I love this movie so much

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

...despite its somewhat melodramatic plot line, far, far worse indeed. Writer/director Karen "The Dead Girl" Moncrieff's tyro effort benefits immensely from the impressive acting chops of (then) newcomer Agnes "Blood and Chocolate" Bruckner and the already well developed talents of David "Good Night, and Good Luck" Strathairn. The film's central theme of naive youth overcoming adversity is nothing new, nor are the particulars of broken adults taking advantage of vulnerable, trusting innocence, but the relative delicacy with which Moncrieff handles all the soapy goings-on puts "Blue Car" miles ahead of like-minded indies (cf. "The Good Student"), allowing Bruckner, Strathairn, and the rest of the ensemble something of substance to latch onto and form characters that the viewer actually cares about. "Blue Car" may only be a step or two above mediocre movie-of-the-week fare, but they're still admirably significant steps.To be honest, I'm mostly motivated to comment on this title because it was shot in and around my home town. Interestingly, beyond one bit of dialogue and a (very) few recognizable locations, you'd never know it. The interiors for the "Florida" poetry contest, for instance, were shot in Ohio (as was most of the film), and although specifically placed in that state, "Blue Car" is pretty much an Anywhere, U.S.A. story. It's a character piece, and if not high art, it's still aiming for the sky.Of definite interest to Bruckner or Strathairn fans, as well as a fine bit of foreshadowing to Moncrieff's far superior "The Dead Girl," "Blue Car" is still worth a watch to anyone who enjoys a nicely told story from the heart. Its paucity of budget may be more than visible, but there's no cheapness in its intent. Recommended.

Blue Car is not as classic as Truffaut's "The 400 Blows", but it may be a distant relative about how a teenager is trapped by circumstances beyond his or her control while growing up. Both use the sea in the films to show their metaphorical entrapment in a world where adults may either not have the time to give a damn, or in Car's case, want to use the child for their own needs. Despite what the DVD/VHS box says, comparing "Blue Car" to "American Beauty," Car is about a woman-child trapped in this world while "American Beauty", showed a man-boy who never really escaped from the pressures and stupidity of the adult world until his death. Spacey's character grew up trapped until his final days.The protagonists in both "400" and "Car" are smart. They worship Balzac and English poetry, respectively. But they can't escape what fate has given them -- the cards are to hard to deal with without a proper guidance figure. So, with the exception of a POSSIBLE happy ending at "Car", they are still intelligent but they are still tortured. They represent us as we start/are starting to realize that as a great muse once sung,freedom is a word for nothing to lose.I wish I had more time to get into the comparison, but see both "The 400 Blows" and "Blue Car" when you can, and I think you'll see what I mean. Younger adults can understand both (although, yes, Car, does go a little over-dramatic sometimes) feelings of non-delinquents youth who do need help more readily than some adults, but the adults, if they want to stop suppressing their memories, know they felt/feel the same way if they are just honest enough to admit it.Watch both. One is a classic, and one an under-appreciated gem.

I haven't watched a movie in weeks and last night I was working on the computer when this movie came on TV. I started watching out of the corner of my eye but ended up becoming engrossed! The movie unfolds like a leonard cohen song... I wouldn't describe it as a tragedy, in-spite of all the tragedy that occurs in it... I would describe this as a journey movie or self discovery movie... or maybe just a movie about poetry.The plot is, i think, deliberately, predictable. The teacher's brilliant acting hints at his intentions from the very start... yet he is never portrayed as a predator until the brilliantly disturbing sex scene, where for a few seconds he looses all trace of humanity! The ending to the movie is positive and the movies subtleties kept unravelling long after I turned off the TV There are a lot of great things in the movie... in fact I think its worth watching for the poetry alone!

(Note to readers: there are definitely spoilers here!) This movie seems to have gotten high marks from viewers, but it didn't strike me as being praiseworthy. Some of my issues with the film: it was melodramatic yet dull, mostly pointless, and some of the situations are just ridiculous (such as Lily's death- I doubt they generally leave windows open- or even easily accessible- on the Psych Ward! I also doubt they leave suicidal children unsupervised).My main complaint is that the characters' behavior is often bizarre. Their motivations aren't very well fleshed-out, leaving the viewer (at least this viewer) wondering, "who the heck acts like that??". That combined with the very slow pace made me more irritated with the characters than sympathetic. Agnes Bruckner, however, is quite a talented and lovely actress and made Meg likable if nothing else.All in all I give this movie a four- it's just OK. Not good, not bad, but OK. I'd take John Hughes over Blue Car any day- at least his movies keep me awake!