X
- 2016
- Unrated
- The Orchard
- 1 h 20 m
- 2016
- Unrated
- The Orchard
- 1 h 20 m
Summary Former high school sweethearts (Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass) reconnect after 20 years when they unexpectedly run into each other in their hometown. They spend the day together, sharing stories and rediscovering old feelings, as well as a big secret from their past.
Directed By: Alex Lehmann
Written By: Mark Duplass
- 2016
- Unrated
- The Orchard
- 1 h 20 m
- 2016
- Unrated
- The Orchard
- 1 h 20 m
Blue Jay
69
7.8
Where to Watch
Summary Former high school sweethearts (Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass) reconnect after 20 years when they unexpectedly run into each other in their hometown. They spend the day together, sharing stories and rediscovering old feelings, as well as a big secret from their past.
Directed By: Alex Lehmann
Written By: Mark Duplass
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
69
81% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 16 Critic Reviews
69
81% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
19% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Instead of treating puppy love like child’s play, Blue Jay savors the fantasy of foundations built in adolescence, kindled while the heart is still young, and draws out the agonizing reality that romance ultimately fizzles out of necessity as we age and mature.
Blue Jay never seems all that interested in breaking new ground, but its success at providing small pleasures – and memorable performances – makes it worth a look.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 38 User Ratings
7.8
82% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
18% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 38 User Ratings
7.8
82% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
18% Mixed
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
A quiet, bittersweet film with acting so natural, you feel as though a camera had been placed in the room by happenstance as it captures the interaction between our two leads. I watched this film expecting something real cheesy, and while it does have it's lighter, sillier moments, it's all and all very human, sometimes achingly so. If you have an hour and a half to kill and want to spend it watching something that captures the complexities and aches of a love long lost, give this little gem a shot. I believe I have found a new favourite film and seeing Sarah Paulson really shine in this role has earned her a permanent spot in my top ten favourite actors. She had impressed me with American Horror Story, but she blows me away here.
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Duplass and Paulson counteract the deliberately banal dialogue (Duplass also wrote the screenplay) with superbly anxious body language; Jim and Amanda’s “casual,” “amiable” chitchat is so painfully forced that it’s a wonder nothing ruptures.
Lehmann shot Blue Jay in a gorgeous black-and-white that looks like silver gelatin prints (a photographic process that captures boundless gradations of gray), which complements the story's heartfelt simplicity.
Lehmann’s real imprint isn’t found in the visuals, but in the performances evoked from both Duplass and Paulson. While the former may have the showstopper moments, it’s the latter who stands out.
Nostalgia gives way to melodrama, and dramatic truth to soapy histrionics, and Blue Jay falters on a formulaic revelation about mistakes made and lessons learned too late.
The largely improvisational approach as well as the limited settings and story arc also undercut the picture’s deeper dramatic potential — despite a powerful, beautifully performed finale.
'Blue Jay' is a stupendous story told with passion and great authenticity, let alone spontaneity. Kudos to Sarah Paulson and Mark Duplass.
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This film is like re-living high school and the feelings of young love in your high schools years battling with whatever currently is going on with your life, and the disparity between those two worlds, or what they could have been. Its probably one of the better sentimental love stories of the last few years, and may have you reminiscing yourself.
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I always liked Duplass as an actor but it wasn't until this movie that I really started to respect him as a writer. The film revolves around two former lovers reuniting after years apart with only a small bit part to a cashier at a store they use to visit. The film is strictly between the male and female leads, played by Duplass and Paulson, and both deliver great performances.
From the awkward reunion to the emotional breakdown at the end of the film, These two stayed true to the characters they played. It truly felt genuine watching them on screen, Their chemistry was through the roof and it really made this film so much better than what it could have been.
So hats off to Duplass for writing and acting in this very satisfying film. Go see it.
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Production Company
Duplass Brothers Productions,
Netflix,
The Orchard
Release Date Oct 7, 2016
Duration 1 h 20 m
Rating Unrated
Website
http://tiff.net/films/blue-jay/
Awards
Philadelphia Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
