Georgy Girl (1966)

Why so much hype?

Best movie ever!

As Good As It Gets

The first must-see film of the year.

Passed over by men, a dowdy girl in 60's London manages a fairy tale ending with little help from her friends. Looks like this 50-year old ditzy flick has lost its cutting edge, and in the process, now looks plain silly. A frumpy lead, swinging London, and loosening morals may have set a chic tone then, but not now. Now there's nothing to smooth over the annoying Jos, the witchy Meredith, or the implausible James. Georgy's plain-girl plight is sympathetic and trans-generational, but not enough to compensate. Instead, the overdone antics are just too many. Note too, rather surprisingly, that it's ultimately the British establishment that's affirmed and not the swingers. It's businessman James's & his care of the baby that projects the future.Anyway, there are scattered good moments as when Georgy's natural innocence cavorts freely with the kids. Also, given the temptations, expert actress Redgrave refuses to milk her sympathetic part. But overall, the movie resembles a spicy cookie that's since crumbled into too many unsavory bits. But at least the delightful title tune survives.

Georgina Parkin (Lynn Redgrave) is a chubby frumpy well-educated outgoing talented young lady. Her parents are live-in servants to rich businessman James Leamington (James Mason) who starts to have romantic feelings for her who he had known as a child. He's in a loveless marriage and wants Georgy to sign a contract as his mistress. She lives with beautiful flirtatious Meredith (Charlotte Rampling) who's dismissive of Georgy. Meredith finds that she's pregnant and figures marrying her boyfriend Jos Jones (Alan Bates) as something different. He moves in with Meredith and Georgy. James' wife dies.Lynn Redgrave is adorably engaging as the chubby girl of the two. She is hilarious and perfectly reasonable why everybody loves her. Also she's so wacky as a character. It's a slice of swinging 60s London and the changing of the times. The rest of the characters are pretty horrible people which does tend to make the tone uneven. The performances are great. It's not all a light frolic. However there is nothing funnier than when James shows Georgy the contract for the first time.

A Kimba and Astro conversation... Astro: so what was James Mason's role? Like what was he in the movie for? Kimba:he appreciated Gy for who she was because he lived with a woman who was as "exciting as a brick". Gy is a symbol of all that's been missing from his life.Astro: I see. (light bulb just came on) Kimba: that is why the bedroom scene with James transforming everything into the opposite of what it was cracked me up! Astro: yes - and in that he was almost transforming it into how he saw Gy. Which was intriguingly the opposite to how Gy saw herself! Living in the 60s was a time where we thought life was fun, and people accepted each other. Looking back now, I see how confused, shallow and unrealistic it was. Kimba: it is the same now, i think each decade holds different confusions. Astro: I thought it interesting when Jos and Gy were looking at each other talking, with Meredith sitting in a chair. They just looked each other, fell in love and kissed, right in front of Meredith! Kimba: Meredeth is truly selfish and horrible. Jos really is a child, and he knows that. When they part, Gy has a smile on her face cause she knows too. Astro: and then she just moved on when he kissed her good-bye on the dock . Kimba: yeah no anger! Astro: Could we ever just feel that way ? Kimba: the movie has to have the characters be extreme. The extremeness offends some people. But it doesn't work without it, because you wouldn't see the contrasts, eg the maternity ward scene. Astro: I just felt all the way thru that it was idealistic - which characterizes the 60s . Kimba: yeah ! This is a serious comedy . Astro: the extreme is funny. Kimba: it is an acquired taste. Many are confused by it and miss the subtleties. It is about people, and if we looked we might recognize some of those people! Yes they are doing/saying horrid things but that is what happens in life. Astro: that is true. I liked James and her Dad sitting on the stairs drinking. Kimba:...the father saying his daughter is a frump and the look on James's faceKimba: and the scene when they tell him his wife is deadAstro: I find conversations when people have had a bit to drink, amusing! Yes - and having to be told that he must be sad and grieving! Kimba: I found that boat scene really touching . Jos was struggling with himself so much and Gy was so understanding. Astro: Meredith showed callousness, James compassion, Georgy loyalty and confidence, Jos frivolousness, her Dad was pragmatic... Kimba: yeah so right. Wife's inability to show anything Astro: also found the words to the song interesting - the change in the words from the start to the end. Astro: James was unhappy for years. Even to making a contract with Gy! Kimba: he must have, so I don't view him as horrid, I really understand him. Astro: yeah - it is a challenge to all of us really. To not just dismiss someone on first pass. Kimba: 3 characters had the ability to see things as they were and the other 3 were selfish Astro: yet all had a tinge of being selfish. All were wanting/seeking something, but some were totally unable to give. There you have it. Recognizing what we want, but being prepared to give it up for others, and not just because we want to be a martyr. Kimba: I like to think that James and Gy will work well together! Astro: I wonder what all those characters will be like today?How would Sara grow up? Would Meredith have any friends - or just more shallow friends? Kimba: and the untiring devotion of the father to James, the scene in the kitchen when he looks upward and talks about him upstairs like he is god! Astro: He is the perfect manservant. Kimba: i think Gy is so warm and although somewhat dysfunctional is just wanting something very simple and lovely from life, and i think she is really only dysfunctional from those around her. Astro: I was thinking that. It was really those around her who were dysfunctional! Astro: she was the 'best' person of all of them. Kimba: i love that scene near the beginning with the children dancing and the slow motion. That was what Georgy was about to me.Astro: yes - that was good. She actually had a good job it seems. Kimba: and she was good at it. Funny how you end up talking about these people like they are your friends or you know them! Astro: it is - easy enough to do if you identify with them though. Kimba: Loved the father he was so classic. James wants passion. He has lived without for so long. It is sad Astro: and he knows what he wants. He is a millionaire and could 'buy' what he wants, but does not. Kimba: and his wife is attractive, but he doesn't want that! Kimba: his wife is orderly too and he doesn't want that! Astro: it is like he only worked out what he wanted later. Kimba: but that's just it hey, you see that so often in real life Astro: and who he wanted. He must have watched Gy grow up. Kimba: see i find it amazing that not many will see the complexities of this movie at all. They will just see the crassness.

This film gets seven out of ten on acting alone. James Mason is perfectly creepy, and yet you can still sympathize with him. Lynn Redgrave is just... perfect for the part. And Alan Bates.... yes I confess it, I had a crush on him too. Favorite scene: the alternating, silent close-ups between Georgy and Jos, as Jos slowly realizes that he is, in fact, in love with Georgy (before following her around half of London yelling "I love you!" at the top of his lungs!!!) I seem to recall that the ending was somewhat disturbing for me when I originally watched it... I wonder how I would feel about it now. Most reviewers I've read seem to believe that Georgy has found herself in the end; I disagree. I leave individual viewers to make up their own minds.