DANIELLE STEEL'S STAR

US, 1993, 92 minutes, Colour.
Jenny Garth, Craig Bierko, Ted Wass, Terry Farrell.
Directed by Michael Miller.

Danielle Steel's Star is typical Danielle Steel's television material. A sweet young girl living on a ranch in California has ambitions to be a singing star. On the way to achieving her success, she experiences an attraction for a nice liberal New York lawyer, experiences her father's death, rejection by her mother, raped by the manager of the ranch, the accidental death of her brother, getting a break in a San Francisco club as a waitress, singing, getting a recording contract, becoming a recording and a film star, having an affair with the lawyer after he marries his socialite wife in New York, has a son and retires to the farm. It is Mills and Boon material done in affluent soap opera style. Jenny Garth, from Beverly Hills 90210, plays the young girl. The director is Michael Miller, who directed a number of these Danielle Steel telemovies.

1. Audience enjoyment of Danielle Steel's books and telemovies? The characters, their situations? Melodrama, soap opera? Worlds of poverty and affluence? Class distinctions? Success - while the characters mouth highly altruistic motivations?

2. The Californian ranch, San Francisco, New York, affluent settings? The lush musical score?

3. The title and its indications of Crystal's ambitions and her achievement?

4. The character of Crystal, in the bus, the flashbacks, her commentary? Young girl, at the wedding ceremony, attracted towards Spencer? Her telling him of her ambitions? His return for the christening? The death of her father, his singling her out, leaving her the ranch, her mother's rejection? The rape, her mother not believing her, getting the gun, the brother trying to stop the shooting and dying? In San Francisco, Pearl and Larry giving her a job, charming people, singing? Meeting Spencer again, learning about his marriage? Her own career, the agent from Los Angeles, her records, moving in with Ernie, his jealousy and threats, her films, the achievement of her ambition? Spencer's return from China, their time together? The visit of Elizabeth and her threats? Her pregnancy, retiring to the farm, bringing up the boy, her happy life? All fulfilled when Spencer returns? The soap opera heroine and audience enjoyment of vicarious success through her?

5. Spencer, New York, his studies, Bobby Kennedy, the assassination, international relief? Love for Crystal? The pressure to marry Elizabeth, the wedding, the affair with Crystal? Elizabeth and her pressures on Spencer? The visit to China? Five years, his not being able to take it any more, her ambitions? Giving up everything and going to California, meeting his son, Crystal?

6. Elizabeth and her social background, her family? The socials, the ambitions? Discussions about ambitions with Spencer, different points of view? His relationship with Elizabeth, his marrying her? His love for Crystal, the affair? Going to China, returning, five years of agreeing to give the marriage a chance? His disillusionment with Elizabeth's style and greed? Leaving?

7. The family background for Crystal, loving father, jealous mother, Tom, the rape, the dead brother? The contrast with the affluence of Spencer's family, the pressures? The discussions about marriage, divorce, the attitude of the parents and their thinking of money and status?

8. Larry and Pearl as the nice characters, always supportive of Crystal, her career?

9. Ernie, the Hollywood ambitions, his guiding Crystal's career, jealousy of Spencer, the death threats? His own death, Crystal arrested, ringing Spencer, his persuading the judge that she should not be charged?

10. The perennial popular ingredients for this kind of easy television viewing?