“Wendy and Lucy” is a small film focused completely on a few days in the life of Wendy (Michelle Williams), a young woman driving to Alaska from Indiana to find work, accompa-nied only by her dog, Lucy. Wendy is just a few hundred dollars short of complete destitution; she lives out of her car and brushes her teeth in gas station bathrooms.

Shortly after we’re introduced to Wendy, her car breaks down in an unnamed town in Oregon, setting off a chain of events culminating with the loss of Lucy. As Wendy attempts to better her situation, she interacts with a limited but compelling cast of characters, including a sympathetic security guard (Wally Dalton) and a terrifying, unhinged homeless man (Larry Fessenden).

The film doesn’t tell us much about Wendy’s past, but, regardless of the level of responsibility she may have for her present situation, it’s almost impossible not to sympathize with her. Her borderline poverty places a severe weight on the decision to spend just a few dollars, even when it’s for food.

If she has parents, they’re no longer in the picture, and her sister, whom she calls after losing Lucy, is more than cold toward her. Her dog is the only warmly-emotional bond she has. As Lucy continues to be lost, the desperation that creeps into Wendy’s voice is genuine. The bond between the pair could have easily been manipulated to falsely exploit the viewer’s emotion, but, to her credit, director Kelly Reichardt keeps the film grounded in honesty.

Williams turns in an incredible per-formance as the beaten-down Wendy. Life has obviously taken its toll on the poor girl, and she’s responded by emotionally closing herself off. Wendy is a woman of few words, and her expression rarely breaks from one of sad, numbed resignation. After her traumatic encounter with Fessenden’s homeless man, she finally does break down, and Williams’s performance, full of desperation and distress, strikes with a deep poignancy.

“Wendy and Lucy” may be small, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is an impressive accomplishment for Reinhardt, further establishing her status as a talented indie filmmaker to keep an eye on. The film is strong in its own right, and it takes on an even greater significance when placed in the context of current events.