I’m old enough to remember when Judy Davis did a miniseries about Judy Garland’s later years called Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows. I remember that Davis won tons of awards for her portrayal. But because every generation has to retell these stories, now we’re getting Renee Zellweger playing the iconic Judy Garland. Renee’s film is called Judy. It’s about the last year of Garland’s life (1968) when she was addicted to pills, broke and a complete mess after having worked all of her life and having her money stolen by bad men and bad managers. Judy comes out in September, but they just released some photos and the poster. Honestly, with the wig and makeup, Renee does sort of look like Judy Garland. But it’s like some weird uncanny valley sh-t too, right? To promote the first images, Renee spoke to People Magazine about playing a real-life person:
“When there’s a better understanding of what it takes for a person to continue under certain circumstances there is a level of empathy and respect that you can’t help but feel,” says Zellweger.
The Bridget Jones’ Diary actress, who spent two hours a day in the makeup chair getting prosthetics, contact lenses and wigs applied to look like Garland, says she hopes the biopic gives audiences a better understanding of Garland.
“What she had to overcome in a time when women didn’t necessarily feel that they had power over their own lives in the way that we do today,” says Zellweger. “That stayed with me and I hope folks will be moved by that as well.”
Two hours in hair and makeup? Honestly, it looks like they just plopped a wig on her and powdered her, no offense to Renee. Here’s the thing that People Mag didn’t include though: I don’t think the film company bought Judy’s life rights or anything, and they definitely didn’t get approval from her family. Liza Minnelli slapped back at this film last year, saying: “I have never met nor spoken to Renée Zellweger. I don’t know how these stories get started, but I do not approve nor sanction the upcoming film about Judy Garland in any way. Any reports to the contrary are 100% fiction.” Renee never met with Liza and Liza does NOT approve. Ouch.
This photo is freaking me out:
First Look! See Renée Zellweger's Amazing Transformation Into Judy Garland for New Movie https://t.co/JfL8PeLn7l
— People (@people) May 8, 2019
Oh, and the trailer just dropped. This looks like a cheap Lifetime movie, good lord.
Photos courtesy of IMDB.
I love Renee (and miss her in movies), but this looks like a mess and I’m SO here for it!
@Christina B., Renee sells the heck out of it in this first YouTube trailer, presented in a MSN ‘Entertainment’ article about the film written by Joey Nolfi :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPgWnMXRv5o
I think it looks good. Renee’s a great actress.
Renee Z is an incredible actress. It looks amazing. I can not wait to see this.
She looks so much like Judy.
Awards coming.
I don’t expect a dead-ringer for biopics, and Renee will always look like Renee, but judging by the trailer she does a great job of embodying Judy. She really has the body language down, which is probably the biggest challenge.
I’m a huge Judy fan too, so I think I’m fairly critical! Can’t wait to see the film. Hoping it doesn’t disappoint.
Renee has that….vulnerability…that Judy had to me…and we already know she can sing…dance and act her tail feather off….
So, I’m looking forward to it…
I thought her singing was very weak in Chicago.
Me too.
Me three.
Yeah, to me she was the weakest link in Chicago, and I was distracted by her thinness. Her singing is nowhere near Judy’s. And the thing is, Judy still had a fantastic voice at the end of her life. Yes it was worn and frayed and a bit wobbly compared to her younger voice; but it still had beautiful tone and fullness and she could still belt. Renee at her best cannot even touch on Judy at her worst. She has a thin voice. It is what it is. Judy had one of the best voices of all time.
I like Renee as an actress and think she looks a lot like her and definitely has Judy’s mannerisms and facial expressions down. It sounds like she is singing the songs herself? That’s a stretch even if Judy wasn’t at the top of her game during this time in her life.
She certainly doesn’t sound like Judy…
Agreed. Judy had one of the best voices of all time and a very distinctive style. Renee at her best isn’t a patch on Judy at her worst.
Renee always hits it when she performs so her portrayal should be good. No matter how you boil it down, Judy Garland was one of the first and biggest victims/abusers of the prescription med spiral. Hollywood and her mother started giving her speed when she was a child. So sad.
not good press when the family does not approve!
I don’t hate it!
It’s a teaser trailer and it looks just fine to me. Not like a lifetime movie. She’s a triple talent and she’s age appropriate for this movie. Thank God they didn’t cast some 30 yr old to play Judy in her last year. And it looks like her real voice so not awful miming or lip syncing.
The trailer gave me chills and absolutely NO Lifetime feels!
Judy’s eyes were so large and Rene’s…aren’t. Still I love Rene and loved Judy and I can’t wait.
Maybe this was when Renee had her eyes done & she looked so different? In any case, I love when movie studios say so and so IS this person, Renee Zellweger IS Judy Garland. So wonderfully cheesy.
