Thank you for continuing to share in supporting the safety of our CUSD community during the dynamic nature of the pandemic.Some important information regarding...
The information below is provided weekly from the Coronado Police Department and then summarized for publication.
Crimes Reported:
Traffic Accident on 3rd Street and Alameda BoulevardUnknown...
https://youtu.be/pdN_f-685CMThe City and Sharp Coronado Hospital opened a vaccination site in Coronado this week. Find out where the site is and who can receive...
In early March, EDCO, Coronado's waste hauler, will launch an Organic Recycling Program to help reduce the amount of organic waste entering landfills. When...
The City of Coronado has been receiving complaints that a few Coronado restaurants are not complying with San Diego County's restrictions on onsite dining/seating....
Coronado Playhouse proudly announces their 2021 Season, which will be the 75th anniversary for the Playhouse. CPH has prepared shows that will adhere to...
Fred Lee directs the Coronado Concert Band in a virtual performance of "Christmas in a Nutshell" arranged by Chris Sharp.https://youtu.be/8Cz6xCRFfD4Graphics provided by Mel Lions.
Coronado...
Thank you for continuing to share in supporting the safety of our CUSD community during the dynamic nature of the pandemic.Some important information regarding...
The information below is provided weekly from the Coronado Police Department and then summarized for publication.
Crimes Reported:
Traffic Accident on 3rd Street and Alameda BoulevardUnknown...
In early March, EDCO, Coronado's waste hauler, will launch an Organic Recycling Program to help reduce the amount of organic waste entering landfills. When...
The City of Coronado has been receiving complaints that a few Coronado restaurants are not complying with San Diego County's restrictions on onsite dining/seating....
Coronado Playhouse proudly announces their 2021 Season, which will be the 75th anniversary for the Playhouse. CPH has prepared shows that will adhere to...
An adaptation from Peter Quilter’s lauded stageplay, End of the Rainbow, which focused on the waning days of Judy Garland, director Rupert Goold seems to use Judy as an attempt to recuperate some of the theatrical criticism. By addressing the troubled childhood of the rising star in MGM studios, Goold intersperses flashbacks of her drug-addled and overworked youth with the washed-up Judy Garland (Renee Zellweger) we witness in her tragic final days as a performer.
The film opens with Garland broke, addicted to pills, and toting her two children to small time gigs. Approached with the opportunity to make a substantial amount of money, she reluctantly leaves her children with their father and her third ex-husband, Sidney Luft (Rufus Sewell). Although Garland arrives to London’s Talk of the Town club with much fanfare, her fragile self-esteem and drug addiction cause her to skip rehearsals, behave erratically on the stage, and fall hopelessly in love with a young bartender, Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock). Her fourth husband, like so many others, uses Garland for her fame and finances, only to lose it all in money-making scheme. But when Garland is “on,” she lights up a room.
- Advertisement -
Zellweger is the given the tough job of portraying the iconic celebrity and she uses her own vocals for the soundtrack. While some Garland enthusiasts may loathe this artistic choice, I must admit when Zellweger hit the stage these were the moments she captured Garland’s star power. Unfortunately, in a few other scenes, the actress’s own quirks seeped through and detract from her ability to fully embody her interpretation of Garland.
- Advertisement -
The storytelling arc with the flashbacks also felt jarring at times. While one can appreciate Goold’s attempt to show the underlying cause to Garland’s depression and substance abuse, her childhood scenes felt disconnected from the film, hastily thrown in like an afterthought.
My guest thought the film’s conclusion a “powerful and emotional moment” with Zellweger’s portrayal singing Garland’s final rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” While neither of us knew much about the star’s life beyond her role in The Wizard of Oz, being mother to Liza Minnelli, and eventual overdose, the experience of watching Judy in one of the intimate Village Theatre rooms enhanced Zellweger’s riveting stage scenes. Although Judy had pretty big ruby red slippers to fill, Zellweger’s overall performance is Oscar-worthy and Goold’s background in theater shone brilliantly in his carefully crafted Talk of the Town club scenes.
But there’s only one Judy Garland, and maybe that’s the overall problem with this biopic.
Director: Rupert Goold
Actors: Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon
Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance, History
Runtime: 118 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking
Support Coronado Journalism
Your support will help to expand coverage of the issues, people and events happening in our Coronado community. Local news matters! Support The Coronado Times
Coastal waters have always been home to Andrea, who grew up in Texas and resided in beach communities along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Pacific. Always the explorer, Andrea enjoys California camping and stumbling across small towns in her travels with her spouse and three children who attend Village Elementary. Sometimes you can glimpse her admiring the architecture and distinctive plant life that makes Coronado extraordinary.She received her BA in English from Old Dominion University and her MA in English from San Diego State University where she taught for two years. In those rare moments of solitude, Andrea indulges in southern novels, far too much coffee, and biking off the beaten path. Have a story for The Coronado Times to cover? Send news tips or story ideas to: manager@coronadotimes.com
Sonic the Hedgehog exceeds all expectations. The opening scene is a glimpse of a battle between Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) and an unknown villain...
On October 20th, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded the Silver Circle honor to broadcast journalist and Coronado resident, Jane Mitchell....
Three years ago, when attending my daughter’s soccer game at Tidelands Park, I remember spying a woman dressed in Puritan clothing with blood splattered...
Don't let the title of Disney's revisionist fairytale sequel fool you. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, played by Angelina Jolie, is hardly "evil" in this...
Yes, Coronado, the Vons expansion is finally happening.On October 15th, Coronado City Council approved a re-design of exterior plans for the Vons and former...
Director/Co-writer Todd Phillips' Joker origin story depicts a gritty character study on the most notorious supervillian inked in comic book panels. Inspired by the seedy...