The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio

I felt the need to sign up and review a movie for the first time, just so there would be more written about this lovely little movie. This is a real gem that seems to have slipped through the net, which is a real pity. I had no expectations and knew nothing about it when I stumbled upon it, and I have been trying to persuade all of my friends to see it since then.

It's one of those rare family movies that really feels authentic. There's nothing hokey here, and no obvious, cheesy dialog. The little directorial flourishes are sweet and unobtrusive and flow naturally with the story, which although sometimes whimsically told, has a deeply moving center.

Julianne Moore deftly handles an extremely tricky role. She manages to convey the complexities in a character that on the surface, and in lesser hands, could read as drippy and one-dimensional. Instead as we see this woman's challenging life play out, we respect her more and more, and truly feel invested in what becomes of her remarkable spirit.

All in all, a wonderful surprise, beautifully executed. See it.

If you haven't read the book, at least go see the movie; that will inspire you to read the book! If any of you movie goers are avid readers, you know you are always a bit disappointed when Hollywood has its way with the written word. This neat little movie is no exception. I guess it is difficult to be unbiased since I live in Defiance, Ohio, and grew up with the Ryan kids. We love all the positive publicity that has come from this movie. There are many of us Defiance-ites that truly, absolutely, fanatically love this town. Then there are others that hate it; but I digress... This movie is one of those human interest, true-to-life, feel good movies. There's no "f" word every other line, no frontal nudity, no murders, etc. It's a movie that the family can enjoy together. And, as strange as it may seem in the movie when Evelyn miraculously wins a prize every time her family is in financial difficulty, it absolutely happened that way. I'm not sure I enjoyed the screenplay all that much, but I think most people will be tolerate it. The "asides" the character of Evelyn gives by talking directly to the audience, to me, were somewhat disconcerting, but I guess the director, Jane Anderson, decided to give more information through asides rather than have a narrator. The movie does tend to rely too heavily on the relationship between Evelyn and her husband, Kelly, because the book is 98 % about Evelyn, her love for her family, her talent for contesting, and Terry's (the author) love for her mother. Terry (Tuff)has contracted brain cancer and is not in the best of shape. Visit "The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio" website to learn more about Terry. Considering the content of this movie and the condition of the world today, I think most of you movie goers will enjoy a 98-minute "escape" from the real world as you are transported back to the '50s. Whether you lived in the '50s or wished you did, you will enjoy the flavor the movie gives to the era. And, one last thought, if you enjoyed the movie, and haven't read the book, you might want to run to your nearest library and pick up a copy. You might be disappointed in the movie, but you certainly won't be disappointed in the book. Long live Defiance!

I went into a screening of this film cold. I didn't know anything about it except that it starred Julianne Moore. I walked by a poster of the film on the way into the theater and was horrified, thinking it was going to be a chick flick.

Well, folks. When I go into a theater and I can't take my eyes off the screen and the movie goes by without me ever even checking my watch, I know I've seen a good movie.

Moore plays a woman with 10 children. Although her husband works as a machinist, she basically provides for the family by winning all sorts of contests for all kinds of big prizes, including big cash prizes. The woman is a master of winning these things. It's the one thing that's keeping her family together. She's definitely the hero and the one person everyone looks up to. Definitely an inspiration. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll stop at that, but I will say that Moore does a great job with her role.

Moore's husband in the movie, played by Woody Harrelson with emotional conviction and healthy dose of humanity, has a drinking problem and is a big source of tension inside the household. To the movie's credit, it doesn't paint the father as the typical one-note, evil, hateful,abusive, drunken father. There's a real character in there who loves his wife and kids and the movie does its best to portray him as fairly as possible despite his drinking problem and fits of rage.

The movie does bring out strong emotions from its audience, not quite a tear-jerker but close. It's not the sort of movie I would watch again and again because it's not my type of film, but I was glad for having seen it.

There's good acting, good pacing, a good story and possibly most important of all, it is told in an entertaining, gripping fashion. I wouldn't be surprised to find out if there is an Academy Award nomination in store for Julianne Moore and Woody Harrelson.

At the end of the movie, there was a nice round of applause from the audience. I told one lady, "Wow, the two hours just went..." and I snapped my fingers. She said, "It just zipped by." I also heard several different people talking as I left the theater, "Did you like it?" "Yeah, it was great."

Go see it.

Julianne Moore was excellent in her role of Evelyn Ryan. The movie is inspirational and thought provoking for women everywhere. A great family story. Woody Harrelson was perfectly cast as her alcoholic husband. He portrayed his character Kelly Ryan with just enough intensity and a touch of humor to not take the spotlight away from Julianne's character. The movie was taken from the book by the same name. It was written by Terry Ryan the daughter of Evelyn Ryan. You can sense the genuine connection between each character. Definitely see this one you will not regret it. There is none of that over the top Hollywood glitz and effects just a great story and excellent acting.

I am an enormous fan of Julianne Moore (ok she should not have done that Hannibal movie, but whose perfect?) and added this flick to my Netflix queue based on that. What a delightful surprise this movie turned out to be.

The story of a struggling mother, her ten children and her boozy, irresponsible husband is a charming, memorable and moving film.

The family is broke and the kids keep coming and Dad isn't bringing home much, and has a strong taste for the drink, what options does a busy mother have? She can't get a job. Married women didn't work back then and with ten children, how could she? Evelyn Ryan, Julianne's character, finds a solution: contesting. Back in the 50's contests were all the rage and if you could write a jingle, had strong alliteration skills, you could be a winner! Never preachy and without a note of false 'triumph' the film is quietly elegant and packs a punch teaching us more about the role of women in that era, the Catholic Church, and dealing with adversity than a dozen Lifetime message movies of the weeks.

Where on earth did this movie hide? If I recall correctly it barely played and was limited to the Art House circuit. Where was the Miramax style campaign that could have easily turned this into a mainstream box office sensation? Was someone asleep at the wheel?