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 GEORGIA
RULE
by Amanda Perez
MPAA Rating: R for
sexual content and some language.
Suggested Ages: 17+
Released in Theaters: May 11, 2007
Reel Rating: 2.5 out of 4 Reels
Georgia Rule is
about three women attempting to live their lives while ignoring the big
picture -- the family issues that tie them all together. Georgia (Jane
Fonda) is a widow living in the emotional walls created by her need for
structure. She raised her estranged daughter, Lilly (Felicity Huffman) in
the quaint, everyone-knows-you town of Hull, Idaho. Georgia’s compulsion
with regulation and emotional distance forces Lilly to run to San Francisco.
It is there she can finally escape her mother’s rule -- Georgia Rule,
to be exact
Years later, in a final
endeavor to help her uncontrollable daughter, Rachel (Lindsay Lohan), Lilly
pawns her off to Georgia for the summer. Rachel uses sex and drugs to dull
the pain of the past and her own problems with her mother. To keep Rachel
out of trouble, Georgia forces her to get a summer job working for Lilly’s
childhood boyfriend, Simon (Dermot Mulroney).
Some devastating
information about Rachel’s adolescence forces Lilly into a homecoming.
Almost to the point of confusion, we are taken back and forth as to whether
or not Rachel’s story is true. This creates a tornado of repressed emotions
and issues to surface between the three women. We don’t really know for sure
if Rachel’s story really checks out until practically the end of the movie.
 THE
WRAP-UP: Rachel’s intellect is forced on us throughout the entire
film. For some reason, screenwriters think a slutty protagonist has to be
brilliant in order for the audience to sympathize with them. A few literary
references and the fact that Rachel has been accepted into Vassar were laid
on far too thick. I just can’t buy Lindsay Lohan as a scholar.
Although the movie is aimed
at the female demographic, it’s not exactly a chick flick. More like a
mature chick flick…a hen flick? In other words, Georgia Rule is
closer to a Terms of Endearment type movie rather than a Runaway
Bride.
I would have liked to see a
little more of the reunion between Lilly and Simon. As you can see in the
trailer, they meet once and embrace in a passionate kiss. Our imaginations
can fill in the gaps, I guess.
The movie is a good choice
if you are looking to watch something with your mom or daughter, surprise
surprise. It’s a little longer than necessary, but Garry Marshall films tend
to roll that way.
Georgia Rule
is a lot more serious than you might expect. There are a few one-liners that
create well deserved chuckles. But make no mistake; this movie is definitely
a drama. The issues that shadow Rachel’s life are not to be taken lightly.
Don’t watch it if you are in the mood for a comedy.Amanda Perez is a
freelance journalist from Orange County, California. Email her at
aperez949@hotmail.com.
JANE'S REEL RATING
SYSTEM:
One Reel – Pathetic. Even
the Force can't save it.
Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels – Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.
Read my other reviews
HERE.
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