Showing Up Trailer: Michelle Williams And Kelly Reichardt Reunite For A Tender Slice Of Life Drama
The title of "best Michelle Williams performance in recent years" is officially up for debate. This much, everyone can agree on: she absolutely dazzles in Steven Spielberg's autobiographical ode to cinema, "The Fablemans," stealing the show as the free-spirited mother who encourages Sammy's artistic sensibilities. But that just makes it all the more stunning to catch a glimpse of her in "Showing Up," where she plays a frazzled Portland sculptor whose professional and personal lives are crumbling around her. Based on early reviews out of Cannes and NYFF, this is yet another masterclass performance from Williams and another showcase for the talents of director Kelly Reichardt ("First Cow," "Night Moves").
Given Reichardt's track record with contemplative dramas about the American working class, the premise of "Showing Up" should be no surprise. Per the synopsis, "A sculptor (Williams) preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt's vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art & craft."
"Showing Up" also marks the fourth collaboration between Reichardt and Williams, who first joined forces with 2008's "Wendy and Lucy," a film about a woman and her lost dog. They later collaborated on "Meek's Cutoff," followed by "Certain Women" (which also starred Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern). Now the duo will continue their rewarding partnership with another close-up on the life of a Northwestern woman in distress.
Watch the Showing Up trailer
"Showing Up" takes place over the course of one frustrating week. The lead-up to Lizzie's big showcase involves finishing her latest sculptures, befriending a pigeon, raging against her landlord about the lack of hot water in her apartment, and generally being distressed about future prospects for her artistic career. Based on the trailer, a real centerpiece for the film looks to be her complicated relationship with Hong Chau's Jo — her neighbor, landlord, and artistic rival. The rest of the supporting cast includes André Benjamin, Judd Hirsch, John Magaro, Lauren Lakis, Denzel Rodriguez, Jean-Luc Boucherot, Ted Rooney, Maryann Plunkett, Heather Lewis, Ben Coonley, Chase Hawkins, Izabel Mar, and James Le Gross.
Will "Showing Up" be a worthy followup to Reichardt's critically acclaimed frontier drama, "First Cow"? Based on the chatter coming out of the festival circuit, it seems like a yes. In her NYFF review for /Film, Caroline Cao wrote, "In the hands of a less astute director, a portrait about a distressed artist — a sculptor in this case — may give into the worst impulses of indulgence or overexploitation. Luckily, director Kelly Reichardt never lets 'Showing Up' (a simple and sparing screenplay by writer Jon Raymond) stumble into any of those pitfalls."
"Showing Up" is directed by Reichardt, who co-wrote the script with her frequent collaborator, Jonathan Raymond. A24 plans to release the film in the spring of 2023.