the movieGOOMBA

The earliest memory I have of Jane Fonda is my mother standing in front of the television copying every move of Jane's latest exercises video. I remember her looking young, healthy, and strong, so I was both shocked and amazed at how old she'd gotten but how great she still looked. Now I know Hollywood is all about the Botox and the Dr 90210, but there's no way any amount of oil, hair dye, or relaxers could have given Jane Fonda the gorgeous mane she had in this movie. Her hair makes even Lassie jealous. All I can say is I wish I could look like Jane Fonda when I turn 70(<--I know! She's that freaking old!). Anyway, Felicity Huffman and Lindsey Lohan also star in Georgia Rule, a dramatic chick flick new to DVD last Tuesday, and they don't look too shabby either.

Georgia Rule centers around three generations of dysfunctional females; a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. Rachel (Lohan) is a wild and self-destructive teenager who is sent to live with her grandmother, Georgia (Fonda). During her stay, she makes a confession. She'd been sexually abused by her stepfather since the age of twelve, but is she lying or is she for real? Her self-absorbed, alcoholic mother (Huffman) struggles with believing her daughter as Georgia pressures her to tend to her demons.

There were some really good scenes in this movie. However I felt like it never pulled itself together. These characters had depth and complexity, but the screen writing isn't good enough to handle them. The men merely serve as props who create situations that bring out the larger issues these women posses, and Rachel's way of acting out is far too crazy to just be resolved with a hug at the end of the movie (kind of like Lohan in real life). The relationships between these women weren't well developed. Not enough for a movie that whose key theme is matriarchal relationships.

Georgia Rule was thoughtfully acted and its characters nicely portrayed, but it isn't high cinema. If this had been based off of a novel, I would assume that the book would have been better; characters cheated out of key scenes due to screen time constraints. Unfortunately, Georgia Rule has no excuse. It was lacking on purpose. I'd watch this movie again if it were on TBS. I'd advise you to do the same. That's a Goomba Rule.