Film Review: Judy

“Pack up your troubles and just get happy, Ya better chase all your cares away…” Judy Garland sang those lyrics to the delight of millions, but, as the new film Judy shows, she never really experienced those lyrics for herself.

Adapted from the play End of the Rainbow (by screenwriter Tom Edge), Judy takes place during five weeks in 1969 when Judy Garland took up residency at London’s Talk of the Town nightclub. By this stage in her career, Judy (Renée Zellweger) had four ex-husbands, three children, no home, and lots of debt.

The film begins with Judy and her two youngest children, Lorna (Bella Ramsey) and Joey (Lewin Lloyd) (her eldest child is, of course, Liza Minnelli (Gemma-Leah Devereux) and is an adult at this point) struggling to make enough money to have a place to stay each night. Judy begrudingly takes them to their father, her ex-husband Sid Luft (Rufus Sewell); she eventually leaves them in his care while she travels to London for the show, hoping the show will get her back on her feet and create a stabile home her children can live in.

In London, the film jumps from the present where Judy is erratic and unreliable to her past where her addiction to pills and alcohol began. The flashbacks start with her star-making role in The Wizard of Oz.  Young Judy (Darci Shaw, as wide-eyed and endearing as young Judy herself was)–nee Frances Gumm–is bullied and controled by studio chief Louis B. Mayer (Richard Cordery). She’s pushed pills to make her lose weight and pills to make her sleep at night. In the present, Judy struggles with severe stage fright and a wrecked body; because of that, she’s never sure of how her voice will sound when she begins to sing. Her performances are erratic–she’s drunk, she brings the crowd to its feet, or the crowd boos her and pelts her with food. Bernard Delfont (Michael Gambon), the nightclub owner, and Rosalyn Wilder (Jessie Buckley) attempt to keep her on track. Then, toss in a whirlwind romance with New Yorker (and her fifth and final husband) Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock) who promises to wipe all her cares away, but, like many people in her life, totally lets her down.

While the pacing of Judy was a bit off between Judy in London, the flashbacks to her teen years, and the custody and marriage battles she went through while abroad, the film does have some really strong moments. One of the highlights of Judy is the performance of  “Get Happy” which happens at the apartment of a gay couple (Andy Nyman and Daniel Cerqueira) who befriend Judy after seeing her show multiple times throughout the London run. Additionally, it’s an awards-contender for Renée Zellweger as Judy Garland. Her performance is mesmerizing, and her singing really shows the chops she has, from “For Once in My Life” to the heart-breaking version of “Over the Rainbow.” Plus, her interpretation of Judy (and not a direct impression of her) is nuanced, complicated, fragile, and vulnerable all at once. Indeed, it is a performance worthy of the legend that Judy Garland became.

Photo Credit: David Hindley, Courtesy of LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions