Blue Car

2002 Drama

The coming-of-age drama Blue Car is the directorial debut feature from actress Karen Moncrieff. Played by newcomer Agnes Bruckner, quiet high school student Meg lives in an apartment complex where she takes care of her troubled little sister, Lily (Regan Arnold), while her emotionally unavailable mom (Margaret Colin) is busy at work or school. Since her dad left, the family has been under financial strain and Lily suffers from starvation, delusions, and self mutilation. Meg maintains a calm demeanor and endures her responsibilities but unleashes her frustrations and pain through her poems, which she shares with her supportive English teacher, Mr. Auster (David Strathairn). With his encouragement, she wins a regional poetry competition and makes it to the finals in Florida. However, she is faced with repeating hardships as her sister's condition intensifies, she gets fired for stealing, and her mom kicks her out of the house. Temporarily staying with her friend Georgia (Sarah Beuhler), she meets the delinquent Pat (A.J. Buckley) and gets involved in some petty crime. Agnes eventually goes to Florida by herself, where she meets Mr. Auster's intelligent yet discontented wife, Delia (Frances Fisher), and she finds her relationship with him becoming more complicated. Blue Car premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. more..

Director: Karen Moncrieff

Starring: David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin, Frances Fisher, A.J. Buckley

Reviews

  • A memory of the automobile in which a father drove away from his family provides the title for Blue Car but no hint of the power of writer-director Karen Moncrieff's superb feature debut.

    Lisa Schwarzbaum - Entertainment Weekly

    19 January 2013

  • The ending of the film is as calculated and cruel as a verbal assault by a Neil LaBute character.

    Roger Ebert - The Chicago Sun-Times

    19 January 2013

  • Mr. Strathairn's complex, exquisitely nuanced portrayal of a man who goes over the line allows his character to be both hero and villain, sometimes at once.

    Stephen Holden - The New York Times

    19 January 2013

  • Even with its drawbacks, Blue Car remains an intimate, thoughtful drama, with a performance no one is likely to forget.

    Kenneth Turan - Los Angeles Times

    19 January 2013

  • Certainly no feel-good flick of the summer. But it's always tough and honest.

    Stephen Hunter - The Washington Post

    19 January 2013

Awards

  • New Directors Competition

    Chicago International Film Festival (2002)

     
  • Karen Moncrieff

    Deauville Film Festival (2002)

     
  • Best Female Lead

    Independent Spirit Awards (2004)

     
  • Karen Moncrieff

    Montréal World Film Festival (2002)

     
  • Best Feature Film

    Woodstock Film Festival (2002)