Anonymous Content, Winter’s Bone Productions
Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey, Garret Dilahunt
Winter’s Bone, based on a novel, is a Sundance Film Festival picture. That means it’s a very thoughtful film. I was really impressed with it. The story is set in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri. Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) is a young lady of 17 with a dysfunctional family! Her mother has serious mental problems, and her Dad is missing. Formerly a pot grower, he’s moved on to harder drugs and fallen in with some bad people. Ree also has two little children to take care of. The film is shot on location and the homes and places are the real places where the actors, all from the area, live. It really brings the reality of an Ozark winter home. Ree has a visit from the sheriff who is looking for her father. After Ree informs him the family has no idea where is he, the sheriff informs her that he is due for trial and he used the house and the land for bail and is nowhere to be found. In a short time, if he doesn’t show for the trial, he will be declared a runner and the family will be thrown out. Ree sets out on a quest to find her father.
In this area, families are extended, and it seems everyone around is related by blood or by marriage. Most don’t get a long very well, and most are really unhappy to have people questioning his whereabouts.
Her quest is endless no matter what evil things fall upon her until she finds enough of the truth to piece together what happened.
This is rated R, but I’m not sure why. The language is not so harsh, and there is no naughty parts. But there is violence and certainly evil things happen. But the story is much too deep for understanding of younger children. However, for anyone who is able to understand good literature, this is an excellent study of the people who live in this deprived area. These people live their lives, and don’t have all the luxuries most of us are used to. Life is hard, but families do love each other and work to make life a little more bearable.
It’s a dark film, and a very thoughtful one, but the authentic regional actors are excellent and because they live here, they know how to portray it spot on. I was quite impressed with the film, and even watched it again with the director and cinematographer commentary to learn more about the making of the film and the things they were trying to portray.
Highly recommended, not for pure entertainment, but for a very good character study of the people who live in this area. Very excellent film.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
Movie Review - Winter's Bone (2010) {R},
