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 & 6 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Goofs

When Meg changes to join Auster and family on the beach, she has on a red bikini and over it, a red sweater. She has the sweater on when she gets there. But later, when Auster asks to "walk her home," she does not have the sweater, and Auster has to lend her his gray sweater to keep her warm.

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Quotes

[Repeated line]
Auster: Are you okay?

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Connections

Featured in Indie Sex: Teens (2007)

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Soundtracks

Spit Upon
Written by Theo Ezell, David Hayden and Kitusai
Performed by Theo's Thang featuring David Hayden and Kitusai
Music Animals Productions (ASCAP)

User Reviews

How Often Do You Get a Movie Featuring Poetry?

How often do you see a movie which does a good job of portraying the real complexities of a relationship? In other hands this would have ended up as a crass made-for-TV movie, but in Moncrieff's talented hands the characters have a real chance to be the flawed but still moving personalities they are. A wonderful and different coming-of-age story and a subtle treatment of several relationships, each of which turns out to be more complex than even the characters initially understand.

A great example of a fine film on a very modest budget. My only criticism is that I would have liked to hear more about the evolution of the story from the writer's perspective during the DVD commentary. That criticism has nothing to do with the film itself.

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 May 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blue Car

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

Gross USA:

$465,310

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$476,551

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