Winter's Bone (2010)

An unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.

Director:

Debra Granik

Writers:

Debra Granik (screenplay), Anne Rosellini (screenplay)

Stars:

Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Garret Dillahunt

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 63 wins & 120 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer Lawrence	...	Ree
Isaiah Stone	...	Sonny
Ashlee Thompson	...	Ashlee
Valerie Richards	...	Connie
Shelley Waggener	...	Sonya
Garret Dillahunt	...	Sheriff Baskin
William White	...	Blond Milton
Ramona Blair	...	Parenting Teacher
Lauren Sweetser	...	Gail
Andrew Burnley	...	Baby Ned
Phillip Burnley	...	Baby Ned
Isaac Skidmore	...	Baby Ned
Cody Brown	...	Floyd
Cinnamon Schultz	...	Victoria
John Hawkes	...	Teardrop

Storyline

Her family home in danger of being repossessed after her dad skips bail and disappears, Ozark teen Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) breaks the local code of conduct by confronting her kin about their conspiracy of silence. Should she fail to track her father down, Ree Dolly, her younger siblings, and their disabled mother will soon be rendered homeless.

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Plot Keywords:

ozark mountains | family relationships | search for father | bail | drug trade | 

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Taglines:

Everyone's got a secret

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some drug material, language and violent content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Germany]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 July 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Winter's Bone

Filming Locations:

Branson, Missouri, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$84,887, 13 June 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,531,503, 21 April 2011

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,831,503, 21 April 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anonymous Content, Winter's Bone Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The lowest grossing film nominated for Best Picture since The Dresser (1983)

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Goofs

When Gail comes over to Ree's house, they are both standing at the kitchen counter with baby Ned on the counter in his car seat. Ree is eating something out of a cast iron skillet with a fork, Gail pulls out the keys to the truck while Ree is eating with the fork and then throws the keys down onto the counter, but now the fork is in the skillet and no longer on Ree's hand.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ree: [waking her] Ashlee Dawn...
Ashlee: Hmmm?
[to her brother]
Ashlee: Wake up...

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Towns Hiding a Dark Secret (2016)

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Soundtracks

Missing You
Music and Lyrics by Rick Reding
Performed by Ralph Dienno, Mark Moling, Gary Moore, Rick Reding, Billy Ward and Steve Youngblood
Courtesy of White River Music Company

User Reviews

Outstanding, if you like ultra-realism

While I have seen many more entertaining film and certainly more profound, I cannot remember the last time I saw a film so realistic I felt I was there.

The very realism of "Winter's Bone" undercuts its pacing and dramatic impact. The film opens slowly and my wife nearly lost interest before the story engrossed her. Perhaps given my "country cousin" roots, I was immediately taken in. As a writer I was astounded at how many times I could not predict what would happen next. Yet, every scene flows naturally into the next.

While I found some of the dialog unintelligible, the "natural sound" so accentuated the film's atmosphere I didn't care. Certainly, I had no trouble understanding all the necessary interchanges.

While all performances are "pitch perfect," Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes certainly deserved their Oscar nominations and numerous awards. Likewise, writer/director deserved her Oscar nomination for writing. She should have received one for directing. In any event, she is one to watch and, in my opinion, a much better director than Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow.

There are no really "big" messages here. Nonetheless the "small" messages of humanity,community and personal honor shine like a beacon. I give "Winter's Bone" a "10".