Winter’s Bone: A Review

(The following is a review of Winter’s Bone, the film based on a local novel that was adapted for cinema and won best film and best screenplay at the Sundance Film Festival. It was shot entirely locally, more specifically in Christian and Stone Counties. Many of the cast and crew had local ties. WB will be at SGF’s Campbell 16 on June 18. This review is done by a guy who doesn’t normally do movie reviews. Hang on, tight.)

There are many preconceived notions about Winter’s Bone. Depending on what you know, or what you don’t know, this is likely what you have heard.

• It won awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
• It was shot entirely here in the Ozarks.
• There are local actors and actresses.
• Meth is involved.

All of those things are true, but when trying to explain what Winter’s Bone is, I think it’s best to start with a simple statement and then go into what it is not. My official opinion (solidified by years of movie and TV watching…)

Great movie, mediocre story.

The scene is set in Forsyth and follows the path of the 17-year-old Ree Dolly and her family, which includes her missing meth-cooking (and using?) father, her catatonic mother and two younger siblings. Ree is the main character who tries to juggle school, cooking and cleaning duties and, essentially, all parenting. When she finds out her father has been released on bond, she’s told that he put the family’s only true possession — their house — up as collateral. The danger is heightened after the sheriff says he’s skeptical the father is going to show for his court date.

The story is set with pitfalls for Ree and she must overcome them in order for her family to be able to survive as one unit. However, there are many moments in the story that are implied, but not fully explained. I don’t want to ruin the entire plot for you with Cliff’s Notes, but while much of the story is Point A to Point B to Point C, etc., a substantial amount of the danger is heightened by elements that aren’t directly described. Instead, they are forbidden even for Ree to know, and, in my opinion, it’s asking the viewer to take major leaps of faith with the plot and the characters. For me, it wasn’t overly effective, although it’s possible that someone could inject their own adrenaline-pumping suspense. I just don’t think it will be as obvious for every viewer. Did I believe in Ree as a heroine? Yes. Do I agree that her path was difficult and she deserves to be portrayed as a protagonist that makes the impossible happen? Absolutely. I just didn’t agree with the story’s payoff at the end. Storywise, I found myself wanting more.

On the other hand, Winter’s Bone dominates with its visual details. I would imagine part of its success nationwide, at least in filmmaking circles, is its setting and how it delivers such an unusual set of circumstances — unusual, at least, to those from different walks of life. Think about it. When you watch it — whether at Campbell 16 or if you were at the recent 450-seat screening at Missouri State’s Plaster Student Union — some of the scenery might not be as system-shocking as it would to be to someone living in an urban setting. On the same token, SGFers are going to grade the depictions of these locations on a curve because they have seen, or know of, places like this. For me, it gets an A.

This isn’t just rural Missouri; this film is set off the backroads of the backroads of the backroads, a right-left-right turn off of Highways like D, HH and Y. Most of us who have grown up around the area have seen this slice of rural Missouri at least once, if not lived in it or near it. We’ve seen the dilapidated farm houses, the ones that are family investments of ancestors that haven’t been updated in years, have a Dish Network dish or the state-of-the-art wood-chopping machines. The surplus bales of hay are used as jungle gyms until they’re needed for food or money. Stray dogs become lookouts and friends. Winter’s Bone hits these details like meticulous sniper fire.

The language wins, too. We’re not beaten over the head with “I reckon,” “Y’all,” or “Warsh.” It’s a nice touch, yet there’s still a certain necessary and familiar twang in their dialogue. Anything that would have been too over the top we would immediately have called BS. The scenery shots are amazing, a compliment not only to the rural images of trees and cloudy skies, but to director Debra Granik’s infatuation with details and her eye for them. It’s the same reason when many move to this area they say they spend time driving around and looking at trees. The perspective on our surroundings was refreshing.

It’s also a reminder of those who live with virtually nothing out in the Ozarks, hunting for their food — there’s a squirrel-skinning scene — and using wood stoves. The beginning of the movie moves slowly, trying to illustrate exactly how Ree has and comes from nothing. Granik toys with the viewer’s attention span, hoping that the visuals bide her enough time until the story gets to moving at a better pace.

As for the methamphetamine portion of the story, I was pleasantly surprised. As I said to MSU alum Lauren Sweetser in our video interview, I was worried about the way the Ozarks would be portrayed. Winter’s Bone should be described this way: It’s a story about meth and how it can wreck families, but meth isn’t an active on-screen character.

You know how in AMC’s Breaking Bad you get a glimpse into meth culture, including scenes of cooking and selling it? Winter’s Bone doesn’t take you inside the meth labs. It doesn’t show the ingredients and the cooking utensils. And not that I was expecting gritty Trainspotting-like meth usage, but meth’s screen time is shorter than reading this paragraph. The fact that it wasn’t gratuitous made me very happy — and relieved.

Arguably my favorite part of the entire film revolves around the character Teardrop, Ree’s uncle. Again, I don’t want to spoil his role, but think of a mix between Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. I felt the movie needed more of his unpredictability, but his role, while important, was limited.

In all, there is no doubt Winter’s Bone is a unique drama, especially when measured against many movies we have all seen. While it’s based on Ree’s journey, there isn’t a feeling of conventional suspense or mystery. Much of it is left up to interpretation. There are scenes that are some of the most gripping and uncomfortable that I have seen in some time, but they don’t seem to blend with the rest of the stoic tone. But maybe that’s the problem, and it’s only mine. It’s not traditional.

But I found myself getting lost in the details, the stunning visuals and the authenticity of the scenery, not the story. I think Granik deserves an awful lot of credit because she breathed incredible life into a mediocre story. (I should note I never ready Daniel Woodrell’s novel, so I have no foundation to compare it to the film.) I’d love to see what she could do with a good plot, because her eye for detail and scenery is incredible. Considering it was made with the help of dozens of local actors, cast and crew, that alone should be enough to get you to Campbell 16 on June 18. It’s the only time, as of now, it will be shown on the big screen in Springfield.

Check out our previous Winter’s Bone coverage:

• Listen to the audio of the post-screening Q&A with cast, crew and the audience.
• Watch our video Q&A with actress Lauren Sweetser.
• Watch video of two bands that have music in Winter’s Bone.
• Click here for the film’s official website.