Winter’s Bone (2010)
Summary
Genre: DramaGoodies:
+ Realistic and emotional situations, + Phenomenal acting with characters you care about, + Great writing and storylineBaddies:
- Plot advances a bit slow at certain points in the filmAn unflinching Ozark Mountain girl hacks through dangerous social terrain as she hunts down her drug-dealing father while trying to keep her family intact.
Winter’s Bone plays out almost as a documentary — that is how real it feels. The film is downright harrowing. The film is almost more about living in poverty than anything else (or maybe that is how I read it in relationship to my past and also working with the Upward Bound program) – regardless, you have to read it at that level to some degree. A teenage girl taking care of two children, a mentally unavailable mother, and a missing father who plummets into a world where you aren’t supposed to ask questions — but this is the only way she can retain their only place on earth. The film doesn’t play the pity card at all, but you can’t help but feeling very sad for the situation this family is in — poor education, a lack of basic needs (food), and a very cold and loveless community. I don’t want to give away – but the story itself as well is compelling as Ree searches for her father, she puts herself (in every which way) on the line because she knows she has to – this is a tale of true courage. The film is both heartbreaking and heartful at the same time (mostly the former), but is an impressive film and truly makes you put your own emotions out there. If we can take anything from this film – it is that people actually do live like this, and we need to remember to help other people when they need it because not everyone is as fortunate as us (if we are so fortunate to have food on the table – not having to eat squirrel and take handouts from the neighbors). Amazing film, you actually shouldn’t even be reading this right now if you haven’t seen it, because you are wasting valuable time you could be watching the film. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. If ever a film made me believe so strongly in education, this is 2nd to Waiting for Superman – but as an actual fiction , i’d choose this).
Why are you still on facebook!? GO WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!