Blue Car

BLUE CAR (2003) **** David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin, Frances Fisher, A.J. Buckley, Regan Arnold, Sarah Beuhler, Dustin Sterling, Mike Ward. Excellent indie festival hit about a teenage girl (Bruckner in a heartbreakingly raw turn) whose only solace from her crumbling domestic life is in her gift as a poet is mentored by her well-meaning but clearly coercive English teacher (Strathairn in one of his best performances) who goads her into a contest. First time filmmaker Karen Moncrieff delivers a truly audacious debut with a gift for character development and strong narrative as well as a shrewd cast (Colin gives her best turn too as Bruckner's downward spiraling mom and young Arnold as her baby sister is absolutely stunning) adds a lift above the norm in coming-of-age flicks that resonates with pitch-perfect depictions of a young woman coming into her own. One of the year's best films.

I've visited IMDb frequently in the past and have voted on over 250 films, but the previous comments regarding this film compel me to write my first review. "Blue Car" is, like most films, not without its flaws, but its strengths make it, in my opinion, one of the best American indie films I've seen for quite some time.

"Blue Car" is a movie that lacks clear villains; its characters are imperfect people who sometimes make the wrong decisions. I read a flattering review before seeing the movie, which I later regretted... The review gave away just enough to make me anticipate the film's climax and resolution, a reason why I have decided to remain conspicuously vague here.

The film is about Meg Denning (sp?), a troubled high school student whose poetry impresses her AP English teacher. Meg is still struggling to overcome the emotional abandonment she experienced after her father left. Her sister is likewise depressed and refuses to eat. Her mother is preoccupied with her job and night school. I realize these issues have been dealt with so thoroughly by Disney and Hollywood hacks that they have almost become cliche. Nevertheless, the fact that these situations are relatively commonplace make the story more plausible. The dialogue never degenerates into the pathetic sentimentalism one expects from Spielberg... The dialogue is robust -- the film's characters are dealt with fairly and realistically.

At the suggestion of her English teacher, Meg enters a poetry contest... As Meg's family problems are compounded by subsequent events, she begins to rely increasingly on her AP English teacher for encouragement, emotional support, and self-affirmation...And then, being as vague as possible, complex situations emerge... :o)

Every character in the film has sympathetic qualities. You might not agree with the decisions they make, and some of their actions might even disturb you...But in this age of simpleminded, dualistic rhetoric, when politicians talk about Good and Evil as though life were an episode of "He-Man," "Blue Car" is a refreshing film filled with characters who occupy the grey void lurking between black and white.

The film is not perfect. Certain events occur involving Meg's sister Lily, which are pivotal to the movie. I'm not that fond of how the film deals with Lily's emotional troubles, and facts surrounding the culmination of Lily's troubles are, in my mind, highly questionable. (Sorry. I can't be more specific without ruining the movie. If you see it, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.) These minor flaws are well worth overlooking.

Unfortunately, film as an industry is as white-male dominated as the field of theoretical physics -- perhaps even more so. It is sad indeed that the greatest living female director is probably Leni Riefenstahl, the despicable opportunist whose masterpieces include "Triumph of the Will."

That being the case, Karen Moncrieff's debut comes as a relief. She has proven herself to be a talented, insightful, up-and-coming director whose career will be worth keeping an eye on. Overall, I give the film a 9.

Ah, the romantic enigma that is the English teacher. Only Hollywood could bring these bookworms into the heroic light usually reserved for legendary leaders and men of action. Look at Robin Williams in "Dead Poets Society" and you'll find the prime example of this species. A man who moves throughout his classroom spouting lines of inspiration as important as any presidential address. A voice who encourages his students to embrace their independence and seize the day.

Now meet David Strathairn as Auster in "Blue Car". A man who actually looks and acts like the disheveled English teacher you had in high school. An inspiration only to those too lost and vulnerable to find it elsewhere. Like Meg - an 18 year old girl whose gift for poetry is the only good thing to emerge from an otherwise miserable life.

