Judy

Have you ever wondered what life was like for Frances Gumm?  Probably not, I imagine.  What if I told you that Frances Gumm was in actuality Judy Garland, the iconic singer from the golden days of Hollywood – whose girl-next-door innocence and powerful and sweet voice graced so many great movies, including “The Wizard of Oz” and “Meet Me in St. Louis”?  Now would you be curious? The movie “Judy” documents the last 6 months or so of her life. And wow, was it sad.  This is not a life affirming or even uplifting story – her life was a depressing series of unfortunate events. As the movie opens, Judy is penniless and is reduced to singing anywhere she can for as little as $150 a night.  She tries to make a semblance of family with two of her children (Lorna and Joey Luft), keeping them with her as she is thrown out of hotels for not paying the bills and having to virtually rely on the kindness of friends to keep going. She is very difficult to work with and is considered unreliable and uninsurable.  However, the English people still love her and she is offered a lucritive deal to spend the Christmas holidays performing in London.  This ultimately results in her fifth marriage to, yet again, a man who is out to exploit Judy.  Her time in England is heart-breaking. Her kids remain at home, and she battles insecurity and alcohol and drug abuse, teetering on the edge of personal disaster. The movie intersperses scenes of Judy as a young girl making ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ showing how studio head Louis B. Mayer mentally and physically abused and demeaned her (his sexual abuse are not addressed), calling her fat and unattractive and putting her on a cycle of pills to pep her up for 18 hour days, then to take her down so she could sleep. She has no support from friends or family, and any hopeful thought is taken from her. No wonder she is insecure and difficult! Renee Zellweger is the shining core of this movie though.  She wonderfully creates the misplaced hope and infinite sadness and self destructive behaviors of this flawed yet incredible musical talent. I see an Oscar nomination coming!  Ultimately though, this movie will leave you feeling sorry for the girl who dreamed of a rainbow that she never found in life.