Wendy and Lucy
User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 47
  3. Negative: 15 out of 47

Review this movie

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. JonathanF.
    Jan 24, 2009
    10
    a moving tale of a broke woman trapped outside a society that won't let her in. probably too slow for some, the movie has a quiet pace fitting to the life wendy desperately tries to make new again. as she fights her way to alaska where a job awaits, her car breaks down and she loses her dog, but as depressive the material is the film sits on michelle williams' quietly moving, and captivating performance. it's the most unrewarded, underappreciated performance of the year.… Expand
  2. AdamC
    Mar 1, 2009
    9
    Great slice of life film that shows what the real world is like. This is the type of movie that means more after a second viewing. I look forward to catching this film again when it makes its way to Blu Ray or DVD. Michelle Williams is absolutely absorbing and believable as Wendy in this decidedly realistic film.
  3. KR
    Mar 25, 2009
    10
    One of the best movies of 2008. A quiet, moving masterpiece that packs a powerful punch. If only all movies were so simple and spare. It's like a great Raymond Carver or Ernest Hemingway short story in its economy and simplicity. Not much seems to happen. And yet by the end, I felt deeply connected to these characters and really cared about what happened to them. Williams should have been nominated for an Oscar for her understated, beautiful performance as a quiet, strong woman living on the edge of society. And her love for her dog feels more real and powerful than many made up movie romances on screen. A real gem!… Expand
  4. JamesC.
    Dec 14, 2008
    10
    "Wendy and Lucy" is the American answer to the Dardenne brothers' "Rosetta" (1999). Kelly Reichardt has fashioned together a quiet 80-minute masterpiece of cinematic naturalism, unadorned by excess words or music or plot points. Reichardt lends not only an earnest, authentic voice but also a patient ear to the mass of common citizens quietly suffering under the weight of a hundred tiny daily struggles, forever on the fringes of the American middle class -- with the dream (or what's left of it) never quiet within their reach. And as for Michelle Williams....well, she is just exquisite, heartbreaking perfection.… Expand
  5. DarrylD.
    Jan 19, 2009
    10
    The pace of this film is as tentative as Wendy's situation. Flawless in its pitch-perfect sense of the place she is, the temperment of the people, and the wideness of the landscape. Kelly knows the area and has it's pulse down. Wendy's fears will grab the viewer, and for the too brief time this film is on, you are unquestionably with her, about her situation, and involved.
  6. anniem
    Feb 28, 2009
    10
    Agonizing for anyone with half a heart, and paying the slightest attention; all too true to life. Michelle Williams owns it.
  7. JohnnyH
    Apr 15, 2009
    10
    Poor Wendy. Poor Lucy. Poor us! Poor those who didn't see the value in this piece. Simple, honest, yet full of life; adventure, love, loss, kindness, and finally sacrifice. Full of aspiration and disappointment, dreams and stark cold reality. As much as I'd love to, I don't think I could bare to watch this one again. Where's my doggy? There you are! Such a good girl! ...Yes, I love you too, baby girl!… Expand
  8. DennisL.
    Dec 11, 2008
    10
    Actress Williams is so compelling, without being overly dramatic. A short and touching story, low-key, quiet, sad; you know something is deeply troubling Wendy; you see why her dog is important to her. It feels real, and that's always difficult for a movie to convey. Director Reichardt does a great job here.

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: Peter Rainer
    100
    Improbably, it's one of the most affecting films of the year, which once again demonstrates that all you need to make a good movie is talent.
    Read full review
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    91
    Wendy and Lucy is like "Lassie Come Home" directed by Antonioni. What's piercing about it, and also disturbing, is that Reichardt views the renunciation of society with something close to righteous purity -- as a lefty romantic dream.
    Read full review
  3. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Don R. Lewis
    70
    Unless you're an antsy movie-goer or have a cold heart, by the end of Wendy and Lucy, you'll be engrossed, hoping for the best possible outcome.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »