WENDY AND LUCY directed by Kelly Reichardt, screenplay by Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond based on a Raymond story, with Michelle Williams, Will Patton, Wally Dalton, John Robinson and Larry Fessenden. A Mongrel Media release. 80 minutes. Opens Friday (February 6). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNNN
This blistering social critique wrapped in an urgent drama is built around an incredible performance by Michelle Williams as Wendy, a woman driving through Oregon on her way to Alaska with a few possessions, a dwindling supply of money and her enthusiastic dog Lucy.
Unexpected car trouble and an empty bag of dog food trigger a cascade of unpleasant events that send the increasingly desperate Wendy racing around a small town, bleeding cash and seeing her options melt away before her eyes.
The film works powerfully as both a wrenching character study and a mournful commentary on the economic desperation of rural Americans. The Toronto Film Critics Association named it the year’s best picture, with Williams winning best female performance.