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 32 wins & 37 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 | smuggling | trailer | smuggler | single mother | 

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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 [Japan] Sony [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Chinese Urdu Mohawk

Release Date:

5 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Río helado

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$70,234, 3 August 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,508,841, 15 March 2009

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,028,957, 31 December 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cohen Media Group, Harwood Hunt Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ray Eddy's name is spoken once.

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Goofs

When the state trooper checks out at Yankee Dollar, Ray tells him the total is $3.76. Over his shoulder, a sign on the wall that says that all items are $1.00. At the time, the sales tax in St. Lawrence County, which includes Massena, was 7%, so the total should've been $3.21.

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Quotes

Pakistani Baby: Are you a stone?
Velma - Ticket Taker: No. But I think you are a stone.

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Connections

Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Olivia Wilde/Grant Gustin/The Vamps (2015)

User Reviews

Sure to be a classic Indie film

For a first time director, a superb job, The general theme is single mothers fighting for their very life. Living on next to nothing,trying to raise their children with almost no resources but their own courage. They are at the very edge of society living in forbidding land of ice snow and frozen lakes and rivers. Both Melissa Leo and the native American woman must make terrible choices in order to live. Despite what the main stream critics have said, the picture is photographed wonderfully and there are no cheap props other indications of cheap film. The actors are fabulous and the characters are interesting, true to life and the story makes sense. This film is a classic, and I hereby nominate both female leads for Oscars. see this film ASAP!!