Judy

Today I saw Judy, starring Renee Zellweger and Finn Witrock.

Sometimes even the greatest of artists aren't given a fighting chance in this world and that seemed to be the case for actress/singer Judy Garland (Zellweger). On stage since she was 2 1/2,  Garland's mother began supplying her with pills to ensure she was fit to perform before the age of 10. Once she was under contract with MGM studios as a child actress, it was reported they continued to supply pills, and further her dependency. This film shows the journey and result of her difficult path through life as an addict.

Garland is struggling financially when we join her on screen here, and is forced to take her two youngest children to their father's house in the middle of the night so they'll have a place to sleep. From here she must face the fact that she has to take the only job currently being offered to her to stay afloat, and that job happens to be a long way from California—in London. Though she loves the English city, she has a tough time leaving her children behind (though the stability is good for them) and continues to self-medicate to get through it all.

Her performances are both triumphant and tragic, and her audiences respond in kind. She's often late for her shows, so terrified to go on stage that she has to physically be pushed onto it to perform and often ends up swearing or storming off before it's over. In one instance, the guests are so angry with her behavior that they begin throwing dinner rolls at her.

In the midst of all of the chaos, she finds a fifth husband in musician Mickey Deans (Witrock), who provides her momentary happiness from the state of her fractured life, but he isn't enough to save her. Just months after her London tour concludes, he finds her dead of an accidental overdose.

The film shows a good representation of how addicts function, even in spite of huge commitments like sold-out concerts. There is a desperation in Zellweger's performance that left me exhausted, but that's a good thing because that's what being around an addict is like.

Zellweger's mannerisms, her voice, her speaking cadence—all very close to the real Garland who we can watch at will in the library of famous performances she left behind.

I was sad to see that most of the sequences in the film are based on truth simply because they're so sad, but perhaps we all need to see how influences, whether they be family or industry, can literally kill someone.

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