Wendy and Lucy (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:119
Rotten:22
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Michelle Williams gives a heartbreaking performance in Wendy and Lucy, a timely portrait of loneliness and struggle.
Theatrical Release:Dec 10, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $700,720
Synopsis: On the heels of her critically lauded OLD JOY, Kelly Reichardt delivers another deeply resonant portrait of a dying America with WENDY AND LUCY. In OLD JOY, two men provided the heart and soul of... [More]
Starring: Michelle Williams, Walter Dalton, Will Oldham, Larry Fessenden
Director: Kelly Reichardt
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Reviews for Wendy and Lucy
| Tomatometer | Critic | Review | Category |
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 3/4 |
Kelly Reichardt spends the 75 minutes of Wendy and Lucy weaving an intimate, narrowly focused story of unanchored life on the road and just how tenuous such an existence is. Full Review |
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Bruises while barely raising its voice Full Review |
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4/5 |
If Wendy and Lucy isn't the most dynamic movie around, at least its tone and approach are sure-footed and appropriate. Full Review |
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4/4 |
Wendy and Lucy gets under your nails, which is to say, it's the stuff of life. Full Review |
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Click to read the article Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
Director co-writer Kelly Reichardt ... has fashioned a cautionary tale for the ages. Full Review |
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91/100 |
...an American Bicycle Thief, a simple, powerful film about the oppressive indignity of being poor in a wealthy country. Full Review |
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3.5/4 |
This is not a saccharine, Marley & Me-type tale, but a wrenchingly ordinary story, emotionally manipulative in its own way -- I know my heart was in my throat -- about poverty in the land of plenty. Full Review |
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 3/5 |
A year from now it won't be a blip on my conscious mind. If someone mentions it to me, it'll register as 'oh, yeah, that depressing movie about the woman and her dog.' Full Review |
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4/6 |
[Williams] doesn't have to say much to convey the deep wells of hurt that Wendy's carrying around, and they're all the more poignant for remaining unspoken. Full Review |
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For thoughtful filmgoers, this is a very timely and affecting study of what happens as one by one social props are stripped away and ties are broken. Full Review |
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If you've ever lost a pet dog, or found yourself at the wrong end of an irreparably diminished bank account, Wendy And Lucy is the kind of film that will break your heart. Full Review |
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3.5/5 |
Kelly Reichardt's devastating little film has attracted a lot of admiration since its debut at Cannes last year, partly because of its timeliness. Full Review |
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2.5/5 |
The narrative has been pared to the bone, and that was a problem for me. We know nothing about Wendy, who she really is, why she left Indiana, what she hopes to do in Alaska -- apart from find a job. Full Review |
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4/5 |
The affecting, minimalist film Wendy and Lucy proves that small-town dramas aren’t dead, but small towns, at least in the Mellencamp-idealist sense, are. Full Review |
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Exquisitely simple, this pearl of a film is an ode to freedom. Full Review |
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2.5/4 |
The performance ranks right behind Melissa Leo's amazing thespian turn in "Frozen River." Full Review |
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3/5 |
Williams and Patton and the folks of this corner of Oregon serve up a slice of "indie" that, if it doesn't reach the level of "inspires," at least feels timely and true. Full Review |
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3/4 |
Its effortless evocation of poverty’s emotional brutality could hardly be more topical. Full Review |
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2/4 |
It's easy to mistake the film's luxurious pacing and other minimalist filmmaking techniques for self-indulgence and navel-gazing introspection. Full Review |
CommentLatest News for Wendy and Lucy
December 17, 2008:
Toronto Critics Love Wendy and Lucy 
The Toronto Film Critics Association broke with the pack this week, awarding "Wendy and Lucy" Best Picture honors for '08. More...
December 15, 2008:
AFI Names 2008's Finest Films
The results are in, and the AFI has spoken: "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Frost/Nixon," "Frozen River," "Gran Torino," "Milk," "WALL-E,"... More...
December 09, 2008:
Trailer & Poster review
More...
December 03, 2008:
Independent Spirit Award Nominations Announced
The Independent Spirits have announced their nominations for this year's awards. Frozen River, Rachel Getting Married, Ballast, Wendy And Lucy and The Wrestler are all up for... More...
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