I had the priviledge of getting to see JUDY before it officially opens in theaters September 27, 2019. If you don’t know the movie is about Judy Garland’s last year. The movie dazzles in some areas and falls short in other areas.
Most don’t know she was living in a hotel with little money, little sleep and a lot of pills. The industry didn’t want to work with her because they couldn’t count on her. Judy gets an offer to perform in London in a sell-out run at The Talk of the Town in 1968. She doesn’t want to leave her kids but knows she needs to make money. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids.
I can’t imagine what it’s like to be on top of your game with a huge classic like THE WIZARD OF OZ and now you’re living in a hotel with no money.
Throughout the film Judy has flashbacks of her life as a child actor (age 16); she is exhausted by the relentless shooting schedule and chafing against the control exerted by the Studio over every aspect of her life.
Studio boss at MGM, Louis B. Mayer, tells her she has a choice: do everything he asks of her and he’ll make her a star; walk away and she’ll sink into oblivion. This is where the pill addiction started. Mr. Mayer didn’t want her eating or sleeping. He worked her to the bone. At this moment I was thinking well it all makes sense how she can’t function without the pills.
I am a big Judy Garland fan and there were things I knew and things I was shocked by. Renée Zellweger did an amazing job overall but to me she didn’t get the speaking voice right or too much of the singing. Judy had a very distinctive voice. I will say she got a lot of the mannerisms and at times looked exactly like her and other times she just looked like Renée. I felt she needed to gain more weight especially in the face. The singing was good but it wasn’t Judy. Judy’s daughter, Liza Minnelli (played by Gemma-Leah Devereux) didn’t sound of look like her either.
I shed my fare share of tears throughout the movie. Renée definitely captured her pain throughout and how much she just wanted to be loved. There was a beautiful moment between Judy and her fans. She didn’t want to me alone. It broke my heart just thinking of who people thought Judy Garland was and what she felt she was.
Judy had no self-esteem which got in her way causing her to drink, take pills and not perform. All of this caused her demise.
It was a heartbreaking movie but well done and you will hear some of your favorite songs but sung by Renée.
As the credits rolled I sat there sobbing. I walked out thinking the movie showed a different side of Judy and just how much she wanted to please everyone. She overcame so much and gave the world a talent like no other.
I believe Renée will be nominated for an Oscar and possibly win.
If you are a Judy fan I would say have reasonable expectations going in. It was good but Renée doesn’t look or sound too much like her but I would definitely see it again. I need to have more tissues next time.
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