Ginny & Georgia: All X Movie & TV References In Season 1
Ginny & Georgia season 1 includes nearly 50 references to mainstream movies and television. Just as the Netflix series is laced with music, the screenwriters continuously pepper the character dialogue with pop culture references, usually to underline the characters' interests and motivations. The Netflix series follows the trials and tribulations of a 30-year-old single mother and her 15-year-old daughter.
In Ginny & Georgia season 1, the title characters begin a new life in Wellsbury, Massachusetts. Ginny (Antonia Gentry) immediately becomes part of a friend group known as "MANG," while Georgia (Brianne Howey) forms a romantic relationship with the Mayor, Paul Randolph (Scott Porter). In flashback sequences, it's revealed how Young Georgia (Nikki Roumel) got mixed up in a life of crime, and why she's so manipulative as an adult. Over the course of 10 episodes on Netflix, the title characters attempt to overcome their past struggles and hope to find a permanent home in Wellsbury.
Ginny & Georgia season 1 features plenty of obvious references to movies and TV, however many of them set-up secondary jokes and even more shout-outs. So, the Netflix series will be especially appealing to those who enjoy pop culture, along with snappy character dialogue. Here is every movie and TV show reference in Ginny & Georgia season 1.
During the opening trip to Massachusetts, Austin attempts to explain the lyrics of "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy. Ginny tells him "Go back to your Harry Potter game," a line that's meant to highlight his naiveté. Ginny then asks her mother about her outfit, and says that she looks like Vanessa Hudgens (the star of High School Musical) at Rydell High (the setting for Grease).
At the 10-minute mark, Georgia suggests clothing for her daughter's first day of school. After some pushback from Ginny, Georgia suggests that they're like the Gilmore Girls "but with bigger boobs." The line at once establishes the youthful nature of Howey's character while referencing the character dynamics in Gilmore Girls; a series that's loaded with pop culture references.
At Bankler Elementary School, Georgia seems underwhelmed by the building before Austin's first day of class. "Is this it?" she says, and then notes that Hogwarts makes it look "like a joke." If viewers don't immediately pick up on the reference to Harry Potter's Hogwarts School of Witchcraft, Georgia makes her point clear by name-checking the title character directly, asking her son "Would Harry Potter be scared?"
During a lunch scene, Maxine (Sara Waisglass) asks Ginny inappropriate questions about her step-father's death. She then apologizes and states that she's really into "gruesome shit" and has seen every episode of Law & Order: SVU. The sequence helps develop Maxine as a character while showing how she appeals to Ginny.
As Ginny and Maxine watch Georgia have lunch in the Netflix episode, Waisglass' character informs her new friend that her mother is with the Mayor. She describes him as "Paul 'Waiting for My Bachelor Moment' Randolph" - a reference to the popular ABC series The Bachelor. The moment makes Ginny especially upset because she's all to familiar with her mother starting relationships and then wanting to move when they fail.
Georgia chastises Ginny for warming up to Marcus Baker (Felix Mallard ) too quickly. She describes the neighbor as a "jerk-off Sean Hunter wannabe" - a reference to Rider Strong's character in Boy Meets World. Georgia also suggests that her daughter may have more luck with someone nerdy who could be a future Mark Zuckerberg, stating "Have you learned nothing from Romy And Michele?" - a reference to the billionaire Sandy Frink (Alan Cumming) in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.
When Georgia goes shopping, she asks about a bag and wonders if she's about to have a "Pretty Woman moment." In the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts' character enters a shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and gets scoffed at by an employee. After Georgia's card is declined, she does indeed create her own Pretty Woman moment by making up a story about a wedding anniversary present that allows her to acquire store credit.
During an in media res moment, Maxine describes a proposal scene from a television show involving someone named Jax. She then asks Hunter if he watches Vanderpump Rules, a spin-off of the reality series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Maxine specifically references a moment between Jax Taylor and Brittany Cartwright.
Near the end of the episode, Ginny works out in a flashback sequence and doesn't seem thrilled that her mother is making mung bean burgers. "I miss pizza," she says, "I hate this phony Stepford family dinner crap" - a reference to the 2004 film The Stepford Wives. Ginny's step-father Kenny then touches Ginny inappropriately, suggesting that his death may not have been accidental.
Before Georgia's first day of work, she has Ginny check for any aggressive nose hairs. After one is spotted, Howey's character states "Pluck it! I can't show up all Chewbacca!" The line references the iconic character from Star Wars, a Wookiee who is full of hair from head to toe.
At school, Norah (Chelsea Clark) helps her friends with contour makeup design. Maxine states that her color is especially too light, and states "I'm like if Casper and Snow White had a baby." The line references the Casper cartoon and film series featuring Casper the Friendly Ghost, along with the iconic Disney character who has been the focus of several feature films.
