The most powerful moments comes when Goold get specific about Garland’s legacy. A scene showing her spending a night with two of her gay fans is the most beautiful and touching of the film, a lovely tribute to her meaningful impact on a community that embraced and supported her in return. Similarly, the flashbacks to her past — shot in an almost dreamy fashion by Goold, as if to express them as out-of body-nightmares, rather than memories — have a devastating impact. In one such recollection, Garland is shown at a diner, posing for pictures of her and a fellow leading man on a typical date. But while he’s scarfing down his burger, she stares down at her plate of fries in wonder, barely daring to bring one to her lips. When she does, a golden smile spreads across her face – this girl is starving. Soon enough, her studio handler starts to berate her, reminding Judy that she isn’t to eat any of that food — there are pills to curb her appetite. In an act of rebellion, she snatches the burger from her male counterpart and takes a mammoth bite. We see similar little victories throughout the film, each one earning Judy the kind of backlash that has lasting effects on her mental health.