Wendy and Lucy

loved it

I liked this movie because it challenges many of the stereotypes that people commonly have about the homeless. She was definitely not an addict or an alcoholic. She may have been clinincally depressed but otherwise she had enough will to live that she never gave up no matter what was thrown at her. I can already guess what her past was; she was probably gay growing up in another small town with a family and community that couldn't accept her, so with no support at home the only thing she knew to do was leave. It was very clear that she was very organized, focused and self-disciplined to reach her goals. I wondered at first why she would steal a can of dog food when she had a few hundred dollars saved, but then it dawned on me that this too was part of her self-discipline. It was the only way she knew to save her money every earning and expenditure meticulously planned in her journal.I had the impression that the song she hummed was one her mother might have sang to her as a young child before things went south. It was these little things she hung onto in the worst times that gave her the inner strength to keep going.The only drawback of this movie is that there was no real resolution. It left you hanging in the middle of the story.

It's about a desperately poor young woman who is travelling from Indiana to Alaska in search of (meager) employment. There isn't much of any explanation about who she is or where she is coming from in life, but you get the impression that nearly all of those details would be bad in some regard or another. I was left with the impression that she was travelling this great distance just because she felt like she had no other option. She isn't expecting anything fantastic, she's just expecting SOMETHING, which is far more than what she is accustomed to.The movie follows what happens to her, and her pet dog Lucy, when her 1988 Honda Accord breaks down in a sleepy little town in Oregon. Without ruining things with details, suffice it to say that it is one bad turn after another.Despite the incredible degree of sadness and hopelessness that the film inculcates in the viewer, I loved the movie because of the incredible amount of emotional depth and honesty. It might be hard for some people to imagine, or perhaps just to sympathize with, but for quite a few people in this world things like your car breaking down constitute an outright crisis. Especially for her, given that she was sleeping and living in her car and using it to travel a great distance.One of the things that lets the viewer keep her or his head above water, so to speak, is a supporting character in the film, a security guard who patrols the Walgreens parking lot where her car initially breaks down. In keeping with the film's realism and honesty, he is a good guy in the sort of way that people might actually encounter in real life: he helps her out, but he's no hero. He's just a nice guy doing a little to help a little. There is so much hardship and tension and hopelessness in the movie, that seeing his character here and there is a welcome reprieve.I would not recommend this film to anyone who has been suffering from a depression, because it is very bleak. Moreover, if you've lost a dog or any kind of pet and that emotional wound is still fresh in you, you might be better served by not seeing this movie. Further still, if you are the type that cannot sit still for movies of a slower pace, then you might not enjoy this either. But for most people, I think you will feel as I did and become overwhelmed with empathy for Wendy and Lucy more or less immediately. It's a great movie with a great heart about people that most would prefer to just forget about. After seeing this film, you'll never forget about them though. Highest possible recommendation.

This movie gives out some very bad messages to young people. I'm poor so I will make bad choices like stealing. Bad young white man wearing a cross catches me. I have a dog so that justifies what I did. Listen, I was a very poor young girl once and lived in my car with my cat. I had no one in a position to help me, so I helped myself by not giving up and feeling sorry for myself while taking the crappiest job I could and working my way up. It sucked but taught me that whatever abuse I had to put up with and no matter how bad the job was, it was still better than living in my car in winter with the snow half way up my doors with my poor pet. Stealing is never justified because it is not a victimless crime. ESPECIALLY when she clearly had the money to pay for what she shoplifted. The only redeeming quality to this film was her selflessness in thinking of her pet before herself.

This is a brilliantly cast and very moving film. It touches on a lot of issues facing people with few options in an unsympathetic society -- but it does not state a political message or hammer the viewer with "meaning." It has a empathy and compassion at its center, and Michelle Williams brilliantly conveys the frustration and powerlessness people can be subject to as they run out of options. If it sounds gloomy, well, that is a component but there are many touching moments.

The movie is a bit dark and seemed to end prematurely. The film quality was a little grainy and the camera had long spans of little to no movement, witch gave the sensation of ominous style, as if something was going to jump out and scare the watcher. And then, surprisingly, the movie abruptly ended.If you are after a movie that leaves you with a feel-good sensation, this will not be a good option for you... there is no resolution to the movie's plotline and in all, it was a bit vanilla.However, I like dogs, and this movie featured one. I guess that makes it mediocre.

Michelle Williams did an excellent job portraying raw homelessness. I've walked on highways in the midwest and i've been temporarily homeless so I know how dreary and dull life can be when the world is turned against you.The first time I watched this movie I was definitely left with a pit in my stomach, but the second time around wasn't so bad. It's very realistic.

Great drama movie

Lonely character study of a woman in isolation, clinging to her world through the relationship with her dog.

Excellent film du cinéma indépendant américain réalisé en 2009 par Kelly Reichardt. Je n'ai pas vu le temps passer alors que le film est lent et sans action. Bravo d'avoir fait un road movie qui se deroule entièrement dans un lieu unique. L'histoire est simple et banale mais tellement humaine grace aux acteurs et en particulier Michelle Williams qui joue le rôle de Wendy partie à la recherche d'un travail en Alaska avec sa chienne Lucy. La voiture tombe en panne dans une petite ville de l'Oregon.

Ein vielschichtiges kleines Meisterstück ist Regisseurin Kelly Reichardt hier gelungen. "Wendy und Lucy" erzählt vordergründig eine recht simple Geschichte: Die mittelose Wendy versucht sich, mit der Hoffnung auf ein besseres Leben, nach Alaska durchzuschlagen. Irgendwo im Nirgendwo gibt ihr Wagen den Geist auf. Kurz darauf verschwindet Lucy, Wendys Hund. Beide Probleme versucht Wendy im Folgenden zu lösen.Es gibt kaum Dialoge. Die Tiefe der Geschichte, die Existenzangst und Traurigkeit von Wendy, all das spiegelt sich nur in den Augen von Michelle Williams. Sie ist der Film, es gibt keine Szene ohne sie. Wendy trifft im Verlauf der Geschichte auf einige wenige Nebenfiguren. Von diesen baut sie einzig zum Parkplatzwächter eines Supermarktes eine Art freundschaftliche Beziehung auf. Abgesehen von einem kurzen Telefongespräch zwischen Wendy und einem Verwandten, erhält der Zuschauer keine Informationen über die Vorgeschichte der Figur, sie bleibt eine Fremde. Diese bewusste emotionale Distanz erschwert den Zugang, macht den Film aber umso interessanter.Arbeitslosigkeit, Armut, Anonymität, Einsamkeit. Dieser Film behandelt diese Themen mit einer beeindruckenden Beiläufigkeit und zeichnet ein nüchternes, doch nie wertendes Bild dieser Zeit. Trotz dieser Schwere ist "Wendy und Lucy" aber kein durchwegs düsterer Film. Im Leichtigkeit zu attestieren wäre übertrieben, doch ist er zumindest nicht gänzlich ohne Hoffnung.

Belle histoire mais ça fini en queue de poisson.