Georgy Girl

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Georgy Girl

Directed by	Silvio Narizzano
Produced by	Robert A. Goldston Otto Plaschkes George Pitcher (assoc. producer)
Written by	Margaret Forster (also novel) Peter Nichols
Starring	Lynn Redgrave James Mason Alan Bates Charlotte Rampling
Music by	Tom Springfield
Running time	99 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
IMDb profile

Georgy Girl is a 1966 British film based on a novel by Margaret Forster. The film was directed by Silvio Narizzano and starred Lynn Redgrave as Georgy, Alan Bates, James Mason, Charlotte Rampling and Bill Owen.

The title song, performed by Australian band The Seekers, became a hit single and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song (music by Tom Springfield, lyrics by Jim Dale). Redgrave was also Oscar-nominated for her titular performance as Best Actress, as were Mason for Best Supporting Actor and Kenneth Higgins' cinematography.

The film was the basis for an unsuccessful musical stage adaptation called simply Georgy.

[edit] Synopsis

Georgina (Lynn Redgrave) is a 22-year-old, working-class Londoner. She has considerable musical talent, is well-educated, and has a rather charming if shameless manner. On the other hand, she believes herself to be plain, dresses haphazardly, and is incredibly naïve on the subjects of love and flirtation; she has never had a boyfriend. She has an inventive imagination and loves children.

Her parents are the live-in employees of successful businessman James Leamington (James Mason). Leamington is fiftyish and has a loveless, childless marriage. He has watched with affection as "Georgy" grew up, and has treated her as if he were a second father. (He provided her excellent education and a studio for her in his own home, in which she teaches dance to children.) As Georgy has become a young woman, however, it is apparent that Leamington's feelings for her have become more than fatherly.

James offers Georgy a legal contract, proposing to supply her with the luxuries of life in return for her becoming his mistress. He also promises to provide for any "fruit of the union". Georgy refuses his offer; Leamington's businesslike language and manner (and awkward inability to express any affection for her) leave her cold.

Georgy's flatmate is her so-called best friend Meredith (Charlotte Rampling), a beautiful but shallow woman who lives for her own hedonistic pleasures. She treats the meekly compliant Georgy like an unpaid servant.

When Meredith discovers that she is pregnant by her boyfriend Jos Jones (Alan Bates), they get married. Jos moves in with the two girls. He becomes disillusioned with Meredith and begins to find himself attracted to Georgy (he suddenly kisses her in the midst of an argument with Meredith over her cavalier attitude to her pregnancy). Jos and Georgy soon begin a secret affair.

Meredith gives birth to a daughter. She tires of Jos and has no interest in the baby, refusing to have anything to do with her. She announces her plans to put the child up for adoption and divorce her husband.

Georgy and Jos set up home together in the flat, caring for the baby (whom they name Sara) and living as a married couple. It soon becomes clear that Georgy cares more for the baby than having an adult relationship with Jos. The relationship ends when Jos realises he is of no real importance to Georgy and has tired of a father's responsibilities. Now that Georgy is the sole caretaker of a baby to whom she has no blood ties, Social Services wish to remove baby Sara from her care.

In the meantime, Leamington's wife dies. (At Georgy's request he has provided all of the baby's needs, even while she was still living with Meredith and Jos.) Leamington, who was unable to express his true feelings while his wife lived, now finds himself free to express his love for Georgy and proposes marriage. Georgy accepts, but only because this will allow her to keep Sara. The two are wed despite the great difference in their backgrounds and ages.