Seeing how I used to live in Missouri, I consider myself a bit of an expert on meth. Not really, but it was nice to see a movie filmed in the state. This was a very gritty movie that felt real.Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) is 17-years-old and she is in charge of her family. Her two younger siblings are too young to fend for themselves, her father is a drug-maker who may or may not be dead and her mother was driven crazy by the things her husband had done. One day, police notify her that her father is wanted for a court date and needs to show up. If he doesn't, the family will lose their house because he put it up as collateral for bail. When he doesn't show, a bail collector says they have one week to find him, dead or alive. Ree starts wondering through the seedy meth underbelly of Missouri to try and find her father. Along the way, she is helped by her uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes). They try to talk their way to the top of the heap in meth dealing to see looking for answers. Between the threats and the beatings and the guns, Ree will not be deterred in her quest to save the family house.
I liked this movie. I was surprised by how real it felt, despite it dragging a bit at parts. Jennifer Lawrence was great in her role, but the real star of the movie was John Hawkes. He was absolutely fantastic, making Teardrop one person you would never want to cross in your life. The use of real Missouri-folk as actors helped give the film a sense of realism. It won't win Best Picture, and maybe it was a stretch for it to be nominated, but it says a lot about the state of indie films that this can get a nod. I enjoyed this, but if you're not interested in movies that don't have much action, this may not be for you. Grade: B
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