(Brunettes sometimes have more fun…)
CAST: Angelina Jolie, Elizabeth Mitchell, Faye Dunaway, Kylie Travis, Mercedes Ruehl, Scott Cohen, Eric Michael Cole, Louis Giambalvo.
DIRECTOR: Michael Cristofer
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some Blonde-Ideal-busting shenanigans straight ahead…
In our last review, LEGALLY BLONDE (review # 298), we saw a Beautiful Blonde bust that silly Dumb Blonde stereotype wide open and prove her mettle as a law student, winning the respect and admiration of her naysayers. In our latest review, the biopic about the real-life late supermodel Gia Carangi simply titled GIA, we see a Beautiful Brunette basically go the diametrical opposite way - down a path of drug abuse and self-destruction.
At the outset, though, GIA starts along the same path of female empowerment that LEGALLY BLONDE did, as we see 17-year old Gia Marie Carangi (Angelina Jolie) try to make the jump from doing some catalog work here and there in her native city of Philadelphia - to the glamorous, high-profile world of international modeling and fashion shows.
Before Gia can cross the Atlantic and Pacific, though, she needs to catch the eye of the top New York agents. This might be easier said than done, unfortunately. Although Gia is definitely a statuesque stunner with her classic Italian beauty, the late 70’s NYC modeling scene was all about two things: (1) blonde hair, and (2) blue eyes. Or at least, light-colored hair and eyes. Modeling agencies apparently treated “ethnic types” with the same enthusiasm they reserve for rashes.
Being a dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty, Gia essentially has to break The Blonde Ceiling. And boy, does she ever… before you know it, this Italian-American beauty is racking up the covers and photo shoots, and giving her fair-haired competition some serious, uh, competition. Soon, people start calling her that moniker which is about as common today as an I-Phone: Supermodel. Back then, though, this term was rarely used… until Gia Carangi showed up at the party and proved to everyone that brunettes can play that game, too.
Unfortunately, Gia starts abusing drugs and ultimately becomes a heroin addict. Will her addiction affect her new status as a supermodel? Or will she somehow tame the beast? Is that even possible? Will her lover Linda (Elizabeth Mitchell) be able to help her? What about Gia’s parents (Louis Giambalvo and Mercedes Ruehl)? Can they intervene? Or does Gia have to help herself? Can this supermodel be saved?
Anyone who’s heard of the tragic life and death of Gia Carangi already knows the answer to that. Sadly…
BUT, SERIOUSLY: When I was organizing the titles for this past week’s Girl Power Theme, one of my friends questioned the feasibility of adding GIA to the roster. After all, it’s about the true story of a successful woman’s fall from grace. My response to him: “the fact that Gia Carangi ultimately didn’t sustain her success or fully deliver on her potential doesn’t mean she was a failure. She achieved something.”
Let’s not forget that Gia Carangi (along with fellow exotic beauty from the late 70s, Janice Dickinson) paved the way for modeling agencies to sign more dark-haired, dark-eyed clients. Later brunette models like Rachel Ward (who would transition to acting in THE THORN BIRDS and AGAINST ALL ODDS), Annette Roque, Gail Elliott, Famke Janssen (now an actress, too), Halle Berry (now an Oscar-Winner), and - especially - Cindy Crawford, arguably had an easier entrance into the modeling world because of Carangi’s early success in breaking The Blonde Ceiling. In fact, when Crawford first began her career in the mid-80’s, she was nicknamed “Baby Gia” because of her resemblance to the late Carangi. By this standard, Gia Marie Carangi was a success.
This was one of Angelina Jolie’s early roles and she proves her talent and “X factor” here. Say what you want about Jolie, but one thing you cannot deny is that she has an almost supernatural charisma and screen presence. Her blend of cool, distant beauty and fiery, unpredictable passion is absolutely perfect for the mercurial Carangi, who beguiled everyone with her quick-silver moods. In order for this biopic to succeed, we have to understand what made Gia so special that she was able to strike a blow for dark-haired, exotic aspiring models everywhere who were never given a chance. With Jolie in the role, we see very clearly why. She makes this movie…
The supporting cast is filled with sturdy, reliable faces like Elizabeth Mitchell, Faye Dunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, Kylie Travis, and Scott Cohen. These folks play real-life people from Gia Carangi’s orbit who tried (and failed) to save her from the downward spiral of drug addiction she found herself locked into. Especially poignant is Mitchell’s turn as Linda, Carangi’s loyallover, who tried to stand by Carangi as long as she could.
There’s that saying about the destination not being as important as the journey. If that’s true, then it’s never more applicable than in the true story of Gia Marie Carangi. She ultimately died of drug-related AIDS at the young age of 26, but her short life and career as the world’s first Supermodel opened the door for the powers-that-be in the modeling and fashion world to appreciate and understand that beauty comes in many more types than just “Blonde and Blue-Eyed” - which is certainly beautiful, but it’s not representative of all the women out there.
I dedicate this review to Gia Marie Carangi, the first Supermodel… Riposa in pace, Gia…
