Wendy and Lucy
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| Wendy and Lucy | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Kelly Reichardt |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | Train Choir by Jon Raymond |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | Michelle Williams |
| Cinematography | Sam Levy |
| Edited by | Kelly Reichardt |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Oscilloscope Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $300,000[2] |
| Box office | $1.4 million[3] |
Wendy and Lucy is a 2008 American drama film directed by Kelly Reichardt. Reichardt and Jon Raymond adapted the screenplay from his short story Train Choir. The film stars Michelle Williams as Wendy, a homeless woman who searches for her lost dog, Lucy (played by Reichardt's own dog of that name, who had previously appeared in Old Joy).[4] It had its world premiere at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival and was screened at several additional film festivals before receiving a limited theatrical release in the United States on December 10, 2008.
Plot[edit]
A young woman, Wendy Carroll, is traveling to Alaska with her dog Lucy, where she hopes to find work at a cannery. They become stranded in Oregon when their car breaks down, and she lacks the funds to repair it due to her current state of Poverty.
Wendy leaves the car and proceeds to a gas station's restroom nearby to freshen up. At a supermarket nearby, Wendy leaves Lucy outside briefly while she attempts to shoplift dog food since her current supply of dog food has run out, and Lucy is clearly hungry. As she exits the store, she is immediately stopped by a store clerk and is apprehended and taken to the police station.
After paying a fine, Wendy is released from police custody. She hurries back to the supermarket to get Lucy but Lucy is gone. Eventually, Wendy asks the local security guard if there is a nearby dog pound/ Animal Shelter, and she goes there to leave Lucy's details in case someone has found her. Wendy goes to a car repair shop to talk about her broken down car with a mechanic, the mechanic says they will tow in the car and have a look at it. Later that night while sleeping out in the forest on cardboard planks, a mentally unstable man goes through Wendy' belongings than starts rambling about various things that make him angry about society. Wendy immediately gets up when the man leaves and she runs back to the gas station's restroom and starts crying.
The next morning, Wendy sits by where the security guard usually patrols waiting for his arrival in order to use his phone to check up on the dog pound. The security guard happily informs Wendy that she got a missed call from the pound. Through the phone call, Wendy discovers that Lucy was found by someone and subsequently taken in by them/rehomed. Wendy writes down the address of Lucy's new foster home and happily shares the news that Lucy has been found and is safe. Before leaving the security guard wishes Wendy well and gives her a small sum of money. Wendy thanks him for everything.
Wendy visits the mechanic and she learns that her car's engine needs to be rebuilt. Ultimately Wendy does not have the money needed to fix her car. Abandoning her car and nearly penniless, Wendy takes a cab to the address/home where Lucy lives. She tearfully reunites with Lucy through the garage fence of the house and promises to return to her once she has saved up the money needed. After bidding Lucy farewell, Wendy hitchhikes a Northbound train heading to Alaska and the movie ends.
Cast[edit]
- Michelle Williams as Wendy Carroll
- Walter Dalton as Security guard
- Will Patton as Mechanic
- Larry Fessenden as man in Park
- Will Oldham as Icky
- John Robinson as Andy Mooney
- Deirdre O'Connell (voice) as Deb
- Lucy as herself
Release[edit]
Box office[edit]
In its opening weekend, Wendy and Lucy grossed $18,218 in 2 theaters in the United States, ranking #54 at the box office. By the end of its run, Wendy and Lucy grossed $865,695 domestically and $326,960 internationally for a worldwide total of $1,192,655.[5]
Critical reception[edit]
The film has received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an 85% approval rating among 185 critics, with an average score of 7.4/10. The site's consensus reads "Michelle Williams gives a heartbreaking performance in Wendy and Lucy, a timely portrait of loneliness and struggle".[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7] The film won both Best Picture and Best Actress at the 12th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards.[8]
Accolades[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Wendy and Lucy (15)". British Board of Film Classification. January 27, 2009. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Solomon, Deborah (November 28, 2008). "Questions for Kelly Reichardt: Social Realist". The New York Times.
- ^ "Wendy and Lucy (2008)". The Numbers. December 10, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Kelly (Reichardt) and Lucy". YouTube.
- ^ "Wendy and Lucy (2008)". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. December 10, 2008. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
- ^ "Wendy and Lucy (2008)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ "Wendy and Lucy". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
- ^ Lacey, Liam; Dixon, Guy (December 17, 2008). "Toronto Film Critics choose indie over Hollywood". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Archived from the original on December 17, 2008.
- ^ "AFI Awards 2008". American Film Institute. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Knegt, Peter (December 9, 2008). ""I Think I've Come a Long Way": "Wendy and Lucy" Actress Michelle Williams". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Aftab, Kaleem (May 25, 2008). "Cannes 2008: Palm Dog News". IGN. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "2009, 15th Annual Awards, March 22, 2009". Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ Wilonsky, Robert (December 17, 2008). "Dallas Is a Nanny City After All, Courtesy The CW. Also: A Year-End Movie List". Dallas Observer. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "2008 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Sexual Abuse Family Drama Tops Sundance + Alzheimer's & Motherhood". www.altfg.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ "TFCA Awards 2008". Toronto Film Critics. December 17, 2008. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
