The First "Judy' (2019) Brings Forth a Promising Oscar Contender

Scene from Judy (2019)

Everyone loves a biopic it seems. The desire to take the celebrities of the past and turn them into fodder for new stories is something that has never gone out of style. It's why it seems odd that Judy Garland is just now getting around to the biopic treatment. With a storied career full of tremendous highs and lows, it's hard to not find something to take from her life story (though to be fair, A Star is Born was almost autobiographical anyways). It's what makes the upcoming release of director Rupert Goold's Judy starring Renee Zellweger so compelling. Not only is it a potential return to the Oscar circles for the actress, but it may help to inspire a new generation to fall in love all over again with the singer. If the trailer has anything to say about it, the journey there will be a rip-roaring success.

In general, it's hard for me not to love Garland. I'm sure many have the same story of sitting around as a child watching The Wizard of Oz and being taken by "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." It's one of those indelible performances that stick with you for decades, making you hope for that sense of optimism in her life. Those who don't read too much into her later years will live in that naivety, appreciating Meet Me in St. Louis and The Harvey Girls as these towering achievements of MGM musicals. Those who go beyond and notice the sexism within the industry that botched hers and many others (the You Must Remember This podcast has done an excellent job of covering these actresses) will likely find her a tortured soul who never got the appreciation she deserved in life. In fact, it's still criminal that she never won an Oscar.

It's partially what makes Judy such an ironic Oscar contender. In spite of Garland being an icon whose popularity has grown with the decades, she never quite got the recognition she deserved. One could argue that Judy is being released now because of that. The Me Too movement has been as much about real life consequences as addressing the past mistakes, and Garland seems to fit it nicely. Considering that this story is taken from her later years, it's going to have some uncomfortable, even shocking moments that explore how certain figures in her life lead her to this downward spiral. It will be shocking, especially if you only ever knew her for "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Still, it seems like excellent fodder to mix Me Too era themes with cinema and a potential Oscar in the process.

Check out the trailer below:

It looks pretty good. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts.

It's a simple premise and one that seems destined for some Oscar consideration. Considering that Michelle Williams rode the Marilyn Monroe biopic My Week With Marilyn to a Best Actress nomination in 2011, it seems like the love of old celebrities is still running strong. Considering the premise of the story, it also will give Zellweger one of her more noteworthy performances in quite some time. It can be sold as a comeback vehicle for the actress and maybe will propel her to a statue. After all, the Best Actress field has generally catered to performances that are showy, and this one is destined to be. Anyone who has seen The Judy Garland Show will know this.

While I will restrain from comparing and contrasting, for now, I will also note that this is adapted from the stage production The End of the Rainbow. It combines behind the scenes meltdown with live performances. I have seen this production and have a lot of thoughts about it. On one hand, it feels sad that we can't explore a more upbeat time in Garland's life in Judy. However, Garland fans the world over will find plenty to latch onto provided it captures her charisma on stage and off. Really, the meltdowns are just as powerful as the music (which I hope are elaborate numbers and not 30-second clips). I have faith that Zellweger will do a solid job, though it's tough to compare to the real thing.

For now, Judy at least adapts to film with such lavish style that I can't help but find some enthusiasm for it. I am a bit dissuaded by seeing the same sad story about Garland depicted on screen, but that is more of a personal issue. For now, I hope that this is a surprise smash and that Zellweger can bring something to the role that wasn't better on stage. I've seen her sing before, very well, in Chicago, but that's been awhile. For now, it's a great chance to speculate on what the Oscar season will look like and if it will be able to get Garland the recognition she deserves all these years later. It's hard to say whether it's a good or bad thing, but for now, it's fun to start thinking about the Oscar season again in ways that feel like more than empty speculation.