Frozen River (2008)

Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Here, the lure of fast money from smuggling ... See full summary »

Director:

Courtney Hunt

Writer:

Courtney Hunt

Stars:

Melissa Leo, Misty Upham, Charlie McDermott

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 33 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melissa Leo	...	Ray Eddy
Misty Upham	...	Lila Littlewolf
Charlie McDermott	...	T.J.
Michael O'Keefe	...	Trooper Finnerty
Mark Boone Junior	...	Jacques Bruno
James Reilly	...	Ricky
Jay Klaitz	...	Guy Versailles
John Canoe	...	Bernie Littlewolf
Dylan Carusona	...	Jimmy
Michael Skye	...	Billy Three Rivers (as Michael Sky)
Gargi Shinde	...	Pakistani Mother
Rajesh Bose	...	Pakistani Father
Azin Jahanbakhsh	...	Pakistani Dealer
Jack Phillips	...	Pakistani Baby
James Phillips	...	Pakistani Baby

Storyline

Takes place in the days before Christmas near a little-known border crossing on the Mohawk reservation between New York State and Quebec. Here, the lure of fast money from smuggling presents a daily challenge to single moms who would otherwise be earning minimum wage. Two women - one white, one Mohawk, both single mothers faced with desperate circumstances - are drawn into the world of border smuggling across the frozen water of the St. Lawrence River. Ray and Lila - and a New York State Trooper as opponent in an evolving cat-and-mouse game.

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Plot Keywords:

mohawk | money | new york | river | smuggling | 

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Taglines:

Desperation knows no borders.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp] Sony [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Chinese Urdu

Release Date:

31 October 2008 (Venezuela)

Also Known As:

Río helado

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$70,234 (USA) (1 August 2008)

Gross:

$2,508,841 (USA) (13 March 2009)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cohen Media Group, Harwood Hunt Productions, Off Hollywood Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Melissa Leo's character Ray Eddy's name is spoken one time throughout the film.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the film, when the truck arrives, there is clearly no snow on the road surface. When the boy throws his snowball, there are traces beneath the truck of previous snowballs (previous takes). Then, when the truck leaves, there is again no snow.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Lila Littlewolf: Count it.

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Connections

Referenced in The 83rd Annual Academy Awards (2011)

User Reviews

Introducing Melissa Leo

How extraordinary to find a forty-something actress you've never seen or heard about before and being blown away by her. Her name is Melissa Leo and I believe she is here to stay. She gives the most powerful performance I've seen all year. She managed to slip into my subconscious and I find myself thinking about her (about her character) as I do someone I truly care about. That in itself is a major achievement. A first time director, Courtney Hunt, gives this character and this actress a remarkable space to breath and grow. The gelid landscape envelopes the desolate story but there is a human warmth devoid of sentimentality that makes "Frozen River" a welcome rarity. Moving, suspenseful, not to be missed.