Winter's Bone (2010)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Cynthia S

  
  Slow, independent drama, with a great performance by Jennifer Lawrence. A look at a way of life that most of us wil never see. Really unnerving that families are put in the position of having to live the way this movie portrays, but it's all so true. Well done film. Good cast.

• Jameson W

  
  Great movie. Drags a little at times but overall this was really well done. Jennifer Lawrence is fantastic.

• Tim S

  
  Winter's Bone does several things very well. It contains great performances from both Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, it has some nice strong direction and contains a compelling plot that is wound tighter than a Swiss watch. As the minutes tick by we're taken deeper and… More
  Winter's Bone does several things very well. It contains great performances from both Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes, it has some nice strong direction and contains a compelling plot that is wound tighter than a Swiss watch. As the minutes tick by we're taken deeper and deeper into the mystery and intrigue, experiencing the drama through Ree's eyes. However good the first two acts of the film, they do no make up for the lackluster final act which seems more like the plot is trying to get itself over with. With how tight things are wound it seems way too easy and ends too abruptly. The first two acts excuse it though and winds up being a very dramatic little thriller.

• Raymond W

  
  Debra Granik has made one great piece of work here. Winter's Bone is so genuine I almost forgot it was a movie. It's haunting, chilling, suspenseful and hopeful but what made this a true pleasure to watch were the performances by Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes and Dale… More
  Debra Granik has made one great piece of work here. Winter's Bone is so genuine I almost forgot it was a movie. It's haunting, chilling, suspenseful and hopeful but what made this a true pleasure to watch were the performances by Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes and Dale Dickey.

• Daniel J D

  
  A good-yet-unremarkable film with a simple yet somewhat perplexing, often slow plot. It's almost as if, not just the cast but the entire film, was built as a supporting cast to give Jennifer Lawrence a shot at the Oscars. And it's a good performance, probably a decent… More
  A good-yet-unremarkable film with a simple yet somewhat perplexing, often slow plot. It's almost as if, not just the cast but the entire film, was built as a supporting cast to give Jennifer Lawrence a shot at the Oscars. And it's a good performance, probably a decent projection of what we can expect from her in the future, but I don't think she'd have gotten as much attention if she weren't such a looker. Needless to say, I won't mind watching her evolving as an actor in future films.

• Sanjay R

  
  A decent altogether movie with good acting and writing. However, the movie as a whole is a little too bland and dry for my liking.

• Matthew S

  
  David and Goliath, only David is a high school girl trying to take care of her mom and siblings and find her father, and Goliath is a large Americana family -- something very much like a backwoods mafia -- who's being prodded with a stick. Simple, but exotic and heavy, and its… More
  David and Goliath, only David is a high school girl trying to take care of her mom and siblings and find her father, and Goliath is a large Americana family -- something very much like a backwoods mafia -- who's being prodded with a stick. Simple, but exotic and heavy, and its easy to admire and sympathize with the incredible Ree Dolly.

• Jeff "

  
  As far as independent films are concerned, Winter's Bone has got to be one of the best films that has come along in a long time. The films story is quite bizarre, a girl's father who is a meth cooker is missing, and the police need to see him or their house will be… More
  As far as independent films are concerned, Winter's Bone has got to be one of the best films that has come along in a long time. The films story is quite bizarre, a girl's father who is a meth cooker is missing, and the police need to see him or their house will be repossessed, so his daughter needs to find him. Thats the basic idea of the films plot. Winter's Bone is superbly acted and directed. Director Debra Granik adapts Daniel Woodrell's novel of the same name beautifully to the screen. Winter's Bone is a bizarre film, and I may need to rewatch it, but for my first viewing, I thought it was one of the best films of 2010. Actress Jennifer Lawrence had amazing screen presence, and the rest of the cast delivered as well. Winter's Bone is a powerful story, and it becomes a lot more dramatic as it unfolds. The fact that this film is independently made proves that sometimes the best films, are ones that are made with a small budget, and a good little cast. What you have in Winter's Bone is a gem of film that will probably take time to find a wider audience, but given time and word of mouth, Winter's Bone will surely become a classic. A wonderful drama that iseccentric and bizarre, this is a film that will stick with you, and demand another viewing. A terrific and well acted film.

• Martin B

  
  A dreary, depressing snapshot of life in the Ozarks, Winter's Bone comes across as some kind of "Redneck Sopranos." It's a well-enough made film, and the acting is strong across the board, but I'd be lying if I said the film itself deserved Oscar… More
  A dreary, depressing snapshot of life in the Ozarks, Winter's Bone comes across as some kind of "Redneck Sopranos." It's a well-enough made film, and the acting is strong across the board, but I'd be lying if I said the film itself deserved Oscar consideration. It all builds to a pretty anticlimactic ending, then it just fizzles out from there. <br/><br />Still, this is one of those films that is a showcase for its main actors, and the best of the bunch is John Hawkes. His nomination is well-deserved, and it's nice to see him get some attention after years as a great character actor.

