Posted by Larry Gleeson

Another Sunday night at the movies!

Having spent numerous summer weekends in the Ozarks growing up, I was simply astounded watching the reality of  Winter’s Bone (2010) and its eery look into the underbelly of rural family life in the Ozarks. Produced with a budget of a mere $2.2 million, the film was shot on location and with most of the music performed by musicians from the Ozarks. These two elements added a surreal and authentic feel. The soundtrack included traditional mountain folk songs, hardscrabble honky-tonk tunes, gentlefolk ballads, and hymns.  Winter’s Bone was also today’s AFI Movie Club pick of the day.

 

 

The film was nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Writing, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Actress. Winter’s Bone is the film that put Jennifer Lawrence on the map across the film universe with her depiction of Ree, a young seventeen-year-old woman thrust into adulthood in a drug-stricken community. The screenplay, based on Missouri author Daniel Woodrell’s novel of the same name, was written by Debra Granik and Anne Rossellini. Granik also directed the film.

 

In 2010 Winter’s Bone was honored with an AFI AWARD  – “recognizing it as one of the 10 outstanding films deemed culturally and artistically representative of the year’s most significant achievements in the art of the moving image.” In addition, The film was produced by Anonymous Content, which was founded by AFI Conservatory alum Steve Golin (AFI Class of 1981).

Winter’s Bone is available for viewing on Kanopy and at Amazon Prime Video to rent/buy.