The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

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.

Director:

Rebecca Miller

Writer:

Rebecca Miller

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Catherine Keener, Camilla Belle

3 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

1986. Jack Slavin, an engineer by trade, and his mid-teen daughter Rose Slavin live in virtual isolation on what was once a commune that Jack and a group of others built in 1968 on sparsely populated Marsh Island off the U.S. east coast. Rose's mother abandoned them when Rose was five. Jack has passed to Rose a sense of ecological preservation, placing them at odds with Marty Rance, who is building a housing complex on the island on a wetlands. They are able to live this life on the commune property in their ecological bliss due to a sizable inheritance, Jack who will occasionally take out his checkbook in order to solve whatever problem he may be facing. Jack also took Rose out of school when she was eleven as he didn't believe in what the traditional school system was teaching. Their quiet life together is threatened by the fact that Jack has a heart condition which will probably kill him sooner than later. Wanting to ensure that Rose is taken care of after his passing, Jack makes ...

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Plot Keywords:

commune | environmentalism | obese | wetland | virginity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, sexual content and some drug material

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rose and the Snake

Filming Locations:

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$59,459, 27 March 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$712,294, 19 June 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

IFC Productions, Initial Entertainment Group (IEG), Elevation Filmworks

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

For this film, Rebecca Miller received Honorable Mention from MTV's 2010 The Best Female Directors Who Should Have Won An Oscar.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

Rose Slavin: I took care of things!
Jack Slavin: No, *we* took care of things. Now I'm sick.

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to the people of Souris, Eastern Kings and Charlottetown, P.E.I..

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Connections

Referenced in Conan: Rendezvous at Meet-Up Point (2011)

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Soundtracks

I Put a Spell on You
(1956)
Written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins (as Jay Hawkins)
Performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Courtesy of Fantasy, Inc.

User Reviews

A marvelous piece of acting

My pick for male Oscar winner so far this year is Daniel Day-Lewis as an eccentric father of a precocious girl in The Ballad of Jack and Rose.

I don't think the bard suggested incest on the menu for Prospero and Miranda, but in this ballad dad and daughter alone on a remote peninsula off the East coast are not fighting just real estate developers and dad's lovers, they are dealing with incestuous feelings so subtly relayed that even our delicately Christian president might not be offended.

I have five beautiful daughters in the healthiest of relationships, but that a man alone with a bright, loving, free-spirited daughter could go to the dark side is the genius of this parable about the difficulties of living outside societal norms, which sometimes are fortunately restrictive of baser instincts.

Day-Lewis's conflicted protagonist is a marvelous piece of acting, the best of his career, and the most interesting this year.