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The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)

7.1
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Ratings: 7.1/10 from 3,956 users   Metascore: 58/100
Reviews: 67 user | 48 critic | 28 from Metacritic.com

In order to support her ten children, Evelyn Ryan (Moore) enters a commercial jingle-writing contest. Based on a true story.

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
Kelly Ryan
...
Dortha Schaefer
...
...
Tuff Ryan at 13, 16 & 18 yrs
...
Ray the Milkman
Monté Gagné ...
Lea Anne Ryan at 17 yrs
...
Dick Ryan at 16 yrs
...
Bub Ryan at 15 yrs
...
Rog Ryan at 13 yrs
Jake Scott ...
...
Tuff Ryan at 9 yrs
Ryan Price ...
Shae Norris ...
Barb Ryan at 4 yrs
Abigail Falle ...
Betsy Ryan at 2 yrs
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Storyline

Kelly and Evelyn Ryan live in Defiance, Ohio with their 10 children. At first glance their life seems idyllic; they call each other "Mother" and "Father" and seem to dote on the kids. But Kelly was a garage-band crooner whose voice was ruined in an auto accident. He's resigned to a dead-end factory job that barely pays the bills, and is given to fits of alcohol-induced rage. Evelyn, a stay-at-home wife and mother, deals with this abuse by appealing to her priest, who is no help at all. She deals with their poverty by entering the jingle contests that were the rage in the 50's and early 60's, even sending in multiple entries in the names of the children. She is very clever at it, winning more than her share of prizes, but her successes aren't enough to keep the wolf from the door. Further, they trigger Kelly's insecurities and he retreats deeper into the bottle, using food and mortgage money to support the habit. Can the loving, optimistic Evelyn hold the family together? Is she ... Written by Joe Jurca

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Taglines:

The true story of how a mother raised ten kids on twenty-five words or less.

Genres:

Biography | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some disturbing images and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

1 June 2007 (Spain)  »

Also Known As:

La ganadora  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$159,056 (USA) (30 September 2005)

Gross:

$626,310 (USA) (18 November 2005)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

| |

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The contest ads seen under the opening credits were taken from Evelyn Ryan's drawer. They were given to the filmmakers by her daughter Betty. See more »

Goofs

On two different occasions, the characters talk about the radiator in the Ryan family car. They pronounce it with an A sound as in "hat". People in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana do not say rAd-iator. That is largely a Philadelphia / South Jersey pronunciation. See more »

Quotes

Evelyn Ryan: [singing] My frisk the Frigidaire, clean the cupboard bare sandwich.
See more »

Connections

Features Queen for a Day (1956) See more »

Soundtracks

"Frisk the Frigidaire"
Written by Brian Kirk and Evelyn Ryan
Performed by The Jarre Sisters
See more »

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User Reviews

 
Another small beauty
29 December 2005 | by (London, England) – See all my reviews

This one came to me in the form of an Academy screener so it's eligible for Oscars - but I had never heard of it - nor read anything about it. So, it's a true sleeper. It's not perfect, but it's a really lovely movie nevertheless and deserves to be better known - certainly by Oscar voters who otherwise might give it a miss. If you are an Academy voter reading this please don't disregard this movie - once again it proves that so many of the smaller American films are the really good ones - small budgets give the director/writers a much better chance, and to have producers looking after you (like Steve Starkey & Robert Zemeckis in this case) is enormously helpful - but one fears that the distributors have decided to bury this gem.....come on guys, give it the chance it needs.


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