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Frozen River
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Frozen River (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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Frozen River (2008) -- This is the theatrical trailer for Frozen River, directed by Courtney Hunt.
Frozen River (2008) -- Open-ended Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Frozen River (2008) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   8,770 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer (WGA):
Courtney Hunt (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Frozen River on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
31 October 2008 (Venezuela) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Desperation knows no borders.
Plot:
Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 14 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(329 articles)
Leonard Maltin's Top Hidden Gems of the Past Decade
 (From ReelzChannel. 21 December 2009, 11:09 AM, PST)

Monster Movies
 (From FilmExperience. 11 December 2009, 4:07 AM, PST)

User Reviews:
Courtney Hunt brilliantly explores a rare genre: the humanistic thriller more (73 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Melissa Leo ... Ray Eddy
Misty Upham ... Lila Littlewolf

Charlie McDermott ... Troy J. 'T.J.' Eddy

Michael O'Keefe ... Trooper Finnerty
Mark Boone Junior ... Jacques Bruno

James Reilly ... Ricky Eddy

Jay Klaitz ... Guy Versailles
John Canoe ... Bernie Littlewolf
Dylan Carusona ... Jimmy
Michael Sky ... Billy Three Rivers

Gargi Shinde ... Pakistani Mother

Rajesh Bose ... Pakistani Father
Azin Jahanbakhsh ... Pakistani Dealer
Jack Phillips ... Pakistani Baby
James Phillips ... Pakistani Baby
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for some language.
Runtime:
97 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Charlie McDermott and James Reilly, who play brothers, are, in actual life, cousins. more
Goofs:
Errors in geography: Based on the car license plates on the Canadian side, and the Quebecois dialogue of the Canadian characters, the implied smuggling route runs directly across the St Lawrence River (or another major nearby river) from Quebec into N.Y. State. However, at no point does any major river (including the St Lawrence) form the boundary between Quebec and upstate N.Y. The St Lawrence does however form the boundary between upstate N.Y. and the (largely English-speaking) province of Ontario, and there is a major Mohawk Indian reservation situated on the N.Y. side of that section of the Canada-U.S. boundary. more
Quotes:
Ray Eddy: I think we need to talk about this Troy... come on out. Troy?
[shoots gun]
Ray Eddy: ... I mean it Honey.
more
Movie Connections:

FAQ

What is the song that plays during the closing credits?
What did Lila mean when she told her little boy to say goodbye to his "tota"?
Is "Frozen River" based on a novel?
more
24 out of 35 people found the following review useful.
Courtney Hunt brilliantly explores a rare genre: the humanistic thriller, 18 October 2008
10/10
Author: Aluísio Parondi (nem.freud.explica@gmail.com) from Winooski, Vermont, USA

Courtney Hunt's début feature, "Frozen River", winner of this year's Sundance's Grand Jury Prize, is as tense as a great thriller should be, and also a heartfelt, poignant drama.

Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo) was just abandoned by her druggie husband, having to take care of their two kids and pay for their house alone (otherwise, they'll be evicted). With her minimum wage job at a local store, Ray can't make enough money, but chance will introduce her to a young Mohawk, Lila (Misty Upham), who smuggles illegal immigrants across the frozen St. Lawrence River (between New York State and Québec), and both will be forced to risk a lot in order to get the money they need.

Hunt's writing/directing is secure and reveals a very promising talent, but the film's major strength is the extraordinary performances of the lead actresses, in particular Melissa Leo ("21 Grams", "The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada"), magnificent character actress turned lead. Totally deglamourized, her screen presence is real, visceral, almost organic. A flawless performance in a great film, that is at once sad, suspenseful and hopeful. It's not every movie that makes you feel for and really care for its characters, but "Frozen River" is one of those rare gems. 10/10.

Was the above review useful to you?
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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Frozen River (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Lila's vision: case of deliberately misleading the audience? Pearl_Jade
Goof with Lila seeing tracks in snow lsieg
Who sang the closing song? Desrio
st regis mowhawk!!! rez ! St lawerence River is where this is based on wolfenzero
Accurate portrayal of tribal life? haydeecm
Did she get to keep the money? haydeecm
more

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