Winter's Bone - Debra Granik

When I first saw Winter's Bone in one of my film classes I didn't fully appreciate its feminist message. Then again, at that point I knew nothing of the Bechdel test or really take a serious look at the misrepresentation of women in the film industry. In the film Winter's Bone the director, Debra Granik, tells the story of a young woman living in the Ozarks trying to find her drug-dealing, estranged father while keeping her poverty-stricken family together. In this film, Jennifer Lawrence's character, Ree forces herself into a world of secrets that nobody wants her to be part of. Sure, the plot is gripping, but the real value that I think Granik wants the film to display is that of the strength of women. Throughout the entire film, Ree has to take the care of her family out of her mentally ill mother and absent father. She shows strength and maturity little found in any teenager, regardless of gender. In addition to that, she has to ward off the sheriff from repossessing the house they live in. Intense? To say the least...

Not only are the feminist tones visible because of gender roles completely thrown out the window, but Granik brings feminism into the core plot (without being preachy or completely obvious) this apparent not only because Ree kicks ass and takes names (figuratively... sorta...) to get to the bottom of the mystery surrounding her father, but because the people who are fighting against her, for the secrecy, and protecting the evil that is eating up her life and those of the people around them, are also women. In movies you have female protagonists all the time, but having female antagonists who are genuinely opposed to the values of the protagonist in a serious and dramatic way is not as common. The position of evil genius is usually relegated to men (say of that what you will) but in this film, that is not the case, despite the head honcho of the meth contingency is a man. You seldom see him though, and when you do, the women in his family usually do the talking for him. Perhaps the most gripping scene for me though, is when Ree is taken to see her father's dead body so she can prove him dead to the sheriff. The women who take her there show her no mercy, telling her to hold her father's dead hand while they cut it off with a chainsaw. Thats intense, terrifying, and badass all at the same time, which basically sums up this film.

Obviously, this film got much praise. It took awards at Sundance, and was nominated for four academy award nominations including best picture and best actress for Jennifer Lawrence. If that's not enough of an advertisement in and of itself, I'll tell you now, go see it.