Renee Zellweger Shines as Judy
3.5 Out of 5 Stars
By Scott
Judy is the film that premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2019 and opened on September 27 in the United States. The film is loosely based on the Oliver and Tony nominated musical End of the Rainbow by Peter Quilter. The film is directed by Rupert Goold, produced by David Livingstone and the screenplay is by Tom Edge. The film stars Renee Zellweger as Garland, with Jesse Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon in supporting roles.
Based on real events, the film is set in 1968, with Garland living and performing in London. Years after The Wizard of Oz, Garland is struggling badly behind the scenes and her voice is weakening. She is staying in London with her new fiancé, Mickey Deans, as she prepares for a five-week run of sell-out concerts at the Talk of the Town, which she hopes will boost her waning profile and perhaps more importantly, earn her money so she can go home and see her children. These were her final months before she died of an accidental overdose.
Renee Zellweger spent over a year and four months with vocal coaches in order to master Garland’s vocals. Zellweger said portraying a legend such as Garland was a daunting but gratifying experience. Makeup artist Jeremy Woodhead did an outstanding job of transforming Zellweger into Garland. Woodhead had to prosthetically extend the tip of Zellweger’s nose so slightly in order to match Garland’s profile. I thought I was looking at the real Judy Garland, not an actress portraying her. I was mesmerized by her performance. Zellweger was able to show her heart, mind, spirit and vulnerability. There’s a stunning moment when Garland, hollowed out by exhaustion and paralyzed by doubt, is forced on to the stage for the first of the London shows. She starts to sing, tentatively at first. But then the orchestra kicks in and her eyes snap open and suddenly a triumphant full wattage Judy Garland blast of charisma takes over. Backstage afterwards, she’s crumpled and round shouldered and smeared with tears. “What if I can’t do it again?” The scene where she sings “Over the Rainbow,” is another revealing link in a chain of events that has damaged this very talented star.
Director Rupert Goold did a good job of showing the damage caused by MGM in the 1930’s and 1940’s. The flashbacks were very effective, but more were needed to explain Garland’s deterioration that led to her death. Her relationship with ex-husband, Sidney Luft, needed to be developed in this film. There also should have been more scenes where Garland is performing her repertoire of songs. This is why I gave this film 3.5 out of 5 stars. Many people criticized this film for being too negative in showing the end of Judy’s life. Garland was used by so many people in her career. All she wanted was for someone to love her for who she was. Films need to teach us about the lessons in life, and in this film we learn many lessons from the life of Judy Garland. Renee Zellweger should be nominated for best actress, and I would not be surprised if she wins.