The song goes on forever. Jennifer Jason Leigh is performing Van Morrison's "Take Me Back" on stage, and she sings it badly. Horribly, in fact.
But, of course, that's the point.
Leigh's character, Sadie Flood, is a bad singer, and the actress remarkably embodies her, with scrag-gly hair, ill-fitting clothes, tattoos and raccoon-style eye makeup.
And this sequence provides a pivotal moment in "Georgia," defining Leigh's character as a self-destructive no-talent. And yet, she keeps getting up there on the stage, demonstrating that her ambition outweighs her ability to carry a tune.
It's a painful moment, this lengthy solo, and by the time Sadie is through, audience members share her pain. Of course, they may also feel like running out of the theater. Because like the character's affect on those around her, "Georgia" tends to drain audience good will; before the movie's over you may feel you need a break from it.
Even the film's title is an ironic dig at Sadie the loser. "Georgia" is the name of Sadie's sister, a country-folk singing star (played by Mare Winningham). And Sadie lives in her shadow, usually in a drunken or drugged stupor.
But Sadie's problem is not that she wants to be a singing star like her sister — albeit in the punk-rock arena. Rather, she wants to be her sister.
This makes for some interesting psychological conflict between Sadie and Georgia. So, it's too bad the movie doesn't seem as interested in searching for insight by exploring Sadie's problems so much as it seems bent on exploiting them.
"Georgia" follows Sadie's sad life over the course of several months, as she returns to her home state of Washington — and her sister's life — after a lengthy absence. She looks up old friends, calls in whatever favors she may still be owed and generally hammers the good will out of everyone who knows her.
Sadie sometimes shows up for gigs so stoned that she's on the verge of passing out — and other times, she does pass out. Georgia and Sadie's friends put up with her as long as they can, but she's a trial and tends to burn out everyone who gets close. And that includes the nebbish grocery clerk (Max Perlich) she links up with. He loves her, but he can't handle her.
Of course, no one can handle her.
In its way, "Georgia" resembles "Leaving Las Vegas," a downbeat, depressing look at a self-destructive person whom no one can deter from self-destructing. And like that film, this one is loaded with excellent performances. But it's so unpleasant that you probably won't have any desire to return to it any time soon.
Oddly enough, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has bucked tradition this year and ignored Leigh's excellent central performance here, which is flamboyant and attention-grabbing, and instead given an Oscar nomination to the more quiet, understated supporting role, which is given sweet dignity by Mare Winningham (who also sings some lovely songs).
The decision to honor Win-ningham over Leigh seems odd . . . yet it also seems right.
"Georgia" is rated R sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity and drugs.