Celebrated actress Myrtle Gordon (Gena Rowlands) struggles with stage fright and worries about aging in the lead-up to the premiere of a new play. Then, a young fan dies in a traffic accident shortly after asking Myrtle for an autograph. It haunts Myrtle: she drinks more and more and behaves badly during rehearsals and tryouts. Without her, the entire machine of the theater company grinds to a halt. Can the premiere go on?
Opening Night is considered one of the many highlights in the collected works of director/screenwriter John Cassavetes and actress Gena Rowlands. Cassavetes records with his trademark, merciless camera the mental decline of a star. The legendary Rowlands won the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for her performance.