Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9780783113944 Format: Closed-captioned ISBN: 0783113943 Label: Hbo Home Video Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 2000-04-11 Running Time: 126 Studio: Hbo Home Video Theatrical Release Date: 1998-01-31
There's a reason why Cindy Crawford was dubbed "Baby Gia" when she first hit the modeling scene. Indeed, Crawford, now the world's best-known supermodel, greatly resembled model Gia Carangi, who went from high school to the cover of British Vogue in less than two years. Carangi appeared on many more covers of Vogue (French, British, Italian, and American) and Cosmopolitan before dying of complications from AIDS (she was an IV heroin user) in 1986. Now most people recognize Carangi's name from this powerful HBO film that stars Golden Globe-winner Angelina Jolie, who comes by her talent honestly. Jolie is the daughter of veteran actor Jon Voight, and her own training as a model serves her well--she has the moves. Throughout, she's heartbreaking--as no doubt the real Carangi was--effective, and stunning.
With good source material (Stephen Fried's A Thing of Beauty: The Tragedy of Supermodel Gia), Jolie's stunning performance, and strong directing by Michael Cristofer, the movie goes beyond the merely sensational. The script was cowritten by Cristofer and novelist Jay McInerney, whose Bright Lights, Big City covers similar territory. As a cautionary tale, Gia works. But to watch Jolie in her character's tragic self-destruction is utterly compelling. --N.F. Mendoza
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: the real Gia was not portrayed well Comment: Anjolina Jolie did a wonderful job with this role however the writers took a lot of liberties with Gia's life. Everyone makes her mom seem like the bad guy but Gia's issues ran deeper than the lack of her mother's love like the writers want the public to believe. Gia was most likely bipolar which little was done for or known about in the 80's. Gia was a truly beautiful woman but I would wager that she thought and felt as though she were a man. Today we have a label for what I think she was and that is Transgendered. If she were born in the 80's, she would most likely be alive today with medication and a better understanding of who she really is. Customer Rating: Summary: Gia Comment: Although a very sad story, this was a really intense, and interesting movie. Angelina lives up to her best performances, as usual. Customer Rating: Summary: anGIAlina jolie Pulls it Off Comment: Wow Wow Wow. Angelina Jolie really pulls it off in this gorgeously moving biographical role of Gia Carangi, one of the worlds top and late model of the modern era. It's up close and personal. A got to have if your a Jolie fan and for an inside look at model fame. Customer Rating: Summary: Tour de Force performance by Angelina Jolie, but movie itself has some flaws Comment: Personally, "Gia" is Angelina Jolie's best performance to date. Her raw emotional energy and her method acting provokes the audience to sympathize with Gia Carangi, a supermodel, who self destructs herself because of her difficult upbringing. Her mother left early in Gia's life and her mentor Wilhelmina Cooper dies during her modeling years thus leading to Gia's drug use and eventual death with AIDS, an unresearched disease during that time. Angelina becomes Gia, although the screenplay doesn't follow the real Gia Carangi's story accurately. Although this movie contains a briiliant performance by Angelina, the casting of Elizabeth Mitchell to play Linda was a bad casting choice. Her acting doesn't match up with Angelina and weakens the power of this film. Also, the editing is very incongruous and takes away from the film. During a bedroom scene with Gia and Linda, the editing repeats some scenes and is very choppy, distracting the scene altogether. Also, the use of black and white was without purpose and the consistent nude images of Angelina wasn't necessary as well. Although I understand the reason for Angelina being nude during the "fence photoshoot" (since this actually was a real photoshoot to Gia Carangi), does the audience really have to see Angelina walking out to the elevator naked or have a shower scene with Linda? Also, the mother daughter relationship between Gia and her mother is not developed fully as it should have been. Besides these flaws, Angelina does give an excellent performance, which is why this film still deserves 4 stars. Customer Rating: Summary: Gia Comment: First shipment was lost somewhere along the way. When I called Amazon, they immediately sent out a replacement. Movie is in perfect condition.
