GEORGIA RULE
US, 2007, 113 minutes, Colour.
Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Cary Elwes, Garrett Hedlund.
Directed by Garry Marshall.
What is Georgia Rule? The answer: any decree made by matriarch, Georgia (Jane Fonda) that is to be strictly observed in her house, from being on time for meals or going without, to not taking the Lord’s name in vain and washing one’s mouth out with soap after swearing, to making sure that everything goes smoothly for her family. The problem is that all has not gone well. She has alienated her daughter, Lilly (Felicity Huffman), now an alcoholic, who is in process of alienating her own daughter, Rachel (Lindsay Lohan) and who has decided that Rachel should spend the summer vacation with her grandmother. Another Georgia Rule: work during the summer.
Rachel has grown up in permissive California and sticks out like a gaudily bandaged sore thumb in the small town of Hull, Idaho, where people greet one another in the streets, marching girls advertise the 4th of July parade and the young Mormons obey a strict moral code and look forward to their two years of missionary service.
Plenty of dysfunction here. Each daughter feels her mother ignores her and does not love her. Grandmother is reserved, not the touchy-feely type. There is plenty of anger and resentment, plenty of conflict to be resolved.
Rachel makes a play for the upright young man of the town (Garrett Hedlund), flirting, coming on to him and being brazen and offhand about sex – which is too much for him. Rachel works for a local vet (Dermot Mulroney) who is still grieving his wife and child killed in an accident. He can at least give her some sense of responsibility and self-worth.
So far, so bad – but interesting. The three actresses come on strongly. But there is a further complication concerning Lilly’s husband (Cary Elwes), a wealthy San Francisco lawyer, and whether he has sexually abused Rachel or not. Rachel tells lies, so who is to be believed? The screenplay makes clever use of this problem of truth and lies and motivation for lying or telling the truth in bringing the dysfunction to some kind of credible functioning.
It is interesting to see the actresses with their off-screen reputations and a rare opportunity these years to see Jane Fonda on screen (as she nears 70) – and to see Lindsay Lohan at 20 making a mess of her life on screen.
1.A film of American families, relationships, dysfunction?
2.The female focus, the generations of women? The effect of each generation on the next?
3.The Idaho settings, the remote state, the countryside, the small town, agreeable, homes, the vet’s office, the lake? The musical score?
4.The prologue, Lilly and Rachel, the clash, the car, Rachel getting out, abandoning her mother? Lilly’s pain? Rachel and her bravado, sleeping on the road, the encounter with Harlan, with Simon, the ride? Her cheeky attitudes? The scene being set?
5.Georgia and the title of the film, her rules, her use of them in the past, with Lilly, the detrimental effect on her daughter, using them on Rachel, the discipline? Using her rules for herself, the widow, the husband who drank, her thinking her marriage a mistake, not wanting Lilly to do the same? At home, the rigidity, regularity, righteous about her rules? Lilly’s absence for such a long time? The request to take Rachel? Accepting it? Rachel’s arrival – and the mutual reactions?
6.The character of Lilly, as a girl, clashes with her mother, her marriage, becoming a widow, marrying Arnold? The happiness of life with him? Prosperity? Her drinking? The effect on Rachel? Life in San Francisco, happy, love, alienating her daughter? Leaving her with her mother?
7.Rachel, her age, completing school, the mix-up about going to Vassar or not? Her attitudes, clothes, talk, her manner, self-image, flirtatious and sexy? Simon and the original come-on? Learning more about him? Her attraction towards older men? Harlan, the discussions, his being out of his depth, her taunting him, the fishing, the sexual experience, his shame? Her bluntness – even with Harlan’s girlfriend? The girls in the town and their hostility – and her confrontation with them? Georgia and her home, the rules, getting her to work? Rachel being offhand? At work, with Simon, learning his story? Becoming more sympathetic? With the customers, getting the man to pay money as he never had before, nice with the customers? Her improving as a character? Her possibilities? Sensitivity to Simon – wanting to lie with him? Telling him about the abuse?
8.Life in the town, people greeting each other, the pets and the vet, fishing and the lake, the girls and their nastiness, promoting the Fourth of July …?
9.Simon as a character, his life, his previous love for Lilly, his marriage, the death of his wife and child, his grief, his work, easy with the customers, not having them pay? His meeting Lilly, the kiss? Rachel trying to tempt him – his refusal and integrity?
10.Harlan, his Mormon background, his life in the town, picking up Rachel and giving her a lift, going fishing, the sex discussions, her behaviour with him, his embarrassment, wanting to tell his girlfriend, travelling with Rachel, wanting to marry Rachel?
11.The story of the abuse, why did Rachel communicate to Simon? Simon’s reaction, telling Georgia, ringing Lilly? Lilly’s coming? Rachel and her change of attitude towards the issue, pretending that she was making it up, the truth and lies? The audience unsure?
12.Arnold and his arrival, his manner, wealth, his car, talking with Lilly, denying everything, interactions with Georgia? The discussions with Rachel, his explanations of himself, the revelation of the truth? His public denials? His relief when Lilly believed him?
13.Arnold and Rachel, the background, her age, the truth, audience shock? His presumption? Evil under the surface? His respectability and wealth? The issue of the car?
14.Georgia knowing, not communicating this to Lilly? Allowing Lilly to go, Lilly being satisfied, driving, the issue of the car, her realisation of the truth, getting out and walking?
15.Georgia rounding up the group, their all going to rescue Lilly? The attack on Arnold?
16.Family surface, what underlay the surface, problems, abuse, drink, lack of awareness of the other characters, the effect, the damage, the resolution?
