Blue Car

After seeing Agnes Bruckner's memorable performance in "Rick" (a modern re-imagining of the opera "Rigoletto"), I had to see what else she has starred in. Even better was her performance in this film "Blue Car", a coming-of-age film that boldly crosses boundaries that mainstream Hollywood wouldn't dare touch.

I'm not just talking about the scandalous older guy & young girl theme which has been done before ("American Beauty", "Lolita", and almost every Woody Allen movie ever made), but in particular I'm referring to disturbing issues teenagers and kids face today: self-harm, self-mutilation and suicidal thoughts. Don't worry, there's nothing explicit. But the fact that these issues are even presented sets this movie on a different level.

Other rare & unheard-of films that touch on these modern teen problems are "Archie's Final Project" (about a high school kid who decides to videotape his last days before killing himself), "Angela" (about 2 young sisters who create a fantasy world of angels & demons to cope with their real life traumas), and the very dark & very creepy "Tideland" about a young girl who creates a nightmarish world around her to try to protect her corroding innocence.. "Blue Car" fits right in there, probably the tamest of the bunch but not without its own hard-hitting moments. I think it would be appreciated by most mid-to-late teenagers whose minds are asking deep questions about life. I'm way past that age, but I still found it compelling and impressive all around. An excellent starring debut by Agnes Bruckner as well as directorial debut from Karen Moncrieff.

Small but recommendable film about a young girl, growing up in an unstable environment with a lack of people who care for her and various people abusing her. Agnes Bruckner gives an excellent performance as Meg. The story isn't something refreshing and new, but it doesn't disturbs me. The subject is handled very well and the co-actors are good as well, although Bruckner's performance is by far the best. I also saw her in "Home Room" but her role in that movie is very small.

Excellent directing debut by Karen Moncrieff. She managed to make it a remarkable debut. "Blue Car" is an enjoyable film who's certainly worth watching.

7.5/10

Bright and attractive but vulnerable and sad-eyed, Megan Denning lives in a deplorable situation in Ohio. Her single mother Diane works full-time and attends evening school. She is so engrossed with herself that she not only lends no support to Megan, but also expects her daughter to help her. Megan's emotionally disturbed little sister Lily mutilates herself and eats very little, if anything. Divorced dad is out of contact and remains behind in his sixty dollars per week support payments.

Still worse yet, Megan has not a single adult person to fall back on. It does appear that she catches a break when Mr. Auster, her high school English teacher, begins to mentor her, and encourages her talent in poetry writing, her emotional outlet. Megan had impressed Auster with her poem, "The Blue Car," about the time her father moved out and left in his … blue car. Auster asserts that Megan can do even better, and perhaps enter the state contest where he is one of the judges. After that there is the national poetry competition in Florida. At the beginning Auster keeps his distance, and uses his authorial demeanor to his own good advantage. He gives Megan an A+ for a poem, and writes "Be brave," a possible double entendre. Megan finds a chocolate car wrapped in blue with her belongings, a present from the teacher. Auster gives his student a ride home in his car, and then shares his lunch more than once. Gradually closing in, like a lion on an antelope, Auster is available for emotional support when a tragedy strikes the Denning family. He hugs Megan deeply. The flawed Auster is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Megan is aloof to the danger. Along the way she makes several wrong decisions without apparent regret. Will she be able to extricate herself in the end?

This is a serious and depressing story, not a romance. Supporting the movie is the good acting while the characters are more than one-dimensional.

Blue Car is a dramatic story about a young teenager (Agnes Bruckner) that is over taken by the bad hand she was dealt in life. Trying to juggle school with a harsh family situation, she has become a product of her misfortunes making her that cliché isolated, depressed, quiet girl. With an absent father, disturbed mother, and a suicidal sister, she seems close to the breakdown point. However, a hopeful teacher (David Strathairn) comes a long and opens up a world to place her troubles upon... a world of poetry. The story follows her adventure of dealing with home problems while attempting to be prominent in a large poetry contest. Meg finds herself basking in a deep metaphorical state of catharsis as she seeks to find answers in a poem she writes about her father, titled Blue Car.

Finally, a coming of age/ school film that strays from the normal school formula of a John Hughes's film. The film's dramatic unexpected twists and turns will entice you to be emotionally involved with the characters on a seemingly depressed, yet interesting level. Fantastic film making teams up with even better acting to portray a film that is not only intriguing but important. This films proves that a budget can carry a film so far, and the rest lie with the actors and artistic view of the film makers involved. Director Karen Moncrief carefully films this story, exploiting her points through different film techniques. The story almost reads as a poem itself... the story is slow but moved gently and rings true to all who can relate. Actors Agnes Bruckner, and David Strathairn are two forces not to be reckoned with. The characters portrayed by the actors truly carry this film... making it an emotional journey for all who watch. If you appreciate superb acting and film making that pays more attention to realism and truth, you will enjoy Blue Car.

BLUE CAR (2003) **** David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin, Frances Fisher, A.J. Buckley, Regan Arnold, Sarah Beuhler, Dustin Sterling, Mike Ward. Excellent indie festival hit about a teenage girl (Bruckner in a heartbreakingly raw turn) whose only solace from her crumbling domestic life is in her gift as a poet is mentored by her well-meaning but clearly coercive English teacher (Strathairn in one of his best performances) who goads her into a contest. First time filmmaker Karen Moncrieff delivers a truly audacious debut with a gift for character development and strong narrative as well as a shrewd cast (Colin gives her best turn too as Bruckner's downward spiraling mom and young Arnold as her baby sister is absolutely stunning) adds a lift above the norm in coming-of-age flicks that resonates with pitch-perfect depictions of a young woman coming into her own. One of the year's best films.