Michelle Williams and Hong Chau in Showing Up (Allyson Riggs/A24)

Meet Lizzie, the main character in Kelly Reichardt’s new, temperate film, Showing Up. Lizzie could use a little oomph. Or, is that a little ooh la la? Played by a morose Michelle Williams (an actress often prone to playing injured characters) and dressed in drab dresses that match her lackluster stringy hair, she seems awfully put-upon even at first sight.

We soon get to the root of Lizzie’s distress. She’s an artist racing the clock to mount her first one-woman show within a cozy but narrow (some might say stifling) Portland art scene. Lizzie struggles with independence, or a severe lack thereof. Her boss at her art-school job happens to be her carping, critical mom. Her breezy landlady (Hong Chau) is a frenemy and artistic rival who takes her own sweet time to get the hot water fixed—poor Lizzie can’t even take a shower.

So, in the course of her day, Lizzie has to ask for a lot of favors in passive-aggressive, cringey conversations. Others seem to know that there’s no penalty for pissing Lizzie off: A ceramics maker she relies on (André Benjamin) shrugs off her distress with “whatevs” aplomb after scorching one of her figurine sculptures in a kiln. On top of the other irritants dragging her down, Lizzie has taken it upon herself to minister to an injured pigeon. Is it any wonder Lizzie seems out of sorts?

With its frustrated lead who won’t stand up for herself, this movie set off bummer alarm bells early. Luckily, it gathers warmth and humor over time. A family situation with a brother who may be undergoing a mental health crisis is handled with empathy and a sense of support and reassurance. Judd Hirsch, as Lizzie’s father, shows up with some eccentric vim his daughter could imitate.

Lizzie’s creative work and process are seen and respected—it is clear she is a committed artist willing to do the hard work to realize her ideas. Perhaps mirroring Lizzie’s state of mind, the movie opens up visually in an appealing way, with a concluding long shot suggesting new possibilities. After a grumpy start, Showing Up may be a reminder to viewers to try to be more open-minded and less judgmental, and to understand that everyone has their own journey in art (and life).