They told 16 year old Rocky Dennis he could never be like everyone else. So he was determined to be better.
Overview
A significantly deformed but highly intelligent teenage boy and his biker gang mother attempt to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.9/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.59/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Metacritic: 73
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Peter Bogdanovich
Production
Universal Pictures
Cast
Cher, Sam Elliott, Eric Stoltz, Estelle Getty, Richard Dysart, Laura Dern, Micole Mercurio, Harry Carey, Jr., Dennis Burkley, Lawrence Monoson, Ben Piazza, L. Craig King, Alexandra Powers, Kelly Jo Minter, Joe Unger, Todd Allen, Howard Hirdler, Jeannie Dimter Barton, Steve James, Cathy Arden
Curator Review
Verdict
A heartfelt, old-school tearjerker with real warmth, strong performances, and a surprisingly tender take on family, disability, and belonging. It can feel melodramatic, but the emotional honesty and Cher’s standout work make it worth seeking out.
Best for
viewers who like emotionally direct family dramas
fans of 1980s prestige melodrama
people interested in strong star performances
audiences drawn to outsider stories and found-family dynamics
Skip if
you want a subtle or understated film
you dislike sentimental, openly emotional storytelling
you prefer plot-heavy drama over character-driven catharsis
Overview
Mask is the kind of movie that wears its heart on its sleeve and dares you not to feel it. Peter Bogdanovich frames a deeply sentimental story with a classical, almost old-Hollywood confidence, letting the performances do the heavy lifting. Cher is the movie’s anchor, giving the mother role grit, humor, and pain in equal measure, while Eric Stoltz brings a bright, winning humanity to a character who could easily have been reduced to inspiration-porn in lesser hands.
Worth noting
What gives the film its staying power is the way it balances hardship with affection. The biker-family setting could have been played for novelty, but it becomes a genuine emotional ecosystem: rough around the edges, fiercely loyal, and unexpectedly moving. The movie does lean into big feelings, and some viewers may find its sincerity a little overwhelming, but that openness is also its strength.
Bottom line
If you’re receptive to a well-acted, unabashedly emotional drama, Mask lands as a rewarding watch. It’s not polished in a modern, restrained way; it’s more generous than that, and more willing to break your heart before putting it back together.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ian West (3.5★) · 247 likes
Good movie. When I watched this as a kid I never realized how fantastic Cher is in this... also Sam Elliot as a silver fox biker named Gar wearing a t-shirt that says “Moustache Rides" is a big mood.
MJsays (4★) · 200 likes
Cher is an international treasure.
Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine (3.5★) · 198 likes
I’ve heard from this film for a while yet I’ve had it in queue and been postponing it for a while now.
And it was pretty good. Eric brims with so much charm and makes Rocky such an endearing and cool character, pretty inspiring and for someone who was meant to have a shorter life, he was larger than it. Cher reminds us why she is a superstar on any stage. She delivered this great performance as this flawed and… more
DallasFrance (4★) · 118 likes
Nobody talks about the latchkey kid canon. When I was growing up, the term “latchkey kid” meant kids that came home before their parents got home from work. Usually it was from about four pm in the afternoon until anywhere from 6 pm on, depending on the parent(s)’ job situation.
When I got home from school and I wasn’t playing tennis or just getting up to mischief outside, I was inside watching TV. This was usually either MTV or HBO.… more
No-Personality (4.5★) · 91 likes
#1 in my 80's Week marathon.
That poster is one of the greatest examples of false advertising in the history of film. There is no beach and sunsets mean nothing here.
1990 · Comedy, Drama, Romance · 1h 50m · PG-13 · Curator 2.5/10 (40.8K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A good fit for viewers who liked the mix of eccentric family dynamics, maternal force, and bittersweet warmth.