Judy

"The legend behind the rainbow."

2019 1h 58m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 1,289

DramaHistoryMusic

Synopsis

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Thirty years after starring in 'The Wizard of Oz', beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

“The legend behind the rainbow.”

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Cast

Renée Zellweger
Judy Garland
Jessie Buckley
Rosalyn Wilder
Finn Wittrock
Mickey Deans
Rufus Sewell
Sid Luft
Michael Gambon
Bernard Delfont
Richard Cordery
Louis B. Mayer
Royce Pierreson
Burt Rhodes
Darci Shaw
Young Judy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rupert Goold
Writers: Rachel Garlick, Tom Edge
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, France, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, France, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Rupert Goold, shot by Ole Bratt Birkeland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Gabriel Yared. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Melanie Oliver shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Renée Zellweger and Jessie Buckley and Finn Wittrock carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The legend behind the rainbow.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rupert Goold directs. Ole Bratt Birkeland behind the camera. Gabriel Yared scores. Melanie Oliver cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, France, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Made its money back 3.9× over at the box office.
2Released 7 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: United Kingdom, France, United States of America.
4Directed by Rupert Goold, shot by Ole Bratt Birkeland. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Gabriel Yared. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Melanie Oliver shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Renée Zellweger and Jessie Buckley and Finn Wittrock carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The legend behind the rainbow.".
9IMDB entry: tt7549996 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 10 themes, including "london, england", "drug abuse", "drug addiction", "biography".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ole Bratt Birkeland
Original score: Gabriel Yared
Editing: Melanie Oliver
Production design: Kave Quinn
Costume design: Jany Temime
Makeup / hair: Jeremy Woodhead
VFX supervisor: Paul Round
Sound: Paul Cotterell
Runtime: 118 min · 1h 58m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $10,000,000
Box office: $38,981,322
Return: 390% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Judy (2019)

Awards

Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama
Academy Award for Best Actress

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Rupert Goold

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2019-09-29
★ 7/10
‘Judy’ is a film that celebrates Garland's legacy, and while the film is a little generic in its storytelling, Zellweger’s truly phenomenal performance pulls you into this behind the scenes to look at one of Hollywood’s greatest stars. - Chris dos Santos Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-judy-zellweger-goes-for-oscar-gold-in-mid-core-biopic
Luis_9892019-12-22
★ 6/10
Renée Zellweger remembers how to act in this simple biopic, delivering her best performance since Cold Mountain in 2003, however despite the good intentions, the film cannot help feeling like a vehicle to grant nominations to its lead actress in the coming awards season, instead of saying something more interesting about Judy Garland.
The Movie Diorama2020-01-17
★ 7/10
Judy clicks her heels three times to transport us to a world of melancholy and self-destruction. Somewhere over the rainbow lies Judy Garland. An innocent, fragile and talented young actress who infiltrated silver screens and rapidly shot to fame. The voice of an ethereal angel. MGM’s golden girl. But behind the lavish productions and beneath that unimpeachable smile, was an undisputed amount of pressure. A malleable marionette susceptible to the puppetry of Hollywood. A product of ruthless executives. Garland was no longer a person. Her individuality brutally reaped by higher authorities, manipulating her into believing she was physically unattractive. Starving, pill-popping and overworked. That was the cruel life of Judy Garland. The glistening glitter and the iconic voice, mere facades masquerading the suppressed pain. Unfortunately though, her repressed childhood and early stardom steered Garland into a life of alcohol and substance abuse. The yellow brick road wasn’t so golden after all. Goold’s biopic (and part adaptation of the Broadway play) dramatises her later career, forced to perform a sell-out tour in London due to her unreliability in the States. Her unworkable state being a consequence of substance abuse. Clumsily walking out into the spotlight that she undoubtedly adored. That inevitable lust for fame. A legendary status. Trapped, her battle for the custody of her children raged on. Torn between the natural instinct of motherhood, and the only element of her life she’s ever known. Her profession. Edge’s screenplay, whilst surface level on certain aspects which merely imitated a biographical article instead of further sentimentalising Judy as an individual, eloquently explored the dangers of fame at such a vulnerable age. The inability to have a voice. To be bossed around by studio executives who see her as an asset rather than a human being. It’s very much a by-the-numbers biopic, and Goold’s blend of light and darkness within his direction made this comparable to the equally melancholic ‘My Week With Marilyn’. Snippets of fans announcing their adoration for their idol, empowering the eponymous star even further. That joyous search for justification. But the sorrow never fades. Goold’s constant tone of desolation throughout, whilst teetered on unnecessary melodrama, honed in on the impact Garland made. There’s nothing more tragic than witnessing an individual undergo self-destruction, and Goold rarely distracts us from this. It all comes down to the central performance. The actress who is in every scene, devoting her soul into the character. Ladies and gentlemen, Zellweger became Garland. Astonishingly embodying her right from the immediate title card. I’ll be irrefutably disappointed if she does not garner awards for her performance. Not only is it a career best, it’s quite simply the best of the year. The nuances, the voice, the erratic body movement. Rarely does a performance make me lose sight of who is actually acting. During that final rendition of “Over The Rainbow”, my eyes moistened. No longer was I seeing Zellweger, but Judy herself. It was cathartic. It was reincarnation. It was divine. Goold bravely shot the performances as one take sequences for the most part, which has to be applauded for artistic integrity. It did however make the lip syncing incredibly obvious which frustratingly pulled me out of the film. No fault of Zellweger’s stunning performance though. Rising star herself Buckley deserves some praise for her crystal clear performance. Such delicate clarity against the chaotic Garland. Would’ve liked to have seen more from Gambon and Sewell, but appreciate the film is solely focussed on Zellweger. The film wouldn’t work without her. Garland has never been depicted with such compassion before, and it's an amalgamation of quality over quantity. It’s not big. It’s not flashy. It’s just honest. Garland herself would’ve been proud, and we will never forget her. But please, do bring a box of tissues with you...