Judy will give you glimpses into the tragic history of Judy Garland and her life, but only seems to scratch the surface of her troubled past. Renée Zellweger gives a moving performance as Judy Garland, but can't make up for the lack of narrative and heart.
“Thirty years after rising to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, showbiz legend Judy Garland (Renée Zellweger) arrives in London to perform a five-week sold-out run of The Talk of the Town. While preparing for the shows, Garland battles with management, reminisces with friends and adoring fans, and embarks on a whirlwind romance with soon-to-be fifth husband Mickey Deans – all while bravely struggling to overcome intensifying anxiety and physical decline. Featuring some of her best-known songs, the film celebrates the unyielding spirit and matchless talent of “the world’s greatest entertainer.””
Judy tells the tragic story of Judy Garland and her spiraling downfall due to substance abuse and how it affected the lives of those around her. One might think this to be a biopic of Judy Garland, and in a sense, it is, but only focusing on a short period of time in her life. While we are giving glimpses of her younger years trying to land the iconic role of Dorothy, horribly misguided by her mother and the head of the studio, these flashbacks give the audience the groundwork for understanding the tragedy that is unfolding before us.
Fifty years after the death of Judy Garland at age 47, it’s astonishing to me there weren’t any real forays into the depths of Judy Garland’s life, that I know of anyway. While I knew she died relatively young and had a substance abuse problem, the degree of these issues relating to her childhood is something that was pretty shocking as a viewer of the film, especially given that most of the issues stem from her mother pumping her full of pills with impossible work schedules and not allowed to eat. The exploration of the relationship between Judy and Louis B. Mayer, founder of MGM, was also very enlightening, further demonstrating some of the despicable practices of old Hollywood and specifically men in power. Sadly, very little progress has been made in this aspect, as body image issues are still prevalent in our society, especially those of entertainers, actors, and people in the public eye. Throughout the film you’re also subjected to Judy’s worst fears, having her children taken away from her seems to be at the forefront, though her declining influence and inability to get work thanks to her unreliable nature also plays a large part in her insecurities.
Renée Zellweger does a good job at portraying Judy Garland. After seeing footage of Garland later in life, it’s clear that she studied her mannerisms, including that sense of Hollywood royalty entitlement. Zellweger has often, and unfairly, gotten a lot of criticism over the years, which makes her portrayal of Garland all the more poetic, as someone constantly criticized for the way they look. Although I don’t think this role was moving enough to win her any awards, it’s certainly not because of her. She gives it her all and is entertaining along the way.
Judy was certainly an enlightening film, albeit tragic learning about Judy Garland’s younger years and the months before her ultimate end. That being said, I felt there was something missing that would have made the film even better. Things about Judy’s life are glossed over and even ignored, including her fourth husband that comes between Sidney Luft and Mickey Deans, whom she was married to just months before Deans. Much of her personal life is limited to her leaving her children with their father to travel to London, and the heartbreak of leaving them behind. The rest of the film unfortunately follows the same pattern of her downward spiral with each show in London leaves us wondering if she’s going to show up and perform or make a fool of herself on stage. As a story of Judy Garland’s life, it focuses too much on a single event, not really creating a narrative for the audience to follow. It plays more like a book of facts than a film with a strong emotional core, which is unfortunate given the love people had for Judy and the loss they felt when she died.
Video
Judy is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 2.39:1. The film looks great, with clear and detailed picture throughout. Color balance looks exceptional, and the costumes that Garland wears and the glamour of the London shows really shine here, contrasted nicely with the darkness of the stage behind her as the spotlight shines.
Audio
The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. This track sounds fine, with the majority coming through the center channel in the form of dialogue. During the singing sequences, the music and vocals ring from the surrounds, highlighting Garland’s most well-known songs, including a very emotional Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Special Features
Some very brief bonus features included on the disc. With the history of Judy Garland, the books written about her, and the documentary about her that was made this year, it would have been nice to get something else about the making of the film and fact vs. fiction parts of the film. What you are going to get includes:
- From the Heart: The Making of Judy
- Judy Image Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
Judy shines the light on parts of Judy Garland’s tragic life, but leaves out large pieces of it to focus on one series of shows in London. It is a decent film if you want to learn about her life, but lacks a narrative to make it entertaining or at least satisfying to the viewer.
