Winter’s Bone takes place exactly where it’s filmed, in the grimy
back woods of the Ozarks. Seventeen year old Ree Dolly (marvelously played by
Jennifer Lawrence) is busy running the rural household that consists of herself,
her two younger siblings, and her mother, who--although she’s still very much
alive--has pretty much faded away from the rest of the world, including her own
children. Ree is essentially the only real mother her little brother and sister
have, and she’s an extremely effective parent to them, as well as being very
efficient at running the household. One day, the local sheriff (Garret Dillahunt,
from Deadwood and Burning Brightly) pays Ree a visit, and it’s not to give her good news.
It turns out that Ree’s father, Jessup, has skipped bail. This wouldn’t normally
be a problem for Ree and her family--considering the old man is usually never
around anyway--but it turns out that Jessup has put up the family home to cover
his bail, without Ree even knowing about it. Now, if Jessup doesn’t turn himself
in within a week, Ree, along with her mother and silblings, will be out on the
streets. And so the self-reliant young woman does the only thing she can do
right now: she goes looking for her wastrel of a father among the criminal
element of the drug-infested rural underworld. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance
as a shy, unassuming young woman who rises to the challenges presented to her
with hopeful determination is right on target, and she’s mesmerizing to watch.
Lawrence is outstanding here and she’s really the main reason to see the film. Her
Ree is a bright shining light of hope and positive strength in an otherwise
gloomy, desolate environment. She’s created a safe haven for her mother and
siblings, and it’s clear that Ree is determined to not allow anything--nor anybody--to take it
away from them. Another stand out in the cast is John Hawkes (who, like Dillahunt,
is also a former Deadwood cast member), as Teardrop, Ree’s intimidating uncle
with a hair-trigger temper. Hawkes is like a lean, mean scarecrow, whose history
of unpredictable violence has earned him reputation as someone whom you
wouldn’t want to mess with.
And so it's a fascinating journey through the backwoods--one that merges a fine honed, unflinching
drama with a travelogue filled with well-drawn people and places. Based on the
novel by Daniel Woodrell, Winter’s Bone is superbly directed by Debra Granik,
who carefully shows every detail, every nuance, of the bleak rural landscape
that Ree wanders. Granik creates in Winter’s Bone that rare movie with a real
sense of place, populated with real flesh and blood characters whom you truly
care about. Winter’s Bone is a riveting drama that makes you feel lucky to have
seen, with a resourceful young heroine whom you feel glad to have met. Don’t miss it.
--SF
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