Blue Eyed Girl is a poignant story at times about accepting an unfulfilling life, but its catharsis relies on a poorly executed romantic comedy plot.
The film centers on Jane (Marisa Coughlan), a married mother in her forties whose father, Jack (Beau Bridges, One Night in Miami), has recently survived a suicide attempt. She travels to his hometown to see him, accompanied by her sisters Alex (Eliza Coupe) and Ceci (Bridey Elliott). As the situation unfolds, Jane is forced to confront her past regrets and discover how to find the happiness that eludes her, especially when she reconnects with her high school sweetheart, Harrison (Sam Trammell, The Fault in Our Stars).
Director: J. Mills Goodloe
Writer: Marisa Coughlan
Stars: Eliza Coupe, Beau Bridges, Sam Trammell
None of the film's shortcomings lie with the actors. Beau Bridges undoubtedly delivers the best performance, his rugged yet warm presence conveying genuine wisdom to those around him while also revealing the vulnerability that led him to that situation. The actresses who play the sisters also deliver excellent performances. The connection between them feels believable despite their very different personalities, which, thanks to their acting, avoid becoming caricatures.
Blue Eyed Girl is a story about accepting and loving what you have. Jane believes her sisters have succeeded where she has failed, only to realize the hardships they face and the reality behind her own desires. The film includes a wonderful monologue by Jack about how something can seem glamorous until you own it forever, and how the real things in life are more valuable than what we fantasize about. Furthermore, it's a film with decent cinematography that, for a modest production, has its rare moments of wit, especially in its final scene.
Instead of delving into the many facets of Jane's life, the story focuses its catharsis on a love triangle between her, her husband Cal (Freddy Rodriguez, V/H/S/85), and Harrison. These two men and their relationships with Jane are sadly underdeveloped. Cal appears on screen for barely five minutes until halfway through the film, and he seems like the perfect, understanding husband with whom Jane is happy until the script reveals otherwise. Her lack of appreciation for him is certainly part of the story, but it doesn't convince us because it's based solely on what she says she feels.
On the other hand, the chemistry between her and Cal isn't romantic enough to make us believe she would consider throwing away her marriage for him. We're repeatedly told how close they used to be, but it doesn't ring true when they're together. This makes Jane seem less relatable and more selfish and superficial. It's a flawed idea even in its conception, frankly. Giving so much importance to a love triangle greatly undermines the much deeper themes and gives "Blue Eyed Girl" a made-for-TV feel that it really didn't need.
This could partly explain why other subplots in the film are wasted, including Jack's suicide attempt. Yes, remember? It's almost entirely about getting Jane back to her old home. In fact, Jack spends most of his time with his nurse, Kathryn (LisaGay Hamilton, Ad Astra). Their connection is touching, but ultimately feels completely superfluous. Even when the film dares to tackle uncomfortable topics, it almost always contradicts itself with humor. It's true that people use humor to cope with stress and sadness, but here the timing is off. For example, Alex makes a major revelation that leaves his sisters stunned and speechless, only for them to start cracking jokes less than thirty seconds later.
Other minor issues include a cheesy and annoying soundtrack, and some poorly executed editing; my favorite is a time jump where I couldn't tell if it was meant to be a continuity edit or was simply poorly conceived. The film "Blue Eyed Girl" was never intended to be a forgotten little masterpiece, but it promised to be a poignant look at the often unnoticed beauty of a woman's seemingly mundane life. Instead, it focuses on a contrived and empty romantic comedy plot that, in turn, squanders the rest of the story.
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