One more for the hard-core fan.
Winter’s Bone (Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes) – For pure storytelling, this “little film” from Director Debra Granik (Down to the Bone) is a luscious slice of the Ozarks. Like True Grit, this is the story of a teenager in search of her father. Featuring a no-star cast, Winter’s Bone follows the story of Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence in a performance so remarkable she might get an Oscar nomination), a 17-year-old whose dysfunctional mother forces her to care for her sister and brother. Her father has been arrested and disappeared, having used his home as bail. If he doesn’t show up for the hearing, the house will be gone, leaving the family out in the lurch. Ree sets out to find him, using every possible resource at her disposal. She searches everywhere throughout this downtrodden country where everyone seems to be related to everyone else (what a stereotype) and half the people appear to be in the methamphetamine business. In some ways, this is a family saga; in others, it is the story of lost lives and hopelessness.
In all ways, this independent film is a sad tale of a girl who is forced to be a woman in a land of no opportunity. What is the fate of the father? Will the family retain its home? Will anyone in the family step up to their familial responsibilities? That is the journey of the film. Both Lawrence and film veteran John Hawkes as “Teardrop” Dolly hold the movie together just as we wonder if it will be able to keep our attention for more than 90 minutes.
Winter’s Bone is a tough film to watch. But it holds your attention all the while making you glad you haven’t been sentenced to a life deep in the Ozarks. You can find this early 2010 release on NetFlix, and it is well worth the rental.