I saw "Judy" last night, Red Box rental. I enjoyed the film, but I'm near 70 yo, so I think many younger folks would not be as interested in the film. It's basically a month of her life taken from 1968 about six months before she died at age 47. She's flat broke, sleeping on the floor at parties, has two kids in school that she has to dump them on her ex-husband, but wants to get a home and get her children back. She's making $150 for an occasional matinee show, but finds out the only way to make real good money is to go to England. Her older adult daughter Liza Minnelli is glossed over in the film with just a brief appearance.
She makes the trip and she is basically self-destructive. If she's not on pills, uppers and downers, she on the bottle, a real boozer and smoker. They have to drag her out the dressing room for her first show, which she pulls off and gets great reviews. Her problem, she married a much younger man while in England she briefly met at a party in LA and all is well, but for a very short time. Then things go sour and she gets smashed and goes on stage and basically cusses out the audience and gets fired.
It's a sad flick. I remember her at this stage in life because in the 60's Jack Parr had a weekly talk show, I think it was Friday nights at 10pm on NBC. Judy was one of his regulars, I think she did it for the money, minimum wage for an entertainer. She was usually high and spoke erratically and was a sight for sore eyes.
Judy Garland shortly before her death
Renee Zellweger as Judy in the movie