This so much 😂
Yeah, that stood out to me. Those big soulful eyes where such a big part of her…
I loved the miniseries or made for TV movie version with Judy Davis. I’m pretty sure it was based on Lorna Luft’s book and I think Lorna had a lot to do with that project. Judy Davis did an amazing job. She won awards. I feel for Renée, but this looks horrible. Her playing Janis Joplin never happened as she aged out so she chooses Judy? I’ve seen amazing drag queens look amazingly close to Judy, but the movie studio couldn’t hire the best makeup artists to make her actually resemble her, not put an obviously bad (Nicole Kidman/Julia Roberts role wig)?!? I really hope she gets a new agent or manager, because her last few films have been flops and bad. She’s better than that and should be getting the same offers that Julia, Nicole, Reese, Jennifer Anniston, etc at least for streaming or cable series!
I loved the miniseries or made for TV movie version with Judy Davis. I’m pretty sure it was based on Lorna Luft’s book and I think Lorna had a lot to do with that project. Judy Davis did an amazing job. She won awards. I feel for Renée, but this looks horrible. Her playing Janis Joplin never happened as she aged out so she chooses Judy? I’ve seen amazing drag queens look amazingly close to Judy, but the movie studio couldn’t hire the best makeup artists to make her actually resemble her, not put an obviously bad (Nicole Kidman/Julia Roberts role wig)?!? I really hope she gets a new agent or manager, because her last few films have been flops and bad. She’s better than that and should be getting the same offers that Julia, Nicole, Reese, Jennifer Anniston, etc at least for streaming or cable series!
Judy Davis was incredible in that part!!!
Don’t think Renee has the chops for this.
@Ali, you are singing my song! Unfortunately, Renee is not. She may have been in makeup for 2 hours, but I don’t know what they were doing, because pancake makeup and a stiff, bad wig doesn’t equal the great Judy Garland. She looks nothing like Judy and doesn’t sound like her either, so why Renee? (I like her, just not in this.) I hope I’ll be wrong and that it will be great. I’ll wait until it’s on HBO.
I really don’t need to see just the last year of her life rehashed. Could there be anything more sad?
I’ll possibly see it because I think Renee is such a good actress. But the story? I’ll be in the dumps for a week. Just the trailer gave me a lump in my throat. Addiction story plus that melancholic song will do me in. The saddest.
I don’t think she looks like Judy. I think she looks more like Lorna Luft in a Judy costume.
Sorry, but I ‘see’ Renee Wellweger
I see Jennifer Grey post nose job.
I’m very concerned that Liza is unhappy.
I really like Renee Zellweger as an actress but Judy Davis absolutely killed it in the TV movie and I just don’t see how anyone could top it.
I will have to look up the Davis movie.
Judy was a part of my childhood, as Wizard was shown every year (before the days of DVD and internet). I think she was incredibly talented, and hope this movie is balanced in how it portrays her.
She does not sound like Judy. Walk the Line and Coal Miners Daughter were two biopics where the lead actors sounded like the singers they were portraying.
Maybe the acting and storyline will overcome this minus. As for the family not being on board, I understand why. Famous or not, what child would want to see the last year of a tragic ending replayed? This just seems like an award-bait attempt.
Judy Garland, when you watch her performances toward the end of her life, had a unique, haunting mix of vulnerability and rock-hard toughness. She was fragile, brittle, and wounded, obviously in trouble.
From what I’m seeing here, Renee Zellweger misses the mark. The clip is brief, so maybe I’m wrong, but she doesn’t “feel” like Judy Garland to me.
She looks ridiculous and no I won’t see a non Liza sanctioned garland flick this gon be a FLOP
I understand children wanting to protect their parents’ legacy but it might be good that Liza doesn’t approve. We saw what May and Taylor did to Bohemian Rhapsody. That was offensive. Sanitizing a person’s life makes for terrible stories.
If you squint a bit, Renee looks a bit like Judy.
I have zero interest in seeing this. I’m 57, I know quite a bit about Judy. She had enormous talent and a very tragic life, IMO. The details are so sad.
I enjoy JG and every so often watch her movies, I have no interest in rewatching her life story.
Uy. I like Renee, but…To me, it looks like she’s playing her version of Judy Davis playing Judy Garland. Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows was wonderful (though I’ve not read Lorna’s book). I’m curious as to whether anyone’s talked to either Lorna or Joey Luft to see what they think.
I always thought Anne Hathaway would make a good Judy but she really looks more like Liza. Apart from the physical similarities, I get this sort of eager to please gee whiz vibe from both of them. Renee is sort of meh.
I saw the play this movie is based on. It all takes place on one set, although occasionally musicians come onstage and the actor playing Judy sings as if she’s in concert. Looks like the movie goes back to when Judy was young, so I don’t quite know how far they’re straying from the play.
While it may be well-written, directed and acted, without the power-house Garland voice…and her voice could still be power-house even toward the end of her life…I don’t see what they’re going to hang the movie on.