Judy (2019) review

When it comes to some of the most legendary figures who graced the entertainment industry with their immense talent, there are arguably none who are more iconic than the one and only Judy Garland. For practically every generation there is, she’ll always be known for her starring role as the beloved heroine Dorothy Gale in the timeless 1939 adaptation of The Wizard of Oz. However, outside of the time that she spent traveling down the Yellow Brick Road, she was also one of the most acclaimed singers of her time with hits such as ‘The Trolley Song’ from her 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis and, of course, The Wizard of Oz’s iconic solo, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. Sadly, Judy’s life was plagued by financial instability, mental and physical health issues, and a severe addiction to drugs that would ultimately culminate in her tragic death in 1969 at the age of 47. Thus, she ultimately became one of the most definitive examples of the industry’s cautionary tales, which brings us to today’s subject, the first theatrically released Judy Garland biopic (not counting a few made-for-TV films that have been made over the years) simply titled Judy. Inspired by the 2005 play End of the Rainbow by playwright Peter Quilter, the film focuses on one of the last major moments of Judy Garland’s career when she performed at the Talk of the Town theater in London, England. Fittingly enough, this film’s director, Rupert Goold, is best-known for his work in theater while his directorial credits in both film and television primarily consists of Shakespeare adaptations. And while Judy does occasionally feel like a straight-forward adaptation of the play that it’s based on, it still succeeds at being a well-meaning biopic fortified by a phenomenal performance by Renée Zellweger in the title role.

It is 1969 and Judy Garland (Renée Zellweger) is dealing with some major personal crises. She has been struggling financially, is still addicted to the various substances that were given to her as a child actress (e.g. amphetamines) and has been stuck in a nasty custody battle with her ex-husband Sidney Luft (Rufus Sewell) over their two kids, Lorna (Bella Ramsey) and Joey (Lewin Lloyd). With her options for money becoming more and more limited with each passing day, she is offered a five-week gig to perform concerts at the Talk of the Town nightclub in London. The only catch, however, is that Lorna and Joel won’t be able to come with her due to the ongoing nature of the custody dispute. Thus, Judy hesitantly accepts the offer, even though it destroys her to have to leave her kids behind, since she realizes that it’s practically her only option at this point if she wants to keep providing for them. Once in London, she meets with her new assistant Rosalyn Wilder (Jessie Buckley) and begins her new gig at the Talk of the Town to initially solid success. Along the way, she also strikes up a relationship with entrepreneur Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock) and their romance blossoms to the point where he ends up becoming her fifth husband. Unfortunately, the bad habits that have plagued Judy her whole life soon start to rear their ugly head which, in turn, ends up having a considerably negative impact on her performances.

As far as biopics go, Judy is admittedly very straight-forward when it comes to its retelling of Judy Garland’s life. In other words, it hits all the usual story beats that showcase both the highs and lows of her life, ultimately ending on a high note for her career-wise despite being juxtaposed with the factoid of her untimely death. But just like the Elton John biopic Rocketman from earlier this year, Judy does manage to craft a highly respectful take on Judy Garland’s story that’s also openly candid about her various personal struggles. Whether it’s the nasty feuds that she gets into with her husbands or key flashbacks to her childhood during the time that she was working on The Wizard of Oz and had to endure the strict demands of her handlers, it’s easy to sympathize with her given everything that she went through. And because of this, the film perfectly highlights how Judy Garland was, above all else, a good-natured girl who just wanted to live a normal life but sadly never got the chance to do so because of an overbearing studio system. But, of course, the biggest selling point of this film is Renée Zellweger, who is phenomenal as the one and only Judy as she completely disappears into the role and perfectly encapsulates Garland’s captivating stage presence. This then translates nicely into the film’s musical numbers, with excellent renditions of classic Judy Garland songs all culminating in an emotional performance of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ that’s sure to tug at the heartstrings. Thus, while it may sometimes feel like the original play this film was based on was just lifted directly to the screen without a lot of significant changes to fit its new medium, Judy is a genuinely solid entry in the biopic genre. Thanks to a heartfelt portrayal of its subject’s life and an Oscar-worthy turn by Renée Zellweger in the title role, this film perfectly showcases why Judy Garland will always be fondly remembered as one of the greatest entertainers of her time.

Rating: 4/5