Georgia (1995)

Wonderful character development!

Absolutely the worst movie.

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

If you enjoy or are in the mood for a character driven movie with terrific performances and can endure scenes where a character so embarrasses him- or herself that you cringe, then you'll find Georgia rewarding viewing. Jennifer Jason Leigh is terrific as always—but so is Mare Winningham.If you don't enjoy such movies, or are not in the mood for one, you will be bored or annoyed or upset by Georgia. There is not much in the way of a plot, and the movie stops rather than ends.As you can tell by my rating, I (often, but not always) enjoy character driven movies, and I think Georgia is one of the most memorable I've seen. That said, I have found myself in moods where I'd rather gargle glass than watch this (or a John Cassavetes movie, who I think is the master of the type).The plot—or perhaps situation is a better word—is simple. Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Sadie Flood, a singer whose chops are mediocre at best but can convey raw, honest emotion, and whose life is lived in the shadow of her successful sister, Georgia, a country/folk singer with a mellifluous voice that conveys no emotion whatsoever and who enjoys a bit more than modest success in the Pacific Northwest. As played by Leigh, Sadie is an open wound of a human being: for every chance given her, she will mess it up; every trust extended she will betray. Why? Because she has neither the talent nor the love of her sister, who is as tightly wound a control monster as you will ever meet in life or fiction. About the only emotion she allows herself to express is a poisonous hatred for Sadie. Early on the movie you can see it leaking from Georgia in spite of herself, and there is a scene where Georgia extends a chance to perform for a large audience, and Sadie's performance is so awful (purposefully on Leigh's part, of course) that it might cause a viewer to feel such disdain is justified, but Georgia must surely know her sister, and to give her a such chance is to invite disaster.As I wrote above, the film does not end as much as stop, inter cutting between two performances by Sadie and Georgia. I don't know if Georgia even knows she hates Sadie, but Sadie knows she will always be in her sister's shadow; hence her never ending abuse of drink and drugs to blot out that knowledge and the pain of rejection.

While I love Mare Winningham and Jennifer Jason Leigh, I felt terrible for the lead character of Sadie Flood who longs for the same success as her older married, conventional sister Georgia. The film earned nominations for Winningham who plays the role with understanding and grace like most of her performances. I just find it so sad for Sadie who is genuinely a tragic figure of a character who loves and is at loss about her relationship with Axel, a quiet pizza guy, who falls in love with her. I remember them hitch-hiking rather than ride in a car with Georgia and her husband. It is a sad, thoughtful movie about sibling rivalry and relationships.

There are such extreme differences of opinion about this film that it has to go into the "Love It or Hate It" category. I loved it and think it is one of the BEST films around, but... definitely not for everyone. There is one song in the movie, the Velvet Underground hit "I'll Be Your Mirror," that could describe the film itself, or even be meant for all of us watching. The movie doesn't tell us what to to think, it reflects who we are by making us feel. The interesting array of opinions about the relationships between the characters proves this. I, for one, quite liked Sadie's singing. Georgia's voice was lovely, but commercial and lacking in feeling. I far prefer the energy and painful expressiveness of Sadie's voice, but then I have always preferred passion to technical perfection.

Well, I love Jennifer Jason Leigh, I've been Hooked since Single White Female and the Hudsucker Proxy. Ah, this role didint even seem to challenge her, she kicks butt. Though she sings like a toilet, i profess to do no better. Her backup band was quite amazing though, the guy who played Bobby alone could have kept on carrying the band. He has a lovely voice, as does Mare Winningham, who knew?