Blue Car (2002)

A troubled young woman is encouraged by a teacher to enter a poetry contest.

Director:

Karen Moncrieff

Writer:

Karen Moncrieff

Stars:

David Strathairn, Agnes Bruckner, Margaret Colin

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
David Strathairn	...	Auster
Agnes Bruckner	...	Megan Denning (Meg)
Margaret Colin	...	Diane
Frances Fisher	...	Delia
A.J. Buckley	...	Pat
Regan Arnold	...	Lily
Sarah Buehler	...	Georgia
Dustin Sterling	...	Rob
Michael Joseph Thomas Ward	...	Dad (as Mike Ward)
Wayne Armstrong	...	Don
Aftab Pureval	...	Boy in Class
Wendy Lardin	...	Georgia's Mom
Jenn O'nofrio	...	Blonde Girl
Michael Raysses	...	Mr. Kastran
Amy Benedict	...	Diner Waitress

Storyline

Gifted 18-year-old Meg has been abandoned by her father and neglected by her hardworking mother. Left to care for her emotionally disturbed younger sister, her world begins to unravel. She finds an outlet in writing poetry and support from her English teacher, Mr. Auster. But what started out as a mentoring relationship begins to get a bit more complex.

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Plot Keywords:

poetry | contest | f rated | teenage girl | refusing to eat | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes it takes a journey to find yourself.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

A kék autó

Filming Locations:

Colonel White High School - 501 Niagara Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$30,087, 4 May 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$464,126, 20 July 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Peer Oppenheimer Production Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 88 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, 2002.

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Goofs

The application form that Meg fills out for the poetry contest says her poem is entitled "Blue Car", although at that point she has not yet written the poem or given it a title.

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Quotes

[Repeated line]
Auster: Are you okay?

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Connections

Featured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004)

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Soundtracks

Under the Willow
Words and Music by Mark Lerner
Performed by Rosine
Vocals by Nancy Lynn Howell
(c) 2000 Rag & Bone Shop (BMI)

User Reviews

Finally, a coming of age/ school film that strays from the normal school formula of a John Hughes's film

Blue Car is a dramatic story about a young teenager (Agnes Bruckner) that is over taken by the bad hand she was dealt in life. Trying to juggle school with a harsh family situation, she has become a product of her misfortunes making her that cliché isolated, depressed, quiet girl. With an absent father, disturbed mother, and a suicidal sister, she seems close to the breakdown point. However, a hopeful teacher (David Strathairn) comes a long and opens up a world to place her troubles upon... a world of poetry. The story follows her adventure of dealing with home problems while attempting to be prominent in a large poetry contest. Meg finds herself basking in a deep metaphorical state of catharsis as she seeks to find answers in a poem she writes about her father, titled Blue Car.

Finally, a coming of age/ school film that strays from the normal school formula of a John Hughes's film. The film's dramatic unexpected twists and turns will entice you to be emotionally involved with the characters on a seemingly depressed, yet interesting level. Fantastic film making teams up with even better acting to portray a film that is not only intriguing but important. This films proves that a budget can carry a film so far, and the rest lie with the actors and artistic view of the film makers involved. Director Karen Moncrief carefully films this story, exploiting her points through different film techniques. The story almost reads as a poem itself... the story is slow but moved gently and rings true to all who can relate. Actors Agnes Bruckner, and David Strathairn are two forces not to be reckoned with. The characters portrayed by the actors truly carry this film... making it an emotional journey for all who watch. If you appreciate superb acting and film making that pays more attention to realism and truth, you will enjoy Blue Car.