Played by Agnes Bruckner in a brilliantly understated performance, Meg writes about what she knows. And, unfortunately for her, all she knows is pain. The pain of her parent's divorce and the abandonment she felt when her father drove away for one last time in his blue car. While her classmates laugh at her poem, her teacher pulls her aside and tells her to "dig deeper". At first, it appears he may be trying to further untap her hidden talent, and help her to begin a kind of healing process. But, as he takes her under his wing, his motives seem to grow less noble and more selfish as it appears he is the one in need of healing.

Writer/Director Karen Moncrieff takes on an obvious point of view for the film. In every scene, we can't help but connect with Meg. Everyone seems to want a piece of her. From her mother to a passing acquaintance with a true delinquent, we watch as they befriend her and then cast her aside after she fufills their need. After a while, you just sit back and begin to wonder how much more of this she can take.

It should come as no surprise then that the relationship she nurtures is the one with Auster. In her mind, he can be all things for her - mentor, friend, lover, and most of all, father. It is her changing view of him that anchors the film and, when she finally sees him for what he is, leads her to an ending we can only hope will be better for her.

Rating [on a 5 star system] : 3 1/2 stars

Bright and attractive but vulnerable and sad-eyed, Megan Denning lives in a deplorable situation in Ohio. Her single mother Diane works full-time and attends evening school. She is so engrossed with herself that she not only lends no support to Megan, but also expects her daughter to help her. Megan's emotionally disturbed little sister Lily mutilates herself and eats very little, if anything. Divorced dad is out of contact and remains behind in his sixty dollars per week support payments.

Still worse yet, Megan has not a single adult person to fall back on. It does appear that she catches a break when Mr. Auster, her high school English teacher, begins to mentor her, and encourages her talent in poetry writing, her emotional outlet. Megan had impressed Auster with her poem, "The Blue Car," about the time her father moved out and left in his … blue car. Auster asserts that Megan can do even better, and perhaps enter the state contest where he is one of the judges. After that there is the national poetry competition in Florida. At the beginning Auster keeps his distance, and uses his authorial demeanor to his own good advantage. He gives Megan an A+ for a poem, and writes "Be brave," a possible double entendre. Megan finds a chocolate car wrapped in blue with her belongings, a present from the teacher. Auster gives his student a ride home in his car, and then shares his lunch more than once. Gradually closing in, like a lion on an antelope, Auster is available for emotional support when a tragedy strikes the Denning family. He hugs Megan deeply. The flawed Auster is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and Megan is aloof to the danger. Along the way she makes several wrong decisions without apparent regret. Will she be able to extricate herself in the end?

This is a serious and depressing story, not a romance. Supporting the movie is the good acting while the characters are more than one-dimensional.

After seeing Agnes Bruckner's memorable performance in "Rick" (a modern re-imagining of the opera "Rigoletto"), I had to see what else she has starred in. Even better was her performance in this film "Blue Car", a coming-of-age film that boldly crosses boundaries that mainstream Hollywood wouldn't dare touch.

I'm not just talking about the scandalous older guy & young girl theme which has been done before ("American Beauty", "Lolita", and almost every Woody Allen movie ever made), but in particular I'm referring to disturbing issues teenagers and kids face today: self-harm, self-mutilation and suicidal thoughts. Don't worry, there's nothing explicit. But the fact that these issues are even presented sets this movie on a different level.

Other rare & unheard-of films that touch on these modern teen problems are "Archie's Final Project" (about a high school kid who decides to videotape his last days before killing himself), "Angela" (about 2 young sisters who create a fantasy world of angels & demons to cope with their real life traumas), and the very dark & very creepy "Tideland" about a young girl who creates a nightmarish world around her to try to protect her corroding innocence.. "Blue Car" fits right in there, probably the tamest of the bunch but not without its own hard-hitting moments. I think it would be appreciated by most mid-to-late teenagers whose minds are asking deep questions about life. I'm way past that age, but I still found it compelling and impressive all around. An excellent starring debut by Agnes Bruckner as well as directorial debut from Karen Moncrieff.