Mask (1985)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Florence "Rusty" Dennis	Cher	½
Gar	Sam Elliott	½
Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis	Eric Stoltz	½
Evelyn Steinberg	Estelle Getty	-
Abe Steinberg	Richard Dysart	-
Diana Adams	Laura Dern	½
Babe	Micole Mercurio	-
Red	Harry Carey, Jr.	-
Dozer	Dennis Burkley	-
Ben	Lawrence Monoson	-

Review

Rocky Dennis (1961–1978) was an American boy who suffered from an extremely rare disease known as craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, causing facial disfigurings which are ultimately fatal. And this film directed by Peter Bogdanovich is a fitting tribute to his life and being. His positive, encouraging outlook on life shines through and transcends the narrative thanks to Eric Stoltz' complete performance and Bogdanovich's sensitive direction. But it's the screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan, who met Mr. Dennis and his mother during the 1970s, which gives the film heart and a sense of realism in the midst of what is an obvious Hollywood biopic structure. Bogdanovich is an idealist, so there's a message movie trying to creep out from this piece, but Phelan's strong writing ensures the various scenes and segments stand firmly on their own. They come off as tranches de vie which accumulated tell the story of a short life well lived, something his mother Rusty was a key enabler for. She's portrayed as a complex, warm, flawed human being, played with passion and understanding by Cher. It's one of the best female roles of the 1980s.