''Bluebird'' is a 2013

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...

written and directed by Lance Edmands. Set and filmed in Northern Maine, it tells the story of how a school bus driver's momentary distraction causes a near-tragedy and affects the whole community. It co-stars

Amy Morton Amy Morton (born April 3, 1959) is an American actress and director, best known for her work in theatre. Morton was nominated two times for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performances in '' August: Osage County'' and ''Who's Afra ...

Margo Martindale Margo Martindale (born July 18, 1951) is an American character actress who has appeared on television, film, and stage. In 2011, she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Award for her recurring role as Mags Bennett on '' ...

John Slattery John M. Slattery Jr. (born August 13, 1962) is an American actor and director widely known for his role as Roger Sterling Jr. in the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–15), for which he was nominated four times for the Primetime Emmy Award fo ...

Emily Meade Emily Meade (born January 10, 1989) is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as '' Twelve'' (2010), '' My Soul to Take'' (2010), ''Gimme Shelter'' (2013), ''That Awkward Moment'' (2014), ''Money Monster'' (2016), ...

Louisa Krause Louisa Noel Krause (born May 20, 1986) is an American actress. After studying drama in college, Krause appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions while also appearing in episodes of New York-based network television series. Her first film role ...

and

Adam Driver Adam Douglas Driver (born November 19, 1983) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including nominations for two Academy Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and a Tony Award; making him one of few performers nominated ...

. It was filmed in Winter 2012. After opening in limited release on February 27, 2015, it was released on the web on March 1. Edmands finished the first draft of the screenplay in 2009. During the film's production, it received assistance and funding from the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and composers fr ...

, the

San Francisco Film Society SFFILM, formerly known as The San Francisco Film Society, is a nonprofit arts organization located in San Francisco, California, that presents year-round programs and events in film exhibition, media education, and filmmaker services. The Execut ...

and the Swedish Film Institute. It premiered as part of the World Narrative Feature Competition at the 2013

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...

Cast

as Lesley *

as Richard *

as Marla *

as Paula *

as Crystal *

as Walter

Reception

David Rooney of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' called it "a quietly affecting indie drama likely to win admirers." Indiewire's Rodrigo Perez commented that "Edmands resists all levels of melodrama and sentimentality in ''Bluebird'' and yet the picture is just as arresting and emotional as any drama

e's is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and drawn by Satoru Yuiga. It was originally serialized in ''Monthly GFantasy'' from 1997 through 2005, and later published in 16 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Square Enix from March 18, 2003 to Februa ...

seen this year, albeit in a quiet manner." Francisco Salazar, writing in ''Latinos Post'', says that "the film's tonal congruity and top-notch performances will surely resonate." ''

Film School Rejects Film School Rejects is an American blog devoted to movie reviews, interviews, film industry news, and feature commentary. It was founded by Neil Miller in February 2006. The site was nominated for Best News Blog by ''Total Film'' magazine and na ...

s Kate Erbland mentions that " mparisons to

Atom Egoyan Atom Egoyan (; hy, Աթոմ Եղոյեան, translit=Atom Yeghoyan; born July 19, 1960) is a Canadian filmmaker. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in the 1980s from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave. Egoyan ...

's '' The Sweet Hereafter'' will likely plague Lance Edmands' ''Bluebird'', thanks to the films' similar subject matter", but comments that "what's most remarkable about ''Bluebird'' is its consistently solid performances, many of which frequently approach just flat-out greatness." Stephen Holden of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

'', on the other hand, says it "tries a little too hard for atmosphere" but praises Morton's "quietly extraordinary portrayal". Peter Debruge of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' calls it "a mournful throwback to more poetically inclined times", but says that "Edmands maintains too measured a pace as he cycles through the various lives affected".

References

External links

Tribeca festival info page
* * {{Rotten Tomatoes, id=bluebird_2013 2013 films 2013 drama films American drama films Films set in Maine Killer Films films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films