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A recipient of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Winter’s Bone is a tense, riveting drama set against a backdrop of poverty, drugs and an unrelenting code of silence.  Shot entirely in the Missouri Ozarks, it is an intelligent work of cinema you will not soon forget.

Within the deep valleys and winding roads of the rural Ozarks, 17-year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) finds herself in a bad predicament when her druggie father puts up his house and land for bond.  If he fails to attend an upcoming trial, then Ree, her two younger siblings and her mentally ill mother will be turned out into the cold, unforgiving woods.

With a steely resolve Ree searches for her father despite warnings to quit asking questions.  Through it all the one person she fears is Teardrop (John Hawkes, Miracle at St. Anna, Deadwood), her father’s brother and a man the entire community fears, including the sheriff.  Even though he also threatens Ree, Teardrop proves to be the only person willing to help.

Films have tended to broadly depict hillfolk characters, whether they are from the Ozarks or elsewhere, merely as inbred simpletons.  Think Deliverance.  Co-written and directed by Debra Granik, Winter’s Bone goes far beyond typical Hollywood caricatures and fleshes out their human complexities, including the good, the bad and the ugly.  Its overall pacing is steady as it never allows your attention to waver.

The film’s brilliant screenplay, which was adapted from Daniel Woodrell’s novel, is made even more memorable by Lawrence’s stand-out performance.  A 19-year-old Kentucky native, she appeared with Charlize Theron in 2008’s The Burning Plain and will play Mystique in 2011’s X-Men: First Class.  As Ree, Lawrence delivers a genuine portrayal of a girl who is burdened by tremendous demands which force her to relinquish her own dreams.  Lawrence’s subtlety is remarkable for such a young actress, as is her consistency in maintaining a sense of believability as a rural Ozarker.

In the end, there is nothing neat or tidy about Winter’s Bone, but it will leave you with sense of fulfillment as a filmgoer and an urge to discuss its aspects hours later.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing, Winter’s Bone receives an A.

Winter’s Bone is rated R and has a running time of 100 minutes.

 
Now showing through August 5 @
Tivoli Cinemas
Westport Manor Square, 4050 Pennsylvania, KCMO
Visit www.tivolikc.com or call 913-383-7756 for more information.
Leawood Theatre
3707 W. 95^th St., Leawood
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com or call 913-642-1133 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.

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