Review of Georgia Rule (2007)

Georgia Rule (2007)

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Release Date: May 11, 2007
Directed by: Garry Marshall
Rating: R
Run time: 113 min.
Starring: Lindsay Lohan, Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman

A rebellious teen named goes to stay with her grandmother for the summer in this comedy-turned-drama starring Lindsay Lohan and Jane Fonda.

Rachel (Lohan) is a gorgeous teen with a vivacious personality. The only catch is that she's got a mind of her own, and it's something that often gets her into trouble. Described as a "baby harlot and compulsive liar" in a review by EW, Lohan's character enjoys the thrill of crossing the line. She's used to her mother (Lilly, played by Felicity Huffman) devoting all of her attention to her stepdad when she's not working or drinking. Meanwhile, Lilly's mother Georgia (Jane Fonda) is a tough-as-nails widow living in a small Mormon town in Idaho. Lilly hopes that by bringing Rachel to stay under her own mother's roof, the young girl will quickly realize how good she has it and shape up.

Still, the free-spirited teen manages to attract a lot of attention without trying, and she's constantly challenging the old fashioned woman's rules. Witty and charming, Rachel can't use her old tricks on her sharp grandmother. The two have a handful of humorous exchanges throughout the movie, and they all involve Georgia using the swear words. Soon, Rachel finds herself gradually adjusting to life in the small town. She learns Georgia's rules and shows her respect. She also earns the friendship of several people living around them, including a veterinarian by the name of Dr. Simon Ward (Dermot Mulroney). Just as things seem to be settling down, Rachel reveals her deepest secret to one of her new confidantes, who in turn tells her grandmother. The rumor causes Lilly to come rushing back, and she's immediately convinced her daughter is just looking to smear her image. Rachel's mother wants to hear her daughter say that it isn't true. Meanwhile, Georgia is in the middle of the whole dilemma, though she believes Rachel's words are worthy of some probing.

This new situation presents more challenges for the two mother-daughter relationships that are already fractured. Rachel's secret also leads all three women to realize that family is what's most important and that the ties that bind cannot be broken.

Bottom Line: 3 out of 5 stars. Georgia Rule is a fun and comical story that ends up having deep emotional issues at the core. It explores the issue of secrets within family while also showing the strength of the bond between mother and daughter. And though it goes from funny to serious, the movie's climax as well as its ending is enlightening and empowering, at least for women. Jane Fonda provides a humorous and intense take on grandmothers as the foul-mouthed Georgia, and Felicity Huffman, as Lilly, puts all of her emotional energy into her role as Georgia's daughter and Rachel's mother. Out of all the women in the movie, Huffman might have given the best performance.

During the production of Georgia Rule, Lindsay Lohan's professional conduct was criticized in the press as a result of her showing up late to the set, among other things. The attention on her personal life would put a damper on the movie as a whole. It also affected the way viewers saw the character of Rachel. For example, Entertainment Weekly's review read that with her role, "Lohan hits a true note of spiteful princess narcissism."

Additionally, Georgia Rule shows a 21-year-old Lindsay Lohan who to this day is still not an experienced actress. Just by watching the movie, one gets the impression that it's her first or second film. This alone is enough to make it lose its credibility. Lohan and her personal problems were too much at the time, and as a result Georgia Rule suffered in many of its reviews.

Aside from Lohan's drama, the message behind Georgia Rule is ultimately a happy one. With a crude example the film reinforces the importance of mother and daughter relationships.