Georgia Rule - A Movie Review

Not sure, I have to check with Georgia if this is against the rules or not.

Georgia Rule is a 2007 film. Sending her troubled daughter to live with her grandmother for the summer. Her grandmother has all kinds of rules. During the summer, a harmful secret is revealed, ruining trust amongst the family.

Georgia Rule was not the film I was expecting it to be based on the trailer. First, the opening scene is the best, wasting no time in getting us into the story. In my opinion, this film should have centered more around the relationship between the women instead of this repetitive subplot involving the stepfather.

Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, and Felicity Hoffman all fit their characters. Each was spectacular in their performance. I liked how they examined hidden depths, especially Lohan. Dysfunction at its finest, the film doesn’t recognize this bond enough.

Georgia is not the grandmother you’d expect. Thanks to Fonda, we wouldn’t have some memorable catchphrases. Preferable old-fashioned, doing things by the book, Georgia is stubborn when it comes to listening to others' opinions. But Georgia has a strong heart.

Rachel’s behavior really got on my nerves. Wreckless in her troublesome behavior, Lohan studied all the subtle nuances of her character, especially pain. Reportedly, like her character, Lohan did not make this film easy time. Fonda and Lohan did not get along, bickering off-camera.

The relationship between Georgia and Lily (Hoffman) is way more important than that between Georgia and Rachel. Lily is Georgia’s daughter after all. Hoffman was spectacular in her broken demeanor. My favorite scene of all was when Georgia and Rachel had to carry a drunken Lily up the stairs. These are the scenes that we needed and we lack them.

Cary Elwes is wonderful in all his performances. It impresses me how versatile he is. His character is likely to infuriate a lot of fans. I know I felt myself seething during his final scene.

Credits include Dermot Mulroney, Garrett Hedlund, Hector Elizondo, Laurie Metcalf, Dylan McLaughlin, and Zachary Gordon. Since the film takes place in a small town, ensemble members do a good job of making it feel lived in. You always come across familiar faces in a town, like people who are always pointing fingers at the new person.

If this film knew what its focus was, Georgia Rule would have made for a more compelling story. First, it was a comedy until transformed into a drama with a sensitive topic. Garry Marshall should have focused more on the relationship between the women which is what the film is all about.

Georgie Rule had several funny moments until it turned into a drama. The story is engaging. For most of the film, it’s repetitive back-and-forth bickering. Cutting out the drama with the stepdad, this could have been a film that encapsulated a story about the women, mending their bonds and talking through them.

Arguably, this film is meant to do that. It’s difficult. Presenting a subject that has been in deep discussion, Marshall went about it carefully. Georgia Rule has a good message. The truth is hard. Just because things are not okay now doesn’t mean they won’t get better with time. It’s important to be patient, wait, and then talk things through.

I was expecting Georgia Rule to be different but it’s still worth your watch. My advice is that you should look more into this film if you are going to watch it. Just take caution for the sensitive subject matter. Topics like child abuse and suggestive sexual content are mentioned.