Genie Francis
(LAURA, GH)
■ Genie Francis bought Laura’s rich emotional life to the surface at the bittersweet celebration of her former husband, Luke’s, life.
As the guests began to assemble, the spirits of a heavy-hearted Laura were buoyed every time a cherished friend offered sympathies, but every now and then, the camera caught her in a solitary moment, the light having faded ever so slightly from her eyes as she struggled to keep her sadness in check.
Victor showed up uninvited and she fixed him with an icy glare, her brow furrowing as she snapped, “Get out of here, Victor.” It was Spencer who convinced him to leave, and Laura beamed at her grandson, patting him fondly as a reward for his maturity.
Regrouping on the deck with Curtis, Laura reflected on her complex history with Luke, which Francis performed as more matterof-fact than maudlin, subtly conveying how at peace Laura is with Luke’s place in her past, and Kevin’s in her present. Back inside, the late Helena surprised the group with a video message, and Laura went from flabbergasted to furious. As Helena spoke, Francis wore a deliciously disdainful look on Laura’s decidedly unamused face, and her impatience began to mount; she was practically twitching by the time she marched over to the monitor and yanked the plug out of the wall to silence her nemesis once and for all.
The mourners began to disperse, and Laura assured Curtis that she would be fine on her own, gentle but firm as she noted that she “had a life to get on with.” Spencer offered her some supportive words and she gazed at him lovingly, her voice husky as she expressed her pride in him before following him toward the exit. Then she turned around, her eyes filling with tears, her face etched with both sorrow and gratitude as she lifted her hands to her mouth and blew a tender kiss at the portrait of her former beloved. “Good-bye, my love,” she said, her tone clear and strong.
Francis’s performance — understated, emotionally sophisticated and soulful — honored both the woman Laura was when she was with Luke, and who she’s become without him, and left us dazzled anew by her artistry.