Review: Katie Says Goodbye

Olivia Cooke in Katie Says Goodbye

Katie Says Goodbye stars Olivia Cooke as an unusual young woman surrounded by poverty and desolation.

A remarkable number of well-known actors were willing to be supporting characters in Katie Says Goodbye, all surrounding Olivia Cooke at its center. I suspect they thought the film had more promise than was realized in the finished piece. The best thing about it was a terrific performance from Olivia Cooke.

Mireille Enos in Katie Says Goodbye
Katie’s mom was a burden to the teen, who supported them both

Katie was remarkable because she was a bright penny, a cheerful heart, a kind soul. How she got that way with a profligate mother (Mireille Enos), a missing father, and a dusty home in a trailer park in the desert is not easy to understand.

Olivia Cooke and Mary Steenburgen in Katie Says Goodbye
Maybelle was the best parent Katie had.

Katie had two jobs. A waitress in a diner owned by Maybelle (Mary Steenburgen). She saved every penny in a shoe box under the bed. She paid all the bills for herself and her mother. She also turned tricks for a few select men – a fatherly sweetheart of a trucker, Bear (Jim Belushi), a teacher whose daughter also worked at the diner Mr. Daniels (Nate Corddry), the sheriff and maybe a few more.

She was saving to move to San Francisco.

Christopher Abbott and Olivia Cooke in Katie Says Goodbye
Bruno was an exotic dish with a convertible.

Then she spotted a new guy working at the auto shop. Bruno (Christopher Abbott) didn’t have to do or say anything to Katie. She was smitten at first glance. When they began going out and he found out about her second job, he didn’t like it.

Dirk (Chris Lowell) was Bruno’s boss at the auto shop. He didn’t like that Katie wouldn’t have sex with him, even for money. When he found out Katie gave up having sex for money for Bruno, it really sent him over the edge.

Between Bruno’s jealousy and Dirk’s assholery, Katie was in for a world of heartache. Add in her mother and it became even worse.

Olivia Cooke has an impressive list of films, including Modern Love. She gets a lot of work, but I don’t think she’s had the attention she deserves from those outside the industry. She did a fine job with the material she had in this film, but it didn’t have the depth it needed or a satisfactory take-away message.

I watched Katie Says Goodbye on Prime Video but it’s available from a couple of other streamers as well.

The poster for Katie Says Goodbye

Have a look at the trailer.

Have you seen this unusual film? What did you think of it?

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