• Mark R

  
  There were only two Best Picture Oscar nominees from last year that I didn't manage to see in theatres, so today I decided to catch up on one of them, Winter's Bone (The other one being The Kids Are All Right). Winter's Bone was something of a sensation on the festival… More
  There were only two Best Picture Oscar nominees from last year that I didn't manage to see in theatres, so today I decided to catch up on one of them, Winter's Bone (The other one being The Kids Are All Right). Winter's Bone was something of a sensation on the festival circuit last year following it's debut at Sundance last year, scooping a bunch of awards and making a star of the previously unknown Jennifer Lawrence (soon to be seen in X-Men: First Class and the adaptation of the Hunger Games novels). It's a solid, moody film which is unfortunately hampered by a somewhat dull and unfocused story, a problem I see in a lot of independent drama. The setting of a small American community seemingly under the control of methamphetamine dealers makes for some beautiful and haunting imagery which matches the bleak tone well, and a feeling of cold seeps through every desaturated frame of the film. Ree (Lawrence) is a teenager struggling to raise her young brother and sister and care for her mentally ill mother, while also searching for her absentee father to ensure he makes a court appearance so the family won't be turned out of their house. She's something of a wonder-kid, selflessly juggling all of these difficulties, and it just seems a little far-fetched. In the hunt for her father, Ree visits various acquaintances to gather clues, adding a nice element of mystery to the story, but again the realism of the film's construction and performances doesn't extend to the story as Ree runs afoul of the higher-ups of the town's drug hierarchy. There is no satisfying explanation offered for why so many people react to Ree with such hostility, but the implication is that asking questions leads to trouble. However, Ree's claim that she is a "bred and buttered" member of the community surely extends to a knowledge of its pervasive drug influence, and the idea that a young girl would be treated so badly by so many stretches the limits of believability a little too far, and reeks of emotional pandering. While this type of overly melodramatic plot is sadly quite common in American independent productions, the quality of the acting does go a long way to redeeming Winter's Bone. The film works as a character study with Lawrence shining in every single scene, and the massively underrated John Hawkes (Me and You and Everyone We Know, Deadwood) is typically excellent as Ree's uncle Teardrop. Working with a fairly small part, Hawkes injects such humanity into the character, and he's by far the best part of the film. Lawrence is well on the way to becoming a huge star, but hopefully the success of Winter's Bone will also allow us to see more of Hawkes in future, as he's truly a class act who needs to be in more films.

• Anthony L

  
  I'd heard good things about this film but I forgot the name of it. I rented Frozen by mistake and have regretted it ever since. Luckily I wasn't disappointed with Winter's Bone. Intrigue was there from the outset followed quite quickly by suspense - the build up was… More
  I'd heard good things about this film but I forgot the name of it. I rented Frozen by mistake and have regretted it ever since. Luckily I wasn't disappointed with Winter's Bone. Intrigue was there from the outset followed quite quickly by suspense - the build up was intense and the conclusion was not a let down. Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes are brilliant as the two leads - Lawrence's performance carries the film somewhat, it needed a good actor to the job and she really proved her worth. Many have labelled this film as boring and depressing, I can't help but think that if The Coen Brothers had made the exact same film, everyone would have loved it. I like bleak and depressing films anyway, this film really impressed me and I've not seen a film as suspenseful and full of intensity that I have enjoyed as much as this for quite a long time. I'm looking forward to catching up with Debra Granik's earlier film, Down to the Bone and to see what she will do next - and will it have the word Bone in it? I can't wait to find out.

• Lucas M

  
  Chocante!!! um dos melhores filmes do ano. Debra Granik e Anne Rosellini, fizeram uma incrivel adaptação do romance. Assim como a performace de Jennifer Lawrence.

• Jennifer X

  
  A Greek tragedy set in the woodsy meth-addled region of the Ozarks. The narrative tautness of this film is incredible.

• Cassie H

  
  Set in the sheer darkness of the Ozarks comes this intense and gripping story about how 17 year old Ree Dolly, sets out to find her drug dealing father. Facing an abusive community,she stays tough skinned all the while caring for her mentally sick mother and her siblings Ashlee &… More
  Set in the sheer darkness of the Ozarks comes this intense and gripping story about how 17 year old Ree Dolly, sets out to find her drug dealing father. Facing an abusive community,she stays tough skinned all the while caring for her mentally sick mother and her siblings Ashlee & Sonny. This film will have you on the edge of your seat grasping for answers and routing for Ree all the way in her rough struggle for a good life. I saw this at my public library and everyone along with myself felt the phenomenal that came with this heart wrenching film. Definitely a must-see film for any suspense lover.

