BLUEBIRD
US, 2013, 90 minutes, Colour.
Amy Morton, John Slattery, Louisa Krause, Emily Meade, Margot Martindale, Adam Driver.
Directed by Lance Edmands.
Bluebird is a very interesting and challenging film, small-budget, filmed in Maine during the winter. The setting is a small town, interestingly re-created, homes, school, clubs, hospital and the logging site and the transporting of the wood.
The film won the Ecumenical Award in Karlovy Vary where the four women in the cast were awarded the best actress prize. Amy Morton is Leslie, a middle-aged bus driver for 12 years, married with a husband who has had an affair, is in financial difficulties with his logging company, prone to angry outbursts. Their daughter does not communicate with her parents, is seeing the boy for sex who then ignores her, and at the end has an outburst against her father. The other two female characters are a grandmother and mother, mostly seen at the hospital where a young boy has been admitted, frozen overnight in the bus.
Leslie’s life is changed, she is charged with criminal negligence and interrogated by the police. While the grandmother is more sympathetic, the mother, who is sexually promiscuous and drug-prone, is a highly aggressive, avoiding any blame, especially when her mobile phone was turned off when her mother contacted her about the news.
The film is comparatively brief but has many detailed scenes bringing to life all the characters and the terrible situation which changes all their lives.
1. A local film? The state of Maine? The universal values? The portrait of human nature?
2. A Swedish- American production? The similarities between Sweden and Main?
3. Maine, the town, the logging industry, transport of the logs, hard work? The school bus and travel? The diners, the karaoke? The hospital? The police stations? The countryside, in winter, the snow, the forests? An authentic feel? The musical score?
4. The title, Leslie and her seeing the Bluebird in the bus, the distraction? Seeing the bluebird around the house, hearing it? Symbolic?
5. Leslie as the focus, her age, experience, married life, taking her husband for granted, his taking her for granted, the details of home, housework, cooking, meals? The relationship with Paul, the difficult relationship? Driving for 12 years, the relationship with the children, the boy and his hat? The Bluebird, the negligence, called criminal negligence? At home, the meal, Paula not eating, going out? Going to work, the discovery of the boy, her response? The police, the interrogations, explanations, the effect, shock? Withdrawing? Trying to sleep? The police questioning her? The possible charges? Richard and his attention? Going to Paula’s concert? distracted, cutting her finger while fixing the vegetables? The decision to go to see Marla? Marla’s attack on her? Her trying to explain? The threat of litigation? The driver, her crash, sitting in the snow, phoning Richard? Coming to get her after searching for her?
6. Paula, her boyfriend, at school, the performance, at home, going out, the meals, her mother defending her, her strong attack on her father? The sexual encounter, her urgency? Seeing the boyfriend the next day, his casual manner and her being upset? Phoning her mother again, with her parents?
7. The boy, his mother, frozen in the bus? His mother and the karaoke, her boyfriend and sex in the car? Not having her phone on? Getting the news, upset, her mother at the hospital, talking with her, the intervention of the lawyer? Leslie’s visit, attack on Leslie, going to smoke, the visit, the boy recovering? Her comments about the difficulties in her mind?
8. Crystal, her past, grandmother, at the hospital, the phone call, rebuking her daughter, keeping vigil, the good news of a possible recovery?
9. Richard, his work, the companies and their folding, his angers, the accident and his attack on a fellow worker? His friend, the discussions? His prospects? At home, Leslie, relationship with Paula? At the recital, meeting his former girlfriend – the atmosphere, her coming on to him, Leslie’s reaction?
10. The boyfriend, the relationship with Paula, sex, casual, the next day?
11. The experience of the unexpected, blame and no blame, changing people’s lives, having to cope?
