Winter’s Bone
An intimate and authentic tale that shines a light on a corner of America that rarely gets placed under the microscope.

Notable for scooping the Grand Jury Prize for best dramatic offering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, like previous winner Frozen River, Winter’s Bone is a low-budget slice of American indie filmmaking that revolves around a desperately poor, rural community. Filmed in the Ozarks in Southern Missouri, it follows 17-year-old Ree (Jennifer Lawrence) in her attempts to hold her family together. Her father has jumped bail and disappeared. Her mother has suffered a nervous breakdown, leaving Ree alone to care for her younger siblings. The teenager discovers that her father staked their log cabin as bail money, and when he fails to attend his court hearing, the family is threatened with repossession. With no other options, Ree sets out to find her absent father, even if doing so threatens to ruffle the feathers of her neighbours.

Winter’s Bone is an intimate and authentic tale that shines a light on a corner of America that rarely gets placed under the microscope. Those who live on Ree’s side of the mountain live in near poverty, supplementing their groceries by shooting deer and squirrels for sustenance. Adapted from the novel by Daniel Woodrell, and filmed by director Debra Granik, it’s a slow-burning tale. Shot in the autumn, Ree’s woodland world is a cold place – all mud and brown leaves –matching the frosty reception she receives from all but her siblings. Lead actress Lawrence gives a hugely accomplished performance, helped by the young actors playing her younger kin.

Although the story is pegged upon the central mystery of one man’s disappearance, this is not quite the thriller that the film’s promotional material would have you believe. It’s more concerned with dwelling upon notions of survival – both of the individual and wider communities. Ree’s world is geared towards surviving one day intact and making it to the next. Even though this old-before-her-time youngster continually manages this feat, Granik’s film leaves us in no doubt that the future for her – and those around her – remains bleak.