At work, Paul discusses a passed bill for Recreational Marijuana Dispensaries, and his assistant Nick (Daniel Beirne) mistakenly identifies the dispensary named Green Gardens as Grey Gardens, the title of a 1975 documentary. After correcting himself, Nick states "Sorry, Grey... that's an amazing movie." The scene shows how flustered Nick gets when he's around Paul, his secret crush.
When Georgia and Ellen plan to infiltrate Max's group of friends on Instagram, Howey's character uses a fake account under the name Vivien Leigh. In the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind, actress Vivien Leigh stars as the main female character, Scarlett O'Hara. Georgia tells Ellen that Leigh that Gone with the Wind is one of her favorite movies.
During a party scene, Sam (Romi Shraiter) makes distasteful comments about race while speaking to Ginny and a group of friends. While discussing music, she also states that Lady Gaga has become "basic" since starring in the 2018 movie A Star Is Born. Ginny then offers a more insightful viewpoint on past adaptations in a moment that suggests Sam's takes are rather basic.
During a school presentation, Austin displays letters that his father wrote to him from jail. The boy then states he's extra special because his Dad is a wizard who's been kept at Azkaban - a fortress for criminals in the Harry Potter franchise. The moment reinforces Austin's naivete, and also shows that his mother hasn't been truthful with him.
During breakfast, Georgia tells Marcus and Maxine to be nice to their mother if they want to attend the Sophomore Sleepover party. When Maxine gets up to wash the dishes, Marcus says "That is some serious Jedi mind shit." He's referring to the Jedi mind trick used in the Star Wars franchise.
When Joe (Raymond Ablack) overhears Maxine references the iconic musician David Bowie while speaking with Ginny, he's intrigued by the idea that she may enjoy classic rock music. As turns out, however, Maxine just knows Bowie because of his musical association with the Shrek franchise. In Shrek 2, Bowie and Butterfly Boucher performed "Changes."
Ginny and Hunter (Mason Temple) watch an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, only the title is never referenced by name. Hunter states that the character Lydia Bennett is "trope of frivolity," while Ginny describes George Wickham as a "dick clown." They're presumably watching the 2005 Pride & Prejudice adaption directed by Joe Wright.
After a brief re-creation of a Scream scene featuring Drew Barrymore, Ginny discusses scary movies with her mother. Specifically, she discusses the "perfect Halloween movie marathon" and lists Scream, Black Swan, and The Shining. Ginny also states that Black Swan is "contemplative, nuanced, eerily disturbing, and it has a message."
Through voiceover narration, Ginny discusses her love of horror movies and genre formulas. Her commentary parallels the unpredictable nature of her real life, evidenced by the statement "I'll take Freddy Krueger over having no one to sit with at lunch any day." Ginny's reference to the main villain in The Nightmare on Elm Street implies that scary movies provide comfort because of familiar tropes.
When discussing possible Halloween costumes, Sam suggests they all dress up as superheroes from The Avengers. Abby states that Scarlett Johansson is "hot," but Ginny thinks the concept is "basic." The girls eventually dress up as characters from Britney Spears' music videos.
When Ginny suggests The Golden Girls as a theme for Halloween costumes, Abby references the reality show American Idol. She says "that's, uh, gonna be a no for me, dawg," which is how judge Randy Jackson often responded during auditions. Abby presumably doesn't like the idea because The Golden Girls follows four elderly women who live together.
Once Ginny and her friends settle on a Britney Spears theme for Halloween, Ginny suggests that they shouldn't tell Sam and just make it a "MANG thing." Maxine describes Ginny as "savage," and says "I love you as Regina George." In the 2004 film Mean Girls, Rachel McAdams stars as Regina George - the feisty leader of a group known as The Plastics.
When Ginny has dinner with Hunter's family, she impresses them by speaking Korean. It's also revealed that Hunter's sister Lauren changed her collegiate major five times, including a switch to criminology, which prompts her father to note that he wasn't allowed to watch Law & Order because of the inaccuracies. The scene shows Ginny growing closer to Hunter, which makes her life even more complex since she's drawn to Marcus.
When the 39th Annual Wellsbury Fall Fest begins, there's a visual homage to The Shining. First, there's a shot of a boy on a small bike, which references how Danny Torrance roams the Overlook Hotel in Stanley Kubrick's film. There's also a shot of two girls dressed as twins, which cites The Shining's Grady twins, two young girls who are murdered.
At a Halloween party, Matt Press (Damian Romeo) asks friends if they understand his costume. Wearing all black and holding a mirror, the character reveals that his theme is Black Mirror. It's a brief moment that references Charlie Brooker's popular anthology series about the dangers of technology.