• Robert C

  
  While the story isn't overly complex, the emotions involved should have been. Sadly I never really felt that the emotional level was very realistic, especially from the drug dealers/makers and addicts in the film. They were all remarkably calm, cool and collected (in a… More
  While the story isn't overly complex, the emotions involved should have been. Sadly I never really felt that the emotional level was very realistic, especially from the drug dealers/makers and addicts in the film. They were all remarkably calm, cool and collected (in a hillbilly sort of way) And while Jennifer Lawrence does a great job...she was a bit polished and well spoken for a girl who (as far as we could tell) had little to no education and was raised by "mountain folk". Aside from those small details, the acting was top notch and you really got a good feel for the life these people lead. It was a nice surprise seeing Sheryl Lee pop up (even if only for 5 minutes of screen time).

• Lanning :

  
  I'm slowly coming to the realizaton that 2010 was a pretty lousy year for movies. Gad zooks this movie is tedious and tiresome. I tell you, it's so emotiionally flat and boringly predictable that the only entertaining moment for me was when they chainsawed the dad's… More
  I'm slowly coming to the realizaton that 2010 was a pretty lousy year for movies. Gad zooks this movie is tedious and tiresome. I tell you, it's so emotiionally flat and boringly predictable that the only entertaining moment for me was when they chainsawed the dad's hands off. Hand one made me laugh, and the line about why'd you let go, we gotta get both hands cuz theyz wise to folks hacking off only one hand to avoid prison -- well, that one was bust out loud laughing for me. Man this sucked. Especially if you're a squirrel.

• Mark W

  
  Being able to experience another culture or catch a glimpse of a person's lifestyle without physical involvement is one of the wonders of cinema. Thank our lucky stars for celluloid then, as it allows us the luxury of paying a visit to the stark and violent backwoods of America… More
  Being able to experience another culture or catch a glimpse of a person's lifestyle without physical involvement is one of the wonders of cinema. Thank our lucky stars for celluloid then, as it allows us the luxury of paying a visit to the stark and violent backwoods of America and still able to walk away from it. It's a place I'd rather not have to endure, as this film so vividly confirms. Seventeen year-old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) sets out to track down her bail-jumping dad after he uses the family home to secure his bond. Failing to find him will mean that she, her mother and siblings will have to fend for themselves in the bitter Ozark woods. Overcoming her kin's code of silence and threats of retribution and violence, she slowly uncovers the truth behind her father's disappearance. The lives of the characters in this film are as barren as the landscape. The environment is unkind which in turn manifests itself in the inhabitants. They are a product of their environment and this unsavoury bunch and their lawless community are perfectly captured by director Debra Granik and cinematographer Michael McDonough. Good performances too, by the Oscar nominated newcomer Jennifer Lawrence (who reminded me of a young Juliette Lewis) and John Hawkes (From Dusk Till Dawn) finally getting a role suited to his abilities. However, as much as I enjoyed this, I feel the critics have praised it just a bit too highly. In their numbers, they lapped this one up and I struggle to see why. It certainly looks the part and the performances are excellent but it's a tad lethargic, considering the main character has a deadline to meet. Other than the novelty and voyueristic setting of a neo-noir in the desolate backwoods, It didn't offer anything new and I must admit that I found myself drifting off a few times. It failed to hold my attention for its entirety, only occasionally jolting me back to attention with a few memorably powerful scenes. A fine feel for the place and the people but having had very high expectations going into it, I can't help but feel that I've been a victim of hype.

• ♥Robyn

  
  In Winters Bone, 17year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is approached one day by the local sheriff (Garrett Dillahunt) and told that her meth selling father put her familys house up for bail and hasnt been seen since and If he doesnt show up for his court date in a weeks time, the… More
  In Winters Bone, 17year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is approached one day by the local sheriff (Garrett Dillahunt) and told that her meth selling father put her familys house up for bail and hasnt been seen since and If he doesnt show up for his court date in a weeks time, the house will be confiscated and her family thrown out into the cold~! Already struggling for money and food to feed her two younger siblings and ailing mother, Ree Dolly decides to track down her deadbeat dad or at least try to find proof that he is dead and as she digs deeper, she crosses paths with her fathers unsavory friends who dont like some girl snooping around in their business~!

• Shawn E

  
  A haunting suspense with some great acting, but the plot is lacking in interest and drags on with a slow pace.

• Randy T

  
  A masterful interweaving of hillbilly hierarchy and the plague of meth. This is the culture of the Ozarks, accurate and honest and unapologetic.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings