Saw Georgeanne Nixon and Governor Nixon at the movies yesterday. Georgeanne is a serious and involved supporter of the arts. Didn’t get a chance to talk to them after the show but wonder what they thought of Winter’s Bone, which might be interpreted as a “negative” portrait of drug dealers in the Missouri Ozarks.
At The Missouri Review, we published Daniel Woodrell’s story “Woe to Live On” in 1983, before it was expanded into a novel and then turned into the movie Ride with the Devil by Ang Lee. Daniel has been to visit and read for us, as well.
The movie is being hailed as the best of the year by many critics and is fascinating both in how melodramatic and sentimental it is. Protect the Children in a Heartless World! Fight Against All-Encroaching Evil! Daddy’s Dead, What Will We Do?! It’s a flick that could almost have been made in 1916 on a rooftop in New York.
That’s not to put it down. On the contrary, Winter’s Bone is evidence of how primitive and get-back a good movie can be. How with good detail and actors, with thoughtful choice and handling of a heroine (the movie makes her slightly purer than the book) and scenic veracity, one can tell a wonderfully compelling story.
Thematically, both the book and the movie rise above simple melodrama with one particularly interesting idea: the self-ordering of social groups—even a group of outsiders. The druggies in Winter’s Bone finally resolve their own conflict because they really are the only ones for which it makes any difference.
It’s a dark story but oddly uplifting. I recommend it.
Speer Morgan is the editor of The Missouri Review. His most recent novel, The Freshour Cylinders (1998), was awarded an American Book Award.
Daniel might befefit from a cultural technical advisor. Then again, most readers don’t know Ozark culture anyway.
I read Winter’s Bone a month a couple of months ago and saw the movie about a month ago. There’s things I really liked about he book but some I did not. the movie was a very well done adaptaion of the book. Kudos!
“Woe to be Gone” was a great sketch of history here in Missouri too.
I grew up in Central Missouri along the edge of the Ozarks in a small town and spent much time in the country and on the farm but was only occasionally exposed to local “hillbillies” or “hicks” as my German hog farmer granpa would call them. (When I lived in Illniois a few of my farmer – clients would call me a hillbilly too). I did spend time in the hills floatin, fishin, huntin, and generally getting to know some of the more backcountry folks. I have also worked as an University Extension “agent” in the Ozarks for years. I got to know a lot more folks and visit their places out in the boondocks. I could meet them because, although I sorta “worked for the government,” most uderstood that I was not involved or interested in a law enforcement role and really did want to help them if I could. A number of them and their habitats would raise the hair on the back of your neck and make you wonder why they could not clean up their acts – junk everywhere. (Again, my inherited and programmed German heritage and prejudice kicking in I guess) We do have some meth problems around here.
Anyway – I’ll preface my comments about Winter’s Bone by again saying that I really liked the book.
But – I had some problems with some of the language and descrriptions used early in the book. Seems like Daniel was laying it on a bit heavy to begin with. To get the attention of those city folk book buyers and reviewers or establish an archaic or gothic tone???
On page four they are drying their clothes inside cause they would freeze outside. My mom and grandma hung them outside in the dead of winter. they would freeze dry and then fold just fine when you brought them in.
Book satchels: ??? Nowadays even the hill kids use backpacks. Satchels went out before my kids went to school.
Stone fences are rare in Missouri. I have seen a few in Arkansas though. Stone houses (“giraffe stone”) are more common though.
My dad’s favorite cold remedy was a hot toddy. whiskey and honey and maybe a little lemon if you had em. He also blew smoke in your ear for a earache.
No gas for the chain saw!? Man they were bad off. Most woodcuttin poor folk around here would run out of beer before they ran out of chain saw gas.
I think “sure nough” should be sure nuf. Am I right?
Page 38 says they went “…uphill through the scrub…” We call it brush around here. Maybe scrub out west, in the desert, or in Mediterranean climes, but never heard it called that here.
Page 20 says “…houses built on yon slopes…” pretty archaic and heard very little in my experience. I do here “yonder” though, every now and then.
Page 72 Bacon grease was kept in the fridge? Why? It won’t go bad on the counter top.
And finally on page 79 Daniel writes about frog harvesting with a 22. We hunt with our hands or gigs and a good flashlight. Less noise when your pokin’ around ohter folks ponds and Dad though 22 shells were too expensive when all you needed were your hands or a hand me down gig and pole. Gigged a lot of frogs in my younger days.
Anyway – sorry to be so disparaging because I really liked the story and the rest of the direct writing and descriptive style. But, even though Daniel is from Missouri I think he could use a cultural technical advisor/editor now and then.
Just bein’ picky,
Ted Fry