Georgia

1995 Drama

An unflinching drama of frustrated ambition and troubled siblings, Georgia examines the relationship between a self-destructive, would-be rock singer and her sister, a successful folk musician. Sadie (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is the younger, more troubled sister, a wild child with a taste for reckless behavior, from her dangerous romances to her attachments to drugs and alcohol. Hopping between low-rent clubs, Sadie struggles to make it from gig to gig, delivering rawly emotional performances that lack technical skill. Her repeated career failures drive her further into addiction, sending her life into a downward spiral. Ultimately, she is forced to seek help from her sister Georgia (Mare Winningham), who is everything Sadie is not: married, financially secure, and blessed with a smooth voice that has won her popular success. A clash of seemingly opposite personalities follows, as Georgia attempts to help Sadie without becoming damaged herself. more..

Director: Ulu Grosbard

Starring: Jennifer Jason Leigh, Mare Winningham, Ted Levine, Max Perlich, John Doe

Reviews

  • It's one of the great sister movies and one of the great performance movies.

    Jay Carr - The Boston Globe

    26 April 2013

  • Georgia, written with rare honesty and economy by Leigh's mother, Barbara Turner, and very sensitively directed by Ulu Grosbard, is a tough-minded look at show business and families.

    Michael Wilmington - The Chicago Tribune

    26 April 2013

  • Georgia is one fine movie. Or maybe two or three fine movies.... Best of all, Georgia is a music movie, and a good one.

    - Portland Oregonian

    26 April 2013

  • A complex, deeply knowledgeable story about a truly lost soul and her downward spiral.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    26 April 2013

  • Harrowing and heartfelt, with knockout performances by a pair of fine actresses.

    - TV Guide

    26 April 2013

Awards

  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role

    Academy Awards (1996)

     
  • Best Supporting Female

    Independent Spirit Awards (1996)

  • Best Actress

    Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards (1995)

  • Jennifer Jason Leigh

    Montréal World Film Festival (1995)

  • Best Actress

    National Society of Film Critics Awards (1996)