Written by: Jon Raymond & Kelly Reichardt
Starring: Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro, André Benjamin, James Le Gros
Rating: [3.5/5]
As much as we love our art, it does not always pay the bills and often gets relegated to a hobby on the side while day jobs make sure we have a roof over our heads. Trying to properly balance it all ultimately becomes the overarching challenge, especially when wanting the art to become the full-time gig as many dream up. Showing Up displays this dichotomy in simple terms but with the style and pacing we can expect from Kelly Reichardt.
With an exhibit coming for Lizzy (Michelle Williams) to display her newest collection, clay sculptures of women in joyful or anguished movement, she hopes to find the time to do it. However, she runs into issues when her landlord Jo (Hong Chau) procrastinates in fixing her hot water and an injured pigeon continues to suck up her time.
The coming together of Michelle Williams and Kelly Reichardt should always serve as a cause for celebration, as it combines artists who just know how to work together. Whether it be Wendy and Lucy, Certain Women, or Meek’s Cutoff, when these two join forces we will receive a treat with Showing Up being no different. Very much a low-key movie with its tone and stakes, this film’s dissection of an artist trying to find the time to do their art feels incredibly relatable. In Lizzy’s efforts to do what she loves, she needs to try to shoo away all other responsibility but nevertheless things keep coming her way.
A juxtaposition then begins to grow between Lizzy and Jo in their perspectives of how they work through their art. Lizzy tries her best to balance everything in her life to make room for her art because she cannot shirk her responsibilities in paying her rent. Jo, on the other hand, as a landlord does not even follow up on the requests of her tenant and just saunters around trying to find things to do in order to fill up her time. She will even swing on a tire swing rather than take on even the simplest responsibilities brought before her as a landlord. Jo carries this complete and utter nonchalance about her and when comparing her to someone trying to juggle so much in Lizzy it makes for quite the comedic difference in their approaches to life.
In addition to finding the time to complete the artistic endeavor, this film also speaks on the act of doing art just for the sake of it. When looking at the art Lizzy does, she certainly has a passion for it but in my estimations and I’m assuming others as well, it’s not very good. We may feel this way but it matters to her ultimately. In a sense one could see this as Kelly Reichardt herself commenting on her own art. She has her preferred style of making films that does not always gel with the sensibilities of audience members but it remains something she finds pride in and it matters to her. As a fan of her work it also matters to me but this film overall evokes this feeling of artists enjoying the process of making art and how it impacts others remains secondary.
Michelle Williams and Hong Chau in this feature do a wonderful job in presenting this duality of artistry and play it up just how Kelly Reichardt would want them to. Williams needs to carry this general annoyance to her as she tries to balance everything properly for the sake of the art she wants to create, while Chau must carry this ever-present airiness to her as she navigates her life on a completely different frequency. The way these two bounce off each other makes for many comedic moments between them, especially when the pigeon gets involved. They could not be more different and similar at the same time.
Another strong outing by Kelly Reichardt, Showing Up carries many of the trademarks of this great director that audience members already know they love or hate. She utilizes her methodical pacing to present this story with some patience and with the type of dialogue she likes to inject into her stories. In this film we delve into some meta-narratives about the artistic experience that ultimately summarizes how many feel in trying to create something for the sake of creating it.
Films with Josh 
