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Judy | 2019 | PG-13 | – 3.3.5

content-ratingsWhy is “Judy” rated PG-13? The MPAA rating has been assigned for “substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking.” The Kids-In-Mind.com evaluation includes sexual advances by a man toward a teenage girl, a few kissing scenes, and some cleavage revealing outfits; many scenes of adults arguing, and adults yelling at and belittling a teen girl and young adult; a woman shows the effects of prolonged drug and alcohol abuse in several scenes and she and others are shown drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes in many scenes; and at least 2 F-words and other strong language. Read our parents’ guide below for details on sexual content, violence & strong language.”


The film follows iconic actress and singer Judy Garland (Renée Zellweger) during the last year of her tumultuous life in the late 1960s. Broke, homeless, and separated from her children, she travels to London for five weeks of shows at a UK nightclub and plagued by depression and substance abuse since her teen years, the star survives long enough to enchant British audiences. Also with Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell and Michael Gambon. Directed by Rupert Goold. [Running Time: 1:58]

Judy SEX/NUDITY 3

 – In a flashback, a teen girl removes her dress down to a knee-length slip that reveals bra straps and no cleavage; a man rubs the skin just below her throat and says that she can swim all night at his home pool (suggesting sexual abuse) and she looks scared and does not go to his house.
 A male friend comes to a woman’s hotel room, they hug and kiss briefly, she invites him to stay (we see no sex occur) and they quickly become married. A husband and his wife kiss for a few seconds after their marriage ceremony. A photo shows two men kissing each other on the cheeks. A man cries while playing a piano and an older woman hugs him in comfort.
 A man in an audience calls out to a female singer, “What do you have in mind?” She asks the audience if he propositioned her and laughs. A teen boy in a diner tells a teen girl that they are just pals and not dating; she tells him there is no sex (hypothetically) after taking a mouthful of onion rings. A man tells a teen girl and young woman that she is not pretty and asks if she wants to be “Just a housewife, just a mother.”
 On a stage in several scenes, several female dancers wear leotard costumes that show cleavage and they carry large feather fans that cover and uncover bare legs to the hip. Several women at a pool wear backless one-piece swimsuits and we see the bottom of partially exposed buttocks and cleavage. A woman sits on a chair, wearing a slip that exposes cleavage and legs in three scenes. A woman wears a long sleeveless dress that reveals cleavage. On a London street and at a house party, several women wear miniskirts. A preteen girl wears shorts that bare her legs to mid-thighs.

Judy VIOLENCE/GORE 3

 – A woman staggers onto a stage, slurring her words, then falls onto her stomach, rises shakily and the audience throws bread rolls at her, shouting and stomping their feet; she then staggers off stage. A woman staggers onto a stage and is heckled several times by a man in the audience; she tells him to have a drink and then she leaves the stage (please see the Substance Use category for more details). A woman slurs her spoken words but is able to sing during her show set without difficulty.
 In a flashback, a teen girl removes her dress down to a knee-length slip (please see the Sex/Nudity category for more details) and a man rubs the skin just below her throat and says that she can swim all night at his home pool (suggesting sexual abuse), and she looks scared and does not go to his house.
 In flashbacks, a teen girl suffers constant adult yelling and criticism, including that she is too heavy and unattractive. A woman shouts at a teen girl several times, and yells at her for beginning to take a bite of a hamburger in a commercial. A woman tells an interviewer that as a child she was starved, allowed to have only a bowl of chicken soup each day.
 A man and a woman argue, then shout at each other about lack of money and her use of “stuff” (drugs and alcohol; please see the Substance Use category for more details); the man throws a glass hard against a wall, where it smashes loudly and the woman leaves. A woman argues with her ex-husband about his mismanaging her money and about child custody in a few scenes.
 A woman argues with her preteen son and daughter several times. A woman talks with her preteen daughter by phone and cries briefly. A woman argues with a hotel desk clerk and a nightclub manager loudly and briefly. A woman shouts at a man and storms out of a restaurant. A woman tells a man, “Don’t ever have children. It’s like having your heart on the outside of your body.”
 A woman coughs more frequently as the film progresses and a doctor tells her she needs to take care of herself; we do not hear what ailment she has. We read that a woman died and the cause of death is not mentioned.

Judy LANGUAGE 5

 – About 2 F-words, 1 scatological term, 7 mild obscenities, 1 derogatory term for homosexuals, name-calling (slattern, fatuous, baboon, sneaky, phony, lousy, fat, crazy, insane, idiot), exclamations (shut up), 3 religious profanities (GD), 4 religious exclamations (e.g. Thank God, God, Jesus, Hallelujah). | profanity glossary |

Judy SUBSTANCE USE

 – A flashback shows an adult making a teen girl swallow two prescription sleeping pills, a woman opens a prescription bottle and swallows three or four tablets in four scenes (in two of these scenes she staggers onto a stage and slurs her words before she singing), and a doctor gives a woman an unknown injection (we do not see the needle enter the arm). Champagne bottles wrapped in towels in ice buckets are seen at table in a few nightclub scenes, a woman drinks gin and tonic at homes, in a pub and during parties, a man drinks gin and tonic in a few scenes, a few liquor bottles are seen on top of a cabinet along with a cocktail shaker in a dressing room, a man sits in a café with a pint of ale and a woman has a gin and tonic in front of her (neither of them touch their drinks), a man and a woman build a tower of empty beer cans on a sleeping man’s stomach and then knock it over to startle him awake, a couple of empty gin bottles and a whiskey bottle are seen in a home, a few glasses of wine and ale are seen on tables and a few people sip these drinks, and three people in a restaurant drink a toast with champagne and we see glasses of wine and champagne on other tables. A woman lights a cigarette and smokes it at home in many scenes, a woman smokes in a stage dressing room as well as outdoors, a man smokes a cigar on a movie set, and men and women smoke cigarettes at their tables while drinking champagne and wine in a few nightclub scenes.

Judy DISCUSSION TOPICS

 – Judy Garland, show-business tragedy, child abuse, child stars, exhaustion, emotional trauma, misogyny, drug and alcohol addiction, multiple marriages/divorcees, broken families, insecurity, love and loyalty to one’s children, fading superstars, exploitation, financial problems, making a comeback, portraying one’s authentic self, depression, loneliness, magic in performing, relationships, love, communication, kindness, making amends, men who exploit women for money, May-December romances.

Judy MESSAGE

 – In the 20th century child actors were sometimes exploited, abused, and forced to use narcotics and barbiturates by their handlers, leading to lifelong problems.

CAVEATS

Be aware that while we do our best to avoid spoilers it is impossible to disguise all details and some may reveal crucial plot elements.

We've gone through several editorial changes since we started covering films in 1992 and older reviews are not as complete & accurate as recent ones; we plan to revisit and correct older reviews as resources and time permits.

Our ratings and reviews are based on the theatrically-released versions of films; on video there are often Unrated, Special, Director's Cut or Extended versions, (usually accurately labelled but sometimes mislabeled) released that contain additional content, which we did not review.


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