Wendy and Lucy

Recalling the list of movies we have discussed this semester, there is one that stands out as a suitable companion piece to Wendy and Lucy, and that is Killer of Sheep. Both films depict the protagonist struggling in society and both examine issues of poverty and class. In Killer of Sheep, the issue of race plays an added factor, whereas in Wendy and Lucy, the issue of class is related to gender. There are a few close parallels between the two films. In both, the issue of poverty and class is not resolved, the films end with the protagonist in much the same situation as they were when the film started. In Wendy and Lucy, Wendy almost seems to end up in a worse position than when she started. Initially, she had a car to sleep in and a dog to keep her company, but by the film's end, her car was sent to the shop and remains there since she can't pay for the repairs, and her dog is collected by the pound, where she gets adopted by another family. Wendy has plans for a brighter future however, as she promises to come back for the dog once she has made some money in Alaska. However, the fate of her journey remains a mystery. Her time in Alaska is not included in the story. In Stan's case, his plight does not necessarily end up worse off than before, but it does not improve. His friends try to involve him in a crime, which he manages to get out of, he unsuccessfully tries to replace his car's motor, and in general, society gives him a hard time with handling it all. In the end, he continues to work long, exhausting hours in the slaughterhouse while his family remains at home, by his side. Most importantly, he continues to be unable to alter the course of his life, no matter how hard he tries. Both movies paint dismal images of life in a world at or below the poverty line.


Interestingly, both of these films involve instances of damaged vehicles. Wendy's 1988 Honda Accord has a cracked engine and would cost $2000 to replace. Stan's vehicle also requires a new engine. In both cases, the characters are unsuccessful with replacing the part. Wendy can not afford a new engine and Stan's new engine fall out of his truck and cracks. These instances can be viewed as symbols of the lack of mobility each character faces in society. Both want desperately to improve their situation, but due to unfortunate circumstances, they are forced by society to remain where they are.


While each movie focuses on class and poverty, they present strikingly different scenarios. Wendy actually seems to face more hope and opportunities than Stan does. In her case, race doesn't play along side her struggle, if anything, her gender would factor in to the equation, but this doesn't seem to be the case. As a result of her race, Wendy is able to navigate society in a slightly easier manner than Stan. She is still scrutinized and is held accountable for her actions, such as shoplifting the dog food, but her race potentially softens the blow. After an initial run in with the Walgreens security guard, she gets along well with him, ultimately befriending him. Later on, he lets her borrow his phone to help her locate Lucy. If Stan were faced with a similar situation, the outcome may have been different on account of his race. One can not be certain, but it stands to reason, even on a small, almost unnoticeable level, the color of his skin would have affected the security guard's actions and feelings toward him. With Stan, as if being poor wasn't hard enough, his race plays against him when it comes to bettering his life. He is faced with stereotyping which prohibits him from exploring certain opportunities that would be inherently easier for Wendy.

O Brother!

Throughout the film O Brother Where Art Thou, there is a continuous theme of trust. The film revolves around three escaped convicts Everett (George Clooney), Pete (John Turturro), and Delmar (Tim Blake Nelson) who embark on a quest to find a hidden treasure. As we find out later in the film, Everett is the one who organized the prison break. Pete and Delmar simply followed him, enthralled by the notion of getting rich and living large. Right from the start, they trusted Everett was being open and honest. However, they eventually learn that he was just looking out for his own well-being. He did not escape to locate hidden treasure, instead he escaped so that he could stop his wife from re-marrying. In so doing, he screwed over Pete and Delmar who only had a little bit of time left on their prison sentences, but will now be faced with many more years in prison.

