Winter's Bone: A Review

We were at the southwest Missouri premiere of one of the most heralded movies of the year, set and filmed right here in southwest Missouri.

This is the first, but probably not the last, review of Winter's Bone we will run. The film—set and shot right here in 417-land—has been getting rave reviews from everyone from Entertainment Weekly to the New York Times to Roger Ebert. But chances are no one will be able to look at the film as well as those of us who live right here in southwest Missouri. If you would like to contribute to our Winter's Bone review roundups.

Set in the dangerous world of the Ozarks backwoods, with an authentic mix of blood ties, poverty, drugs and unspoken laws, this is a raw story of a 17-year-old girl who is trapped, forced to make decisions beyond her years because of her incarcerated meth-cooking father and catatonic mother. She has no choice but to quit school and care for her two younger siblings. The story begins with a sheriff notifying Ree (played by Jennifer Lawrence) that her father Jessup Dolly has been released on bond and has gone missing. She learns that her father has placed the only thing she has left—the family home and land—as bond. She makes it her personal mission for her family to find her father before his court date, and take back what is theirs, regardless of the consequences.

This film was adapted by Debra Granik and Ann Rosellini from the novel Winter’s Bone by Daniel Woodrell. It was directed by Granik.

This movie is a combination of authenticity, gothic drama and a screenplay of minimal words, yet the message is clearly delivered. Although it doesn’t have the twist and turns of a thriller, its rawness is captivating and shows worthy of the awards all ready won.

Winter’s Bone won the Grand Jury Prize for Drama and the Screenwriting award at the 2010 Sundance film festival, among other awards world wide. There is already Academy Award buzz, cast members said at Thursday’s VIP premiere in Springfield.

Winter’s Bone was shot over 24 and a half days in Christian and Taney counties on a very small budget. Filming began in early 2009 and ran over of a three month period.

The cast is made up of seasoned actors and real life residents of Taney and Christian county. Ree’s sibling Sonny (Isaiah Stone) went to Forsyth Junior High with no previous acting experience. Ashlee Thompson, who played Ree’s young sister, had no experience and is also a Taney county resident.

While scouting locations, Granik met a local family, the Laysons, and used several of their buildings’ interiors and exteriors as is. She even used their old hound dog. The relationship she built with the family prompted her to cast Ashlee Thompson, the Laysons’ granddaughter, as Ree’s younger sister instead of the novel’s version, which described Ree having a younger brother. After spotting a billboard for “The Biker Church” (you know the ones), Granik attended a service and was mesmerized by Ron “Stray Dog’’ Hall. She says: “His regalia was an intriguing mixture of cultural identifiers, a clear love of motorcycles, and military service won me over“. Hall acted as a community liaison for Granik during the shoot and appears in the film as the brutal patriarch Thump Milton, even wearing his own clothes. To complete the wardrobes, locals gave their worn clothes to the costume department.

No sets were built. All houses and scenes are still occupied by current local residents. The film was shot entirely with the RED ONE™, a new high-depth digital camera format.

This movie struck home for me, as it will for many in 417-land: As in Winter’s Bone, my own family grew up eating squirrels, rabbits, turkey, raccoon, and pigeons. Hunting was and is still a way of life for some of them. My dad had five bothers and a sister. One brother died trying to shoot pigeons on a bridge. Bobby fell to a tragic death at 9 years old. Unfortunately this story hits home because of my family’s “backwoods” ways and unspoken laws has many of my own distant family members are incarcerated to this day. My own Grandpa Zagar (deceased before I was born) moved to “Strawberry Hill” (7th St. and Sandusky), as an immigrant from Croatia. He owned large amount of Ozarks acreage and had an “underground” still. He would make and sell liquor for money during the prohibition.

I had a personal interest in this independent film. Having lived in Southern California for my first 35 years then moving to the Ozarks in 2008, and being newly acquainted with the differences in the ways of life in the Midwest, I was anxious to see this movie. Coming from knowledge of West coast gangs and territories depicted in films, we finally get to see a rarely spoken-of “gang-like” lifestyle happening right here in the heartland.

290 people attended the VIP premier. Among them was Sergeant Russell Schalk (who played himself in the movie, a real-life Army recruiter in Taney County); Nixa native Casey McLaren (Ree’s cousin Megan); and actress/musician/historian Marideth Sisco.

Rumors of additional films in the area, including something centered in the “music scene” here in the Ozarks, could possibly be in our future. Five actors were found in an acting workshop in southwest Missouri, a few seasoned actors and the rest locals. A soundtrack has been mastered with 18 songs and is in works.

See this film not because of it’s local connection, but because it’s a must-see! For more information, visit www.wintersbonemovie.com.

Yours in good food & entertainment, Kim Fino

 

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