Would Judy Garland’s Life Would’ve Been Different with The Lord?
By Tess Farrand, Associate Content Editor
*Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in September 2019. We are re-running it in celebration of her birthday
Judy Garland’s upcoming biopic, JUDY, releases in theaters this weekend. Audiences far and wide adored Garland for her melodic singing voice and on-camera roles in THE WIZARD OF OZ, STRIKE UP THE BAND and many more. Although Garland never won an Oscar®, her performances stand the test of time.
Despite her iconic roles, Garland faced significant struggles during her time on and off camera.
Garland was a child star primarily driven by her mother.
While commuting to Hollywood studios in Los Angeles, Garland’s mother would give the child medication to make her hyper for auditions. Post audition, her mother would drug her again for the long drive back to their home.
This childhood routine morphed into a troubling drug habit that Garland couldn’t shake. It was only the beginning of her woes.
Many would call Garland’s life tragic.
In addition to drug addiction, Garland married and divorced multiple suitors. Despite her immense popularity, she died alone in her London apartment on June 22, 1969.
“[There’s a vast] gulf between the narrative of [Garland’s] persona and the human life,” said Renee Zellweger (COLD MOUNTAIN, CINDERELLA MAN).
Zellweger, who portrays Garland in JUDY, shared her own thoughts on this idea on GOOD MORNING AMERICA.
“For some reason, it seems like that chapter in life was blanketed with the idea of tragedy, and I feel like when you contextualize the circumstances of her life in that time, it actually subverts that notion, and you can see her as the warrior and hero that she really was,” Zellweger added.
Garland did not profess to be a Christian before her untimely death at age 47. Fans mourned her death, and admirers wanted a different ending to her story. How much of Garland’s life would have changed if she publicly called upon the name of the Lord?
In the book of John readers understand that Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy whereas Jesus came so that all could experience an abundant life. One can’t help but wonder if Garland would’ve experienced a more “abundant” life if she knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior.
Please share your thoughts on the Hollywood starlet in the comment section below.
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