Monday, March 30, 2015

Life With Judy Garland: Me And My Shadows

Even if you were never a big fan of Judy Garland, I still think you’ll find this post interesting because it’s more about how impressed I was by the extraordinary performances of Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard in a re-creation of the legendary star in the movie, Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows.

I saw this made-for-television movie when it first came out in 2001, but now own it, so I will sometimes watch it again whenever I’m in the mood for a Judy Garland fix.

The film is based on the memoirs of Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland, so I think it’s as close to the truth as we’ll ever get, to know about the life of Judy Garland.

And what I love and admire about this film is that it exposes not only the tragic part of Judy Garland, with her addiction to prescription drugs and alcohol, and the extreme highs and lows of her career, but it also shows what a down-to-earth and sensitive human being she was, and what a dedicated and loving mother she was to her children.

But what totally blows me away about this film is how both actresses so accurately captured all the physical and emotional characteristics of Garland, as if they somehow channeled her spirit. In fact, there are some scenes that give me chills because I actually believe that I’m LOOKING at and LISTENING to Judy Garland.

All the singing was dubbed with Judy Garland’s voice, but even still, both actresses did a flawless job in ACTING as if they were really singing. It’s some of the best lip-syncing I’ve ever seen on film because you can't tell.

Tammy Blanchard portrays young Judy, and Judy Davis portrays Garland through her final 25 years.

Here are some photographs I put together from the film to show you just how much they resemble Judy Garland...

Tammy Blanchard as young Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz

Judy Davis as Judy Garland singing at the Palace Theater in New York City

I leave you with a comparison video of Judy Garland vs. Judy Davis singing "The Man That Got Away" from the film, "A Star Is Born." And please watch it very closely (in full screen) because you'll be amazed by how much the side-by-side clips resemble each other.

The TWO Judy's...

Happy Monday, y'all! 

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