Review of Wendy and Lucy (2008) by Peter G — 04 Sep 2009

Wendy and Lucy is a very strong piece of cinema, but at the same time it has a tremendous amount of flaws that hold it back from classic status (or even really enjoyment).

Wendy and Lucy follows the story of Wendy (Michelle Williams) and her dog Lucy. Wendy is completely broke (or at least jobless) and is traveling through Oregon to get to Alaska for a job. Along this path, her car breaks down and, eventually, Lucy gets lost.

This movie is an extremely slow piece of film making. Nothing very interesting happens other than the drama of being a vagabond, but it's all bolstered by the performance that Williams provides. There are a few moments in the beginning where she gets upset over seemingly nothing and it's definitely believable. When she loses her dog, again the tears come and you really feel bad for her situation.

What doesn't help your interest is how slow the damn film takes. While I understand that making a story about a lost person speed up would take a lot of the drama and emotion out of the picture, it's sometimes hard to stay interested in this film. Around the 40 minute mark, you feel like you've embarked on a trip for 7 hours and you begin to wonder if you'll be getting off soon.

That's not to say that the plot isn't intriguing. Wendy meets some interesting people and even commits a crime in the beginning, so it's not like some asides don't come out of the storyline. It's just too bad that no one else matches Williams' acting prowess, because most of the actors in the movie feel a little weak.

Will Patton plays his role of the mechanic almost like he's bored. While that may be a natural feeling for a town that is pretty much deserted, it doesn't really keep you hooked on his persona. Wally Dalton does almost exactly the same thing as the security guard, but he happens to be so likable that you can forgive his boring character development.

Speaking of which, we really learn nothing about Wendy other than she is homeless and jobless. She calls some of her relatives and you quickly learn that her sister can give two craps about Wendy, but there is no reason given as to why she is jobless. She is also seen in a few scenes with money which kind of negates the whole start of the plot. It's really awkward and I'm not sure what these mixed signals are supposed to do.

Regardless of that, though, the film is enjoyable if you are into situational dramas. Even though some more plot could have helped the film along and some better pacing would have kept short attention spans, Wendy and Lucy is a very well made look at a person coping with loss and nothingness.