Judy ** or ****½ (out of 5) (PG-13) The preceding rating range on this Judy Garland biopic covers the raves or pans you’d give it, depending mainly on your mood and expectations. On the upside, Renee Zellweger’s performance is probably THE highlight of her long career, and sure to get her nominated by all the major, and sensible minor, awards’ entities. That includes a fair shot at her second Oscar (the other for Cold Mountain). Not only does she resemble Garland throughout, but at certain camera angles one couldn’t distinguish her from the original. The script is well-written and paced for the last several months of Garland’s life, which occupies most of the running time.
The downside is that Garland’s depicted final stage of is a real bummer. Those last months for the legendary star were times of desperation - nearly broke; virtually no demand for her services; deterioration from years of too much booze and too meany pills; divorced and separated from her children by necessity. All of that is interspersed with off-screen moments from when she was a child star making The Wizard of Oz. We see how the pressures and tactics on that set started the problems that plagued her as an adult. We’re shown the worst of the old studio system, before there were legal boundaries protecting children from overwork and other types of abuse. She also was stuck with a total virago of a “stage mother”, who may have matched domineering, demeaning MGM boss Louis B. Mayer for being more cruel than the Wicked Witch of the West.
So if you’re ready for the sadness of watching the decline of such a revered, enduring talent, you’ll certainly rank this film as brilliant. If you’re hoping for more of her lifelong performance bits and significant running time on her glory years, you ain’t gonna get what you want. Either way, you’ll surely agree with the praise for how superbly Zellweger handled this difficult, demanding role. (9/27/19)