FROZEN RIVER
STARTS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH
Free Loft Members' Screening on Friday, September 26th. Time tba.
GRAND JURY PRIZE WINNER / BEST FILM, 2008 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL!
"Miracles do happen. FROZEN RIVER is one of them. Melissa Leo's performance is screen acting of the highest order." - Richard Schickel, TIME MAGAZINE
"This completely naturalistic movie is one of the most exciting thrillers I've seen all year." - Quentin Tarantino
"Writer/director Courtney Hunt has delivered a story so rich, honest and painfully truthful that the film demands to be seen ... incredibly compelling and intense. I can't think of another film that's this "small" and this powerful." - Don R. Lewis, FILM THREAT
Two days before Christmas in rural upstate New York, Ray Eddy's (Melissa Leo, The Three Burials of Meliquades Estrada) husband has left her in an impossible situation—not only is he gone, but he has gambled away all of the family’s meager savings. Ray’s single wage at the Yankee One Dollar Store can’t make the house payment, and the situation forces Ray to feed her two sons popcorn and Tang everyday. When Ray strikes out to search for her husband, she encounters Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham), a tough, street-smart Mohawk woman who is dealing with her own struggle to make ends meet. But Lila has found a way to do it—smuggling illegal immigrants into the States. The tribal elders disapprove and attempt to stop Lila by forbidding anyone to sell her a car. Ray has a car, and although the two women don’t trust each other, they team up and share Ray’s Dodge Spirit to make a run across the frozen St. Lawrence River.
Courtney Hunt’s remarkabley suspensful and deeply emotional first feature is a realistic look at the world of human smuggling and the difficult choices facing poor, single mothers. A wonderfully directed film full of atmosphere, heart, and outstanding performances by Melissa Leo and Misty Upham, FROZEN RIVER is ultimately about the strength that resides in family and the way hope in a dire situation can be uncovered by courage and trust.
VISIT THE OFFICIAL MOVIE WEBSITE:
http://www.sonyclassics.com/frozenriver/