It's about a desperately poor young woman who is travelling from Indiana to Alaska in search of (meager) employment. There isn't much of any explanation about who she is or where she is coming from in life, but you get the impression that nearly all of those details would be bad in some regard or another. I was left with the impression that she was travelling this great distance just because she felt like she had no other option. She isn't expecting anything fantastic, she's just expecting SOMETHING, which is far more than what she is accustomed to.
The movie follows what happens to her, and her pet dog Lucy, when her 1988 Honda Accord breaks down in a sleepy little town in Oregon. Without ruining things with details, suffice it to say that it is one bad turn after another.
Despite the incredible degree of sadness and hopelessness that the film inculcates in the viewer, I loved the movie because of the incredible amount of emotional depth and honesty. It might be hard for some people to imagine, or perhaps just to sympathize with, but for quite a few people in this world things like your car breaking down constitute an outright crisis. Especially for her, given that she was sleeping and living in her car and using it to travel a great distance.
One of the things that lets the viewer keep her or his head above water, so to speak, is a supporting character in the film, a security guard who patrols the Walgreens parking lot where her car initially breaks down. In keeping with the film's realism and honesty, he is a good guy in the sort of way that people might actually encounter in real life: he helps her out, but he's no hero. He's just a nice guy doing a little to help a little. There is so much hardship and tension and hopelessness in the movie, that seeing his character here and there is a welcome reprieve.
I would not recommend this film to anyone who has been suffering from a depression, because it is very bleak. Moreover, if you've lost a dog or any kind of pet and that emotional wound is still fresh in you, you might be better served by not seeing this movie. Further still, if you are the type that cannot sit still for movies of a slower pace, then you might not enjoy this either. But for most people, I think you will feel as I did and become overwhelmed with empathy for Wendy and Lucy more or less immediately. It's a great movie with a great heart about people that most would prefer to just forget about. After seeing this film, you'll never forget about them though. Highest possible recommendation.
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2021
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Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2020
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2020
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Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2020
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Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2012
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Top reviews from other countries
andy
Nor formulaic film
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 8, 2018Verified Purchase
S. Ahmad
A film with a message to make you think and reflect.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 29, 2009Verified Purchase
J. Russell
Engaging tale.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 6, 2013Verified Purchase
SeanO
Wendy and Lucy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2019Verified Purchase
James
Charming sweet movie if you prefer substance over the usual crap ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 9, 2016Verified Purchase
