Georgia Rule (2007)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Expected more

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This wasn't too bad a movie about a mother who has problems raising her rebellious daughter-so she has HER mother do it! Felicity Huffman brings daughter Rachel (Lindsey Lohan) on a trip to Idaho to visit Grandmother Georgia (Jane Fonda). Georgia has very strict rules and raised Huffman very sternly. It isn't too long before she starts clashing with Rachel and imposing her "rules" on her.This is a movie about rules, raising children right, and fitting in. It's not a classic but not too bad either. You might like it if you like the stars in it.** 1/2 out of ****

"He abused me!""He didn't abuse me, sorry." "Wait, yes he did!" "No, he didn't, I was just looking for attention."(huge plot twist spoiler alert) "Actually, he did!" (what a jaw dropper)The EndAnd the script and characters were awful too. Though if you like blow jobs, bitches and complete apathy towards characters, give it a shot. Oh and don't tell me I "don't get it", it's a pretty damn simple movie. 2/10, would not recommend if it was the only cure for blindness.

After this, I said "WAW, what a beautiful script!". I ran to the internet to see who wrote it, to discover that he is (Mark Andrus), the very scriptwriter who gave us before (As Good as It Gets). The drama has excellent victories; it's a movie about what's real and what's a lie. It begins with a lie, and ends with a truth. Almost all the characters are deprived of love, and escaping from facing the truth is the main reason why; e.g. (Dermot Mulroney) stopped laughing after the death of his wife, (Felicity Huffman) drinks because she misses compassion for all of her life, (Jane Fonda) lives alone because she never expresses her feeling of love.. etc. Add to that : catchy and so wise lines, funny antics (Jane's soap for one), and how everybody is being influenced by the other; e.g. (Lindsay Lohan) exposes the truth of (Mulroney)'s sadness to himself, getting – with her aggressive attitude – the delayed money from his patients, while, on the other hand, he teaches her the lesson of "if you can't trust, you can't love".(Mulroney)'s portrayal of that depressed doctor is more like being reborn. Some actors don't get the quality mark before hitting their forties I believe. Now, a lot of middle-aged characters are waiting for him to be acted memorably. (Fonda) played a play on her real-life father (Henry Fonda) (who didn't have the best relationship with his daughter). Ironically enough, (Jane) plays a role too similar to one (Henry) himself played with her in (On Golden Pond), where she was the ignored daughter (in the movie and reality). So it was like art imitating life that has been imitated by art before, to see (Jane) in her story; yet once as the daughter, then as the father-turned-mother this round. Anyway, she hit a new degree of proficient, giving a ripened acting, looking so young along the way as well! Though, many would hate that "though", the winner was (Huffman). She had the best part; with many alterations, more pains, delivering a bit better performance than (Jane)'s, topping everybody else in this movie. So, glad with the script, the cast I was. Not the same can be said about (Garry Marshall)'s direction !(Marshall) doesn't have a respectively deep look into how to embody relationships, affections, emotions, or simply any special, no comic, moment on screen. He started by directing episodes of sitcoms like (The Odd Couple), (Mork & Mindy). Then, at his film career, he never had an opportunity to show off his capacities as a serious drama master. He used to make light comedies like (Overboard, The Princess Diaries, Raising Helen). And in his close to drama ones like (Nothing in Common, Beaches, and – naturally – Georgia Rule) he couldn't prove any uniqueness. Yes, I admit that acting and comedy are perfect in his movies, moreover he's capable of handing in a lovely image, making entertaining movies altogether. However, deepness isn't his thing, and he deals with the serious drama as easy romantic comedy !This is exactly the problem here. He took a lot of this movie's intrinsic splendor by leading everything spiritlessly or in a usual manner at best. The way the cast moves is lazy, the camera doesn't utilize any background creatively, the image is mute. While the performances are strong, the editing deformed a lot of the moments, degrading them into the traditional "sigh" moments in sitcoms. It was too hasty or too mechanic; as if the plan was making all the shots with one length ! A scene like "Did you ever love me?" between (Jane Fonda) and (Felicity Huffman) was brutally murdered. That was the wrong way to do it. It messed, like many other scenes, the warmth existing in the script. I felt rather no feeling from that directing towards the story in the first place! Thank god for the script, the way how (Marshall) could bring the best out of his cast, and conduct their comic moments brilliantly. Otherwise it would have been completely cold and banal.Casting (Cary Elwes) exposed big part of the surprise about his character. He had an obvious dirty weasel written all over his face. Choosing him in that character made it predicable. I hated how (Lohan) was pictured as Femme Fatal. Her body was mostly awful (The top : a woman. The rest : a child !). So with her fine performance, I always felt something untruthful and wrong. Also, the sexual stuff was too much. (Lohan)'s character was sleeping with everybody like it's a long sex party. From my point of view, the movie didn't need any of that (Oral sex ? Really ?!). Maybe they were the wheels in (Lohan)'s vehicle as a new sex goddess that this movie was meant to be (an already broken vehicle if you asked me!). Then, the marketing of the movie, OH GOD, Hollywood had taught the whole world how to sell, but they failed in selling this?! To say the least, an addict of movies' trailers, such as me, didn't run into even a teaser for this movie anywhere, while all the "brainless" movies had / have all the possible publicity all the time at everywhere ! This script is like walking on the moon. With that direction; it's fake moon! Well, (Georgia Rule) just yearned for less simplistic director, to be more arty, distinguished and effective. But ultimately it somehow works, even if as a movie-of-the-week, being a breath of fresh air while burning weather of remakes, sequels, superhero flicks and toilet comedies. Yes, boys and girls out there, there is something named drama, and it has its own movies too !

As a victim of abuse my self, I can well understand the denial of the mother, especially if she was already a boozer. The grandmother, so well played by Jane Fonda, obviously felt the guilt from turning her own child into an alcoholic, who then allowed this abuse to go on under her roof. She became the typical non-defending parent.The scene with Delmot Maroney (simon) in which he talks to her about the different kinds of love between an older man and a young woman (friend, parent) that differs from the abusive kind, rings quite true. Because, for people like us, it's hard to tell the difference as you emerge from your parental Hell.You only know how to relate in a sexual manner with any man. It takes a lot of education and experience to learn to appreciate and enjoy the other kinds of love and affection. Until then, it all seems fake. Don't know what the reviewers had to say about this, but I appreciate Jane and Gary for actually tackling such a loaded subject.