The early life and struggles of Judy Garland during her early years in vaudeville, and follows her through her illustrious and highly-publicized rise to stardom at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios; her trials as a youngster in dealing with the movie studio system that held her back while her mother was forever pushing her to excel, as well as all the backstage joy and heartbreak during the filming of ''The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)'' (1939).