Georgia (1995)

Mare Winningham and Jennifer Jason Leigh play two singing sisters,
one stable and quite successful, the other addicted to gross self-
destruction.  Guess which one Leigh plays.  Director Ulu Grosband's
uncomfortable drama has been winning praise ever since Cannes and
the Montreal World Film Festival, where, at the latter, it was
inexplicably awarded two top awards.  As written by Barbara Turner
(Leigh's Mom), GEORGIA fancies itself as a musical "tough love"
tale; a story where the "better" half truly loves and, thus, must
tolerate the "less-fortunate" one.  Bullshit.  Everyone in this
movie-- including the *very* good Winningham-- tolerates Leigh's
behavior, never once forcing her to help herself.  That's fine, I
guess, for those legions of people who enjoy watching this sort of
spiraling self-abuse.  They are probably the same ones who thought
that Leigh was *fabulous* in MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE.
Me, I fell asleep.  (Rated "R"/~110 min.)

Grade: C-

Copyright 1996 by Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies in MOVIE HELL: February 28, 1996