SUNDANCE 2006: come early morning

I like Joey Lauren Adams as an actress, but when I heard that she was writing and directing a film, I let out a little groan. I don’t know if it is her look (tiny mousey blonde) or her little girl voice, but I didn’t think that she was up to the task. Wow… I was wrong.

COME EARLY MORNING is a mature, meditative thought provoking film. This is what a “chick flick” should be. Ashley Judd plays Lucy, a 30-something Arkansas woman who has a good job in construction, it bright, beautiful, and charming, but her life is a bit of a mess. She is haunted by events in her past and can’t quite pull herself together to take control of her own life. She goes from one night stand to another, never allowing herself to be in a relationship. Her relationship with her father is just sad. All that she wants is to have a connection, but he is distant and never seems to acknowledge her existence.

This is a story of a woman who learns who she is and what she is worth and goes on the journey to take control of her life. There have been many films that have dealt with the subject of a woman taking control of her own life, but this one is different. There is a realism and a patience to the filmmaking here. This is a very personal story. Adams struggled for over five years to get the money to make this film.

Judd delivers the best performance of her career. Lucy is a complex character and could have easily been over done and cliché, but not here. You can feel the pain and the struggle that she goes through. Watching Lucy makes you crazy though. She is so close to having the life that she wants, but can’t quite seem to reach. You want to grab her and shake some sense into her. This movie is smart enough to know that the process of courage and direction is a slow and steady on and one that you must travel alone. It is a joy to watch Lucy come into her own.

I hope that Joey Lauren Adams has more stories to tell because she is a filmmaker to watch.