Winter's Bone

Winter's Bone is an movie set in the present day Ozark mountains. The movie deals with a variety of the issues faced by the people living in this area. The modern Ozarks seem to have left the moonshine behind, methamphetamine is the new cash crop. The movie centers around Ree Dolly. Ree, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is searching for her father, Jessup, who has been missing for weeks. He was arrested for manufacturing methamphetamine and later, released on a bond, with the family home and property as collateral. If he is not found in time for his court appearance the family will lose the house and property, which is about all they have left.

As Ree searches for her father we meet some of her close, and some her extended family. We find they are all quite clannish and it becomes obvious that even a member of the family will be shut out, even attacked, if that person in some way threatens their way of life.

As Ree works her way through the family in the search for her father, we see the stress this girl is under. Her mother is mentally ill, this leaves Ree to take care of her mother, her younger brother and sister. Ree is teaching her brother (Sonny) and sister (Ashlee) how to cook and hunt, because you just can't rely on anyone but yourself, as well as trying her best to keep food on the table and stay in school.

This movie is an inside look at this poverty stricken area and the family ties strung across the hills of the Ozarks. Winter's Bone also deals with how far those family members will go to protect each other and close out any who threaten their way of life.

This movie contains adult language and deals openly with poverty, despair, drugs and quite a bit of violence. It is rated R and not a movie for youngsters.