Movie Review: ‘Georgia Rule’ expletives and excesses

If you feel like sitting through almost two hours of excruciatingly, mind-numbing conversations and situations—then go and see “Georgia Rule” this weekend.

This is one of those movies that if it asked you out on a date, you would say you were washing your hair.

Lindsay Lohan and Jane Fonda star in the tragic-comedy (an upcoming genr/ that makes absolutely no sense) that will have you wincing from the first expletive.

Rachel (Lohan) is the catalyst, relocating from San Francisco to Hull, Idaho, for the summer—at her mother Lilly’s (Felicity Huffman) request—to live and learn from her strict, hands-on grandma Georgia (Fonda).

The small town woman eats and sleeps like clockwork—shouting out ‘Georgia Rule’ after every regimented order.

It might be hard for a few of you to see Fonda as any sort of matriarch given her off-screen persona, which adds to the overall strange feeling of the story.

Three generations of women together usually evoke love and laughter in any given scenario.

Instead, this is what you will hear less than 5 minutes after taking your seat (try to avoid choking on your popcorn): “Try and jerk me around, grandma,” says Rachel when first arriving. “Go F%@# yourself,” Georgia replies.

Rachel is an overly tanned, snippy Californian—doling out nasty comments to every commoner crossing her path. It might as well be the troubled, young actress playing herself. There is even a scene where she removes her panties (is this art imitating life or vice versa?) and says something that can’t even be repeated. She is so despicable that even once she reveals a horrible secret—one that would make you feel for almost any human being—you still have no sympathy.

Lilly, an alcoholic whose condition is exasperated after Rachel reveals her horrible secret, ends up joining her offspring at grandma’s house.

Huffman, an Oscar-winning actress and star of the hit series “Desperate Housewives” could have saved this project, but the script she was given was too weird and weak to rescue.

Garry Marshall, who has brought us the likes of “Pretty Woman” and “Beaches,” must have directed GR while in the midst of some sort of fog.

Instead of endearing remarks and poignant themes, you’ll get the “F word” more times than you can count and mothers and daughters constantly belittling each other.

If you don’t have heartburn or a stomach ache after being asked to laugh at alcoholism or abuse allegations, then perhaps you can bang your head against a wall like Rachel does toward the end to try to gather some insight or perspective.

“To forgive is to move forward,” is a ‘Georgia Rule’ that hopefully most of the audience can apply as they walk out of this one shaking their heads.

amackey@gvnews.com | 547-9726

The details


1.5/4 Stars

Action/Adventure/Fantasy

Run time: 113 minutes.

Rated R for sexual content and some language

Starring: Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohah, Felicity Huffman, Dermot Mulroney, Cary Elwes & Garrett Hedlund

Written by: Mark Andrus.

Directed by: Gary Marshall.