" to Eric. The man then added, "I'm so glad to see you, because there were rumors that you had died." He was so happy to see him that neither Cher nor Stoltz had the heart to tell him that those were not rumors.
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