After it's suggested that Paul shouldn't be dating Georgia, he references an iconic line from Gone with the Wind. The Mayor speaks passionately to his girlfriend, and dismisses his critics by saying "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." In Gone with the Wind (now streaming on HBO Max), the line is spoken by Clark Gable's Rhett Butler in a climactic moment.
Ginny references the William Shakespeare play King Lear while speaking with Hunter. She's upset by her mother's usage of emojis in text messages and feels like she's in a "bad version" of the famous production. Since Ginny loves movies so much, she's probably familiar with one of the many big-screen adaptations.
Ginny briefly references the 1990 movie Ghost while speaking with her mother. She's mad that Georgia's sister Maddie (Kelly McCormack) embarrassed her, and also gets frustrated when her mother doesn't seem to be listening. "Am I a ghost?" Ginny says before asking her mother if she needs Whoopi Goldberg. In Ghost, Goldberg portrays a medium named Oda Mae Brown.
Maddie references Dr. Seuss while having drinks with Georgia. She uses a lyrical tone in conversation and identifies herself as the famous author. Several Dr. Seuss movie adaptions have been produced over the years, though Maddie doesn't identify one film in particular.
As Paul becomes closer with Georgia in the Netflix show, he reassures her that nothing will scare him off. The Mayor states that they shouldn't hide anything from each other, and then reveals that he gets mad while watching The Great British Bake Off because the contestants seemingly don't manage their time well. The reference further develops Paul as a thoughtful and organized character.
The episode begins with voiceover narration from Ginny about her mother's love for birthday parties. She recalls her 12th birthday, in which Georgia dropped a stink bomb in a movie theatre so kids could sing along to the 2016 movie Moana. The moment shows that Ginny doesn't always appreciate when her mother puts a "big, glittering bow" on everything.
On Ginny's 16th birthday, Maxine celebrates the arrival of her new friend. She uses the show Drake & Josh as an analogy, and compares her previous life to the show, but with no Josh. When Abby gets upset about being left behind, Maxine describes her as "The Grinch Who Stole Sophomore Year" - a reference to the Dr. Seuss story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!," which was adapted into How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
When Maxine talks to her mother and Georgia about romance, she wonders about recognizing real love a la The Bachelor, and not the Bachelor in Paradise kind. The sequence underlines the character's innocence, as she uses a popular reality program to gauge "real" love while dismissing the less-popular spinoff. It also foreshadows a doomed romance with Sophie Sanchez (Humberly González).
Ginny reveals that her mother has two guns in the house, which makes her friends concerned. She also compares her mother to Kill Bill, which seems to be an indirect reference to the franchise protagonist portrayed by Uma Thurman. The reference to guns foreshadows late-season conflict in the Netflix series.
Georgia references Game of Thrones while telling her daughter about the abuse that she experienced as a young woman. Ginny wonders if that's what made her strong, but her mother rejects that notion by stating "No, I'm not a Game of Thrones character." It's a reference that could apply to so many figures in the HBO fantasy series, but almost certainly relates to the Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen.
At school, Maxine references The Office when learning about the topic for the National Junior Pulitzer Essay Contest. Mr. Gitten reveals that the focus will be "Where Do You Feel You Most Belong," which prompts Maxine to state that she feels most comfortable watching The Office in a dark room. Once again, the sequence establishes the character's infatuation with pop culture.
In a flashback sequence, Young Georgia meets with an acquaintance named Anthony, who threatens to expose some of her misdeeds. So, she just decides to play nice and settles for a second viewing of The Lord of the Rings. The scene implies that Georgia has always patient and calculating while fending off dangerous men.
During a restaurant scene, Joe references The Twilight Zone while looking for his pens. Moments later, Ginny describes him as a "Granola Yoda" - a reference to Star Wars, along with the character's ethnicity and intelligence. While providing advice, Joe states that "love is a death of duty," which he admits is a line from Game of Thrones, and he later discusses Cheers with Georgia, specifically how Sam always pours a beer when Norm enters.
During an outdoor adventure at Bankler Elementary School, Austin once again references the Harry Potter franchise. He walks around in the wood, stops, and yells out "Expelliarmus." In Harry Potter, the line is used as a disarming charm that removes objects from one's hand. In this case, Austin is just role-playing.
Ginny and Bracia discuss the possibility that Mr. Gitten could be a racist. They also discuss racism in general, and some of the lingering issues in their community. When Ginny asks if anything should be done about Mr. Gitten, Bracia snickers and says "Nothing. Look at you, V for Vendetta!" The line references a 2005 revenge-themed movie starring Natalie Portman.
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