Redundant and unnecessary.

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Brilliant and touching

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Wendy and Lucy I watched some years ago and recently again. Fine performance by Michelle Williams - and Lucy (the dog). A fine little movie about a "loser" and outsider and her little world (lost in the middle of nowhere on the way to somewhere in a small town, car broke, only a little money left) and about a great decision and sacrifice to make. Heartwarming. Quiet. Good.

"Wendy and Lucy" tells a melancholic and harshly realistic story about what it's like living off you're last bit of money. As Wendy's struggles grow within the limited Oregon setting, it becomes clear just how bad her situation really is. Although the plot is limited, I found myself intrigued - not by some grandiose story - but by the humanism explored within this film. Kelly Reichardt's movie is not overly cinematic, nor is it spectacular and filled with wonderment, but it is human. It excels in portraying realistic characters who are struggling with problems most of us can empathize with.

I liked this movie for its minimalism and its characters. Its protagonist is a weak individual whose main source of emotional support is her dog. In the end she can't even protect the dog and leaves her with a better provider, thus leaving herself completely alone. This story is a kind of minor tragedy that emphasizes the downside of American individualism and what happens to a person when his or her support group collapses and they have nothing left. At the start of the picture Wendy's car breaks down and she meets the security guard that helps her push her car off of the parking lot. The guard represents the sole example of human kindness that Wendy experiences the movie. Wendy foolishly attempts to shop lift food for her dog and gets caught and sent to jail. She has to pay a large fine and her dog is gone when she is released. The rest of the movie is Wendy's search for her dog which she finds at the end. Her decision to leave her dog with the new owner is a personal tragedy for her because, as we see in the final scene, she is totally alone in a freight car facing a dangerous and uncertain future.I see this movie in political terms. Republicans that despise the poor and weak will hate this movie for the sympathy that it shows for Wendy. Most American movies emphasize strength or defiance in the face of injustice or adversity. The most that Wendy can do is cry in despair and cling to an improbable hope for the future. This is the core of the film's realism. Without a support group we are all like Wendy. The American myth of the rugged individual is a stupid lie.

Michelle Williams delivers a complex and layered performance in this film, as few of her peers can. Her chameleonesque abilities from one role to another continue to impress, whether the film(s) she is in measures up to her enormous talent. Recently, I watched and tried to like "Take this Waltz," but it was not possible despite the fact that I love seeing Michelle on screen (Brokeback Mountain, The Station Agent and Prozac Nation, to name a few) and wish Sarah Polley all the success she deserves (love your acting too, Sarah). Both actors typically outstrip their contemporaries; however, I digress. Wendy and Lucy captured my attention, made me smile and broke my heart, leaving many thoughts to ponder. Watch it and decide for yourself.