Signed to MGM Studios at a very young age, her life was almost completely controlled by its studio head, Louis B. Mayer. Never considered an out right beauty of the caliber of Liz Taylor or Ava Gardner, she was made to feel second class and was never allowed a childhood. Labour laws of the time for children actors in Hollywood were almost non-existent. They also gave her regular quantities of amphetamines to keep her thin and working. This helped to create addictions that lasted her entire life.

The film doesn’t back away from the horrible treatment she endured as a child actor or the excesses she regularly indulged in as an adult but its narrative is more focused on a somewhat productive period of her life. Unable to get regular work in the states in her later years because of her reputation for being undependable, she had to travel to London to get singing gigs and try to make enough money to solve her financial entanglements.

As a canvas for the craft of acting, it gives Zellweger a great opportunity and she is utterly believable in the role. If the film succeeds at introducing a new generation of people to the talents of Judy Garland, it will be considered a success. She deserves to be remembered in her entirety not just as a cautionary tale. Her talent was substantial and there are moments of great emotion in her work.
Rob Hudson
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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 romance seem undimmed as she embarks on a courtship with Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

And yet Judy is fragile. After working for 45 of her 47 years, she is exhausted; haunted by memories of a childhood lost to Hollywood; gripped by a desire to be back home with her kids. Will she have the strength to go on? Featuring some of her best-known songs, including the timeless classic ‘Over the Rainbow’, JUDY celebrates the voice, the capacity for love and the sheer pizzazz of “the world’s greatest entertainer”.

Judy will be released in Australian cinemas October 10!
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