Renee Zellweger Will Be A Worthy Oscar Winner
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 at 10:59PM 
When a performance becomes an undeniable front runner for awards, sometimes the chatter becomes all about that and we lose a sense of why it became a juggernaut in the first place. January promises to be full of trips to podiums at awards shows for Renee Zellweger as Judy. However before we start analyzing the speeches, let’s take a look back at the the performance itself. A merging of three aspects, Zellweger’s performance is deserving of accolades...
First it’s a star turn. She’s giving us her Zellwegerian magnetism. You can not miss the Zellweger tics. The fluttering of the eyes, the cock of the head. We look at her as Judy and know that it is the same actress who played Bridget Jones, Roxie Hart and Barbra Novak. It’s what a star would do, she’s the character and she is openly herself. She is not trying to hide completely under the skin of someone else. And for that we love her and revel in her screen presence. Welcome back to movie stardom, Renee, you were missed!
Secondly Zellweger pays recognizable homage to Garland. Her take on Garland is very smart. Zellweger knows that she can’t replace Garland or erase her from the memories of those who love her. So she pays respectful homage. She builds the performance bit by bit, always giving a nod but never going full transformation. She got Garland’s body language if not an exact imitation of the way she moves. She finds a way to channel Garland’s singing voice and the way Garland spit words while singing. That’s made easier by the fact that the film takes place during the last months of Garland, when her voice wasn’t as strong. She has Garland’s hair and costumes but doesn’t alter her appearance much beyond that. She finds the right balance so we can see both Renee and Judy in the performance.
And finally like all smart actors she came prepared with an idea about the character. Zellweger hones in on playing up a core of sadnesses that the script relies on. In every scene while being Renee and nodding to Garland, she’s playing a woman full of heartache. We can’t help but feel for both Renee and Judy. The two stars’ recognizable traits merge within this melancholy woman we are watching while she tries to rise up time and time again. She wrings cleansing tears and poignant feelings from us. And for that she’ll be a worthy Oscar winner.
Reader Comments (57)
I think we all might be in for a surprise ! Just saying... out loud: remember last year - my bitter tears have just dried ! And I do love Coleman in everything she does. Still.
Routing for the younger new crowd in the Academy.
Can I just ask a stupid question? How does the voting process of the
Academy work again - they can vote for their 3 favourites in order 1-3 ? Not only the one actress they want to give the Oscar to ... or is that just for Best Film ?
I think Biopics roles are hard to play, especially if the role's very famous. They will Always be compared to the person they play, "original" characters don't have that hurdle.
Personally I give them more credit than most, who simply cry "mimicry".
A lot of People think they know the person already (they don't) and hardly any movie is really accurate. Well, it's a movie, not a documentary.
I don't mind some changes to make it more dramatically/entertaining.
JUDY is a movie that nobody will remember came out in about a year’s time.
@Glenn Dunks
Several Oscar vehicles are forgettable things. Will anyone but dedicated award fans know that Meryl Streep won her third Oscar for The Iron Lady?
Glenn- if she wins the Oscar, JUDY will be remembered forever by awards obsessives.
As a huge fan of Judy Garland, I went into the film skeptical, especially because the script was based on a play that truly exaggerated and caricatured her life. But Renee did a marvelous job as Judy, and I don't believe too many people will recognize how well the script tuned down the play and focused on being a well-balanced, respectful tribute to her. I wasn't too crazy about the singing, even if the film is set towards the end of Judy's life when her voice was weakest, but Renee gives so many layers to the Judy we rarely heard of or saw behind the headlines and the legacy of the problems she faced. I don't know if she'll win Best Actress, but I'd be happy if she kept up the nominations.
I hope Renee wins. She was absolutely wonderful in “Judy”.