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Winter’s Bone Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Dale Dickey, Sheryl Lee, Kevin Breznahan and Garret Dillahunt Director: Debra Granik Scriptwriter: Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini from the novel by Daniel Woodrell Roadside Attractions Rating: R for violence, language and drug use Running Length: 102 minutes Author Daniel Woodrell has crafted a book called Winter’s Bone about meth cookers in southern Missouri. What used to be moonshine country seems to have updated itself. The book slightly differs from the film for those who have read the novel, but the cohesiveness is there. It’s about a teenage girl searching for her father who put the family homestead up for bond money and then disappeared. Our lead character is Ree Dolly (an outstanding Jennifer Lawrence) who finds herself in charge of the little farm, plus her younger brother and sister, and their ailing mother. With no money, they live off the land (hunting squirrels) and what food is given by a kind neighbor. One heartbreaking moment is when Ree goes to the neighbor and asks if the family horse, who hasn’t eaten in four days, can be sheltered with the other horses. With an another-animal-won’t-matter-in-the-corral look, the neighbor says yes. Here is poverty and the way out is cooking meth. Missouri is the highest state in the nation for meth cookers. Ree’s father was one until he disappeared. When the sheriff comes to the door and says they have a week to come up with money or the father, otherwise they lose the farm. Ree starts going from relative to relative, those closest in blood and then further away in cousin-land. No one is talking and Ree is consistently warned not to ask questions. One of the feared one turns out to be Ree’s uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) who is hooked on meth, scares everyone even the tough guys, but figures out Ree may be the last close relative he has left in the world. Occasionally Ree gets help, such as someone bringing food for the children, but this 17-year-old is out there on her own and determined. Here is a dark story, but there are moments when you see some light, as when Ree enters a home where there is a birthday party for an elder person and the family gets music instruments and proceeds to have their own hoedown. With scarcely a change of clothing, she gets deeper and deeper into the wooded sections and also into the heart of meth-land. Is it already too late? Has she crossed the line in this land where blood is supposed to mean something other than to spill on the ground? Winter’s Bone started out as an art house film but is gaining momentum from its exposure at Sundance. The movie was filmed in the Ozark’s of Missouri for an authentic feel of locale and people. No Canadian mountains here. Acting is stellar from Jennifer's Lawrence's stoic Ree to the frightening Teardrop. The camera follows Ree as an observer that brings the audience into the story. Sometimes the camera just lingers on people’s faces as the audience figures out what is actually going on at that moment. It is winter time here and the chill of the story can permeate the theater. Just where is Dad? Copyright 2010 Marie Asner
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