The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writer (WGA):

Rebecca Miller (written by)

Release Date:

2 June 2005 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A father and daughter isolated on an island off the East Coast and living on a once thriving commune grapple with the limits of family and sexuality.

Plot Keywords:

Island | Commune | Environmentalism | Storytelling | Cigarette Smoking

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Camilla Belle	...	Rose Slavin
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Jack Slavin
Catherine Keener	...	Kathleen
Ryan McDonald	...	Rodney (as Ryan Mcdonald)
Paul Dano	...	Thaddius
Jason Lee	...	Gray
Jena Malone	...	Red Berry
Beau Bridges	...	Marty Rance
Susanna Thompson	...	Miriam Rance

Also Known As:

Rose and the Snake (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and some drug material.

Runtime:

USA:112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Ireland:16 (theatrical rating) | UK:15 | Brazil:14 | Mexico:C | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Hungary:16 | Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/16 | Ireland:15 (DVD rating) | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Company:

IFC Productions

Goofs:

Errors in geography: Although this movie takes place in the United States, when jack and rose go to the main land a Canadian Tire store is visible from their car.

Quotes:

Jack Slavin: Come live with me.
Kathleen: What about my kids?
Jack Slavin: That goes without saying.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Indie Sex: Teens (2007) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Promise Me

It's a movie about a lot of things, and emotional incest is one of them.

This film is a must-see for anyone who has witnessed or is dealing with emotional incest. Lewis portrays Jack, a single father who has lived on an island in isolation with his daughter until his new girlfriend comes to move in. Up until the girlfriend's arrival, Jack and his daughter Rose have lived in isolation on an island compound.

After the girlfriend's arrival, Rose's jealousy grows, and she tries to take the girlfriend's place. In an effort to to marginalize the girlfriend, Rose takes up a new-found interest in sexuality, thinking that must be what her father wants and is getting from the girlfriend.

It's obvious to anyone watching that Jack loves his daughter, and in many ways has been a wonderful father to her. The problem is not that he does not love her, or that he loves her too much. The problem is that he's loved her in the wrong way. He allowed Rose to fill the void left by her mother. He elevated Rose to the position of spouse. Jack realizes this, and sets out to undo the damage.

The movie also deals with the dreams of reconciliation children of divorce have. Rose displays all the postcards her mother sends on a wall in the house and tells the new girlfriend that "one day she's coming back."

I always find Daniel Day-Lewis's characters engaging, and Jack is no different. He's a brilliant and eccentric man who is conflicted by the desire to love and protect his daughter, and the desire to prepare her to be an independent woman. He has the clarity to recognize his foibles, and his bumbling efforts to set things straight bring compassion to human frailty.