“Blue Eyed Girl” is a story that’s been told before but tell it well and it’s worthwhile to revisit. “Blue Eyed Girl” is told very well with a winning cast of characters, the very definition of an independent film.
Jane Messina is called home because her father, once again, has tried to take his life. He’s done it half heartedly but repeatedly after the death of his beloved wife many years before and it’s always a call for more attention. Two of his daughters still live in town, but Jane struck out on her own to California to pursue her acting dreams.
Jane knows she won’t stay long but it’s a chance to catch up with everyone and reassure her father that she isn’t gone from his life. Dad’s heart is as big as his embrace and the irony of his half-hearted attempts is that he enjoys life, even more so as he gets to know the nurse in charge of his case. Each gradually unlocks parts long hidden from others.
Jane’s sisters are an odd group. Alex, hard-nosed and cynical, lives the high life with husband number 3. As she put it, she’s been poor and she’s been rich and she prefers rich. Her cynicism, however, is just the blanket she uses to keep her friends and family at a distance; her shell can be easily cracked. Her personality is sharp, funny and takes no prisoners. Ceci is the odd ball. Her life is filled with marginal jobs that support her Renaissance Faire passion. Ceci is the queen of the ball even if it is a miniscule ball. Each of them is a mystery to the others but they’re there when needed.
Jane’s arrival coincides with her mid-life crisis. Not exactly a crisis but a slight disturbance in the universe. Here she is, approaching 40, two kids and a husband, Cal, no longer a kid but not feeling like a grownup. Life hasn’t turned out the way she envisioned. Cal was going to write the Great American Novel after his promising start with an acclaimed book of short stories. Sure that the right inspiration will arrive at any moment, it still hasn’t after many years of hoping. Jane was going to be a film actress, now reduced to doing looping, voice over work. It’s a living but that’s all it all seems to be…just getting by. Cue the old boyfriend, the now very successful Harrison, in town to visit family. The sparks are still there but whether or not they ignite is all in Jane’s court.
We’ve seen this “grass is always greener” scenario before but in the right hands it just never gets old. It’s in the right hands here helped enormously by the talented cast. Beau Bridges, Jane’s father Jack, is a warm, humorous presence who is anchored by his longing for the wife who passed. He connects meaningfully with his nurse, Kathryn, played by LisaGay Hamilton, an actress who always finds more in her roles than one would expect. Her Kathryn, bottled up and mourning a daughter she couldn’t save, opens gradually to Jack’s quiet advances. It is the subtlety of both performances that allows you to believe that their relationship could progress faster than the limited time frame would allow.
Bridey Elliot as Ceci, the lost-in-the-clouds Renaissance Queen, is suitably ethereal and loopy but not quite as unhinged as her sisters, especially Alex, would believe. Eliza Coupe plays Alex the cynical sister. Coupe’s ability to deliver clever repartee while thinly veiling her insecurities and self-loathing is an artform. Funny, enjoyable to watch, anchoring much of the film as she casually undermines everyone around her, Coupe is more than the sum of her parts.
Freddy Rodriguez as Cal, Jane’s husband, left at home to watch the kids, is a weak point. Unlike the other characters, he’s a question mark. What we know about him is only what we learn from others. All his actions, and his presence is minimal, don’t seem earned. Sam Trammell, Harrison, on the other hand is fully developed. He represents the eternal “what if,” propelling the story forward as he and Jane reconnect. His sloe-eyed silence speaks volumes on who he was and who he still is without ever being a bad guy.
Marisa Coughlin is the star in more ways than one. As Jane, she conveys the kind of ambivalence toward life and the roads not taken that so many people face as middle age approaches. You sense her longing for more but her hesitation to cause collateral damage. Her Jane is ever thoughtful but so reminiscent of those who are stuck on the only path that was offered. Always a beauty, she’s reaching for more, a more that might be out of reach. How, you wonder, can she overcome obstacles that she sees but that may not be apparent to others. More, though, is the wonder if the obstacles are outside her or within. Coughlan was also the writer of the film and she shows an assured hand. I met her more than 15 years ago when she had a role on a David Kelley show and even then she was enthusiastic about writing her own material. “Blue Eyed Girl” is her first feature and something that resonates with her personally. As she put it, she wanted to “explore the phase in life when we’re not quite old, but no longer young, when our personal storyline is mostly written.” She chose her cast wisely, especially putting herself front and center, but it’s the character development that really makes this oft told tale worth watching. The warmth of Coughlin’s personality shines through in the writing and her acting. I hope she finds many other stories to tell.
Mills Goodloe, director of the film, is an experienced writer and director. He has drawn out the best in his actors and moves the story along rapidly. I’m particularly fond of Goodloe for personal reasons. Many years ago I interviewed writers for a blog I wrote (Nomeanerplace) about writers who had scripts that I had read and thought were outstanding but had never crossed the finish line. Mills was one of those writers and our conversation was memorable and highlighted the kinds of projects he was drawn to. Lucky for us, “Blue Eyed Girl” was one of those and he could help shepherd Coughlin to the finish line.
Streaming November 21 on most platforms.
