The first film by Kelly Reichardt to be screened commercially in Portugal, “Wendy and Lucy” is the film which established her career as a filmmaker. Starring Michelle Williams (almost unrecognizable as Wendy) and Reichardt’s dog (Lucy), it is a more explicit expression of the director’s interest in the marginalised and underprivileged. Wendy, a young woman previously affected by a natural disaster (explained in the backstory), is looking for a new life in Alaska (where she hopes to get a job and earn some money). The plot begins when Wendy arrives in a small town in Oregon and is taken by surprise when her car breaks down. This is only the first of a series of minor events that combine to ruin her hopes: she is caught shoplifting in a supermarket and her dog disappears. The downward spiral of “bad luck” continues: the car cannot be repaired and Wendy, almost penniless, is forced to sleep in the street. “Wendy and Lucy” is adapted from another short story by Jon Raymond (“Train Choir”, also part of the “Livability” collection) and is very clearly a reflection on the downside of the American Dream. Wendy is a misfit, constantly rejected by society, for example in the scene where she is caught by a supermarket employee no older than herself who insists on calling the police, despite the fact that it is only a petty offence (involving a few tins of dog food). The pompous speech of the garage boss dealing with Wendy’s car is also a product of the small-town capitalism that scorns the girl whose destination now seems increasingly out of reach. The one person who pays her any attention, the security guard, is only friendly in passing (giving her six dollars). This film built on the critical success of “Old Joy” – featuring in various Best Film listings and screenings at film festivals and receiving nominations for the Independent Spirit Awards – and became the best box office success of Reichardt’s career up to this point.