Key Features of Winter's Bone

Feature 1: Budget and Film Type

As an independent film, the film was surprisingly in theatres for over 45 weeks and ultimately earned a $6,531,503 domestically and $9,600,048 internationally for a staggering total of $16,131,551, above it's $2 million budget.

Feature 2: Themes


Poverty/Financial Insecurity - The community is blighted by rural poverty. This is shown through the mise-en-scene, cinematography and passive and active social context within the film.

Lack of Opportunity/Low Educational Outcomes - Creates a sense of separation of mainstream infrastructure in the close-knit community.

Secrets - The whole film has a strong sense of the unknown as Ree searches for her father as a main theme of the story line. This creates a tense atmosphere.

Family Loyalty/Kin - This theme is based around patriarchal power but dependant upon song, resilient women.

Addiction - This is shown to have devastating consequences on families and individuals within the film. One main addiction that many of the characters have is Methamphetamine, which in conclusion leads to Ree realising that this may have been one of the causes of her fathers death.

Violence/Domestic Abuse -

Mental Illness - Ree takes care of her mentally ill mother which in return suggests how she is weighed down by the responsibility of being both the mother, father and sister figure to her younger siblings  and to take care of their property.