Williams first read the script of Derek Cianfrance 's romantic drama '' Blue Valentine '' at age 21 . When funding came through after years of delay , she was reluctant to accept the offer as filming in California would take her away from her daughter for too long . Keen to have her in the film , Cianfrance decided to film it near Brooklyn , where Williams lived . Co-starring Ryan Gosling , '' Blue Valentine '' is about the tribulations faced by a disillusioned married couple . Before production began , Cianfrance had Williams and Gosling live together for a month on a stipend that matched their character 's income . This exercise led to conflicts between them , which proved conducive for filming their character 's deteriorating marriage . On set , she and Gosling practiced method acting by improvising several scenes . The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim . A. O. Scott found Williams to be " heartbreakingly precise in every scene " and praised the couple for being " exemplars of New Method sincerity , able to be fully and achingly present every moment on screen together " . Williams received Best Actress nominations at the Academy Award and the Golden Globe Award ceremonies
2010 Sundance Film Festival
2010 Sundance Film Festival
Michelle Williams (actress)