Wendy and Lucy (2008)

Director:

Kelly Reichardt

Writers:

Jonathan Raymond (story)
Jonathan Raymond (writer)

Release Date:

6 March 2009 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

On the long road, friendship is everything.

Plot:

A woman's life is derailed en route to a potentially lucrative summer job. When her car breaks down...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Car | Crying | Wheelchair | Money

Awards:

4 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michelle Williams	...	Wendy
Lucy	...	Lucy the Dog
David Koppell	...	Kid by Fire
Max Clement	...	Kid by Fire
Sid Shanley	...	Kid by Fire
Dave Hubner	...	Kid by Fire
Michelle Worthey	...	Sadie
Will Oldham	...	Icky
Wally Dalton	...	Security Guard (as Walter Dalton)
Roger D. Faires	...	Recycler in Wheelchair (as Roger Faires)
Boggs Johnson	...	Recycling Man
Tanya Smith	...	Grocery Checker
Michael Brophy	...	Grocery Store Stocker
John Robinson	...	Andy
John Breen	...	Mr. Hunt

Also Known As:

Train Choir (USA) (working title)
Wendy (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Singapore:R21 (film festival rating) | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Portland, Oregon, USA

Company:

Field Guide Films

Trivia:

Michelle Williams slept in her car for a few nights in order to get into character.

Quotes:

Security Guard: You can't get a address without an address. You can't get a job without a job.

Very powerful and moving for those who've experienced life the same way.

This review is coming from the perspective of a viewer in the exact same situation as Michelle Williams' character. This review will not summarize any key plot points nor try to pretentiously deconstruct the film in the air of a film school thesis, this review will put it to you as truthfully as the film has.

I honestly feel that Wendy and Lucy shines a light on a part of America that is widely ignored; a part of America that's left behind by the faults and actions of The Bush Administration and those who feed off of greed and capitalism. For those who fit within these margins will go see this movie and fail to grasp the understanding of how it is to be desperately broke and have nothing else to hold on to but a few scraps of memories, soiled clothes and your trusted dog to help prevail what's left of you dignity, happiness and sanity. This is not an escapist film, for escapism is for people who can't cope with their own realities. That's why there is so much success in drugs and the media. Wendy should be praised for holding onto her convictions and not falling deeper through escapism. But when your reality is so harsh and greater problems seem to arise everyday, she can't even afford the luxury of escapism as others do, so why should the audience have any exception? Life is very complicated and it can't be wrapped up in a limited amount of time. The open ending reveals to us that nothing is certain, but it certainly must be better than right now. There should be no ending, no "to be continued", only "What now?" "Where to go next?" "What am I gonna do" "Where will I sleep tonight and will it be a safe spot?" If those aren't the questions going through your head as you watch Wendy in the end then you have lived a privileged life and will never have to worry about being thrust into such a situation where you have to give up everything you have left in hopes of things getting better soon.

In a recession, this film should be seen as a lesson of how to live and what to do when comes the moment where you lose everything that's ever meant anything and how to live and restart from there. Of course every decision you make isn't the smartest one, but when you're desperate and have no other choice then you have to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that risks you a day in jail.

We observe Wendy and Lucy from a voyeuristic standpoint. We meet up with them in the park, observe their actions, then watch them leave. For those with a sympathy toward the downtrodden we tend to feel a little sadness, maybe even a little guilt for not being able to help that person out more than we could. But there are also some who have been raised with everything handed to them and with easy opportunities. They look at people like Wendy and Lucy as a stupid bum who can't get it together, without ever realizing that not everyone has it as easy as they did.

I have no idea how to end this review, but I just thought I'd write it as a bit of a rebuttal to all those who have completely missed the point of the main character and her actions which have led the movie to it's conclusion. If you've never truly suffered like the way Michelle Williams' character has then this movie will be lost on you. You may relate more with the clerk in the supermarket. But for those of you who've ever had to live in their car for a stretch clawing onto every dollar for dear life hoping to one day catch a break, then I must warn you that this movie will make you cry. And there's is absolutely no problem with that. I know how it feels, and sometime you just have to let it out in order to go on. Sometime you even have to let go of the things you love the most if you even want things to get better. For some it's impossible to do, but it's just as hard to watch.