Winter’s Bone is a deep, gritty southern film that is an ugly sight but beautifully told. Debra Granik directed this film on such a small budget but got her money’s worth. Inception is a work-of-art but had a gigantic budget. On the other side of the spectrum, this film barely had one at all and it is still courageous, suspenseful, and smart. So the size of the budget makes no difference. It is the storytelling and how it is told and Granik along with a talented cast knows how to achieve this.
Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) has a sick mother and a missing father. She is 17 years old and has a little brother and sister that she has to take care of. Ree is the only one they can rely on to feed them and care for them. Once she learns that her father has skipped bail and that if he does not show up to court they will lose their house, she must go on an uncompromising search to find out where he is and if he is dead or alive.
Winter’s Bone is a dark film that makes you fully aware of the environment these characters live in. Where Ree lives is full of secrets and lies. As she tries to find her father, she starts to uncover some of these secrets involving her own flesh and blood. It is a bitter place full of drugs, and the people are just trying to survive. Ree has to keep her family’s home because that is all they have left. This film is about dedication to your family and all Ree cares about is her family.
Winter’s Bone won the Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize this year and impressed a lot of people. John Hawkes plays Ree’s uncle (her father’s only brother), Teardrop. And he is crazy, wonderful, and scary in his supporting role, and you pay attention to him in every scene he is in. But the most impressive thing about this film is the performance by Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly.
She is the brave, no bull-shit girl who will do or go through anything to protect her family. We have seen excellent, talented young actresses get their breakthrough role to make the whole world take notice. We saw this happen to Carey Mulligan in An Education, Ellen Page in Juno, and Gabourey Sidibe in Precious. And we are now witnesses to Jennifer Lawrence’s breakthrough role in Winter’s Bone. She is rough and tough, and takes on great responsibilities that a girl her age should never have to do. And Jennifer Lawrence never lets up and never lets Ree give up.
Winter’s Bone keeps your interest the entire time. As the audience, you go on this journey with Ree to find out what is going on in this small rural town and what has happened to her father. No one wants to talk or bring attention to what is occurring around them, but Ree is not afraid. She cannot afford to be because too many people are relying on her.
This film captures the mood and tone so easily, and every character is so believable and authentic. Winter’s Bone is a great film with a terrific cast that takes place in the real world. It is a family drama while being a suspenseful mystery film at the same time. It is a place that could exist that you may never want to visit. This is as close as you may want to ever get. But some people do not have a choice. Ree definitely did not.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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