Winter's Bone

Had a free Redbox code that was only good 2/24, so we rented Winter's Bone last night. It was pretty good, I thought. A said it was okay. But, especially for a no-namer, it was an interesting storyline and about a culture/lifestyle that I really know nothing about ... Part of me still wonders, do people really live like that? Or is it a bit of an exaggeration?

It's about a girl, 17, who's dad was in prison and mom sort of lost it, so she's left to take care of her 2 younger siblings who look to be about 9 and 4. Then, someone comes to tell her that her dad put their property up for his bail and then ran off so if he doesn't show up to court, they lose the house. Thus begins her journey to find out what happened to her dad, if he's alive, and how they can possibly keep their property. It's not on-the-edge-of-your-seat riveting, but the story keeps moving and remains interesting throughout. It takes place in Southern Missouri, or at least some part of Missouri and while I don't know much about the culture there, I was pretty surprised. It's like a mix of hillbilly and the mafia, if you can imagine that. Jennifer Lawrence, the main character, does an excellent job portraying a girl who's had to grow up too soon, but isn't whiny about it - puts on a strong face most of the time and has accepted her life for what it is. In a role that I think could have easily been over-acted, she's very believable. I haven't seen Black Swan, so she's my pick (of what I've seen) for best actress. 4 stars.