Later on in the movie, there is a scene when the Delmar thinks Pete has been turned in to a toad (he was actually handed over to the authorities). Delmar is very concerned about his friend, believing what he thinks is true and refusing to continue on the journey without Pete in hand. Everett shows less concern. His interest is on moving forward with their mission, with or without Pete. Everett is again showing that he is only interested in helping himself and that his companions are an afterthought. There is even a scene where Delmar is hit by the bible salesman who is wielding a tree branch. After he is struck, Everett shows no concern, he continues eating his lunch and talking passively with the salesman. Even as Delmar attacks the salesman and is again struck by the branch, Everett still shows no sympathy.

At one point, Everett and Delmar and the toad encounter a bible salesman (John Goodman) who leads them to believe he will teach them the secret to his craft so that they may prosper from the profits. This turns out to be a lie however. The bible salesman is only interested in self-gain and uses the situation to steal from Everett and Delmar. The scene starts out with a very wide shot of a farm field. In the middle ground there is a lone tree. On right side of the tree is a lake, and on the left is Everett and Delmar's car (which they stole). Everett, Delmar, and the bible salesmen can faintly be seen underneath the tree, eating a picnic lunch. The next shots are medium close-ups of the bible salesman, Delmar, and Everett, as they are finishing their meal and getting down to business. As the salesman is explaining the bible selling trade, the camera is still at a medium closeup and is at a low angle as a means to add authority to the salesman's pitch and allow the audience to see his hand movements. The camera angle remains low as the salesman breaks off a tree branch. Once he has branch in hand, the camera switches between shots of the salesman, of Delmar, and of Everett. The salesman hits Delmar, who then fights back, but is struck again. Everett remains seated on the ground, chomping on a piece of corn. At last, the salesman hits him too. After one more fight with Delmar, the salesman wins and steals Everett's money before throwing the toad out of the box and crushing it with his hand. Once the salesman is finished with his tirade and has his stolen money, he marches off to steal their car. At this point the camera is again at a low angle and it switches between shots of the salesman and extreme closeups of Delmar, who is yelling in distress over the toad being crushed.

Trust is a critical aspect of the movie, as it ultimately drives the plot. It is the reason Pete and Delmar follow Everett on the journey, why they are taken advantage of by the bible salesman and even why Everett sets out on his journey in the first place. Everett has trust that his wife will listen to him and stop her remarriage because of his presence. Although trust is mostly used as a tool for taking advantage of other people, it still plays an important role. Pete and Delmar are really the only characters who truly trust each other and look out for another through the entire movie. 

My Own Private Idaho

Throughout the film My Own Private Idaho, there are several scenes which I would consider to be fresh and new. In particular, one scene, or rather a recurring scene, sticks out as one of the freshest. The main character, Mike, (played by River Phoenix) suffers from narcolepsy. Periodically during the movie, generally after a stressful or difficult incident, he passes out. When this happens, the next scenes are of a dream world depicting Mike and his mother. It is these dream-like scenes that I feel create new and fresh images. For one thing, these scenes incorporate an interesting technique, whereby they appear to be “home movies”. The scenes appear less staged and more spontaneous than the rest of the film, the camera shakes, and the coloring is different. The coloring is darker, giving off an eerie twilight feel. This technique separates these scenes from the rest of the film, helping them stand out. What's interesting, is that these flashbacks sometimes occur while Mike is awake, as when Mike's father is telling the “truth” about Mike's mother. In addition, building on the “home movie” effect, these snippets of Mike's memory have no sound or dialogue. Occasionally, there will be a voice-over, but it is someone talking in the present, no one in the dream-like scene is saying anything.

Nobody besides Mike knows about these flashbacks, they are his private memories, or in other words, his “private idaho”. They are a place he can escape to when the going gets tough. While other people, his own father included, talk negatively about Mike's mother, his own dreams are always positive. They are the product of his own mind and conform to his feelings and memories. His life as a gay hustler seems to be an unpleasant one. I got the feeling that he wants more out of life, that hustling is just a means to get by until something better comes along. Despite his dismal reality, he knows he can always escape to his “private idaho” where life is pleasant, no one gives him a hard time, and he doesn't have to hustle to survive.