Review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) by Susan P — 23 Jun 2010

In theory Wendy and Lucy sounds rather awful: So, it's about like this burnt-out girl, and she's like stuck in this dumpy town and everybody there is cruel and stupid. or just 'weird', can't forget that. Then she loses her poor little dawg and as she tries to find it again, she realizes that everybody is sweet and nice deep down inside and she's like been a bit of a bitch. The End.

What makes the film great is while that is really the plot of the thing in a nutshell, there is so much more than a simple plot or message. While Wendy is obviously the most pathetic character, we can still understand those who are cruel to her, see thier view of things. At the same time, there is oppotunitiy to applaud those who are kind to her, when let's face it, most of us wouldn't have lifted a finger to help her. There are distinct 'nice' and 'mean' characters, but this is just determinded by how they affect Wendy. Who is to say that she is always in the right? We may be the hero of our own story, but that doesn't makes everyone else the villans. We could very well be the antagonist in their stories, after all. I love the realism of the setting, characters, etc. When described in words, the film sounds like it should be sappy, or at least lifetime channelish. This is not the case at all. It is truly a 'real', believable film. Every aspect takes hold and never lets go. This cannot be described in words, but it is what turns Wendy and Lucy from a contrived, preachy mess, to an artistic, optimistic masterpiece.