Review: Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy and Lucy"
January 6, 2009 — PDXPIPELINEBy Kimberly Gehl
***spoiler alert: don't read until after you see it if you can't deal with that
Wendy and Lucy is a film so exquisite in its modesty and natural beauty that it literally took my breath away when I saw it Sunday night. Michelle Williams dominates the story as Wendy, a woman of great integrity and passion, determined to persist in even the most dire of situations. Early in the film, we learn that Wendy has driven from Indiana to Oregon on her way to start a new life in Alaska, accompanied by her dog Lucy.
Through a series of unfortunate events, Wendy loses almost everything she has (which isn't all that much to begin with) and most of the film follows her as she persistently confronts obstacle after obstacle.
I recommend the film for many reasons, but mostly because I simply cannot find fault with it. I was immediately struck by Michelle Williams's portrayal of Wendy, a role she seems to have been destined to play. Williams gracefully leads the story, and despite minimal dialogue and elaboration on her back story, I was able to fully empathize with her character. Her acting is flawless. The film is beautiful in its ability to fully capture Wendy's story in a extremely minimalist and simplistic manner. This includes long tracking pans of the scenery, reminiscent of the long establishing shots featured in old Westerns, used to slow down the pace and to draw attention to a deeper meaning in the setting. The dialogue is notably minimal and the plot points revolve almost solely around how Wendy faces her obstacles in her interactions with her surroundings.
On a personal level, this film reminds me to remain as humble as possible about my favorite city in the world. To me, it is hard to see Portland as anything less than amazing, but to Wendy, Portland is a sort of prison; she repeatedly tells the people she meets that she is "just passing through," and is driven only by the hope that somehow she will find a way to continue her voyage to Alaska.
Although Portland is almost completely full of turmoil for Wendy, director Kelly Reichardt ultimately does not let the plot reflect negatively on our beloved city. Shot in Portland and based on the short story “Train Choir” by Portlander Jon Raymond, Reichardt's depiction of Portland is honest but adoring. The view of Portland that she crafts highlights the natural beauty inherent to Oregon, but balances it with scenes that feature a rawness immediately recognizable to natives of the Portland area, such as when Wendy is approached in the park by a strange, but likely harmless, homeless man who discovers her while she is asleep.
Wendy ultimately finds a way to escape from Portland, but the film concludes it is a place that Wendy is destined to return to because of both the positive and negative effects it had on her life.
Cinema 21: Tues -Thurs Jan 6-8: Nightly at 7:00 and 8:55, then Fri-Thur Jan 9-15: Nightly 6:00, Late Fri-Sat 9:45, plus Sat-Sun 1:30.
It opens at the Hollywood Theater this Friday and is playing Friday, Monday-Thursday at 7:00pm, Saturday & Sunday at 12:45pm, 5:15pm & 7:00pm.
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Kimberly Gehl is an independent filmmaker, devoted cinephile , and die-hard portvangelist. Keep up with her on twitter by following @writeinmovement.
January 6, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Welcome to the Pipeline, Kimberly.
Congratulations to Kelly for making another great film and thanks to Kelly, I have my only IMDB credit
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2110987/
January 6, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Great review, Kim! I definitely want to go check this movie out. And now, it’s not JUST because of my crush on Michelle Williams.
January 6, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I saw Wendy and Lucy last weekend. I enjoyed seeing Portland on the screen and local actor John Breen as the shift manager (I wish he could have done more).
I really like the “tramp” character. Michelle Williams is great, but watching Wendy suffer, I started to miss the resourcefulness and creativity that makes people magical. (Sorry for using the word magical. I want to somehow convey all of the ineffable inspiration, spirit, and joy that is part of a healthy human being). The lack of this element in the main character really made the movie more and more boring to watch, because there was absolutely no escape for Wendy.
The movie leaves her on a train bound for Alaska. I imagine it’s going to be very cold in the box car. Will she die from exposure? It’s painful film.
Weird, I remember the scene of the yellow line drawn on the map to Portland, but not much mention of what town she’s supposed to be in when she gets stranded. It was a kind of generic “town”. I did recognize Portland, but I don’t think it was “characterized” in the film.
I read so many good reviews before I saw the Wendy and Lucy, that when I left the theater I wondered how we can perceive a thing so differently. Was I the only one who found it to be really depressing?
