

Rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster's romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperilled by the demands of life on the road.
Acting
Midler's live concert scenes—she's not acting, she's exorcising.
Score
The title track will destroy you. Grammy-deserved destruction.
Costume
Sequined jumpsuits that scream '70s rock excess.

Director
Mark Rydell
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Midler performed all vocals live for the concert scenes, often shooting until 4 AM with a real audience of extras.
The Rose essentially invented the 'tragic female rock biopic' template later copied by Coal Miner's Daughter, What's Love Got to Do with It, and even A Star Is Born (2018).