Films and Feelings

The legacy of Judy Garland is somewhat paradoxical. On the one hand, she's a portrait of American optimism and wholesomeness. On the other hand, she stands for the bleak and rancid underbelly of the Hollywood dragon.  Even to the most casual film viewers, the name "Judy Garland" brings to mind the indelible young star who filled monochrome Kansas with color through her angelic singing voice in the legendary film,  The Wizard of Oz . At the same time, the narrative of "Judy Garland--OG Victim of Hollywood" has grown increasingly popular.  So I guess it was only a matter of time before Hollywood did what it does best and make a movie out of its own abuse of Judy.  The 2019 biopic "Judy" sees Renee Zellweger portraying Judy Garland through her final public performances. This isn't Judy fresh out of Kansas: this is after the drugs, the failed marriages, and the suicide attempts. Though the film reliably acknowledges Dorothy Gale as Judy’s signature rol...

"I wish I had put as much courage into love as I put in my work." This sentence becomes the recurring theme of Stella Meghe's film The Photograph featuring Issa Rae, LaKeith Stanfield, Chante Adams, and Y'lan Noel. This film highlights the interaction between history and agency within the context of love. By giving more attention to the humanity of its characters than to the tropes of the genre, The Photograph crafts a quiet yet solid picture of choosing love over its easier alternative, regret. The film follows museum curator Mae Morton following the death of her mother, Christina, a talented photographer who kept her distance from Mae in life. Mae is approached by a journalist, Michael Block, who is chasing after a story about her mother and the romance she once had with a man named Isaac. Through Christina's letters and Isaac's retelling of the story, Mae comes to better understand her mother and her struggles, and the parallels she notices...