Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone (2010) is a Drama/Mystery/Thriller about 17-year-old, Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) who takes care of her younger brother and sister, and mother who appears to be catatonic. She cooks, cleans and dreams of going to a University and entering the Military while living in a dirt poor, rural, middle/south town- possibly Missouri, where even the days are cold, and she relies on neighbors for simple things like food, firewood, or transportation. Mostly, she walks where she needs to get. She's chopping wood for her family to use when the local sheriff stops by her house. Her father is missing, he says, but the court date set up for him is coming up, quickly. He tells her that he's most likely back into cooking Meth. She doesn't have any information for the sherif, but he informers her that if she can't find him in time for the court date, there's going to be a problem- because her father posted the house and surrounding land as his bond. And if he doesn't show up, the court will seize the bond for themselves. Ree searches in close family ties, and ones far away, through criminal friends of her father, as well as enemies. Gossip plays a major role in whether or not she'll find her father, and even her father's own brother says he's most likely been murdered. But unless Ree can find him and talk him into coming back, or otherwise find his corpse to present when he doesn't show up for the court date, she's going to find herself out of a home, and her family forced to take to the woods.

This film is based on the novel, Winter's Bone, written by Daniel Woodrell in 2006. The screenplay was adpated by Debra Granik, who went on to direct it. It was produced on a low budget, and follows the same gritty, piecey feeling of Granik's first film, Down to the Bone. She was originally interested in the material before it had even been published by Woodrell, but he knew what to expect if his rites were signed over to her, and he trusted the results. A big pull into the story for her was the subject matter of Meth and the very real impact it's had on that region of the country. It's true that just the state of Oregon is in a Drug Emergency Zone for the substance, and something like 90% of the population know someone who does it, or knows someone who makes it, or knows someone who has died because of it. The film was shot in such a way proposed by the filmmakers that Jennifer Lawrence had real-life struggles posed upon her for the shooting to affect her performane. She really did have to deal with cutting logs, and living amongst certain animals and cold, and it gives the performance a certain edge that is detectable to the auidience. The film is currently nominated for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role at the Academy Awards.

I honestly cannot think of a complaint about the film. On a personal note, I prefer a film with a few moments that provide either humor on some level, or an uplifting feeling, of which this film has neither- but that is not to the film's discredit, and I don't necessarily think that it would have benefited from such a thing. The film is sort of depressing, and sobering- but it's supposed to be. It's not my personal preference as far just as far as mood is concerned, but I still recognize that it's extremely impacting and good.

I did feel that this film was well nominated for Best Picture. It's gritty, real, emotional, and at times, the feelings of desperation and isolation are almost jarring. Not to mention that, for a low budget film, the visuals are fantastic. The cinematography is completely suitable to the material, for all the poverty and rural trash depicted. This film is a great question of character, with explicit contemporary themes. It's a very well-executed piece. I also think it's a good choice for Best Adapted Screenplay, because you can almost see the well-written material that's the backbone of this film- it really stands out. You can almost see the words on the page. For a film that sometimes relies on gossip, it has a marvelous amount of 'showing' action, versus 'telling' it.