Katie Says Goodbye

Greetings again from the darkness. This little gem played at the 2017 Dallas International Film Festival, and at that time, I wrote about how writer/director Wayne Roberts was one of the new and most exciting filmmakers to burst on the scene. Now, more than two years later, the film is finally getting the distribution it deserves, and I still worry there will be those who decry another film exploiting women as a victim of society. I also still stand behind my case that there is another way to view the story of Katie, a good-hearted dreamer played beautifully by Olivia Cooke ("Bates Motel", THOROUGHBREDS, READY PLAYER ONE).

Initially, Katie's unflappable optimism seems unlikely, if not impossible. She walks miles to work along a dusty highway. She lives in a trailer park with her deadbeat mother (Mireille Enos), whom she supports both financially and emotionally. She works double-shifts as a waitress at a truck stop, where she's known to toss in a couple extra bucks when a particularly frugal customer stiffs the other waitress. She also works a side job as a prostitute for locals and a regular trucker named Bear (Jim Belushi). Despite a life filled with *stuff*, Katie doggedly pursues her dream of saving enough money to move to San Francisco and become a hair stylist. Of course, since she's cursed with a heart of gold, she has to save enough money for her own trip AND for her mother to live on. Her dream seems lofty, yet almost achievable.

When Katie falls for Bruno (Christopher Abbott), the new guy in town, she tries her best to fall in love and pull him into her dreams for a better life. It doesn't take long before Bruno is made aware of Katie's side job, and her fantasy world begins to crumble. On a daily basis, Katie happily (of course) drinks up the truck stop wisdom of diner owner Maybelle (Mary Steenburgen), who spouts such gems as "A man with a smile will hurt you". Good intentions abound here, but we realize ... even if Katie doesn't ... that the reality of people's self-interest is the immovable object that so often tears down the dreamers of the world.

As with much of life, one's enjoyment of the film is likely contingent upon the perspective you bring. A caustic, cynical view will have you waving off Katie's lot in life as exploitive movie-making; while those who can share even a spoonful of Katie's spirit, will find themselves rooting exuberantly for her dreams to come true ... or at least to sustain her refreshing outlook on life and people. Director Roberts recently released his newest, THE PROFESSOR, starring Johnny Depp. He remains a filmmaker to follow.

I found it one of the hardest films to watch that I have ever seen. Olivia Cooke as always was sensational. Her performance as the wounded bird doing her best to be nice and upbeat as she gets by in a poverty stricken Arizona town feels so real. With her dead beat mum doing nothing but drag her down it hits so many heart strings. Their drab live in their trailer home was so believable and you begin to care so much for Katie due to the performance of Olivia that when people treat her so badly it becomes more heart breaking as it goes. Yes it is harsh but its real not everyone lives a good life and this show how hard it is to be poor in any country not just the states and the things people do to get by in a broken life. I was an extra on The Limehouse Golem with Olivia so I know how small she is and that added to my discomfort and the urge to want to give her a hug.

Well. What a film and what a performance by Olivia Cooke. Such a gentle creature as portrayed and yet the world vomits on her eiderdown. I would cheerfully kill those people who were so cruel to her and yet her spirit seems to be unbroken, depending on how you interpret the ending.

Sensitively written and directed and good acting by all - it has to be if, as I did, you feel that you'd like to punch many of them in the face.

When you want to see a a sad but accurate view of the cruelty of mankind here's a brilliant example. In the same class as Monster with Theron and Ricci. Memorable

This movie is a real life gritty drama. Katie (Olivia Cooke) and her Mother live in poverty and sell their bodies to make ends meet. Katie is saving up to move away from it all to California when she meets a man she falls in love with. Simple story but a very important one, I fear this is every day life for more young women than we realise. It's a movie not without some flaws but powerful and keeps you watching. Olivia Cooke shows us just how strongly talented she Is in this very tricky role. Just recently in my own life I've been faced with moving away to the other end of the world alone and starting life for myself and it's not an easy task. So there were parts to this movie I could relate to. Katie is more decent than the majority of people despite what she does to earn extra money, good morals and kindness, willing to take the blame for things she didn't do. 8/10

CJR

I'm all for a heart wrenching drama about someone who's down on their luck, but Katie Says Goodbye has 0 bright parts to it.

Katie, played beautifully by Olivia Cooke is an extremely naive waitress having sex on the side for money to fund an ambitious move to San Francisco.

She's a character that's too good for this terrible world, which is clearly what the writers are trying to portray. But they lay this notion on too thick, with one terrible circumstance after another and not a single moment to counterbalance this, the result? Katie as a character becomes one-note.

Like I said, this movie has a great performance by Olivia Cooke and is worth watching just for her.