January 7, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Arthur,
I appreciate your comments and that you are offering a contradictory opinion of the film. When I read your comments, I was immediately curious what your back ground is, because, like you, I found that many film critics highly praised the film for many of the same reasons I did.
I recognize that my back ground as a film scholar strongly affects my opinion of the film and I understand how you arrived at the conclusions you made about the film. The pacing is much slower than we are used to, the protagonist and plot are very simple, and final scene is not your typical “happy ending.” However, I find these atypical traits endearing and I left the film feeling deeply touched by this story and hopeful for Wendy.
What I most appreciate about the film is its rawness and honesty. I actually think that Wendy is pretty resourceful considering she doesn’t have that much to work with. While watching the film I wondered if I would be able to survive if I were ever in her situation, which deeply humbled me because I don’t know that I could. I think she does posses a magical trait, which is that she faces obstacle after obstacle but always remains focused on her goal to get to Alaska. She accepts everything that happens to her and does not dwell on it, but instead faces it head on. When she loses Lucy, she is deeply saddened and worried that she will never see her again, but she continues to take action and make every effort to find her.
Regarding Portland, I agree that the Portland as a setting isn’t really emphasized and it may seem like just another generic town to non-native viewers. However, what struck me is that it is clear that the director, Kelly Reichardt has a fondness for Portland in the way she depicts it and the fact that she chose to shoot another film in Oregon instead of somewhere else.
It is odd to think of Portland as a small town, but I think that it can feel that way to people who live in the city and is part of its charm. I’m a native Oregonian, but I have also lived on the East Coast and since I moved back last year I have come to really agree with what the comments other people have given me about Portlanders being very friendly. I think Icky (the security guard) epitomizes this trait, and to me Portland is the perfect setting for such a kind and compassionate character to exist.
I regret to hear that you found the film depressing and hope that my comments might help you see it in a different light.
January 7, 2009 at 1:32 pm
One thing you neglected to mention in the film was the way in which it was filmed. From what i could tell, they used nothing but a steadycam throughout the entire film. This made it feel as if you were almost walking behind Wendy the entire time, without being obnoxious. I was totally sucked into the story having been through some of the experiences that Wendy went through. I have also driven to Alaska and back as well, so understand what she would probably encounter beyond the timeline of the movie. This was not however, the intention of the movie. It was to show Wendy having been lost adrift in an unfamiliar (to her) town, which can happen to anyone. She manages to find her way back to her original path, but the experiences change her. While some may not understand Wendy’s character and why she is so introverted, shy, and withdrawn, I found it quite realistic behavior for being in a foreign town she knew hardly anything about. I definitely enjoyed the film, and even it’s somewhat short length added some effect to the story. It was just a short slice in the life of a young woman on a journey.
January 7, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Nice job, Kimberly! Welcome to the Pipeline.
January 7, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Hmm, having reviewed the film again, I find that I was mistaken in how the movie was filmed. There are obviously tripod-assisted shots which I did not pay attention to, and at least one scene that used a trolley of some sort… There are extremely long (compared to most movies I’ve seen) scenes however, which give an interesting and original effect. I think it is the length of these scenes, especially when panning, that threw me off; I may be wrong about this as well, but I think I noticed miniscule angle changes during at least one panning scene which I misinterpreted as vertical movement. I may need to review the film again to fully pinpoint the aspects of this filming style.
January 8, 2009 at 9:53 am
Kodin,
Thanks for your comments! I also appreciate how deliberate the shots and pacing are in Wendy and Lucy. Many of the scenes are longer than we are “used to” with mainstream films, which really helps to slow down the action and make us feel like we are experiencing the same dragging-on of time that Wendy is experiencing.
I especially love the long tracking shots that are used, such as the opening forest scene and the scene in the dog pound because, as you said, they really help you to feel like you are right there traveling with Wendy.
I think it’s great that you have had a similar experience to help you relate to the story, but I also think the film is realistic and honest enough that many people can relate to it regardless of their background. Wendy’s story reflects upon many aspects of the human condition: change, loss, hope, and uncertainty. This is a story about survival and I related deeply to her because the obstacles she faced are similar to obstacles I have confronted, albeit more extreme in her case.
I am excited that you enjoyed the film and look forward to hearing more of your thoughts