So, who else was skeptical about blonde Laplander Renée Zellweger doing Judy Garland? Doubt no more, as Zellweger blows the roof off award season in this behind-the-scenes look at JUDY, (Judy: The Legend Behind the Rainbow).
To be released Sept. 27 from Roadside Attractions, this biopic bows on the 50th anniversary of Garland’s passing. Which is poetic in its own way, because for many fans, her death in 1969 was as memorable as the rainbow song from The Wizard of Oz.
We know what Judy Garland The Legend died of, but now we’ll know what she lived through, and how she became a survivor for us, even if Frances Gumm didn’t make it to the natural end of her lifespan.
It’s a THRIVE Global love story, in a way, about a woman who bucked the trends, but lost to the stats on addiction and alcoholism. Yet, here she is, JUDY, a half-century later portrayed by a new powerhouse talent, triple threat, in a determined Renée Zellweger.
Watch and learn from this Oscar winner’s impromptu masterclass in character transformation from Roadside Attractions, and be reminded that Zellweger is indeed already an Oscar winner. Find your bubbly and raise a toast, and think about what her struggles have taught us…
The show must go on, on stage and in life.
What Roadside Says About JUDY
Winter 1968 and showbiz legend Judy Garland arrives in Swinging London to perform a five-week sold-out run at The Talk of the Town. It is 30 years since she shot to global stardom in The Wizard of Oz, but if her voice has weakened, its dramatic intensity has only grown. As she prepares for the show, battles with management, charms musicians and reminisces with friends and adoring fans, her wit and warmth shine through. Even her dreams of love seem undimmed as she embarks on a whirlwind romance with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband. Featuring some of her best-known songs, the film celebrates the voice, the capacity for love, and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer.
Directed by Rupert Goold, the screenplay is written by Tom Edge. JUDY stars Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon. Visit your channeled icon here.
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