Cheap Life with Judy Garland - Me and My Shadows (DVD) (Robert Allan Ackerman) Price

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Customer Reviews of Life with Judy Garland - Me and My Shadows

As a teenager, the young Garland (Tammy Blanchard) is signed by MGM Studios, where she becomes a sensation in the film classic "The Wizard of Oz". With stardom comes a bumpy road, in which the nervous Garland is fed a diet of amphetamines to keep her going at a breakneck pace. As an adult, Garland (Judy Davis) is caustic and wry, but optimistic and searching for love. In her late twenties, Garland leaves MGM and, with the help of her manager/husband Sid Luft (Victor Garber), becomes a legendary stage performer. Along the way she is wed five times, and becomes a mother of three. On top of the world again, but now dependent on amphetamines, Garland travels a rocky road that leads to terrific triumphs and emotional disappointments. And through it all, she is supported by Luft and her adored children, who becomes part of the whirling maelstrom of their mother's life. And life with Judy Garland proves to be an extraordinary ride...of love, desperation, and hope.

"Life With Judy Garland" has many ornaments in a particularly sumptuous and satisfying movie, but its greatest ornaments are undeniably the actresses who play Garland: as the young Garland, Tammy Blanchard (who bears a spooky resemblance to the real Garland) is buoyant, eager to please, an emotional girl looking for happiness. As the adult Garland, Judy Davis is nothing short of a miracle: she BECOMES Judy Garland. Davis captures Garland's wry humor, her infectious charm, her emotional needs, and desire to entertain and be loved so brilliantly that the viewer forgets they're not watching Judy Garland. Davis is extraordinary. Both Davis and Blanchard won Lead Actress and Supporting Actress (Miniseries/Movie) Emmys for their outstanding performances. (The film also won three more Emmys for Costuming, Hairstyling and Makeup, the most for a miniseries this year.)

Garber lends staunch support as the charismatic Luft, Marsha Mason is well cast as Garland's overbearing stage mother, and John Benjamin Hickey is wonderful in his role of Garland's vocal coach and staunch supporter throughout her life. Also, Alison Pill, as Garland's second daughter Lorna Luft (who acts as the story's narrator), is also outstanding.

This film was produced by Ms. Luft, and she and her colleagues produce a powerful, moving tribute to her mother. Garland's real voice is used, and is lip-synched brilliantly by both Davis and Blanchard as some of Garland's classic film scenes and concert appearances are re-created. Blanchard shines as she sings with Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Lion in tow, "We're Off to See the Wizard," shooting the famous scene from "Wizard of Oz." Davis recreates with intensity Garland's "The Man That Got Away" from "A Star is Born" and is THRILLING as Garland in concert at the Palace and Carnegie Hall. Davis, in tramp costume, sits on the Palace stage, singing to Garland's "Over the Rainbow" in one of the film's most moving scenes. These scenes are so realistic they feel like documentary footage (which also lends itself to the extraordinary work of the art decoration and set designers). In fact, the whole film has a voyeuristic, documentary quality about it, which is rather unnerving in several scenes in which a burdened Garland breaks down and takes her frustrations out on people. This is a film that grabs the viewer, and makes them get involved with the drama and heart of the story, feel for the heroine. The film is brilliantly directed by Robert Allan Ackerman, and with a sympathetic but honest script by Robert Freedman, the film is very entertaining, and never skips a beat; you can't take your eyes off it for a second.

"Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows" is indeed an extraordinary ride. It is a powerful, moving piece of entertainment and a rich, human story that gives the audience a sincere appreciation not only for Garland's talent, but for the life she lived and the legacy she left us. Her story is one that has long needed to be told, and with "Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows" comes forth the tribute this shining star has long deserved.

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I loved this movie, but I was one of the few who wasn't a huge fan of Tammy Blanchard. I thought there were times during the movie that she was more a charicature of Judy instead of portraying a real living person. She wasn't bad at all, I just think she is over-rated. She does have some very good moments though such as when she finds out her father had died and the scene with Lana Turner.

True Judy Davis looks less like Garland than Tammy, but I think she seemed much more "Judy-Like". From what I have seen of Judy Garland interviews and read (I wrote a 20 page paper on her life), she seems to capture Garland's esscence well.

Despite being a fan of Judy Davis's performance, I do agree with most that she should have been brought in later than for Meet Me In St. Louis.

One person complained about the "jaw shaking" Judy is shown doing. This actually happens with some singers when singing correctly for effect. I don't know if Judy did though.

I was more disturbed by Tammy Blanchard's complete head shaking when singing.

Shrill and inaccurate portrayal of Judy Garland's life.
When "Me and My Shadows" was first broadcast, it was broadcast the week of my first quarter-century as a Judy Garland fan and serious collector. I had taken issue with the book and how Lorna Luft had such specific and almost mundane memories of unfortunate events in Judy Garland's life, but glossed over Judy's humor, her grace, and her courage, and worse yet, implied that Garland's last two years were basically a burn-out. Judy completed 120 concerts in her last two years. Her 1967 tour saw 80 concerts performed with only three cancellations. What angered me the most was the error that Luft made when stating that Garland had canceled her entire 12/67 run at Caesar's Palace when Burt Lahr ("Oz's" Cowardly Lion) passed away. This is untrue. Recordings and photographs exist of Judy's engagement. She did cancel one show when she found out about Lahr, but was back the next night and dedicated "Over the Rainbow" to him. I won't go on to the other 191 factual errors about Garland in Luft's book.
In the film, Tammy Blanchard does an admirable job as young Judy, and her performance is the only thing that made me choose a two star rating instead of one. Her skill at interpreting Judy's gawky adolescence, burgeoning style and mannerisms is uncanny.
Judy Davis arrives like a plane crash, and shrieks and whines her way through the remainder of the film (incongruously entering the film at the time Garland was about 22 and Davis in her 40's). Garland's humor and genius and survival instincts are lost in the need to push the Judy Garland story through the mind set, prejudices, bitterness and self-aggrandizing filters of those who have gone through recovery from substance abuse.
Sid Luft and the Group V corporation he formed with two "associates" (both with prison records), was responsible for bleeding Judy of considerable monies in 1967-68, and Luft eventually sold Judy's contract for ONE DOLLAR to another group of similarly shady-credentialed individuals.
Judy's ability to, in her words, "rise above" her situations isn't even alluded to. As far as Luft is concerned, Garland was too trusting and not discerning and the loss of money was due to these faults.
As a result, the casual viewer thinks, because of the quality of the wardrobe and the attention to visual detail, that this is the true story of Judy Garland. What is sad is that this depiction of Judy's life, by someone who was only part of that life for 16 years, is as one-dimensional as a pencil line. If the essence of Garland and her uncanny abilities had received as much attention as the costumes, this might indeed be a significant film.