ckdos2 Bravo to both Kelly Reichart and Michelle Williams for 'Wendy & Lucy' which was ahead of its time. This powerful movie was mostly ignored by Hollywood in 2008 when it was produced because it exposes the frightening economic hardships of America's homeless which are now the highest since the Great Depression. The facade of Hollywood often won't allow itself to crumble to the neo-realism of America's underbelly especially in the land of illusions. You're welcome to Disneyland, but just don't look too close or you might see the groups of homeless people sleeping under the freeway overpasses. So who wants to hear about a girl and her beloved dog...anyway? Give us gangsters and guns, and billions and lies, more car chases and gratuitous violence. Aren't we all wealthy in America as we drive our gas guzzling SUV, live in our new home and pull out our credit cards? Just don't tell anyone that the bank owns us and if we miss only one payment, we might end up just like Wendy and Lucy...on the streets.'Wendy & Lucy' challenges the viewers to acknowledge the homeless as human beings, not just as bums to be scorned. Sometimes fate throws us bad news and we need a helping hand. Many times homeless people are like homeless pets, not there through their own device.By the way, where is Michelle William's Oscars? She was supreme as Diana and Marilyn. And...just how many Oscars does Meryl Streep really need...anyway? Hello.

bandw Wendy is a young woman who takes out from Indiana in her old Honda Accord with the goal of going to Alaska where, she has been told, there are jobs in the canning industry. Wendy's traveling companion is her dog Lucy. In a small Oregon town Wendy's car breaks down, she is caught shoplifting, and she loses her dog. Without friends or family or a job what does this young girl do? That's the story, with few details left out.I usually like quiet movies, but this one proves that I have my limits. My irritation with the movie and with Wendy began from an early scene that is a long take simply of Wendy walking along with Lucy while humming a nondescript tune. That scene went on so long that I thought it would resolve into something of import, but in fact it merely presaged many such scenes. Perhaps these scenes are there to show how rootless and adrift Wendy was, but I got enough in the first scene. So, a good part of the movie has Wendy walking around while another significant chunk is spent on Wendy's wandering all over the town and countryside yelling "Lucy," after her lost dog. The damn dog was clearly taken, leash and all, from the bike rack. Wendy's interminable and fruitless calling out grated on me to the point that I almost bailed.I got so frustrated with Wendy's bad decisions that I wanted to scream at her. Her first bad decision was to undertake the trip in the first place. If she was desperate enough for work and ambitious enough to undertake the trip, surely she could have vectored her desire for work and her energy in a more constructive way. OK, young people do impulsive, stupid things, but rarely do they persist in the face of the stark reality that Wendy was up against. I was equally irritated by the people that Wendy dealt with. Why didn't one of them at least try to talk to her about her situation--it was clear that she was at sea. Wendy was neither a druggie nor mentally ill. If you came across such a non-threatening, attractive young woman in such straits, would you not at least want to see what you might do to help? Is the safety net in the US so weak that there was no social service that could be called upon? The friendly security guard has nothing but my scorn. He saw exactly what was happening and what did he do? In a guilt-appeasing magnanimous gesture he solemnly handed Wendy six dollars.The ending can be nothing but depressing. From Wendy's walk in the woods we see that it is autumn, and she is heading to Alaska with no suitable gear, not even a sleeping bag. Does she have the personality or wits to survive? I think not. Within a few days or weeks she will be homelessness or dead--take your pick.I like Michelle Williams and she does give this loser a good try; her performance is a positive.

richielouispaulm It always amazes me how a $200,000.00 low budget movie can move me more that a $200,000,000.00 computer generated piece of crap!!!! This "little" movie obviously is a prime example...You can actually feel the desperation and subtle panic in Michelle Williams' character in the market and garage. The scene with Lucy towards the end is heart-wrenching. Michelle Williams will win an Oscar someday!!! Great Little movie.......Great Little Movie......Great Little Movie......Great Little Movie......Great Little Movie....Great Little Movie......Great Little Movie......Great little Movie.......Great Little Movie...Sorry for so many "Great Little Movie" statements but I had to have a minimum of 10 Lines!!!

Chris Smith (RockPortReview) Michelle Williams is an extremely talented actress who flies under the radar of most movie goers. While keeping a quiet public profile she does all of her talking on the big screen. Although she was nominated this year for Best Actress in her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe, Williams gravitates towards small independent films rather than Hollywood blockbusters. My next three reviews will feature Ms. Williams in a few of her best roles. First up is the 2008 film "Wendy and Lucy" directed by Kelly Reichardt.Made on shoestring budget in Oregon this film is an understated character study of a young woman and her dog as they head for better life. Their goal is Alaska and a lucrative job at a fish cannery. The film is minimalist, but high on emotional impact and feeling. Wendy and her companion, a yellow lab mix named Lucy, currently live in their old Honda Accord. After sleeping the night in a Walgreen's parking lot, a kind old security guard must have her move. The car doesn't start and so begins a turning point not only in her trip but her life. She tracks every cent she has in a journal and its getting pretty low. A bad decision at a supermarket and a heartless ass kissing stock boy gets Wendy in trouble with the law. Lucy is left tied to a bike rack outside the market while Wendy is booked for petty theft. A number of hours pass until Wendy is freed and fined $50. She races back to Lucy but she is gone. She finds little help with the indifferent locals and her dilemma only intensified. The one bright spot is the security guard played by Wally Dalton, offering his cell phone and a kind ear.She makes her way to the pound but Lucy isn't there, just a bunch of other lost or abandoned dogs. She has to pay to have her car towed to the repair shop which is only a block away. The mechanic delivers some bad news, the car is dead. Without her car, her sanctuary, she tries spending the night in the woods. It's not long until she is freaked out and nearly attacked by another vagrant. At the end of her rope she calls her estranged sister and gets a big load of nothing. I don't want to throw too many spoilers out there but after some painful choices life must move on.Wendy's struggle unfold like a sort of documentary rather than a film. There is no musical score and the filmmakers are committed to realism. Michelle Williams IS Wendy as she completely commits to this role. Many people agreed as she was nominated for a handful of awards. The movie itself won the AFI's Film of the Year Award. "Wendy and Lucy" is available on Netflix watch instantly.