Movie review: Georgia Rule
Drunk driving, cocaine possession, several stints in rehab; all the makings of a tense drama. Unfortunately that’s Lindsay Lohan’s personal life, not the plot of her latest film to hit DVD. Perhaps the actress’s personal demons have given her some insight into her Georgia Rule character, wild child Rachel Wilcox (a role in which Lohan was publicly criticized for her lack of professionalism). Or maybe it is a case of life imitating art. Whatever the reason, Georgia Rule is wagging an uphill battle as it tries to wrest publicity for the film away from the highly publicized personal downward spiral in which one of its leading ladies is currently engaged.
Georgia Rule brings together three generations of women in one spirited family, all of whom are battling personal demons of one form or another. Rachel (Lindsay Lohan) is an uncontrollable but very intelligent wild child who has her mom Lilly (Felicity Huffman) at the end of her rope. Lilly, an alcoholic, is completely unable to control her wayward daughter. Not knowing what else to do, Lilly decides to ship Rachel off to the one person Lilly (in her own rebellious teenage years) could never get the better of; her own mother, Georgia (Jane Fonda).
Rachel is more than slightly angry to be banished for the summer to Georgia’s house in the sleepy Mormon town of Hull, Idaho. Georgia and Rachel initially butt heads, just as Georgia and Lilly do, but eventually Rachel begins to open herself up to life in Hull. Rachel reluctantly accepts a job with the town’s veterinarian and unofficial doctor, Simon (Dermot Mulroney). She is strangely drawn to Simon, who lost his wife and son in a car accident, and in a moment of anger admits to Simon that she has been molested by her stepfather Arnold (Cary Elwes) since she was twelve years old. The shocking admission brings Lilly back to Hull to confront Rachel. Rachel totters back and forth, sometimes retracting her story and sometimes standing behind it. The situation draws all three women into a period of growth where they learn more about themselves and each other while trying to delve out the truth.
It’s a shame this film, which actually is quite good, is being almost completely overshadowed by Lohan’s most recent exploits. Georgia Rule is primarily a drama, but it has moments of comedy interlaced and will most likely appeal to female audiences. Fonda, who is no stranger to personal scandal, is fantastic as no-nonsense matriarch Georgia. Huffman performs her role as the insecure, codependent alcoholic Lilly with depth and heart. Lohan is completely believable as the uncontrollable, smart mouthed Rachel, but I don’t know how much of that actually has to do with acting. The storyline is engaging and the moments of humor break up the drama and keep the plot moving nicely.
Georgia Rule is narrative driven, without the benefit of special effects or action sequences, so if you’re someone who dislikes a lot of dialogue, this may be a movie you want to avoid. For those of you who aren’t afraid of films with a little substance, Georgia Rule is worth the price of rental.