Georgia Rule, directed by Garry Marshall from a script by Mark Andrus, swerves and spins, taking its predictable plot in some surprising directions.
Georgia Rule (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:20
Rotten:96
Average Rating:3.9/10
Consensus: Comedic and dramatic in all the wrong places, Georgia Rule is a confused dramedy that wastes the talents of its fine cast.
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Gary Marshall's GEORGIA RULE brings together Lindsay Lohan, Jane Fonda, and Felicity Huffman to play three generations in need of one another's guidance in this story about the bonds between... Gary Marshall's GEORGIA RULE brings together Lindsay Lohan, Jane Fonda, and Felicity Huffman to play three generations in need of one another's guidance in this story about the bonds between three equally feisty women. When teen troublemaker Rachel (Lohan) pushes her alcoholic mother, Lilly (Huffman), over the edge, it becomes the responsibility of her grandmother, Georgia (Fonda), to set things straight. But even getting from San Francisco to Georgia's home in Mormon country proves difficult, with Rachel literally jumping out of the car and flirtatiously hitching a ride from handsome but guarded stranger Simon (Dermot Mulroney). No one in town is ready for Rachel, whose manic sexuality and screw-you attitude is a stark contrast to the strict Mormon values most of the local residents live by. Rachel's arrival and drama-filled stay force everyone she meets to question their way of life. Meanwhile, Georgia force-feeds Rachel the stern structure her own mother was too inebriated to offer, and while Rachel adamantly resists at first, she slowly starts to change, thanks to her grandmother's tough love. The early tone of the film abruptly changes when Rachel makes a bold and disturbing confession, but then takes it back, forcing everyone around her to figure out the truth on their own. For the rest of the film, characters scramble to navigate Rachel's lies and to decipher the truth from her statements. Viewers are kept equally in the dark, as GEORGIA RULE struggles to be both a comedy and a serious drama. Shifting back and forth somewhat clumsily, the film does offer some funny moments, but dwells on issues far too unsettling to pass itself off as a lighthearted "chick flick." While the film seems unsure at times of its goal, it does feature strong performances from its leads: three women who are more similar than any of them would like to admit. [More]
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Jane Fonda, Dermot Mulroney
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Jane Fonda, Dermot Mulroney, Garrett Hedlund, Cary Elwes
Director: Garry Marshall
Director: Garry Marshall
Screenwriter: Mark Andrus
Producer: David C. Robinson, James G. Robinson
Composer: John Debney
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Georgia Rule
The brassy performances and pure, at-odds variance of Georgia Rule with much of Hollywood studio product make it a welcome-enough May visitor.
Not just another bratty teen movie, but one that delves into the intriguing and heartbreaking reasons behind the brattiness.
...it's ultimately difficult not to be drawn into the soap opera-ish exploits of the central characters.
It's an honest hard look at a very messy family, with a fantastic cast. The movie threatens to lose its way -- and its audience -- but ends up right where it should by the last scene.
Even when the lack of forward motion in the narrative shines through, Georgia Rule is worth watching for Lindsay Lohan alone.
Lohan's an extremely talented actress when she wants to be and it's roles in films like Mean Girls and Georgia Rule that proves she can be one of the great ones.
A difficult film, with particulars that don't work. But the cry-for-help desperation of its mother-daughter troika is mesmerizing.
The audience may want to know nothing more than, Will Lohan look as good as Fonda a half-century from now?
All three (stars) are compelling and vibrant, which will make many viewers wish the actresses had a stronger script to work with and a more confident director to guide them.
As an acting showcase -- the supporting roles are as rich as the leads -- Georgia Rule is undeniably one of the year's best American dramedies.
The film's blueness (in an X-rated sense) will turn some faces red, have the guys in the audience panting, and burn Lohan's name into the marquee.
A genre-bending female empowerment flick masquerading as a titillating teensplurt.
It may not be good news for casting agents and some directors, but Lohan is the real deal. She can act.
There's little gussied up in this surprisingly tart mother-child-grandchild reunion picture, written by Mark Andrus.
Unlike the rest of today's crop of Hollywood party girl bimbos, Lindsay Lohan proves once again that she actually has some talent. Why she feels a need to play like she's a dumb Paris Hilton wannabe is beyond me.
A far better, more absorbing melodrama than its titular conceit would have you expect.
While it has all the ingredients of bad chick flicks, this doesn't degenerate into total bathos, thanks to the electric Lohan. Without Lindsay, this would be a dud.
Written with an ear for both comedy and painful intra-family relationships, Georgia Rule exceeds expectations with a smart yet sensitive screenplay and performances that work the drama as a way to wring humour from the characters.
In the end this film is genuine and sincere. It tugs at peoples emotions and if you have ever struggled in a mother-daughter relationship you can really relate.
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