YNOT at the Movies

If you have enjoyed the director Kelly Reichardt's affecting film "Wendy and Lucy" (2008), starring Michelle Williams fifteen years ago, you will probably be eager to see her new film "Showing Up" (USA 2022 | 108 min.). This film is the latest collaboration of the two talented creative women, quietly portraying a sculpture artist, and her vibrant art community in Portland. Even though this art house film appears to be keenly observing the daily lives of these characters, you will be captivated by the tensions that are simmering beneath the calm surface.

During the opening credit, we are shown mesmerizing drawings of women figures nailed to the wall by the ceramic sculpture artist Lizzy (Michelle Williams). These are the blueprints for her work she creates in a garage downstairs serving as her studio. Lizzy rents her apartment from Jo (Hong Chau), a fellow artist also trying to make it in the art world. Despite sharing the same passion for creating art and the challenge of preparing for exhibitions, they are not really close friends, and Lizzy is not happy about Jo's procrastination in fixing the hot water.

The reserved Lizzy doesn't seem to have any close friends, nor is she particularly close to her divorced parents and mentally-ill brother Sean (John Magaro). She spends most of her time in solitary, creating art with the company of her cat. She also works in her mom Jean's (Maryann Plunkett) office which produces catalogs for artists. Lizzy is surrounded and influenced by people who are unpretentiously and deeply devoted to art, including her dad (Judd Hirsch), who is a retired artist hanging out with hippies. At school, everyone is immersed in their own creative worlds and enjoys making art in some form.

After Lizzy's cat injures a wild pigeon, it is rescued by Jo. Lizzy reluctantly agrees to take care of the pigeon for Jo, but she finds herself strangely attached to the bird. It becomes an outlet for her to channel her affection and care towards a living thing other than her ceramic sculptures.

Like those characters in this film, the director Kelly Reichardt also magically creates a piece of beautiful art with this absorbing film. Almost all the characters are as low-key and soft-spoken as Lizzy, and she manages to make these individuals incredibly vivid and mesmerizing. Despite the slow pace, there is no dull moment throughout the film. On the contrary, you often sense something drastic might happen as the film progresses.

Although both Michelle Williams and Hong Chau deserved yet failed to win the Academy Awards last month, they should be nominated again for their sublime performances in this film. They are absolutely marvelous and it's a great joy to see these two brilliant artists creating art, both as actors and as the characters they play.

"Showing Up" opens in the San Francisco Bay Area on Friday, April 14, 2023.