Where Were You In 1976? A Look Back at Bicentennial Cinema: A STAR IS BORN (1976)

A STAR IS BORN (1976) Frank Pierson
Special pre-show of Bicentennial year goodies curated by Deserted Films at 6pm/ Film at 6:30pm

"You can trash your life but you're not going to trash mine.”

It’s a story Hollywood loves to tell. And this version is, in spite of what IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes tells you, an absolute 1970s masterpiece. Honestly, a revelation 50 years later! And to appreciate its mastery, you need to see it on the Camelot’s GIANT screen. It is about the exaggeration of pop-stardom, and it’s plain as day when Barbra is bigger than life in front of your eyes (but then, when isn’t she?). It’s also the only way you can see that the film’s very simple, nearly operatic narrative hangs on the way Kris Kristofferson and Barbra look at each other. “Are you watching me now?” The music talent alone is staggering: Streisand, Kristofferson, Paul Williams, Leon Russell! - “Evergreen” won an academy award!

Part of the XOXO Palm Springs Citywide Arts, Culture, and Music Festival

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The USA turns 250 years old in 2026. It’s a big birthday! Our series looks back at our last big birthday… the Bicentennial in 1976. What films were we watching? What were we thinking about?

Deserted Films, the Palm Springs Public Library, and the Palm Springs Cultural Center, have teamed up to bring you a unique selection of films reflecting what was on our ‘collective minds’ at the Bicentennial. Because looking back can help us make sense of now!

Folks talked a lot in 2026 about the “dark themes” running through the films being considered for Oscars…but 1976 brought us NETWORK, TAXI DRIVER, and CARRIE! It was a year of deep (sometimes brutal) self reflection. And a year of groundbreaking American cinema. We will dig into key films from the moment and offer up some surprises!

And, of course, Hollywood filmmakers were not alone in celebrating and questioning America at 200. Each feature film in our series will be accompanied by archival gems from Deserted Films or from our colleagues in the archival community to help set the mood: home movies of people celebrating the Bicentennial, as well as educational and sponsored films and other oddities from the same moment in American history.