There are certain films that I categorize as “film school films.” They are not necessarily student films by any means. But what I mean by that term is that they are definitely films that are made to be scrutinized. They are challenging films to watch. They are films that are thought provoking and entertainment is really secondary to greater artistic forces or goals of the film. I saw a lot of them when I was in school and I don’t see them as often anymore. I now spend my time viewing the movies that get churned out by the Hollywood machine for mass consumption every week in theaters. I recently saw a “film school film” and it made me glad that some one is still making those movies, and I realized that I missed them. That film is “Wendy and Lucy.”

“Wendy and Lucy” is the story of a young woman who loses her dog. It really isn’t much more than that on the surface. But actually it’s about a lot of things. It’s about homelessness, and materials, and relationships with strangers. It’s about how the world treats people and about what things are valuable in our society. It’s about struggling and it’s about that special kind of love that people have with pets. The movie is completely naturalistic. That is, the story unfolds as it would in life. The film is a window into a few days in the life of this girl Wendy, beautifully portrayed by Michelle Williams. The film is also shot in a naturalistic way; mostly long, deep focus shots with minimal lighting. It is very deliberately paced. Some people might say that this film is slow, but the reality is it’s a beautiful and deeply touching film.

I might be a little biased about this movie since I am a pet owner. But where as a film like “Marley and Me” about a dog was totally manipulative (and totally terrible), this film depicts a woman’s relationship with her pet in an honest way. Her character is revealed through her determination to find and care for Lucy. This film is a beautiful meditation on the human condition in America. I know most people who read this will probably not appreciate this movie, because the people I saw it with did not. But it doesn’t change the fact that this is a beautiful work and a wonderfully refreshing film. Although it has a simple narrative, it is a potent film and I could watch a hundred movies like it and fall in love with them all.