How Mental Illness is Portrayed in A Star is Born

The 2018 film adaptation of A Star Is Born, directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper, addresses the topics of suicide and substance abuse. The film follows the love story of singers Jackson Maine and Ally. In the movie, Maine persuades Ally to pursue singing and songwriting while he struggles with substance abuse and depression. As Ally begins to succeed in her singing career, the pair struggle with their relationship. From the opening scene, the audience witnesses Maine’s drug abuse. Eventually, Maine relapses into his drug addiction and commits suicide. When GDS High School Counselor Amy Killy spoke about the movie,