Winter's Bone 0*

Dolly children, uncle Teardrop

Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) 17 seeks her father Jessup because he put up their family cabin for his bond to attend trial for "cooking crank" ("they all do"). Just like in Hunger Games #1, her mama is depressed "she don't talk much", Younger siblings and many pets are at stake. "Never ask for what oughta be offered." That won't wash in MY real world.

First older married sister is forbidden by her husband to help. "You aint never used to eat no sh-." Only uncle Teardrop (John Hawkes) says "dont go askin .. Little Arthur's.. get bit by hogs, or wish you was. .. I said shutup already once with my mouth".

"Ain't we all related?" She makes her rounds of more neighbors, "Thump", and the women who stand in front (and lay underneath) them. A bearded fella shows her a burned out lab and offers to take her brother in. She curses and says weeds high, musta been a year. She teaches two how to shoot, and leaves with older sister.

An ex of Jessup's is having a party with cards and fiddle singalong. Last time she saw him he acted like he didn't know her "somethin real wrong was goin on". She takes the two kids to shoot squirrels for frying. We get to see the skinning "get them guts out". Uncle Teardrop says law found Jessup's burned out car last night, and he didn't show to trial, advises selling off woods. She tells bondsman "I'm a Dolly, bread and buttered, and that's how I know Dad's dead." He reckons they have the place another week, "nothin to do, less'n you can prove he's dead". She gets taken into a barn and beaten up. Teardrop comes "I'll be collectin her now .. If she does wrong, you can put it on me.. This is a girl who aint gonna tell nobody nothin".

Nope. Not in the mood. Like TV "Justified" where girl can't find her dad because he's been offed by local crime mother. Love star Oliphant, polite Southern "gentlefolk" phrasing, quit when violence got too much. What you let in your brain stays there.

Too much the farm world I grew up helpless in. Horrible world. Can have no happy ending. I should have checked Wiki before fell to Hunger Games Extras hype, and requested from library. I thought Lawrence was miscast there, and no matter how good her performance here, "horror" is not my niche.