An artist is on the verge of a career-changing exhibition. As she navigates family, friends, and colleagues in the lead up to her show, the chaos of life becomes the inspiration for great art. A film by Kelly Reichardt, starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, John Magaro, André Benjamin, Judd Hirsch, and Maryann Plunkett.

Lizzy (Michelle Williams), a sculpture working in her studio, prepares for an upcoming exhibition. She shares her home with a cat that she calls Ricky. She has been attempting to convince her landlady/neighbor/rival artist, Jo (Hong Chau), to fix her hot water, but Jo keeps putting it off. This time, Jo comes up with another excuse that she has been preoccupied with her own art installation, which is scheduled to open this coming weekend. Jo offers the use of her shower to Lizzy, but she declines the offer.

At the Oregon College of Art and Craft, where her mother Jean (Maryann Plunkett) works, Lizzy spends her days working as an arts administrator assistant. In addition to that, she also helps creating posters and flyers for artists in residence.

Lizzy decides to take a day off so that she can devote her time to working on her sculptures, which are inspired by the people around her. Jo stops by in the evening to complain about the unfinished catalogue that the school has been working on for her show. Lizzy reassures Jo that things at school usually get done, even if they are occasionally not completed on time.

In the middle of the night, Lizzy is awakened by the sound of something crashing on the bathroom floor. She finds an injured pigeon in her bathroom that has been attacked by Ricky. Afraid that the bird will die in her bathroom, Lizzy shoves it out the window and goes back to bed.

The next morning, Jo presents Lizzy with a pigeon with a broken wing that she has rescued from the flowerbed. Lizzy recognizes the bird as the one her cat mauled, but she remains silent. After helping Jo wrap the bird’s wing, Jo asks Lizzy to care for it while she installs her artwork at the Nationale. Lizzy reluctantly complies, feeling obligated due to her role in the bird’s injury.

Lizzy’s work progresses slowly, as she is burdened with several personal issues. She appears tired and depressed, and has not showered in days due to a lack of hot water. She is forced to drive the injured pigeon to the vet, spending $150 as a result, because she is afraid it is going to die. Additionally, she worries about her father Bill (Judd Hirsch), for allowing two drifters to stay in his home.

Lizzy also worries about her younger brother Sean (John Magaro), whom their parents believe to be a genius artist. Lizzy, however, suspects that Sean has mental problems, but their mother refuses to acknowledge it. One day, Sean is convinced that his neighbor is blocking his favorite television channel. The next day, Lizzy finds him digging a large hole in his backyard, claiming to be creating an art piece.

Kelly Reichardt’s comedy-drama film depicts the everyday life of a struggling female sculptor as she attempts to complete her exhibition pieces while navigating the frustrating dynamics of her small art community and family. Notably, the film’s protagonist is an ordinary, unknown artist striving to make her way in a tight-knit world where everyone knows everyone. When one of their own exhibits, the community comes together to offer support. While being an artist is not easy, this film is arguably one of the greatest films about making art.

Certain moments evoke the documentary feel, with the camera lingering on beautifully composed close-ups of sculptural details. Michelle Williams delivers a solid performance, but Hong Chau steals the spotlight with her quirky and unpredictable character, lighting up every scene she appears in.

SHOWING UP premiered at Festival de Cannes on 27 May 2022, where it competed for the Palme d’Or. The film was theatrically released in the United States on 7 April 2023 by A24.