There’s something very meta-fictional about Sam Elliott, in the fourth film version of “A Star Is Born,” saying how every song tells “the same story, over and over” and is distinguished only by how the tale is told.

As this film has been made and remade over the decades, there have, of course, been a number of embellishments to fit each era — the 1937 original is the only one in which our starlet is strictly an actress, while the first remake in 1954 recast her as a singer — but the basic beats have remained remarkably consistent.

It’s a distinctly American retelling of the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea, in which an older man who’s already attained celebrity status spots the heretofore-undiscovered talent of a budding ingenue. After a whirlwind courtship, her career winds up eclipsing his, to which he responds by drunkenly making a scene in the middle of her winning her industry’s highest award (either an Oscar or a Grammy, depending upon which film version it is).

What’s interesting about first-time director Bradley Cooper’s version is how heavily he draws from the most recent previous version of “A Star Is Born,” co-starring Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand in 1976.

The 1976 rock musical was easily the least critically acclaimed version of the films to date, and yet, Cooper’s spin on it is arguably the most emotionally authentic retelling so far, surpassing even the far more melodramatic original.

Throughout his career, Cooper’s unforced charm has blinded a number of critics to how much subtle work he does under the surface.

While his performance as hard-drinking rockstar Jackson Maine strongly recalls the weathered, relaxed machismo of Kristofferson, Cooper ultimately does an affecting job of conveying the haunted guilt of an addict who fears his next inevitable fall off the wagon will drag down his loved ones with him.

The real surprise for me was Stefani Germanotta, who plays Ally, the harried working-class gal whom Jackson discovers during a random visit to a drag bar to continue his late night of drinking.

I was already familiar with Germanotta’s work as real-life songstress Lady Gaga — yes, hello, I’m a middle-aged man now, trying to keep up with the kids’ music — but I wasn’t terribly impressed with her attention-seeking stage persona.

She needs to act in more films. She immediately makes Ally a character who not only feels real but whom I couldn’t resist rooting for, even though I knew “A Star Is Born” is billed as a tragedy for a reason.

These two lead actors could nearly carry the entire film by themselves, but they’re ably assisted by an excellent supporting cast, including actors you would expect to be that good (Elliott plays Cooper’s older brother and manager, and Dave Chappelle plays Cooper’s best friend) and those I didn’t know had it in them (former foul-mouthed standup Andrew Dice Clay is both hilarious and heartfelt, playing Germanotta’s loving father).

This is one of those rare remakes that deserves to replace the original as the “gold standard” version of this film going forward.