LIFE WITH JUDY GARLAND: ME AND MY SHADOWS

US, 2001, 170 minutes, Colour.
Judy Davis, Victor Garber, Hugh Laurie, John Benjamin Hickey, Sonja Smits, Tammy Blanchard, Al Waxman, Marsha Mason.
Directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.

Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows is based on the memoir by her daughter Lorna Luft. The film was directed by Robert Allan Ackerman (who also directed Judy Davis in the biopic of Ronald and Nancy Reagan).

The film offers a chronological view of Judy Garland's life, with Tammy Blanchard excellent as the teenage Judy. She looks like Judy Garland, has the same exuberance and re-enacts the scene from The Wizard of Oz expertly. When Judy is twenty-one, Judy Davis takes over (although Judy Davis was forty-five at the time of making the film). She also re-enacts expertly various sequences from Judy Garland films including "The Trolley Song" from Meet Me in St Louis, the test for Annie Get Your Gun, the sequence of "The Man I Love" in A Star is Born. The film culminates with her imitating Judy Garland singing "Get Happy", from Summer Stock. Judy Davis shows a great versatility in her performance, creating the character of Judy Garland (and sometimes making Judy Garland look rather like Judy Davis, especially with her crooked jaw and larger mouth). However, she gives an extraordinary performance, Emmy-winning, in creating the mystery of Judy Garland as a monstrous woman, a mother who was difficult with her children as well as loving them, spoilt by the studios, antagonistic towards her mother, desperately craving affection and care from her husbands as well as being a victim of the medication prescribed in order to keep her going to make films at MGM.

There are interesting supporting performances by Victor Garber as her husband Sid Luft, the father of Lorna, by Hugh Laurie as Vincente Minnelli and John Benjamin Hickey as Roger Edens, the sympathetic musician at MGM Studios who always referred to Judy by her original name, Frances. Marsha Mason is imposing as the typical stage mother, Ethel Gumm, and Al Waxman is a rather sinister Louis B. Mayer.

A very interesting look at Hollywood - a look behind the glamour and a criticism of the subjection of the stars to the system. It also offers the portrait of a celebrity with great talents but who ultimately failed in her life, despite entertaining her myriad fans.

1. Audience interest in the life of Judy Garland, liking her, admiring her acting and singing? Information about her life? The answers to curious questions?

2. The film as a biopic, a portrait of the actress, the outline of her life, the perspective of her daughter Lorna Luft, the critical aspects as well as the positive? What emerges from the film - Judy Garland as a person, as a woman, as an actress, singer, performer, a monstrous and demanding woman? The reasons for her behaviour, character? MGM Studios, Louis B. Mayer, the demands, the drugs, her being deprived of a childhood, her loving to be in the spotlight? Her marriages and her wanting care? Her children and her being a mother? Her self-centredness?

3. Tammy Blanchard and her skills in creating the young Judy Garland? The quality of Judy Davis's award-winning performance? Creating a character, bringing a celebrity to life, the mannerisms, the excellent impersonation of sequences from films? The lip-synching of the songs, the movements of Judy Garland's singing and dancing techniques?

4. The title, Lorna Luft's perspective?

5. The initial portrait of the Gumm family, the dominating mother, the gentle father adoring his daughter (but indicating his friendship with men)? The sisters, their performance in vaudeville, Baby Frances performing at the age of two, her having to be taken off-stage? The audience response? A life of tours? Her age, the auditions, her father guiding her, going to MGM, her singing, Louis B. Mayer, his responding to the Jewish song, "Big voice, little girl"? The issue of contracts, the demands, the consequences, her eagerness to sign, her father's hesitation, her mother's push? Judy's choice?

6. Roger Edens and his place at MGM, the music, the other musicians and composers like Arthur Freed? His coaching Judy, his wise advice about living the songs and not worrying about mere technique? Grooming her for the radio, her radio performances, giving her confidence, the discussions about Shirley Temple and The Wizard of Oz, his continued support? In later life? His always calling her Frances?

7. Life at the studio, the hours, the demands, the range of people, the cafeteria, school, make-up and the criticism of her appearance, face and teeth, posture? Mickey Rooney as a friend? The variety of films, the meeting Lana Turner? Her mother and her push, her growing alienation from her mother, her mother being banned from the studio? The nightclubs, the friendship with Artie Shaw, infatuation with him, discussions with him, his praising her, criticising Lana Turner and then eloping with her? The emotional upset at her age? Busby Berkeley and his tyrannical demands and her collapse? Mayer and his giving her a curtailed time off?

8. Her father, the bond with his daughter, his illness, going to hospital, the phone call, his listening to the radio, her having to go on and sing? Her grieving at home - and later regretting she didn't have time to grieve? Her missed childhood?

9. The Wizard of Oz, the experience of the choice of Shirley Temple, the discussions, her finally getting the role? The performance, the characters of the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion? The director? The touring and the success of the film? The exhausting performances with Mickey Rooney? The further films, Busby Berkeley, the prescriptions, alerts about side effects, her growing dependence on them?

10. Meet Me in St Louis, Vincente Minnelli and his care of her, cajoling her back onto the set, the beginnings of her adult tantrums? Her strong performance in "The Trolley Song"? Her talking with Minnelli, the discussions with Louis B. Mayer, her wanting to marry him despite the warnings about his sexual orientation? The birth of Liza, her devotion to her daughter? His trying to support her, The Pirate? The parties, people wanting her to sing? The collapse of the marriage?

11. The audition for Annie Get Your Gun, her being sacked? Her collapse, putting on weight? Her pregnancy with Lorna, Lorna's birth? Her care for her children? Going on the road, the concerts and their success? Her being a star but ousted from the studio?

12. The meeting with Sid Luft, the discussions, her reliance on him, his getting her the concerts? The marriage, the birth of Lorna? The build-up to the filming of A Star is Born, her wanting George Cukor, the performance? The studio cutting it and her disappointment? The build-up to the Oscar, her being tipped, the people going through the other nominees, the adverse comments on Grace Kelly? The birth of Joey, the cameras in the hospital room, her not winning, their moving out quickly?

13. Her rebounding after the Oscar loss, the reliance on Sid, Lorna's comment on their up and down marriage, his continually leaving and coming back? Her managing with the children? Increasing number of concerts?

14. The lure of television, her success, her touching people - and the executives later criticising this? The meeting with the executives, their wanting to close the show, the ratings? The drama of her telephone call to John F. Kennedy and singing over the phone?

15. The money issues, Sid and her disappointment, the parties, the guests, the lavish lifestyle? Taking the children, moving from hotels, playing games? Her tours? Her continued work, feeling herself the breadwinner? The effect, her health, drinking, the pills? Lorna finally leaving, the liaison with Mark Herron, discovering his boyfriend and her anger?

16. The tour of Australia, the initial success, the collapse, the failure in Melbourne, people rebuking her?