Wendy and Lucy

Sometimes the simplest stories are the most effecting and the simplest characters are the most endearing. Wendy and Lucy is a perfect example of this. When discussing this film however one must praise Michelle Williams. Before she even utters a word with her body movement and her facial features we get a sense of who Wendy is. We have seen this character before and we know her. Wendy is a simple girl with a simple purpose but Michelle Williams gives her the grace and kindness that makes her seem real and is all the more gut wrenching when things start crashing down around her. Most actresses her age with her resume would scoff at the idea of playing such a simple and expressionless character who hasn't showered for days and wears cut off brown pants and an unflattering blue sweatshirt but she breathes life into Wendy and adds an extra dimension to her. Of course a great performance would be wasted without a narrative for Wendy.

As the film unfolds the narrative is quite simplistic. Wendy is stuck in a small town in Oregon on her way to Alaska and wants to get on her way as fast as possible before her money runs out. There however are events that will unfold that prevent this from happening. There is little surprise and in fact the narrative is quite predictable with most events foreshadowed. As these events unfold however they are still impactful and meaningful because Wendy does not see them coming. As simplistic as this narrative may be there is complexity to it in the form of political commentary on small town America and how the people that live there are struggling. Wendy herself is fleeing Indiana living in her car and managing a small sum of money to go to the promise land of Alaska since they are hiring. The town is suffering from the closing of a mill with few jobs and is inhabited by many disenfranchised individuals. While this film could be fixated on these points Kelly Reichardt has crafted them very subtlety into the character and the setting. Characters don't stand around saying small own America is dying, but we can easily pick this up from the plot and the visuals of a broken down town with many closed business and downtrodden individuals. Usually films of this type heap on background but instead there are only a few scenes to decipher Wendy's story and motivation.

The soundtrack for this film is Wendy humming quietly to herself which when employed help foster a sense of intimacy. Kelly Reichardt shoots the film with a naturalistic feel with a steady and fluid motion of the camera. There are many long takes with tracking shots as the camera follows Wendy as she walks around this town but this is contrasted with close ups where the camera gets in tight to see the expressions on Wendy's face. There is only natural light used and most of the scenes take place out doors with wind blowing through Wendy's hair and building being nothing more than a backdrop. All of these aspects together create a sense of intimacy with Wendy. Wendy and Lucy shows us that a great film really only needs a honest and meaningful connection to a character through narrative, acting and mise-en-scène.

Man, I'm a sucker for this kind of picture. Realism. A movie about real people, in real situations, just like you and me. No frills, no fantasy, no flash. It's not that I don't like movies with these elements in them; It's that a prefer movies without them. I like Michelle Williams without the make-up - just a waif caught in a tough situation in a generic Americana setting. It looks like a small town, but I see the credits say it's Portland Oregon.

I'm also a sucker for trains, so I loved all the train shots. Is there a symbolism to the trains? Funny how many times a forlorn train horn is heard nearby, punctuating the quiet desperation of Wendy's plight. I loved the security guy (Wally Dalton) - he shows us there's hope no matter what the situation.....there really is always someone who cares. I sure hope Wendy makes it to Alaska; she deserves to.

For those who like this one, you'll like a similar movie I viewed just a few days previous; it has a similar pace, and feel as this one, and a storyline with a little more tension: "Frozen River". Catch it if you can.

To say that this film is spare is to be generous; and, to whatever extent actors become their characters, Michelle Williams becomes Wendy, a young woman that is hanging by a thread. Wendy is doing her best, with little support and money, to survive day to day and to maintain her dignity. Along the way she loses her dog Lucy, the only stable and loving relationship in her life. Ultimately, she is faced with making a heartbreaking decision that their mutual welfare will depend upon. As her car (and bed) breaks down and resources dwindle, she collects cans and bottles and shoplifts dog food. She encounters a group of homeless people making a fire, a self-righteous store clerk, a smug auto mechanic, a sympathetic security guard, and a psychotic drifter, among others. We see each of them from the perspective of a young woman on the verge of economic collapse and who is gradually being transformed into someone facing the possibility of homeless destitution. Wendy offers a lens through which we can see such a transformation evolve. All homeless people, unless born into this condition, were something and somewhere else first. Wendy is such a person. As the economy declines and more and more people retreat into survival mode, it will be harder for them, for us, to empathize with the Wendys of the world, young people with once bright futures now facing desperate and maybe devastating times. I have heard it said that empathy is the first hostage of survival. Wendy and Lucy is an important little film, a slice of life, that not enough people will see and that offers us a window on what more and more young people will be facing for some time to come. This film pleads with us not to close our eyes or turn our backs on them.

This laconic indie film can put you to sleep in you're not in the right frame of mind. Turn off the phone. Stop checking Facebook. Set aside 1:20 to just concentrate. Lean and simple--but not simplistic--this tells a story that rends any heart still beating, yet it does it quietly, with dignity and without dramatics. Lucy is the key. The cruelty around Wendy is appalling, always doubling down to smash one of life's apparent losers. There's the young creep, lacking a shred of empathy or insight, who blithely declares that if she couldn't afford Lucy, Wendy shouldn't have her.

Yet, ultimately what Wendy does with Lucy is the key to the rest of her life. What will happen to Wendy? No one knows for sure. That's a deliberate ambiguity. If you wanted a clear resolution, you'll have to watch a different film. It takes awhile to get where it is going--something that pierces the heart and creates echoes of calamity as well as growth--but it gets there. Consider the slow pace a journey as well as a destination.

Greetings again from the darkness. Absolutely stunning performance from the beautiful Michelle Williams, who somehow doesn't look beautiful here and is very believable as the on-the-road loner in search of salvation at a cannery in Alaska. What doesn't work is everything else.

I understand the minimalist approach, but this story doesn't differ much from if you asked a junior high student to write a story about running away from home with her dog. Sure the serpentine belt wouldn't get mentioned, but losing the dog, even if only momentarily, would probably be a sub-plot.

Don't misunderstand. It is a very well shot film and realistic to the point of dread, but we are never really provided any reason to care about Wendy or Lucy ... other than basic human caring.

Will Patton adds a nice, but brief, touch as the auto mechanic and Wally Dalton somehow captured my interest more than Wendy. For the full impact, you have to know that Wally Dalton plays a Walgreens security guard who stares at the parking lot for 12 hours a day.

Michelle Williams deserves the kudos for her performance, but I believe the film itself is much overrated.